Oh, how quickly things can change.
About a week ago, UNC and Michael Malone were on fire, adding several touted transfer commits. It felt like with just a couple more pieces, the Tar Heels could open next season as a Top 15-20 squad in the country. However, losing Henri Veesaar to the NBA Draft has flipped the script.
Dylan Mingo commits to most obvious school possible after split with UNC
Just ask ESPN about that. This week, Jeff Borzello dropped his way-too-early Top 25 rankings and the Heels were nowhere to be seen. That's the first worry. To make things worse, though, Duke is No. 2 and Borzello thinks they can push for a natty next campaign. That'd of course be the worst-case scenario for Carolina fans everywhere.
UNC snubbed from ESPN's way-too-early Top 25 rankings isn't surprising with Henri Veesaar gone
Florida, Duke and Michigan are the top three schools on the list, which isn't a surprise at all. All three powerhouses have loaded up this offseason, and the Wolverines won it all this past season. It's not gonna be a major stunner at all if they repeat.
As for North Carolina, this squad is going through a total makeover after Hubert Davis was fired. While everyone was dreaming of Caleb Wilson returning, he's going to potentially be a Top 3 pick in the NBA Draft, so no one can blame him for leaving Chapel Hill. Replacing him simply can't be done.
The Veesaar news is what hurts the most right now, though. With him being a fringe first-round pick, the hope was that he'd return for one more season and get developed by Malone and the new staff. Veesaar was torn, but he's off to the draft and he's planning to stay in there - there's no window open for a UNC return.
Malone has been busy going after bigs, with Maxim Logue and Cade Bennerman on board thus far. Some international playmakers are in the mix as well, but it looks like a rotation will be put in place next season instead of one center trying to match Veesaar's production all on his own.
There are still some unknowns for this roster for next season, but you've got to give credit to Malone for looking far and wide for new impact players. With that said, all the changes could lead to some growing pains for the Heels next season. Not being in the early Top 25 from Borzello isn't a positive sign for what's to come in 2026-27. We can only hope Malone and Co. prove people wrong.
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