By R.L. Bynum
As Hubert Davis prepares his team for Saturday’s rematch at Syracuse, the challenge isn’t just about X’s and O’s but also figuring out what he calls a puzzle.
With Caleb Wilson out and Henri Veesaar questionable, No. 16 Carolina (20–6, 8–5) faces the possibility of playing without both for the third consecutive game.
Veesaar is at least trending in the right direction ahead of Saturday’s 1 p.m. game (ABC) against the Orange (15–12, 6–8 ) at the JMA Wireless Dome.
“He’s getting better every day,” Davis said Friday at a Smith Center press conference of the junior center, who went through an individual workout on Thursday, and was planning to participate in Friday’s practice, but is still questionable. Davis said he’d have to “see how practice goes.”
Wilson remains in evaluation mode, but Davis said there should be an update on his timetable next week when more imaging will be done. Wilson is staying busy with non-contact workouts but has done no five-on-five drills.
“What he’s doing in the weight room, what he’s doing conditioning-wise — it’s real,” Davis said. “He can shoot it, he just can’t catch it. He does all the regular shooting drills that he [normally] does, just you have to bounce pass it to him.
“Other than regularly pass the ball to him, he’s doing everything,” Davis said. “Then he comes back, he’ll be in shape. He’ll be ready to go.”
Davis emphasized Wilson’s commitment to returning this season despite NBA dreams.
“Obviously, he has aspirations of playing in the NBA, but he also has a burning desire to play with his friends, and it’s something that he has looked forward to,” Davis said.
The front-court depth won’t get any better after James Brown had season-ending right foot surgery.
Without Veesaar and Wilson anchoring the interior, North Carolina is recalibrating how it wins. The Tar Heels’ identity of pace, paint touches, and rim pressure hasn’t changed. But the path to it has.
More on Tar Heels
— No. 16 UNC at Syracuse: TV info, stats, scouting Orange, keys to game, comparisons and notes
—UNC guards faltering while Cadeau shines
— Five-star guard Mingo commits to Tar Heels
— Heels slide in NET rankings, but next two games are Quad 1
— Davis says short-handed Heels lacked ‘competitive fight’
“I think it’s a number of different factors,” Davis said of the adjustment. “I think in a lot of ways, you have to be who you are.”
He pointed to the foundation pieces that have defined UNC at its best, but knows reality requires flexibility.
“There have to be some tweaks, changes, pivots and alters because you don’t have Henri and Caleb in the lineup,” Davis said. “I think it’s figuring out this new way, but also holding firm and staying connected to the things that allow you to be successful regardless of who’s in the lineup.”
The juggling act isn’t new. Davis ticked through the season’s earlier disruptions: eligibility issues, Seth Trimble’s injury, and shifting roles — as evidence that his team has been solving variations of this riddle for months.
“This group has had to figure out a different puzzle, pretty much the entire season,” he said. “And we’ll figure this one out.”
Part of that confidence stems from how players have responded when their number has been called. He singled out Zayden High for stepping into a starting role after not playing against Duke.
“What he’s doing is hard,” Davis said. “His production, in terms of scoring, rebounding, defense, has been real.”
That willingness to embrace uncomfortable roles, Davis said, is a survival skill.
“You’re really not in control of very much,” he said. “You’re just not. But what you are in control of is the circumstances ahead of you. How do you react and how do you respond? I think they’ve gotten a crash course this year on how to react and how to respond to many different situations.”
Against Syracuse, sustaining focus will matter as much as personnel. Davis reviewed the first meeting, when UNC built a 32-point lead but saw it trimmed late before holding on for an 87–77 victory. Better execution, ball security and poise against man and zone are non-negotiables.
Meanwhile, the Tar Heels continue to stress offensive rebounding as a lifeline without their full frontcourt. They grabbed 17 offensive rebounds against N.C. State and posted a 41% offensive rebounding percentage, even if second-chance points didn’t often follow.
Subscribe to read Tar Heel Tribune ad-free
Subscribe for a cleaner, smoother reading experience without the flashing banners, slow-loading elements, or those especially annoying pop‑up ads that interrupt the flow of the story. You’ll also get the first version of each story emailed to you. The only ads you’ll see are static, non-intrusive ads for UNC‑related books, and there are none currently on the site.
| Team | League | Overall | NET* | WAB* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Duke | 17–1 | 29–2 | 1 | 2 |
| No. 10 Virginia | 15–3 | 27–4 | 13 | 11 |
| Miami | 13–5 | 24–7 | 32 | 28 |
| No. 19 North Carolina | 12–6 | 24–7 | 23 | 19 |
| Clemson | 12–6 | 22–9 | 36 | 33 |
| No. 24 Louisville | 11–7 | 22–9 | 14 | 25 |
| N.C. State | 10–8 | 19–12 | 35 | 45 |
| Florida State | 10–8 | 17–14 | 69 | 74 |
| California | 9–9 | 21–10 | 65 | 49 |
| Stanford | 9–9 | 20–11 | 59 | 51 |
| SMU | 8–10 | 19–12 | 39 | 50 |
| Virginia Tech | 8–10 | 19–12 | 53 | 52 |
| Wake Forest | 7–11 | 16–15 | 64 | 81 |
| Syracuse | 6–12 | 15–16 | 83 | 92 |
| Pittsburgh | 5–13 | 12–19 | 109 | 146 |
| Notre Dame | 4–14 | 13–18 | 93 | 121 |
| Boston College | 4–14 | 11–20 | 159 | 217 |
| Georgia Tech | 2–16 | 11–20 | 167 | 210 |
* — Through Sunday games
Saturday’s results
No. 1 Duke 76, No. 19 North Carolina 61
Boston College 77, Notre Dame 69
Clemson 79, Georgia Tech 76
No. 24 Louisville 92, Miami 89
Florida State 92, SMU 78
Stanford 85, N.C. State 84
Wake Forest 80, California 73
Pittsburgh 71, Syracuse 69, OT
END OF REGULAR SEASON
ACC tournament
Spectrum Center | Charlotte
Tuesday through Saturday
UNC schedule
| Date | Time | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |||
| 9 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. USC in Greensboro | ACCN |
| 18 | 5 p.m. | Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis | B1G+ * |
| 27 | 7:30 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte | ACCN Extra |
| November | Regular season | |||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Western Carolina | ACCN |
| 6 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Wofford | ACCN |
| 10 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming | ACCN |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Friday | vs. Georgia | ESPN2 |
| 20 | 9 p.m. | Friday | vs. Marshall | ACCN |
| 23 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. Monmouth | ACCN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Friday | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte | ESPN |
| December | ||||
| 1 | 7:30 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas | ESPN |
| 6 | 3 p.m. | Sunday | vs. Butler | ESPN2 |
| 12 | Noon | Saturday | at Georgetown | Peacock |
| 15 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro | ESPN2 |
| 19 | 2:30 | Saturday | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York | CBS |
| 21 | 8 p.m. | Monday | vs. The Citadel | The CW |
| 30 | 4 p.m. | Wednesday | vs. California | ACCN |
| January | ||||
| 2 | 4 p.m. | Saturday | at Boston College | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 5 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at Louisville | ESPN or ESPNU |
| 9 | Noon | Saturday | vs. N.C. State | ESPN2 |
| 13 | 7 p.m. | Wednesday | at Florida State | ESPN2 or ESPNU |
| 16 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Stanford | The CW |
| 19 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. No. 17 Virginia | ESPN |
| 23 | Noon | Saturday | at Syracuse | ESPN or 2 or U |
| 26 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | vs. SMU | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 30 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. | ESPN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | 7 p.m. | Tuesday | at Notre Dame | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 2:15 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech | The CW |
| 8 | 6 p.m. | Monday | vs. Louisville | ESPN |
| 13 | 5:30 | Saturday | at No. 4 Duke | ABC |
| 20 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 22 | 7 p.m. | Monday | vs. No. 24 Miami | ESPN |
| 27 | 7 p.m. | Saturday | at Virginia Tech | ESPN |
| March | ||||
| 2 | 9 p.m. | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 6 | 6 or 6:30 | Saturday | vs. No. 4 Duke | ESPN |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
Photos by Smith Hardy
