UNC's Veesaar Assesses Health After Return to Lineup

It has been an uneven 10 or so days for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who dropped two games, lost Caleb Wilson for, what could be the rest of the regular season with a fractured hand, and were also without Henri Veesaar for multiple games.

On Saturday, the Arizona transfer returned to the starting lineup, leading the Tar Heels to a 77-64 win over the Syracuse Orange. Veesaar compiled 19 points, three rebounds, three blocks, and one assist while shooting 9-of-13 from the field.

While speaking with the media during his postgame availability, the star center discussed his return and what it meant for the team.

Veesaar's Thoughts

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jonathan Powell (11) and center Henri Veesaar (13) react during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

"[I] feel good. It didn't hurt at all," Veesaar said. "So, just being able to do that kind of gave me confidence to play today."

Missing two consecutive games and only practicing on a limited basis, the 6-foot-11, 224-pound center thought it took him a little bit to gain his footing in the game.

"I had a couple of turnovers that are unusual that I shouldn't have and a couple of rebounds where I just need to be more active and [some] plays where I got lost, but I feel like after the first 10 minutes, I got back into the rhythm and just got used to playing," Veesaar said.

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange forward William Kyle III (42) dribbles against North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Veesaar missed the last two games with a lower extremity injury, which was undisclosed, but he spoke on his recovery process and the steps required to return to the floor.

"I really just rested for a week and kept doing treatment," Veesaar said. "I did my first running drills on Wednesday. Then we did a workout on Thursday. I was able to build [up] and then we did a team practice yesterday on Friday, and we felt like we were good to go for the game because it didn't really hurt."

During his absence, Veesaar noticed that opposing teams were deploying strategies that gave North Carolina problems without its frontcourt tandem available. The junior center also pointed out a performance of a specific player who stepped up.

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Zayden High (1) reacts during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

"I think it just changes the way the other teams play against us," Veesaar said. "I feel like when I was out, they were going a lot of [man defense], so we had to [run] a lot of isolation, and it's tough living going to isolation the whole game."

"Zayden [High] obviously did an amazing job," Veesaar continued. "I have to give him all the credit. The way he had been playing, and then he came in, and he was giving starter minutes, getting double-doubles; the way he has been playing is amazing, but I just feel like overall, teams were scouting switching and we weren't able to exploit the switches, so it made it a lot more difficult for us to score."

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