Mar 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis reacts in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Should Tar Heels Basketball Go Back To Two Traditional Bigs?

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Jeremiah Artacho | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 6:00 AM ET

The roster for the 2025-2026 season seems to be set in stone now, after the latest addition of High Point transfer Ivan Matlekovic, joining at a rather later time than usual for those in the portal.

But one aspect of this roster that Head Coach Hubert Davis and General Manager have built is the big man group. Plus Matlekovic, six players make up the frontcourt now, as Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar, Jarin Stevenson, Zayden High and James Brown are the other five.

These six players carry differing playstyles, but it's unlikely that Coach Davis would start, for example, Veesaar and Matlekovic. The offensive scheme he elects to employ aligns with the modern era of basketball, similar to what is seen today in the NBA from big men.

Think about Karl Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic, or Kristaps Porzingis; all three are capable of shooting the three. Which is why it makes sense that there is versatility with going the route of Wilson and Veesaar (possibly) as starters, two bigs who are mobile, length and can play on the interior and step outside for a jumpshot.

However, one question in particular comes up: Should Coach Davis go back to using two traditional big men?

Past Success of Using Two Traditional Big Men

Roy Williams, former head coach of UNC, was known for using two traditional big men. The kind that would bully on the interior and live in the paint from possession to possession, fighting for position to score from the block using the appropriate move whether that be a hook shot or passing back out to the perimeter for a three-pointer.

Unlike, Wilson who may operate from the top of the key and attack his defender by putting the ball on the deck or Veesaar who can make a short roll pass or be a lob-threat off any screen, both options are on top of shooting a mid-range or from beyond the arc.

Armando Bacot is the last traditional big man to play in Chapel Hill, finishing his career after the 2023-2024 season, following his high school recruitment gathered by Williams (a part of the 2019 recruiting class that had Cole Anthony).

But others are Brice Johnson (last played in 2016), Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks, who won a national championship together in 2017, in addition to Tony Bradley, who played backup to those two in his lone season of collegiate basketball (2016-2017).

Nonetheless, the times are changing and so does the game of basketball, Coach Davis' experience in the NBA as player has an influence as well to his coaching philosophy, but the question at hand still seems to fit considering the end results of the last four campaigns.

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This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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