Throughout the early portion of the offseason, Zayden High's future status with the UNC basketball program was one of the notable topics.
High was not with the team during the 2024-2025 season and was reportedly not enrolled at the University of North Carolina for the fall semester. He re-enrolled in January for the spring semester, a move that ignited fans to believe he'd be back on the basketball court for the Tar Heels.
Well, that speculation can be put to rest, as Inside Carolina confirmed that High is expected to rejoin the Tar Heels for the 2025-2026 season.
Zayden High is expected to return as a member of the UNC basketball team for next season, after sitting out this past season.
— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) April 30, 2025
Read more here: https://t.co/bMcm42ghL5 pic.twitter.com/AP1cfOVrHK
High was used sparingly during his true freshman season but showed signs of potential. Although he logged just over 100 minutes of total action, his athleticism and high motor stood out the most during his on-court appearances, as he's a player who can certainly make an impact for the Tar Heels.
Of course, missing a year is never ideal, especially given the hope that High would continue building up his experience on a team that definitely could've used more size. While details of the situation weren't released, it's good to see that whatever happened in this case seems to be resolved, as Zayden High will have another chance to compete for the UNC basketball program this upcoming season.
We can worry about his future role later: it's simply good to see Zayden High returning to the program.