By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — When Henri Veesaar first walked into the Smith Center, he didn’t think about minutes or touches or even stats.
He thought about the history he saw from UNC’s national championship seasons on the way to Roy Williams Court.
“I think the thing that stuck out to me the most was the Final Four floors,” the Arizona transfer said at a press conference on Wednesday. “And then just seeing how big the gym was — having 22,000 people in the gym, I feel like, is crazy. I can’t imagine playing in front of 22,000 people, and I’m very excited to do it.”
For the 7-foot redshirt junior, the path to Chapel Hill has been long — literally and figuratively.
He grew up in Tallinn, Estonia, the son of a basketball-loving father, and by the time he was 15, he had left home to join Real Madrid’s youth program. His talent eventually brought him to Arizona, where he played two seasons that sandwiched a redshirt season after a freak elbow injury on a golf cart kept him sidelined in 2023–24.
After playing all 29 games off the bench in 2022–23 (averaging 13.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per 40 minutes in playing only 206 minutes), he started five times last season (playing 770 minutes, averaging 18.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per 40 minutes while shooting 59.2% from the floor and 32.7% from 3-point range).
His best game was when he came off the bench March 3 to collect 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists while hitting 8 of 12 shots, including two 3-pointers, in a 113–110 win over rival Arizona State.
He represented Estonia in FIBA European competition five times, most recently in 2023.
The decision to transfer came immediately after Arizona’s season ended last spring. He didn’t have an immediate destination in mind, but the goal of getting to the NBA was a big part of deciding his next basketball home. Knowing that Coach Hubert Davis, assistants Sean May and Jeff Lebo played in the NBA and assistant Pat Sullivan coached in the NBA made an impression.
“They’re all great minds,” said Veesaar, who didn’t visit any other school. “They kind of know what you need to do. And just seeing the campus, seeing the fans here, it just felt different. The whole city felt like a great place to be. Just an amazing place to play basketball.”
One of the most persuasive voices in Veesaar’s ear didn’t come from a coach, but from a player who knew Carolina as well as anyone: Caleb Love. The two formed a friendship during Veesaar’s time at Arizona, and when he was weighing his next move, Love was one of the first people he called.
“It has a lot of influence,” said Veesaar, who came to Love’s defense late last season when there were suggestions that he was a bad teammate. “Very close with Caleb.”
Veesaar quizzed Love about relationships with coaches and how he thought the center would fit into the UNC program.
“Everything he said checked all the boxes for me,” said Veesaar, who will be the 25th Tar Heel to wear No. 13, with the previous four all transferring out: Jeremiah Francis, Walker Kessler, Dawson Garcia and Jalen Washington.1 “He said it was a great place to be here. They’re definitely going to push me; you’re going to get better here. And I would say that’s all I could ask for.”
For a player who has been away from home since he was 15, trust matters. Veesaar said hearing from someone who had been coached hard, pushed in practice and held to Carolina’s standard gave him confidence that this was where he would grow most.
Davis’ offseason goal was for his roster to get bigger, and Veesaar was an essential part of reaching it.
“After getting to know him and doing research on who he is as a person and his character, to me, it was a no-brainer that this would be somebody that we would love to be a part of our team and a part of our program,” Davis said at a press conference last week.
Veesaar’s game is a natural match for what Davis has long asked of his centers: defend, rebound and finish plays. But his ability to stretch the floor after hitting multiple 3-pointers in four games last season could open up the Tar Heels’ offense in ways it hasn’t looked in years.
Veesaar says that Davis tells everybody to give 100% effort and be detailed in their approach.
“But I think partially what he really liked about me was how I can alter shots and block shots,” Veesaar said. “And I think that’s what they were missing a little bit last year, and that’s what he was looking for.”
Davis confirmed that he likes those aspects of Veesaar’s game, and many others.
“He’s a really good rebounder,” Davis said. “Throughout his career, he’s been able to play a number of different defenses in different coverages and on ball screens, switch with our guards out on the perimeter. Teams and individuals that have the ability to do that make them a really good defensive team, and that’s something that’s a high priority for us.”
For Veesaar, the rebounding conversation has been constant since his arrival, particularly on the offensive end. He knows that will be one of his roles on the team.
“Maybe you can go 10 times and get one, but it’s going to look great for the team,” Veesaar said. “Maybe you’re able to not get the rebound, but you tip a couple times and you get it to one of your players. You get extra possession and you can help the team win more.”
It’s the combination of his size, shot-blocking ability and willingness to do the unglamorous work that made Davis push to bring him to Chapel Hill. But Veesaar also sees the move as a chance to expand his game.
“There’s going to be room for me to shoot,” Veesaar said. “I’m definitely going to be rolling a lot with the guards we have getting downhill. I think we’re going to have great floor spacing with the shooters we have. I think we’re going to have a very efficient offense this year.”
For years, Veesaar has been chasing the game across continents, time zones and challenges. This season, it’s about chasing a national title for the Tar Heels.
- The previous UNC players to wear No. 13 were Virgil Weathers, Frank Cuneo, Ed Shytle, Ellis Freedman, Bernie Mock, John Dillon (number honored), Benton Bennett, Bill White, Vince Grimaldi, Ian Morrison, Dick Grubar, Steve Previs, Brad Hoffman, Ademola Okulaja, Neil Fingleton, Will Graves, Van Hatchell, J.P. Tokoto, Kanler Coker, Cameron Johnson, Jeremiah Francis, Walker Kessler, Dawson Garcia and Jalen Washington.
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| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita | C | 7–0 | 215 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–7 | 190 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — W | G | 6–9 | 215 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 196 |
| 22 | Junior | Alexandros Samodurov | C | 6–11 | 212 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 174 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | F | 6–10 | 215 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z | G | 6–3 | 193 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 195 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Michael Malone’s coaching staff: Chuck Martin, Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May, Jorge Sanz, and Pat Sullivan; Deon Thompson will be a graduate assistant, and Brandon Robinson will reportedly have a support staff position.
Players who entered transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 | Pacific |
Non-conference schedule
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |
| 9 | 7 p.m. Friday | vs. USC in Greensboro |
| 18 | 5 p.m. Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis |
| 27 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte |
| November | Regular season | |
| 2 | Monday | vs. Western Carolina |
| 6 | Friday | vs. Wofford |
| 10 | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming |
| 13 | Friday | vs. Georgia |
| 20 | Friday | vs. Marshall |
| 23 | Monday | vs. Monmouth |
| 27 | Friday | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday | at Georgetown |
| 15 | Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro |
| 19 | 2:30 Saturday, CBS | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York |
| 21 | Monday | vs. The Citadel |
| January | ||
| 30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
ACC opponents
Home and away: Duke and Louisville
Home only: California, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU, Stanford and Virginia
Away only: Boston College, Florida State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
Don’t play: Clemson
Top photo via @UNC_Basketball; Estonia photo courtesy of FIBA
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