By R.L. Bynum

CHARLOTTE — When Henri Veesaar arrived in Chapel Hill last summer, he brought a distinctly European basketball mindset, one built on pace, precision and patience.

At 7–0, 225 pounds, the Estonian doesn’t look like some past Tar Heel big man who punished defenders in the post. But Veesaar’s presence inside may be the missing piece in North Carolina’s offense that will create better spacing than last season.

He’s not the kind of center who thrives on brute force. At ACC Tipoff on Tuesday at the Hilton Charlotte Downtown, he acknowledged that.

“Sometimes I play against big guys who weigh more than you, who are stronger than you,” Veesaar (pronounced VEH-sar) said. “You kind of have to find ways around it. You’ve got to use your quickness, kind of give them a little bump to get them off balance. Use my quick feet to get up and shoot maybe a little floater or hook shot over them, because I can always use my length.”

That awareness of his strengths and limits is what makes him dangerous. At Arizona last season, he averaged 9.4 points, 5.4 rebounds per game and 20.8 minutes while shooting 59.2% from the floor and making nearly 39% of his 3-point attempts in Big 12 play. He didn’t need to overpower anyone. He just needed space.

And that’s precisely what he’s getting at UNC.

In Coach Hubert Davis’s evolving system, spacing has become a priority. The Tar Heels want five shooters on the floor as often as possible, and Veesaar, who can stretch defenses beyond the arc, fits that perfectly.

“We can put on the court five guys who can shoot,” he said, mentioning that when Zayden High is at the five, he can also shoot. “You can have all five guys who are elite shooters. I think that’s really helpful for spacing. It gives Seth [Trimble] more room to get downhill. And for everybody.”

In practices and Saturday’s Blue-White scrimmage, Veesaar’s versatility was on display. He drifted to the perimeter on pick-and-pops, ran clean two-man actions with guards, and used his length to alter shots on defense. He’s not just another transfer filling a roster spot; he’s a skill piece designed to reshape how Carolina’s offense operates.

Assistant Coach Sean May, himself a Tar Heel legend inside and 2005 Final Four MOP, has taken a special interest in refining Veesaar’s approach. The two work daily on patience — when to face up, when to let cutters clear and when to attack.

“He’s been big on face ups,” Veesaar said. “They have to take their arm bar off you. Then you can drive into their hips, and they can’t really push you. You can always get your shot off.”

That subtlety of using angles, balance and timing reflects Veesaar’s background. He came through Real Madrid’s youth academy before playing two seasons over three years at Arizona, where he developed alongside former Tar Heel guard Caleb Love.

International basketball’s emphasis on space and skills shaped his path, and he’s bringing that philosophy to a team that, at times last year, struggled to unclog the lane.

But it’s not just about offense. Defensively, his length changes possessions. He ranked fourth in the Big 12 in block percentage last season and showed in Arizona’s NCAA tournament run that he goes after shots without fouling. His agility also gives UNC flexibility to switch or hedge ball screens.

In practice, Veesaar has been matched up with younger frontcourt teammates such as Zayden High and James Brown, each bringing a different kind of physical challenge.

“They’re strong,” he said. “Zayden, he can shoot it. He has really good footwork. JB’s is really good operating the short roll.”

Behind the scenes, he has worked closely with strength coach Jonas Sahratian to build a stronger frame.

“I’ve definitely gotten a lot stronger,” said Veesaar, crediting the five months he’s worked with Sahratian, saying he’s done lifts he never had done before. There is a rule that he has to put the weights down in three seconds. “Having the three seconds going down with a heavy weight makes a big difference. It’s really helping.”

When UNC’s offense clicks this season, it will often start with a high-ball screen involving Veesaar. Whether he rolls to the rim for a lob or drifts out to the perimeter, defenses will have to make a choice.

If they collapse, shooters such as Luca Bogavac and Jonathan Powell will have open shots. If they stay home, Veesaar’s touch around the rim likely produces points.

It’s exactly the evolution Hubert Davis has been aiming for, and a significant improvement on not having much of a tall post presence last season.

For Veesaar, the transition to UNC has been as much emotional as tactical.

“I remember coming on a visit and going on campus and seeing all these people and everybody so much cared about the program. That was just amazing,” Veesaar said

It’s that sense of belonging and belief that’s fueling him now.

Carolina didn’t just get a seven-footer from Arizona. They got a connector, a modern big man who stretches the floor, runs the floor and makes everyone else’s job easier.

The kind of player who may not always roar after a dunk, but who can quietly tilt a game and maybe even a season in the Tar Heels’ favor.

The Tar Heel Tribune Facebook group moved to a new location. Follow the page at this link so that you don’t miss any UNC sports coverage.

No.	Class	Player	Pos.	Hgt	Wgt
8	Freshman	Caleb Wilson (5 star)	4	6–10	215
5	Freshman	Isaiah Denis (4 star)	CG	6–4	180
3	Freshman	Derek Dixon (4 star)	CG	6–5	200
40	Sophomore	Ivan Matlekovic	5	7–0	255
11	Sophomore	Jonathan Powell	G	6–6	190
2	Sophomore	James Brown	5	6–10	240
1	Sophomore	Zayden High	4	6–10	230
44	Junior	Luca Bogavac (BO-guh-VAHTS)	W	6–6	215
4	Junior	Jaydon Young	2	6–4	200
13	RS junior	Henri Veesaar (VEH-sar)	5	7–0	225
0	Junior	Kyan Evans	1	6–2	175
15	Junior	Jarin Stevenson	4	6–10	215
7	Senior	Seth Trimble	2	6–3	200
		Walk-ons
25	Sophomore	John Holbrook	4	6–8	230
32	Junior	Evan Smith	2	6–1	195
6	RS senior	Elijah Davis	2	6–3	205

Former UNC players who transferred

Player	Class next season	Pos.	Hgt	Wgt	Next school
Elliot Cadeau	Junior	PG	6–1	180	Michigan
Jalen Washington	Senior	C	6–10	235	Vanderbilt
Ian Jackson	Sophomore	G	6–4	190	St. John’s
Cade Tyson	Senior	F	6–7	200	Minnesota
Ven-Allen Lubin	Senior	C	6–8	230	N.C. State

Date	Month/day	Time	Opponent/event (current ranks)	TV/ record
	October
24	Friday	L, 78–76	vs. No. 11 BYU in SLC	Exhib.
29	Wednesday	W, 95–53	vs. Winston-Salem St.	Exhib.
	November
3	Monday	W, 94–54	vs. Central Arkansas	1–0
7	Friday	W, 87–74	vs. Kansas	2–0
11	Tuesday	W, 89–74	vs. Radford	3–0
14	Friday	W, 97–53	vs. N.C. Central	4–0
18	Tuesday	W, 73–61	vs. Navy	5–0
			Fort Myers Tip-Off
25	Tuesday	W, 85–70	vs. St. Bonaventure	6–0
27	Thursday	L, 74–58	vs. No. 12 Michigan State	6–1
	December		ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge
2	Tuesday	W, 67–64	at Kentucky	7–1
			—————————
7	Sunday	W, 81–61	vs. Georgetown	8–1
13	Saturday	W, 80–62	vs. USC Upstate	9–1
16	Tuesday	W, 77–58	vs. ETSU	10–1
			CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta
20	Saturday	W, 71–70	vs. Ohio State	11–1
			—————————
22	Monday	W, 99–51	vs. East Carolina	12–1
30	Tuesday	W, 79–66	vs. Florida State	13–1, 1–0 ACC
	January
3	Saturday	L, 97–83	at SMU	13–2, 1–1
10	Saturday	W, 87–84	vs. Wake Forest	14–2, 2–1
14	Wednesday	9 p.m.	at Stanford	ACCN
17	Saturday	4 p.m.	at California	ACCN
21	Wednesday	7 p.m.	vs. Notre Dame	ESPN2
24	Saturday	2 p.m.	at No. 16 Virginia	ESPN
31	Saturday	2 p.m.	at Georgia Tech	ACCN
	February
2	Monday	7 p.m.	vs. Syracuse	ESPN
7	Saturday	6:30	vs. No. 6 Duke	ESPN
10	Tuesday	7 p.m.	at Miami	ESPN or ESPN2
14	Saturday	2 p.m.	vs. Pittsburgh	ESPN
17	Tuesday	7 p.m.	at N.C. State	ESPN or ESPN2
21	Saturday	1 p.m.	at Syracuse	ABC
23	Monday	7 p.m.	vs. No. 20 Louisville	ESPN
28	Saturday	6:30 or 8:30	vs. Virginia Tech	ESPN or ESPN2
	March
3	Tuesday	7 p.m.	vs. No. 22 Clemson	ESPN or ESPN2
7	Saturday	6:30	at No. 6 Duke	ESPN
10–14	Tues.-Sat.	ACC tournament	Spectrum Center, Charlotte