With Henri Veesaar’s return from a two-game absence, Zayden High ceded his temporary spot in the starting lineup for the Tar Heels’ 77-64 win over Syracuse on Saturday. Then, after 19 minutes on the floor, UNC’s 6-foot-10 sophomore forward made an early exit against the Orange.
High fouled out with 1:45 left in the game, earning a technical foul for an exchange with Syracuse’s leading scorer Donnie Freeman, who was ejected as he earned his second technical of the afternoon. With UNC in control of the game, it was a surprising outburst from High, a relatively new contributor to Hubert Davis’s team, who only emerged after the injuries to Veesaar and Caleb Wilson.
High spoke about the altercation postgame and confirmed what Tar Heels fans suspect, that he was coming to his teammates’ defense.
“I didn’t like the way that he had followed Jarin (Stevenson),” High responded to reporters in the bowels of JMA Wireless Dome in Western New York. “I just kind of checked him a little bit, but it was nothing, we were just competing at the end of the day.”
▶️ » North Carolina forward Zayden High on the double tech called during the Syracuse game. … ▶️ https://t.co/TGuCsL4u3m pic.twitter.com/e3W6MAE2zb
— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) February 22, 2026
Zayden High’s explanation for his late-game technical will endear him to UNC fans
High was an afterthought on this year’s roster for much of the season, but since he’s been thrust into action, he’s become an impactful player for the Tar Heels, averaging 27 minutes, nine points, and nine rebounds a game over the last three, with starts again Pitt and NC State.
A former four-star recruit in the 2023 class, it has taken the Spring Branch, Texas native a while to carve out a significant role in Chapel Hill, but now that he has, he’s certainly ingratiating himself with the fanbase. That’s not just with his production, but with his defense of Stevenson, whom UNC cannot afford to lose to injury.
The play that High was referencing occurred just moments before his technical foul. As Stevenson came down with a rebound, Freeman slung him to the ground. Stevenson was not injured on the play, but High took exception nonetheless.
Wilson and Veesaar were not injured on malicious plays either, but if High fashions himself as a physical enforcer in the front court, he may just find a way to solidify himself in the rotation even once Wilson returns, and as a fixture on the roster going forward to next season.