Holding Court: After Years as Arizona Backup, Veesaar Finding Stardom at UNC
By David Glenn
During his three years at Arizona, Henri Veesaar started only five games.
During his first three months in a North Carolina uniform, Veesaar has started all 15 of the Tar Heels’ games, helped his new team to a Top 25 national ranking, firmly established himself as a prominent All-Atlantic Coast Conference candidate, and entered the conversation as a potential first-round professional draft pick.
“His talent is real,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “He can do so many things on both ends of the floor, but specifically offensively. He can score with either hand around the basket, he’s a gifted passer, he has a nice floater and mid-range game, and he can shoot from three.”
(photo via Todd Melet)
A 7-0, 225-pound center from Estonia who spent three years with one of Europe’s most prestigious youth programs (Real Madrid in Spain), Veesaar has thrived in his starting role at UNC, after mostly coming off the bench during his time at Arizona.
Through games of Jan. 6, only two players ranked among the ACC’s top 15 in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots: Veesaar and UNC freshman Caleb Wilson.
Veesaar, who averaged about six points and three rebounds per game for Arizona, is averaging about 16 points and nine rebounds with the Tar Heels, while shooting 63 percent from the field. He’s 14th in the ACC in scoring, fifth in rebounding, second in field goal percentage and 14th in blocked shots.
When paired with Wilson, a 6-10, 215-pound freshman forward who’s having one of the best rookie seasons in Carolina basketball history, Veesaar helps form one of the most effective big-man tandems in all of college basketball.
“It’s a huge weapon,” Davis said. “I mean, it is on both ends of the floor. Defensively, we have the ability to switch, where (Veesaar and Wilson) can guard guards out on the perimeter. Their length is real.
“And then on the offensive end, it’s not just your scoring. It’s the versatility around the rim, on the perimeter. You have your quote-unquote four man have six assists. They’re playmakers. We ran that ball-screen action with the five and the four — ran it against Ohio State and ran it again (against Florida State). Ball screens with your four and five, man; it’s pretty unique, and those guys are able to handle it.”
Unlike many college big men, Veesaar is both a solid ball-handler and an outstanding perimeter shooter. Through his first 15 games with the Tar Heels, he had more assists than turnovers (30-27), and he was shooting a team-best 50 percent (19-38) from 3-point territory.
“That comes from both my upbringing and a lot of hard work,” Veesaar said. “In Europe, even if you’re the tallest player, you work on all aspects of your game, not just blocking shots and rebounding and staying close to the basket. You work on dribbling, passing, 3-point shooting. So I have been practicing those skills for many years now, and I have confidence in them.”
Veesaar’s adjustment to American college basketball has not always been smooth. After his first season (2022-23) at Arizona, he suffered a broken arm (a teammate flipped a golf cart) and had to take a medical redshirt during what would have been his sophomore campaign. He returned to the Wildcats in 2024-25 but averaged only about 21 minutes per game.
Meanwhile, it took him a while to adjust to American referees.
“In Europe, if they literally touch your hand or wrist, they’re going to call it a foul automatically, especially if you’re shooting the ball,” Veesaar said. “Here, there is much, much more physical contact that is not considered a foul, even when you’re shooting the ball.
“So the biggest thing is being strong with the ball and being ready to play through contact. I’ve had many years now to make that adjustment, so it’s not a problem. It’s just different.”
Over the summer, Veesaar joined his new UNC teammates on a trip to the Outer Banks, on the North Carolina coast. He said it reminded him in some ways of his hometown of Tallinn, which is located on the northern coast of Estonia, across the Baltic Sea from Finland.
“They are actually very similar,” Veesaar said. “That’s one of the first things when I got here … North Carolina is a lot like Estonia, especially on the coast.
“That trip reminded me of home, and now I feel like Chapel Hill is my new home.”
David Glenn (DavidGlennShow.com, @DavidGlennShow) is an award-winning author, broadcaster, editor, entrepreneur, publisher, speaker, writer and university lecturer (now at UNC Wilmington) who has covered sports in North Carolina since 1987.
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