Hubert Davis is out, Michael Malone is reportedly in, and the current Tar Heels with remaining eligibility are still working to decide what the future has in store for them.
Zayden High is one of those student-athletes, as he joined the list of Tar Heels who will enter the transfer portal while keeping the option open to return to North Carolina if the situation works out.
Zayden High enters the transfer portal
— Zayden High (@zaydenh1gh) April 7, 2026
After being dismissed from the program following the 2023-2024 season, High returned to Chapel Hill for a new opportunity with the program for the 2025-2026 campaign. The 6-foot-10 forward started the season as a sparingly used reserve before being thrust into action due to injuries in the front court.
High saw a major increase in minutes and made the most of every single one of them.
In High’s first career start against Pittsburgh, High set career highs in minutes (32), points (15), and rebounds (7). Just a few days later, High put together a double-double performance against NC State, a game where he was literally the lone bright side in a lopsided loss.
As North Carolina went down the stretch, High became more vital to Hubert Davis' rotation, providing steady contributions. He averaged 8.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest over UNC's final seven regular-season games, knocking down 52.5% of his shot attempts.
With the coaching change coming in Chapel Hill, you should've expected to see most of the current roster exploring their options. High, who emerged as a key contributor down the stretch, is justified in doing just that, given a bigger role and a bigger financial commitment could be available from another program in need of a big man this offseason.
We will continue to provide all the latest news and offseason rumors surrounding the UNC basketball program in our transfer portal tracker.