North Carolina's front court has been absolutely depleted over the last few weeks.
Injuries to Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar added major blows to a unit that was already without two big men, but now, one will officially miss the remainder of the 2025-2026 season.
James Brown undergoes season-ending surgery
Prior to Saturday's game at Syracuse, UNC confirmed that sophomore big man James Brown underwent surgery on his right foot. The injury (and surgery) will keep him out of action, sidelining him the rest of the way.
Per UNC: James Brown had surgery on his right foot on Wednesday and is out for the season. pic.twitter.com/v064crgAxI
— Andrew Jones (@AJTarHeel247) February 20, 2026
The Aurora, Illinois native appeared in nine games this season for the Tar Heels, totaling 11 points and 13 rebounds. He scored four points and three rebounds over eight minutes of action against Radford on November 11, his best overall outing of the season.
North Carolina hoped that the 6-foot-10, 240-pounder, who spent the offseason transforming his body to help improve his overall game, would be a key clog off the bench. While the Tar Heels struggled to find a backup big man to spell the likes of Wilson, Veesaar and even Jarin Stevenson, Brown couldn't secure a consistent role in UNC's regular rotation.
Through two seasons at North Carolina, Brown has appeared in just 27 games. This news shouldn't come as a surprise, given he's been sidelined throughout conference play and has been a mainstay on the ACC Availability reports.
At the moment, UNC is without four big men. Ivan Matlekovic, a sparingly-used sophomore, is also out due to injury, as his return to action is still unknown.
For now, the Tar Heels will hope that Wilson and Veesaar can return as soon as possible. For the time being, Stevenson, along with Zayden High, will be challenged to handle a heavy workload in the front court, something they've done a solid job of handling over the last few games.