How This Tar Heel Forward Fits into UNC’s Rotation

Zayden High has returned, but with an improved frontcourt, what will his role be?

Mar 4, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis points at a player during the second half against Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Zayden High, the Rockwall, Texas, native, finished the 2023-2024 season with 0.8 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.1 assists — shooting 31.6 percent from the field. He also shot 66.7 percent from the charity stripe and averaged 4.5 minutes, playing in 23 games. High's career-high stands at four points, which came on Thursday, March 14, when North Carolina took on Florida State inside the Dean Dome. The Tar Heels won that contest in commanding fashion by a score of 92-67.

High had to step away from the team during the 2024-2025 campaign due to activity off the court that prevented him from being a part of the program, but his time is up, and he is able to return and participate in games and practices. This time he will be suiting up in the frontcourt with Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar, Jarin Stevenson, James Brown and Ivan Matlekovic. And there are only 40 minutes in every game, so how could things shake up for the Tar Heel returnee?

Mar 28, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Zayden High (1) and forward Jalen Washington (13) react on the bench in the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the semifinals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When looking at the way High plays, he reminds me similarly to Anthony Harris, who played under former head coach Roy Williams and in Davis's first year as the successor. Harris took the court during one or probably the worst seasons of UNC men's basketball (2019-2020), but would always find ways to give the team energy in any capacity off the bench. Whether it was scoring, finding the extra pass — his playstyle gave Tar Heel fans life, even when UNC was trailing.

Jan 27, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tarheels forward Zayden High (1) reacts to a dunk during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Zayden High's Comparison to former Tar Heel Anthony Harris

Harris finished his time in Chapel Hill averaging 3.5 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists — shooting 47.8 percent from the field goal range. He also shot 35.7 percent from the three-point line and 70.6 percent from the charity stripe. But this is not to say that High will finish with those kinds of numbers, but rather to emphasize the way he plays in his lone season so far as a Tar Heel.

Jan 8, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Anthony Harris (0) scores in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

High and Harris play two totally different positions, but when it comes to giving the team a spark when it matters the most, that's where High can contribute — even if he is not scoring the most points on any given night. A rebound, making the extra pass, or setting hard screens to make space for UNC's guards to maneuver around will be the difference maker and those areas are ones he can excel at.

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