#UNC center Henri Veesaar

inside South Carolina. I wanted to ask

you about, you know, some of the

conversations you've had with Hubert,

not just for yourself individually, but

the center position in general.

Obviously, that was a a big point of

emphasis for them hitting the portal.

What has Hubert kind of communicated to

you guys about just the vision for what

he wants out of that center position?

Uh, I wouldn't say that he really spoke

to us about what he wants specifically

from the center position, but he just

kind of has I would say me us personally

talking just kind of saying what he

needs from me and like what he wants me

to do for me to be the best version for

North Carolina and for us to win most of

the games.

Ariel, before I preview, can you take us

through your basketball journey? When

did you first pick up a ball in Estonia,

your decision to play in Madrid, and

then your decision to play in the

States? Uh, I would say I started

practicing first when I was 8 years old,

but as long as I can remember, I've

always had a basketball in my hand. My

dad loves basketball. He used to play

it. And then as long as I can remember,

I've always had a basketball in my hand.

But I would say when I was 15, I moved

to Madrid uh to go to Real Madrid

Academy uh practiced there. And then

when I was about my last year there, I

decided to go to Arizona and I was there

three years and now I'm here. So being

away from home is no big deal.

Yeah. Uh yeah, I would say I've been a

long time away from home, so I'm kind of

trying to get used to, but I always

still get homesick.

Henry, what was it? Adam Smith with

Inside Carolina. What was it about this

place that you sort of just identified

with so quickly? Because you're in the

portal, you're here visiting, you know,

right after that. like what was it about

this place that stuck out and did you

have this place in your mind even before

you you got in the portal?

Uh I did not have any place in mind

specifically when I entered the portal

because it was almost right after the

season. We had just lost the game. I

kind of was getting used to that. We

just had end of the season. It was hard

loss. But I would say just coming on

campus talking to coaches. Uh, obviously

my goal is to get to the NBA and having

all these coaches that been in the NBA

level, a coach at the NBA level, they're

all great minds. They kind of know what

you need to do. And just seeing the

campus, seeing the fans here, it just

felt different. And like the whole city

felt like a great place to be and like

it just is an amazing place to play

basketball at

because you didn't visit anywhere else,

did you?

No, I just visited here.

Henry, micro wchlapro.com.

How instrumental were the veterans on

this team, Seth and James Brown? How key

were they to getting you uh to come here

to Carolina?

Uh Seth was very key for it. uh because

he was one of the returning guards and I

kind of just talked to him on my visit

and kind of see where he was at and how

he saw Chapel Hill and kind of seeing

what role he's going to have next year

and what he wanted to be in and kind of

talking to like Coach Davis about it too

cuz I definitely watched a couple uh

like tapes of Seth playing obviously I'

seen a couple games of his but I kind of

wanted to see more of it and how we

really facilitate and him the way he

goes downhill I think is going to We're

going to compliment each other so great.

I'm going to be able to pop. He's going

to have more room to go downhill. And

he's a amazing passer like off the pick

and rolls. He sees the pocket pitch

really good. We have all summer work

done it. And like he's very good at

seeing lobs late and uh the bigs kind of

have to respect his athleticism cuz he's

such a he's a free athlete like he can

dunk on anybody if they're 7 foot or

not. So it kind of they have to make the

decision early. So that opens up the

passes late.

Henry Rod Baxley, Fable Observer. What

were those boxes Hubert wanted you to

check as a Carolina center coming year?

I feel like he always has the I would

say the same for everybody. Kind of you

have to just give 100% effort and always

be detailed in your approach. That's I

think what he requires of all his

players. But I think partially what he

really liked about me was uh how I can

alter shots and block shots. And I think

that's what they were missing a little

bit last year and that's what he was

looking for.

How much have you heard about offensive

rebounding too since being here?

Uh well it's a big key in practice. I

think we hear every practice that we're

not going enough but I think we do a

really good job this year of going to

offensive rebounds and I personally um

last year in my college career I think I

that was the area I was pretty good at

and I'm I definitely have to get better

at defensive rebounding compared to last

year to help the team up. What are

excuse me starting the point where you

said not to stay together. What are some

of the things that you were just

alluding to Jeff to get better at

offensive rebounding? What are some of

the things you're working on in order to

get to that point? And what is a point

of emphasis here specific about

offensive rebounding that maybe you

didn't get elsewhere?

Uh I mentioned defensive rebound getting

better, but uh for defensive rebounds,

one thing is doing the box out, but I

think I also have to get better at

releasing after the box out to go for

the rebound. Feel like last year I kind

of settled at boxing out my guy and just

kind of being happy with him not getting

the ball. But this year I think I

definitely have to do a better job of

hitting my guy and getting back to the

play and trying to get the ball.

Well, last week we talked to Hubert and

he said one of the reasons he brought

you and some of the other guys was to be

better at offensive rebounding. They've

always pushed that here in this program.

So what is the message with respect to

offensive rebounding with the you get

here that's enforced more here than

maybe wasn't elsewhere?

Uh I would say the offensive rebounding

it just you have to go. There's no other

option. Like it's your role in the team.

If you're in one of those positions that

has to go, you have to go every time and

there's no question about it. Kind of

maybe you can go 10 times and get one,

but it's going to look great for the

team. Maybe you're able to not get the

rebound, but you tip it a couple times

and you get it to one of your players

and you get extra position extra

possession and it's going to help the

team win.

What do you enjoy more? Put back slam or

swatting something right at the right.

Always a good question. I think both of

them are pretty fun. I would say

blocking shots is even better.

And Brennan Mars athletic Hubert has

traditionally played a lot of drop

coverage. Defensively, one of the things

you mentioned last week is with you, we

can play a lot more multiple ball screen

coverages. Just what's your level of

comfort with those? And what do you

think your defensive versatility will

bring to the team?

Uh yeah, North Carolina's ice program,

so they have I think they've been

traditionally more far off the ball

screen, but I have personally have never

played ice like as a main coverage for a

team. So I definitely have asked so many

questions from ex players to Hebrew days

every day. And I think we have kind of

found a good medium of starting at the

ball level and working down from there.

So we kind of you soften like how the

guard can just downhill sprint down and

you kind of soften that end. But

obviously then more people need to be

pulled in then they kind of have to help

or bump the roller. So it's a little bit

different.

Go ahead.

Grant's honest. Um, I know uh that

there's a little bit of different rules

when it comes to playing basketball in

Europe compared to America. What were

some of the adjustments you had to make

early on in your career uh as you made

the transition for going from you know

Europe to America?

I would say the biggest thing is uh

being strong with the ball because I

would say in Europe like if they

literally touch your wrist or they touch

your hand right here like they're going

to call it a foul automatically or like

you can't even really go with two hands

for a rake in Europe because they will

just assume that you got your hand as

well. But in the US they don't really

call it. So you have to kind of keep the

ball always high and be strong with it

when you drive because it's I would say

it's normal to get foul. Somebody's

going to hit your arm. you just got to

go play through it. And that's something

I think as a freshman I definitely

struggle with.

And uh speaking about defensive

rebounding, how much has uh Shawn helped

you kind of get better at that aspect

because we know when he was a player, he

was fantastic at rebounding.

Yeah, I think he's definitely worked on

the releasing part. He's kind of we have

talked about it and just seeing where

you hit and you have to go get back to

the play like you just can't settle and

like try to push your guy out, but you

got to also help others to get the

rebound if it doesn't come your way.

Henry, along those lines, I can only

imagine that they're showing you some

Armando Bacott film, like the way he fit

in the stuff they did here. Is that is

that part of sort of the the learning

process watching some some tape of him

and and the way they used him?

Uh yeah, he was amazing player here.

Obviously, we have watched a couple

clips of him and how he plays and uh as

a team as a whole, we have watched a lot

of like the past teams rebounding like

Harrison Ingram or Marlo Baker. They

were both phenomenal at it

defensively, offensively. So, it's kind

of what you just have to pick up and see

what they're doing.

How much have you talked to Bob and

Coach Robinson about Carolina and how

much influence did that have in your

decision?

Uh, it has a lot of influence. I'm very

close with Caleb and just from last

year, I kind of asked him what he

thought about this program and how his

relationships were with the coaches and

how he saw me fit into this program. And

everything he said checked all the boxes

for me. He said it was a great place to

be here. like 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. So

Henry, no White Tardio 24/7. What have

your early impressions been of Caleb

Wilson? Has there been a moment in

pickup or in practice that has been a

wow moment for you? And how excited are

you to be able to play with him?

Uh I would say when he first got here,

like I knew he was a great player, but

just his ability to read a game and like

how good of a passer he is, I had no

clue about. And just like the first

couple practices I was in awe and I was

like this is great playing with him

being on the same team because he was

throwing me loves. He could see like

fast break he would push the ball and

give you a bounce pass and you're like

he really plays like a winger guard like

who's ball like supposed to be a

playmaker cuz he'll push the ball and

like throw it ahead and he's really good

at it. That's probably the biggest

like surprise I had about it. Tell us

about I I understand what Geomaster is,

but why do you enjoy that game so much

and tell me about I guess just

introducing that to some of the other

guys on the team and getting to play

that with them.

Uh

I'd say I know Jerry and then Kai and I

have tried it too. But yeah, it was

definitely I feel like I just find it

fun. It's kind of just get put in a

random place in the world and kind of

trying to figure out where you are. I

think it's you kind of get to see other

places in a way where you don't travel.

You just kind of look around, see the

different places.

I don't know how to describe it. It just

seems fun.

You said that you're maybe playing it

with kind some in free time in class.

Uh I wouldn't say in class. We never do

it in class. You're all great. You're

all great students.

Henry, what's it what's it been like?

Henry, what's it been like playing with

Kai and just kind of getting to know his

game? We obviously know the student that

he is coming out of Colorado State, but

just taking the court with him. What's

it been like playing?

Uh, I think we have had a great

connection over the summer. Build a

great connection. Uh, it's been a I

think we both have to first adjusted to

each other playing out of pick and rolls

and like just kind of learning about the

way we like to play cuz he definitely uh

needs the space to shoot and kind of

like he's really good at it whenever

anybody goes under. So, in practice

whenever I can if I see anybody like

trying to decide if they should go over

or under, I will try to maybe take a

step higher. That way I can just stay

there in front of him, let him shoot

behind me cuz that way there's no

contest and he shoots you at such a high

rate and so efficiently that I think

it's very hard for other teams to guard

and when he gets downhill is a really

good floater and he's such a good

decision maker and he stays very patient

that it's like it's amazing playing with

him

11. You talked a little bit about the

history here. Do you remember walking

into the Smith Center on your visit or

just walking in here and practicing what

your thoughts were? I think the uh thing

that stick out to me the most was uh the

final four uh floors that are like in

this gym from the years that they won it

and then just seeing how big the gym was

like the having 22,000 people in the

gym. I feel like it's crazy and like I

can't imagine playing in front of 22,000

people and I I'm very excited to do it.

You speaking earlier about just Seth and

how excited you're going to play and

just his onboard ability. What about him

as a leader has stood out so far that

makes him want to play with.

Oh, he's he's great for the team. Uh I

say we have a slow day at the gym, he

will start clapping, he'll talk, he'll

get everybody energized

just on the court as well. Like he'll

keep everybody to a higher standard.

It's kind of having like another coach

on the floor. Like it just he'll be

like, "Oh, guys, like we can't do this.

We have to keep like like uh

he basically just say like we can't get

loose during practice. you have to like

stay focused and keep pushing every way

and like he's really good at it where

also bringing his energy levels. He's a

very high energy player on defense,

offense, and he kind of just rubs up on

everybody where you want to be better

cuz if you see him doing it like you

can't let him down kind of.

Uh Henry Brian with the Daily Taro, how

do you kind of see yourself fitting in

offensively and where do you see

yourself in terms of all these new

pieces and how do you kind of expect to

put a mark on your offensive game this

year?

Uh, I would say I feel like we're

definitely going to see it as a team how

we play. There's going to be room for me

to shoot. Uh, there's going to be 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. And I think we're going to have a

good connection also with the Caleb as

like bigs. When eos are with the ball or

without the ball, we kind of can see

each other moving around and uh see

where the open spaces are. I think we

just going to have a very efficient

offense this year.

Henry, you've been part of a I mean last

year with Toby and with Grievous in the

past, like you've been a part of a front

court tandem before. How have the

various pieces sort of worked? I mean,

you've been to Caleb a few times, but

Jiren cycling some of the guys in like

is it conceivable that all three of you

could play together at certain times for

instance?

Uh all three of us and

like you Caleb and Jiren maybe.

Oh yeah, we could definitely play that.

We have had that lineup multiple times

in practice too. It's a very tall

lineup, but it works great because it

kind of has mismatches whenever we drive

and defensively you have great room

protection with us three on the court

and you don't really compromise any

shooting because all of us can make it.

Andrew, last one.

Yeah, Luke has been here for not quite a

month yet. What are your impressions

seeing him out there on the court and

also seeing him assimilate? He's

probably dealing with some of the same

things you dealt with a few years ago.

Yeah, uh he's a great player. He's a a

little bit older than everybody. Like

not everybody, but I would say like for

a freshman. So, he's definitely

experienced player and he kind of knows

what it takes to win and like practice

for uh with a team and kind of what

standard we need to be at. I think he's

definitely going to have a little bit of

adjustment period coming to the US kind

of adjusting to the rules and the

physicality and just having all these

athletes and kind of having to be able

defensively also move your feet and

offensively having less time and space.

But

what jumps out though about his game

when you watch him when you first saw

saw him play? What

how uh under control he's all at all

times when he's maneuvering pick and

rolls. He kind of nothing can really

speed him up. He kind of stays at the

free throw line, make his decision. He

will like go for jumper or like floers

or pass out of it, but he's very under

control. Like you can't really speed him

up. I think that's one of his great

qualities.

Some experience.

Yeah.

Thanks, Henry. Nice and roll.