By R.L. Bynum
Former Northwestern center Cade Bennerman has committed to North Carolina.
The 7–0, 205-pound center, who has a 7–5 wingspan, will be more of a developmental addition after redshirting during his first season at Northwestern.
His decision gives UNC another body at the five as the Tar Heels continue to reshape their roster and build depth after Henri Veesaar decided to head to the NBA.
For Bennerman, the move is another step in a recruitment arc that has always leaned on projection and patience. He emerged late in high school at Father Ryan High School in Nashville, and Northwestern’s staff pitched him on a plan that began with a redshirt year and would have continued with time in the weight room and on the practice floor.
When Northwestern signed him out of the 2025 class, Wildcats coach Chris Collins described his appeal.
“Cade is a huge upside player,” said Collins, a former Duke player and assistant coach. “He’s long, athletic, and has skill with good hands and feet. Cade can run the floor at his size, play at the high post, make shots and handle the ball. We feel his best days are ahead of him.”
UNC’s evaluation starts with the same traits, length, mobility, and a base of skill that is unusual for a player of his size. As a high school senior, Bennerman averaged 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
Bennerman has never been shy about seeing himself as a modern big, and his quotes while he was recruited out of high school show a player UNC believes it can shape. When he committed to Northwestern in November 2024, Bennerman pointed to freedom for bigs.
“I felt like their playing style was the best fit for me,” Bennerman said when he committed to Northwestern. “I like the way they let their forwards and bigs handle the ball and play to their strengths.”
On3’s Jamie Shaw wrote while Bennerman was still in high school, “While there is still a long way until he hits his ceiling, there are not many 6-foot-11 people in the world who move as fluidly as Bennerman. He played effectively within himself, finishing plays around the basket and blocking shots around the rim. There is a clear pathway with his continued improvement.”
Bennerman was a three-star prospect and ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Tennessee and the No. 34 center in his class. In his senior season at Father Ryan High, he led the Irish to a 21-win season, their most since 2009.
For UNC, the bet is that length, skill, and time can produce a center who can impact games as a shot-blocker who runs the floor, and grows into the level of physical play the ACC demands.
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.
Roster assuming all players with eligibility other than Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and the seven players who entered the transfer portal return, which would put UNC three under the 15-player limit. The class for next season is listed.
| No./ Stars | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 star | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 3 star | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| RS freshman | Cade Bennerman — V | C | 7–0 | 205 | |
| Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — W | G | 6–9 | 215 | |
| Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 | |
| Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–6 | 205 | |
| Junior | Maxim Logue — Y | C | 6–9 | 232 | |
| Senior | Terrence Brown — Z | G | 6–3 | 174 | |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
V — Northwestern transfer. W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — FAU transfer; Z — Utah transfer
In 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 |
Key offseason dates
April 7 — Transfer portal opened
April 16 — Was the deadline to request an evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee
April 21— Transfer portal closed
11:59 p.m. Friday — NBA early-entry deadline
Sunday — Was deadline for UNC players on last season’s roster to enter the transfer portal
May 8–10 — G League Combine in Chicago
May 10 — NBA Draft Lottery
May 10–17 — NBA Draft Combine in Chicago
May 27 (11:59 p.m.) — NCAA early-entry withdrawal deadline
June 23–24 — NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn
Nonconference schedule so far
(Other than the ACC/SEC Challenge, games without links revealed from reporting by Alex Rosinski)
(10 of 14 games)
Nov. 2 — vs. Western Carolina
Nov. 6 — vs. Wofford
Nov. 10 — vs. Wyoming
Nov. 13 — vs. Georgia
Nov. 20 — vs. Marshall
Dec. 1 or 2 — vs. SEC team in ACC/SEC Challenge
Dec. 12 — at Georgetown
Dec. 19 — vs. Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden
Dec. 21 — vs. The Citadel
November or December — vs. Butler
Photo via nusports.com
1 Comment