UNC Basketball Hosts Meet-and-Greet, Scrimmage at Cherokee

CHAPEL HILL — The North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball team is set to visit Cherokee for an exciting two-day fan event and intrasquad scrimmage from October 17 to 18.

The event kicks off Friday evening, October 17, with a special meet-and-greet and dinner hosted by Old Well Management at Harrah’s Resort Cherokee. Fans will have the chance to connect with Tar Heels players and coaches from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets for the dinner are available for $100 per person, plus any relevant fees.

Activities continue Saturday, October 18, at Cherokee High School, where fans can purchase tickets for an autograph session beginning at 10:30 a.m. Admission to the session is $25 plus fees and includes access to an intrasquad scrimmage immediately following the session at the Charles George Memorial Arena.

Separate tickets for the scrimmage will not be sold; entry is included with autograph session admission.

UNC will also hold its annual Blue-White scrimmage at the Smith Center on Saturday, beginning about an hour after the Tar Heels football team hosts Clemson at noon.

The Tar Heels open their preseason slate with a pair of exhibition games: on the road against BYU (Oct. 24) and at home versus Winston-Salem State (Oct. 29). Regular season action tips off November 3 against Central Arkansas.

Backcourt

UNC — North Carolina guard Seth Trimble | Grant Chachere, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

The only returning starter from last season is Seth Trimble. Trimble averaged 11.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting nearly 43% from the field.

Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans arrives at UNC after averaging 10.6 points per game and ranking among the nation’s top three-point shooters at 44.6% last season.

Luka Bogavac brings a wealth of experience to the locker room, playing for SC Derby, a club located in Podgorica, Montenegro. While playing for SC Derby last season, averaging nearly 15 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and a steal per game. He also shot 45.1% from the field, 40% on three-point shots and 87% from the f

Jonathan Powell will provide depth as well. The 6’6” wing averaged 8.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season for West Virginia and has shown flashes as a perimeter shooter, shooting at a 35.2 clip from three-point range.

First-year guard Derek Dixon is also expected to compete for significant playing time in UNC's rotation.

Frontcourt

UNC Forward Henri Veesaar | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar, a 7-footer from Estonia, averaged 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks last year while shooting 59.2% from the floor. Five-star freshman Caleb Wilson, ranked No. 8 nationally, brings elite two-way ability after leading his high school to its first state championship. Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson returns home after contributing to the Crimson Tide’s back-to-back Elite Eight runs and an appearance in the Final Four in 2024.

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis is shown during practice before their first round NCAA men’ s basketball tournament game Thursday, March 20, 2025 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The depth extends beyond the top trio. UNC also added 6-foot-11 High Point transfer Ivan Matlekovic, joining Veesaar, Wilson, Stevenson, Zayden High, and James Brown in the frontcourt. While Matlekovic’s numbers at High Point — 2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds in five games — were modest, his size offers practice value and situational in-game impact. Former UNC star Sean May will oversee his development.

Please make sure you follow us today on our Facebook page when you click right HERE!

Please follow us on X when you click right HERE!