As UNC awaits a decision on the 2026 NBA draft from star center Henri Veesaar, the Tar Heels don’t seem to be trending toward receiving good news.
Speaking to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, the 2026 Second Team All-ACC selection essentially confirmed he would remain in the draft and deemed his chances of returning to school as low.
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“I’m all-in on staying in the draft,” Veesaar said. “It’s 100% my decision to stay. I think it’s the right decision, basketball-wise.”
Veesar said he didn’t think there was any chance that he would return to Chapel Hill to join new coach Mike Malone’s first-year squad.
A transfer addition this past offseason from Arizona, the Estonian native started all 31 games he appeared in and averaged 17 points and 8.7 rebounds for UNC. He totaled 13 double-doubles for the Tar Heels last season.
Veesaar, who measured in at 6-foot-11 during an impressive NBA combine performance, is currently viewed as a late-first or early-second-round pick.
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North Carolina currently has the No. 7-ranked transfer portal class with four additions, including a potential replacement for Veesaar in 7-foot Northwestern forward transfer Cade Bennerman, who did not appear in any games as he redshirted his freshman year. The Tar Heels also hold a commitment from four-star international transfer center Sayon Keita.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: UNC basketball’s Henri Veesaar confirms plan to remain in NBA draft
