Comparing the Upcoming 2025-2026 Tar Heels Roster with Last Year's

North Carolina men's basketball gets underway with its first game on Monday, November 3, hosting Central Arkansas inside the Dean Dome. The Tar Heels completed the 2024-2025 season with an overall record of 23-14, including losses to Kansas, Auburn, Michigan State, Alabama, Florida, Louisville and Duke — UNC could not get over the hump against competitive, high-caliber programs — hurting its resume for Selection Sunday, hence the 11-seed it received to play San Diego State during the First Four matchup.

Last season, head coach Hubert Davis had RJ Davis, Elliot Cadeau, Ian Jackson, Seth Trimble, Drake Powell, Jae'Lyn Withers, Jalen Washington, Ven-Allen Lubin, James Brown and others. This season?

Only two of those players return, with Trimble and Brown stepping into their senior and sophomore seasons surrounded by an entirely new group. The offseason has changed the way North Carolina looks in the backcourt and frontcourt.

The lack of having big men to grab rebounds and defend the interior should not be a problem with the arrival of Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar, Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson, five-star freshman Caleb Wilson, High Point transfer Ivan Matlekovic and Zayden High, who returns to the team after his season-long absence.

Mar 31, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; McDonald’s All American West forward Caleb Wilson (8) shoots the ball during the Sprite Jam Fest at Barclay's Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

The Before and After of the 2025 Offseason

North Carolina's roster should have a much better time rebounding the basketball, shooting from beyond the arc, and have a variety of lineups that are able to produce well. Kyan Evans, a Colorado State transfer, is projected to run the show for Davis, but rather than being a pass-first kind of player like Cadeau (now at Michigan), he relies on his ability to shoot from the three-point line to be effective.

Mar 18, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; San Diego State Aztecs guard Wayne McKinney III (3) dribbles the ball defended by North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) in the first half at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

International transfer guard Luka Bogavac has the skills to create his own shot, come off screens, drive and work along the perimeter, which will be effective for this roster in particular.

Trimble, now expected to be a bigger voice in the locker room given his experience in Chapel Hill, will also have an expanded role on the court — between ball-handling, shooting the ball better (shot 26.6 percent from the three as a junior), and, of course, his will to drive and finish around the basket.

This season will be big in regards to the way Davis is looked at by fans and whether or not they will continue to support him as time goes by — the inconsistency is a troubling concern, but the work he and General Manager Jim Tanner did over this past summer sets him up for a promising fifth year.

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