Who's going to end up being the starting center for UNC and Michael Malone? That's what everyone has on their minds with stud big man Henri Veesaar leaving Chapel Hill and deciding to enter the NBA Draft instead of returning for one more season.
This is going to leave a massive hole on both ends of the floor for the Tar Heels, but the recent additions of Maxim Logue and Cade Bennerman will help from a depth standpoint. Still, losing Veesaar is a major blow and Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney seems to think it could potentially lead to the Heels missing out on the Big Dance next season. This would be brutal for Michael Malone:
Yeah, I've seen a lot of optimism about UNC's portal work, all largely predicated on it being built around Veesaar. I couldn't get there before ... definitely can't get there now.
— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) April 24, 2026
Without a big-time 5-man I'm not convinced this is an NCAA tournament team. https://t.co/scYtxlF5JS
UNC losing Henri Veesaar to the NBA Draft is no doubt a big blow for Michael Malone
It's easy to see why Sweeney and other hoops analysts are this worried about UNC moving forward. Losing Veesaar was one thing, but also losing Caleb Wilson from last year's team is going to be tough to overcome. With that said, Malone has been on his grind in the portal.
In addition to Logue and Bennerman, the Tar Heels have received transfer commitments from Terrence Brown, Neoklis Avdalas and Matt Able. Thanks to those new pledges, North Carolina has a Top 5 transfer class for the 2026 cycle.
That's certainly a great start for Malone and what he's trying to build in Chapel Hill. However, again, not having Veesaar back in the middle of the paint next year is rough news for everyone involved. With it being so late in the transfer process, it complicates things for Malone too.
Despite this setback, Malone and his staff are reportedly looking at international playmakers to help make up for the loss. Players that have been linked to the ACC side include Sayon Keita, Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje and others.
It's not going to be just one guy who steps in to replace Veesaar, as there's going to be a strong rotation needed instead. Thus far, adding Logue and Bennerman helps, but more work needs to be done. We can only hope a head-turning addition arrives, as it's easy to see why Sweeney has his doubts about this squad moving forward, especially if Veesaar ends up being a first-round pick.
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