All eyes were on the 5:00 PM EST ACC Availability Report.
Why? Well, Tar Heel fans know the answer: the status of junior big man Henri Veesaar.
Veesaar missed Saturday's contest against Pittsburgh with both an illness and injury, and his status for Tuesday night's game was always felt to be a game-time decision.
Well, the Tar Heels didn't need til game time to make it know what the deal would be.
Henri Veesaar to miss his second consecutive game
Hubert Davis mentioned that Veesaar has progressed, but wasn't sure if he would be able to go on Tuesday night. The ACC Availability Report confirmed what we all feared: Veesaar will be sidelined for a second consecutive contest.
#UNC center Henri Veesaar has officially been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest at NC State. pic.twitter.com/P6wNmLLJls
— Spencer Haskell (@sdhaskell68) February 17, 2026
Once again, North Carolina will be without four big men: James Brown, Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and Ivan Matlekovic. Expect heavy minutes from the likes of Zayden High and Jarin Stevenson once again along the depleted front court.
What this means for UNC
This has precaution written all over it.
While the illness he faced seems to be better, his lower-body injury is the reason he is sidelined once again.
For Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels, it makes zero, yes, zero sense to force Veesaar into action when he's not fully ready to go, especially after not fully practicing over the previous few days.
Now, UNC might keep him out Saturday as well, depending on how he progresses the rest of the week. If he's unable to go at Syracuse, the Tar Heels would love to have him back for the big-time clash vs. Louisville in Chapel Hill next Monday.
Right now, the focus is on Veesaar's long-term health, something the UNC basketball program won't jeopardize by bringing him back into the fold before he's fully ready to go.
The "next man up" mentality continues, as the Tar Heels will have to once again pick up the slack without their two leading scorers (and rebounders).