By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Zayden High has been through a lot of lows in his three years at UNC, including a controversy that forced him to miss last season.
An off-court matter led Carolina to suspend him from school, forcing him to leave the basketball program for a year.
He returned to the team for his sophomore season but didn’t get many playing opportunities and often stayed on the bench. Thanks to Henri Veesaar being out, High finally got his chance in No. 11 UNC’s 79–65 victory Saturday over Pittsburgh and took full advantage of it.
In a career-high 32 minutes, High had career-highs of 15 points and seven rebounds while tying his career-high with two assists.
High said the hardest part of his journey was being completely away from the game during the season he missed. Watching from the outside forced him to confront the lowest point of his career, but it also taught him resilience and perspective.
High said he learned to “stick through the hard times.”
High’s journey back to the court has also been shaped by gratitude, especially toward Coach Hubert Davis, who gave him another chance. After missing an entire season and spending months away from the program, High did not take simply returning to the team for granted.
“I’m just thankful for Coach Davis believing in me still,” High said. “He brought me back when he didn’t have to.”
High said the support extended beyond Davis, as the coaching staff and his teammates continued to encourage him even when his role was limited and minutes were scarce. In ACC play, he had never previously played more than eight minutes before Saturday, and didn’t play against Florida State, Wake Forest or Duke.
“I’m very thankful for him, and then my coaches, the coaching staff, I’m thankful for them believing in me, and then my teammates as well,” High said.
For High, the moment was years in the making, the kind of opportunity that can arrive without warning.
“I was a little nervous, but I was just excited,” High said. “Unfortunately, we got Henri and Caleb out, so next man up, and I just went out there and was myself.”
Coach Hubert Davis said that readiness is exactly what High has been building toward, even while stuck behind veteran frontcourt players.
“When your number is called, your job and responsibility is to be ready,” Davis said. “Last week at this time, he didn’t play in the Duke game, and a week later, he’s starting, and he’s playing 32 minutes.”
High’s performance was not only about scoring, Davis said, but about the way he defended, rebounded and stayed composed in an expanded role.
“The job that he did defensively, rebounding the basketball, giving us a post presence,” Davis said. “Zayden has waited his turn, and he took advantage of it.”
High credited the daily grind in practice, battling against Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesar, for preparing him when the spotlight finally swung his direction.
“Going against them every day made me better, for sure,” High said.
High said the difference for him on Saturday came from simply leaning into what he’s been building toward in practice. He pointed to the pace, spacing, and trust from his teammates as the factors that allowed him to settle in quickly despite the nerves.
“I just tried to stay aggressive and play my role,” High said. “Running the floor, setting good screens, keeping the energy up — those are things I know I can control. Once I got into the flow, everything started to slow down for me.”
High said that the smaller lineup helped open the floor in ways that matched his strengths.
“The spacing really helped,” High said. “With us playing faster, it gave me room to roll, room to rebound, and just make simple plays. Coach has been on me to stay ready, and today I felt like all that work showed up. The guys kept trusting me, and that gave me even more confidence as the game went on.”
Freshman point guard Derek Dixon said the confidence in High has always been there internally, even if fans haven’t seen it as much during games.
“Zayden is a really good player,” Dixon said. “We see it every day in practice… and when he plays confident like that, and aggressive like that, it is really great to see.”
High’s first start also came with a clear message from the sidelines, as Wilson and Veesaar stayed engaged as vocal supporters.
Seth Trimble said High delivered exactly what Carolina needed in a game that demanded contributions from everywhere.
“Zayden was incredible,” Trimble said. “He played free today. He was aggressive in the post. He rebounded the ball well.”
For High, the performance represented more than a career night. It was proof that, even after setbacks and long stretches of waiting, the opportunity he dreamed of could still arrive.
“It’s a dream come true to start in North Carolina,” High said. “So, I’m just thankful for my teammates and my coaches for believing in me.”
Photo by Daniel Walker
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