UNC Reloads Frontcourt to Rekindle Championship Pedigree in Paint

After missing the entire 2023-24 season due to injuries, he had an extremely productive season for Arizona last season, appearing in all 37 games while making five starts. Veesaar averaged 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 59.2% from the floor and 32.7% from behind the arc. 

His numbers were even better in conference play, averaging 10.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while having 62.6% from the field and shooting 38.7% from the three-point line.

He also was second in offensive rating (133.7), second in two-point field goal percentage (70%), seventh in block percentage (7.3%) and eighth in offensive rebound percentage (12.2%) according to KenPom.

He was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, which is a pretty impressive feat considering he came off the bench most games last season.

Wilson is the crown jewel of UNC’s 2025 recruiting class. 

The five-star prospect was ranked No. 8 nationally, No. 3 at his position, and No. 1 in the state of Georgia. In his senior season, Wilson recorded 21.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.6 blocks and 2.1 steals per game, leading Holy Innocents Episcopal School to the school’s first state championship title.

Wilson is excellent on the inside, whether on offense or defense. 

Offensively, he is a menace to guard in the paint as his athleticism and physicality is hard for anyone to guard. On defense, it’s hard to get past Wilson as he have averaged nearly four blocks a game since his sophomore season in high school.

You also can’t forget about 6-foot-11 Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson, who returns to his hometown after serving as a key contributor during the Crimson Tide’s back-to-back Elite Eight runs, including a Final Four appearance in 2024.

Stevenson averaged 5.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.6 blocks and 0.5 assists in 17.6 minutes per game over two seasons at Alabama.

There are a lot of expectations for this backcourt from analysts all over the country as Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports has already said that Davis has already flipped his roster “180 degrees.”

With the arrival of Veesaar, Wilson, and Stevenson, North Carolina has restocked its frontcourt with size, skill, and versatility—three attributes which the UNC faithful have historically seen in some of the program’s greatest teams. 

While it remains to be seen how this trio will gel, the foundation is there for North Carolina to reestablish itself as a dominant force down low, something it has been missing since last season after Armando Bacot graduated in 2024.

If Carolina wants to return to championship form, it won’t just be about guard play or perimeter shooting, which have dominated its offensive identity in recent seasons. A true resurgence will depend on reestablishing the inside presence that has long been the backbone of the program’s greatest teams.