Henri Veesaar is starting to look like the kind of big man who can anchor a deep March run-and he’s doing it with the poise and polish that Tar Heel fans have been craving.
The junior forward, who transferred from Arizona, has quickly found his rhythm in Chapel Hill, and on Tuesday night, he put together the most complete game of his college career. Veesaar dropped a career-high 26 points on a near-perfect 10-of-11 shooting performance, powering UNC to its 10th win of the season. And while East Tennessee State kept things interesting early, it was clear by the second half who controlled the tempo-and who controlled the paint.
“I feel like we let them hang in for the first 16 minutes,” Veesaar said postgame. “Then we kind of pushed the start button, turned it up a little notch, and just kept going.”
That gear shift? It started with Veesaar and his frontcourt partner, freshman phenom Caleb Wilson.
Together, they’ve formed one of the most dynamic frontcourt tandems in the country-a blend of experience, size, and skill that’s giving UNC a real identity down low. And on Tuesday, it was Veesaar’s turn to take center stage.
What stood out wasn’t just the scoring-it was how he got it. Veesaar’s footwork around the rim was sharp, his touch soft, and his decisions quick.
He didn’t force shots. He didn’t settle.
He played within the flow of the offense, and the result was a masterclass in efficiency.
“I feel like we just had overall great team ball movement,” Veesaar said. “We were able to move the ball side to side, finding easy pocket passes. And with me being strong with the ball around the rim, finishing towards the basket and not leaning away-I think that made a huge impact.”
That kind of self-awareness is part of what’s made Veesaar’s development so compelling this season. He’s not just putting up numbers-he’s doing it in a way that elevates the team.
After a 2024-25 season where UNC struggled with size and consistency in the post, Veesaar’s emergence has been a game-changer. He’s giving the Tar Heels a physical presence, a reliable scoring option inside, and a defensive anchor who understands how to control space.
And maybe most importantly, he’s doing it with a quiet confidence that’s starting to rub off on the rest of the team.
At halftime, Veesaar said the message was simple: This is our game.
“We dictate how we play; they’re not dictating us,” he said. “Asserting our will and the way we want to play was a huge part.”
That kind of mentality is exactly what head coach Hubert Davis has been preaching since the season tipped off. And now, with Veesaar leading by example, the Tar Heels are starting to look like a team that knows exactly who it is-and where it wants to go.
There’s still a long way to go in the season, but if Veesaar keeps playing at this level, UNC’s ceiling gets a little higher with each game. His growth has already been one of the defining storylines of the early college basketball season. If he keeps this up, it might just become one of the defining stories of March.