Hubert Davis isn't just coaching a basketball team this year; he’s essentially managing a startup. If you’ve looked at the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball roster recently, you probably had to double-check the names on the back of the jerseys. Gone are the days of Armando Bacot anchoring the paint for what felt like a decade. The RJ Davis era? Wrapped up.
It's a total facelift.
Honestly, the sheer amount of turnover in Chapel Hill this past offseason was staggering. We're talking about a program that traditionally valued "staying power," now leaning hard into the transfer portal and international waters to stay afloat in the ACC. People are calling it a desperation move. I call it adapting to a reality where the "one-and-done" rule is basically the "one-year-and-portal" rule.
The New Faces of the North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball Roster
The biggest shocker isn't who left—it’s who showed up. When the news broke that Henri Veesaar was coming in from Arizona, it signaled a massive shift in how Hubert wants to play. Veesaar is 7 feet tall, but he isn't a traditional low-post bruiser. He’s Estonian, mobile, and can stretch the floor. Pairing him with someone like Caleb Wilson, the five-star freshman out of Atlanta, gives the Tar Heels a frontcourt look we haven't seen since the 2017 title run. Wilson is a 6-foot-10 freak of nature who handles the ball like a wing.
Then you’ve got the backcourt.
Seth Trimble is basically the "old man" on campus now. He’s one of the few guys who actually knows where the practice gyms are without using GPS. He decided to stay when everyone else—Elliot Cadeau, Ian Jackson, even Drake Powell (who jumped to the NBA)—decided to head for the exit. Trimble’s defensive intensity is going to be the glue for a group of guards that includes transfers like Kyan Evans from Colorado State and Jaydon Young from Virginia Tech.
- Seth Trimble (Senior): The veteran leader. Expect him to be the primary point of attack on defense.
- Caleb Wilson (Freshman): The lottery-pick talent. If he isn't averaging 15 and 8 by February, something went wrong.
- Henri Veesaar (Junior): The Arizona transfer. He provides the length UNC desperately needed after losing their interior depth.
- Luka Bogavac (Junior): The wildcard from Montenegro. He’s a 6-foot-6 guard who can flat-out shoot.
Why the Transfer Portal Hijacked the Dean Dome
Basically, the roster had to be rebuilt because the middle fell out. Jalen Washington and Ven-Allen Lubin both hit the portal, which left a crater in the frontcourt. Seeing Lubin go to NC State of all places? That stung the fan base.
To fix it, Hubert Davis and General Manager Jim Tanner (yes, UNC has a GM now) went global. They landed Ivan Matlekovic, a 7-footer from Croatia via High Point. Between him and Veesaar, the Tar Heels have a distinct European flavor this season. It’s a gamble. International bigs often struggle with the physicality of the ACC, but the upside is a much more modern, spaced-out offense.
The pressure is high. Hubert is entering his fifth season, and the "hot seat" chatter started getting loud after last year’s inconsistencies. You can feel it in the way the team is playing—faster, more aggressive, and frankly, a bit more unpredictable.
The Under-the-Radar Names You Should Know
While everyone is watching Caleb Wilson, keep an eye on Jarin Stevenson. He’s a Chapel Hill native who initially went to Alabama because he didn't think he’d get minutes at UNC. Now he’s back home as a junior. He's a 6-foot-10 forward who can switch onto guards. That kind of versatility is exactly what was missing when the Tar Heels got bullied in the tournament last year.
There’s also Derek Dixon, a freshman guard from Virginia. He’s a "coach's son" type—high IQ, rarely makes the wrong pass. In an era of highlight-reel hunters, Dixon is the kind of boringly efficient player that actually wins games in March.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Roster
Most fans think losing RJ Davis and Bacot means the "identity" is gone. I'd argue the identity was actually holding them back a little. They were playing a style of basketball that relied too much on a single point guard's scoring or a single center's rebounding. This 2026 version of the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball roster is built for positionless basketball.
You've got 6-foot-6 guards like Jonathan Powell (the West Virginia transfer) who can play the 2 or the 3. You’ve got James Brown, a sophomore who spent his freshman year getting stronger and is now ready to be a legitimate rotation piece.
It’s a deeper team, even if it lacks that one "superstar" that everyone knows.
Expert Insight: Can This Work?
I talked to some folks close to the program, and the consensus is simple: the ceiling is higher, but the floor is lower. If the chemistry clicks, this is a Final Four team because of the length and shooting. If the international players struggle to adapt to the speed of the American college game, it could be another long winter in Chapel Hill.
The non-conference wins against Kansas and Kentucky earlier this season showed glimpses of greatness. Veesaar and Wilson looked like they’d played together for years. But then you have the head-scratchers, like the loss at SMU where the offense just went stagnant.
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Key Roster Stats to Watch
- Three-Point Percentage: With Bogavac and Jonathan Powell, this team should shoot better than 37% from deep.
- Defensive Rating: Trimble is a lockdown guy, but can the rest of the new faces communicate well enough to stay in the top 20 defensively?
- Rotation Depth: Hubert usually likes a tight 7-man rotation. With this much talent, he might be forced to go 9 or 10 deep.
Actionable Insights for Tar Heel Fans
If you're following the team this year, don't just look at the box score for points. Watch the defensive rotations of the new transfers. That’s where games will be won or lost. Specifically, keep an eye on how Hubert uses the "twin towers" lineup of Veesaar and Matlekovic. If they can coexist on the floor without giving up too much speed on the perimeter, the Tar Heels will be a nightmare to scout.
Also, get familiar with the bench. Isaiah Denis and Zayden High are going to have "big game" moments where they come in and provide a spark. This isn't a "starters play 38 minutes" type of team anymore.
To stay ahead of the curve on the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball roster, make sure you are tracking the development of the freshmen Caleb Wilson and Derek Dixon. Their growth over the next two months will determine if UNC is a bubble team or a protected seed when the brackets come out in March. You should also pay attention to the mid-season chemistry; with ten new faces, the team that starts in November won't be the same team we see in February.