UNC 2025-2026 Basketball Season Preview 

by Derrick Isaiah Clyburn

The North Carolina basketball program is amid their most important offseason since the 2021 offseason when Roy Williams announced his retirement from coaching. The Tar Heels are coming off a season where they went 23-14 on the season and lost in the round of 64 in the NCAA tournament after being the last team selected in the tournament. Not only did the Heels not reach expectations, but in their final game of the season, they played some of their worst basketball of the season. That is just not the standard North Carolina basketball is used to. Many thought this past year they could once again compete for an ACC championship and be one of the better teams in the country.

Instead, UNC didn’t stick to an identity at the beginning of the season and, with the non-conference schedule being one of the toughest in the country, struggled to get its footing under them. It would be a rollercoaster ride during the season. The Heels were a poor first-half team and found themselves down by double figures in multiple games early in the season, which made it tough for them to win games. There was only one game where they won after being down double figures, and that was the Dayton game in Maui. The Tar Heels also were in several one-possession games, finishing 6-4 in those contests. Numerous close games and large first-half deficits were due to the lack of team identity and no leader. Without a true starting caliber center and a forward stepping up to play well consistently, Hubert Davis and his coaching staff opted to play a four-guard lineup with one big.

Carolina suffered tremendously defensively because of the switch to a small-ball lineup, and the inability to make shots consistently caused their offense to suffer. Coming into the season, the Tar Heels knew they had a flawed roster with the lack of size at the guard spot and lack of inside presence, but they never played to their strengths consistently. Carolina didn’t do a good job using their speed, quickness, and athleticism to their advantage. They were at their best when they were playing at a fast pace offensively, extending their ball pressure full court, and attacking the basket using dribble penetration that led to open shots at the rim or on the perimeter.  One of the main issues the 2024-2025 team was struggling to find an identity for this team, and the coaching staff failing to push the right buttons to find a successful formula for ¾ of the season. Once they found out the right identity and lineups for this team, it was almost too late. The Heels did win 8 of their last 10 games and were able to sneak into the NCAA tournament. However, the fact that it took so long for the coaching staff to identify the recipe for success is puzzling.  

This offseason is a critical one for the Tar Heels. For two of their last four years, Carolina was on the bubble to make the tournament and one of those years, they missed the tournament entirely. The Heels want to remove themselves from being in the bubble discussion. The standard is much higher at UNC, and being a relevant college basketball team is where the fans, alumni, and college basketball world expect them to be. North Carolina’s goal is to build and construct a roster going into every season that can win a championship and play like one of the best teams in the country throughout the season.  Going forward, Coach Hubert Davis and his staff will need to establish the culture, a standard that he expects his players to play at every time they hit the basketball court. Coach Davis needs to bring the best out of his players and build a system around his roster’s strengths.  

After the 2024-2025 season came to a close, there were numerous decisions to be made on how Coach Davis, his staff, and General Manager Jim Tanner want the roster to look heading into next season. RJ Davis, Jaelyn Withers, and Ty Claude have no more eligibility left. Elliott Cadeau, Ian Jackson, Cade Tyson, Jalen Washington, and Ven-Allen Lubin all entered the transfer portal. Drake Powell declared for the NBA draft. The only returning players will be Seth Trimble, James Brown, and Zayden High, who was on the 2023-2024 roster. With all the roster turnover, North Carolina hit the transfer portal aggressively with a plan in mind.

Yes, UNC wants to add talent, but Coach Hubert Davis said he wants more than just talent when determining who he should add to the team. Coach Davis said, “Number one is their personality and their character, number two is what is their will and their want to come here? Is it just for them? Or is it to win a championship, for Carolina to win an ACC championship, to win a national championship, and then also, can this person handle the spotlight to play here? This is different. It’s just different. Coach Hubert Davis has also made it known that the priority is to have more size at every position, and they must have a physical presence across the board. Davis wants his players to bring energy, effort, attention to detail, discipline, and fundamental attributes to the table every day. That is the standard he is setting for his players and wants them to be consistent in doing those things throughout the offseason and during the season. 

This upcoming year’s roster will look almost completely different from last year’s. All 5 starters from last year’s team are gone. However, the Tar Heels have done a great job of filling the holes and needs of the roster. North Carolina has signed 5 players from the transfer portal and one international player, including a 6-6 guard/forward Jonathan Powell from West Virginia, a 7-0 center Henri Veesar from Arizona, a 6-1 guard Kyan Evans from Colorado State, a 6-11 forward Jarin Stevenson from Alabama, a 6-4 guard Jaydon Young from Virginia Tech, a 7-0 center Ivan Matlekovic from High Point, and  6-5 wing Luka Bogavic. This is to go along with returning players Seth Trimble, James Brown, Zayden High, and incoming freshmen Caleb Wilson, Derek Dixon, and Isaiah Dennis. The roster is expected to be set at this point. Next year’s team is already much bigger than last year’s team, and the shooting and versatility at every position are better.  General manager Jim Tanner, his staff, Coach Hubert Davis, and his staff have done a tremendous job in putting together a roster that’s well-balanced with depth and players with different skillsets that complement each other. Each player brings something unique to the team, and we should expect a fun, unselfish style of basketball.  

  UNC Basketball Roster 

• Kyan Evans is expected to be the starting point guard for next year’s team. Evans is a 6-2 guard who is an excellent shooter from three-point range and the midrange, off the catch and off the dribble, a good finisher around the rim, and also has a high basketball IQ and great feel for the game.  
• https://youtu.be/l27lfrmwHIw

• Luka Bogavac, a 6-5 forward from SC Derby Podgorica in Montenegro, is a versatile offensive player who can score off the dribble, shoot the ball well from three-point range and midrange, is an effective passer, and is a strong defender. 
•  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZRrYVI8QA8&pp=ygUiTHVrYSBCb2dhdmFjIGJhc2tldGJhbGwgaGlnaGxpZ2h0cw%3D%3D

• Caleb Wilson, a 6-10 freshman forward, provides UNC with a long freakish, explosive, athletic forward, who finishes extremely well around the rim and in the paint, has the ability to take guys off the dribble and score, has a developing jump shot, and a versatile defender who is a rim protector, can guard out on the perimeter and protect the paint with his length and size.  
• https://youtu.be/NsA79uYFYkI?si=ity5VKtgTTg9f_ij

• Henri Veesar, who is expected to be the starting center, is a 7-footer who protects the paint, a relentless rebounder, a shot-blocker, a great finisher around the rim and in the paint, and can stretch the floor with his three-point shot. 
• https://youtu.be/c38fMuYA1vI?si=bjJ9jSIS8L-WX47J

•  Jonathan Powell is a 6-6 wing that will play significant minutes for the Tar Heels this year. Powell is a knockdown three-point shooter, a disruptive defender who can guard the 2 and the 3, and a tremendous finisher in transition.
•   https://youtu.be/nFlgvGnIEI4?si=FghTunSNOezwQT5Z

• Jarin Stevenson is a 6-11 forward, who does a lot of different things well. Stevenson is an excellent, versatile on-ball and help side defender, who can guard the 3, 4, and 5 on the perimeter and in the paint, a reliable three-point shooter, punishes smaller players in the post, attacks closeouts well, attacking the basket, and is a good cutter on offense. 
• https://youtu.be/q0HW5gIZgX8?si=-U1FkePrC3zsjSCk

•  Jaydon Young, the 6-4 guard from Virginia Tech, is a wild card for the Tar Heels. Young has the ability to be a threat from the three-point line, midrange, and at the rim, and be a tough-shot maker, but he needs to be more efficient on those shots and with his shot selection. Jaydon Young is also a disruptive defender who plays the passing lanes well and has good size for a guard. The newcomers provide a unique skillset to this team and blend well with the returning players already bring to the team.  
• https://youtu.be/zHXKNWnC6Vs?si=N7lmAatZGxW2qEmU

• Seth Trimble is expected to be the team’s leader next season. He will be the starting 2 guard and is expected to take a big leap as an offensive player and as the engine of the team. Trimble is a consistent lockdown defender who the Heels can put on the opponent’s best perimeter player, whose jump shot is becoming consistent, is incredible in transition and at attacking the basket leading to layups, dunks, and floaters, but will need to be more aggressive dunking in traffic and playing above the rim more often.  

• James Brown will bring energy off the bench as a backup big with his rebounding, rim protection, and ability to finish around the rim and as the roll man in their pick and roll offense.  

• Zayden High has a high motor, brings great energy off the bench, and attacks both the offensive and defensive glass aggressively, is a capable shot-blocker, a good finisher around the rim, and can stretch the floor with his mid-range and three-point shot. 

• Derek Dixon is a 6-5 guard whose game is smooth, is a knockdown three-point shooter, can get downhill to create shots for himself or others,  has the size to be a good defender at the guard position, and has a high basketball IQ with a great feel for the game. 
• https://youtu.be/8BxC2_CZS-4?si=JXjasGGloi8pt9FP

• Isaiah Denis is a very explosive, athletic guard who excels at attacking the basket, finishing around the rim, and is a very disruptive defender.  
• https://youtu.be/KnU2UrSgVcg?si=aDSGEy816_kVbZw_

After completing the roster, the next thing on the agenda for the coaching staff will be deciphering what changes they need to make to the team’s philosophy, offensive and defensive schemes, and how they will approach late-game situations, use of timeouts, and in-game adjustments. Last year, Hubert Davis and his staff struggled to reach the team with their message. A true team identity wasn’t even discovered and realized until late in conference play. The coaching staff must do a better job of making the proper adjustments and changes early in the season to allow them to put together a successful season. Roles must be defined, and a team leader must emerge for this team to reach its potential.

Offensively, they must minimize stagnation and add more off-ball movement and off-ball screening. I also believe running more sets and actions in the halfcourt will eliminate players from standing around and overdribbling. Pushing the pace to create early offense will also be a good addition to the offense philosophy.  The offensive droughts all season long for the Tar Heels were a common issue. The coaching staff must communicate better how important ball movement and player movement are to the players and implement a better scheme that doesn’t allow them to be stagnant, or you can’t function in the offense.

Defensively, the coaching staff must do a better job of mixing up defensive coverages to throw different looks at opposing offenses to disrupt the flow and make the opponents more uncomfortable on offense. In the biggest games of the season, the opposing offenses were too comfortable, able to take advantage of mismatches, and got whatever shot they wanted too often in the past. The adjustments to the defense should eliminate those issues and weaknesses they had as a defense in the past. There are certain things that he should want his team to do every time on the floor with no exceptions, and if any player is not playing to their standard, they should be removed from the game.  

On October 4^th, the North Carolina 2025-2026 basketball team had an inter-quad scrimmage that was open to the public. It was our first look at this upcoming year’s team and what the players will look like on the basketball court together. The Tar Heels showed us in this scrimmage that they will be a much-improved shooting team compared to the last couple of years. 7 different players made a three pointer in the scrimmage including Seth Trimble, Luka Bogavac, Kiyan Evans, Jonathan Powell, Henri Veesar, Zayden High, and Jaydon Young. We saw that this Carolina team will go back to being a team that wants to play at a fast pace as much as they can. The Heels shared the ball well in this game and moved the ball to the open man on most possessions. No one dominated the ball, and they only played iso-ball when they had an obvious advantage offensively.

Defensively, they were very active in passing lanes and off ball trying to cause as much disruption as possible. The size, length, and versatility at every position really stood out with their ability to switch defensively, multiple ball handlers, and multiple guys being able to create their own shot or a shot for others. Two concerns may be the frontcourt guys not being the strongest, and Kyan Evans and Luka Bogavac not being the best defenders.

However, the versatility and skillsets of the players should cover up for those weaknesses. Overall, the different skillsets of every player complement each other well, and it felt like most of the players already understood the role they would fill on this team. Seth Trimble and Luka Bogavac led all scorers with 14 points each. Caleb Wilson had 13 points. Henri Veesar and Jonathan both had 11 points. This team is very well-balanced. They have numerous lineup combinations they can go to, where they will find success with due to the personnel. This team has everything they need to be a very good team next year, and we should expect them to be a very exciting team to watch. 

UNC Blue-White Scrimmage Stats 

White (55) 

• Kyan Evans, guard- 9 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds. 3-pt: 1-2, 2-pt: 2-5: FT 2-2. 

• Jaydon Young, guard – 7 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds: 3-pt: 1-4, 2-pt. 2-4. 

• Jonathan Powell, guard- 11 points, 1 rebound: 3-pt: 2-6, 2-pt: 1-3, FT: 3-4. 

• Caleb Wilson, forward – 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists: 3-pt: 0-1, 2-pt: 6-13, FT: 1-1. 

• Henri Veesaar, center – 11 points, 3 rebounds: 3-pt: 1-3, 2-pt. 3-7, FT: 2-2. 

• Elijah Davis, guard – 2 points, 1 rebound: 3-pt: 0-1, 2-pt: 1-1. 

• John Holbrock, center – 2 points. 2-pt. 1-1. 

Team: 3-pt. 5-17, 29.4%: 2-pt. 16-21, 76.2%: FT: 7-9, 77.8%. 

‌ 
 

Blue (50) 

• Seth Trimble, guard – 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists: 3-pt: 2-4, 2-pt. 3-6, FT: 2-2. 

• Luka Bogavac, guard – 14 points, 1 rebound: 3-pt: 4-11, 2-pt: 1-2. 

• Jarin Stevenson, forward- 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist: 3-pt: 0-2, 2-pt: 1-2. 

• Zayden High, forward- 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist: 3-pt: 1-2; 2-pt: 2-4. 

• James Brown, center – 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists: 2-pt: 1-3, FT: 5-6. 

• Evan Smith, guard – 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist: 3-pt: 0-1, 2-pt: 3-3. 

Team: 3-pt: 7-20, 35%: 2-pt: 11-18, 61.1%: FT: 7-8, 87.5%. 

Final Observations 

It is paramount for Hubert Davis and his staff to lead next year’s UNC basketball team to a very good record and put themselves in position to have an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. Otherwise, Coach Davis’s job will likely be in jeopardy.  In his four years as head coach of the North Carolina program, the Tar Heels have made the tournament just once without having speculation of not even being in the tournament, which is unacceptable. North Carolina is expected to make the tournament every season with no issue, and that is the way it should be. Next year’s team should be more than capable of making the tournament and playing as one of the best teams in the country with the way the roster has been constructed.

The coaching staff must establish a clear identity for this roster from day one and put players in roles where they can excel and reach their potential. This will lead to success for the team and the overall development throughout the season. Now it is time for Hubert Davis to turn the page on the past and take this team back to the top of the mantle as a consistent top basketball program in the country, where North Carolina ultimately belongs and has been for decades. The preseason schedule continues over the next couple of weeks as Carolina will have two more exhibition games, including one against BYU on Friday, October 24 at 9:00 on ESPN+ and one against Winston Salem State on Wednesday, October 29 at 7:30 P.M. on GoHeels.com. Their first official game will take place against Central Arkansas on Monday, November 3, at 7:00 P.M. on the ACC Network.