After last offseason, North Carolina Tar Heels fans would've been fully justified in worrying if Hubert Davis could make the necessary additions in the transfer portal. Cade Tyson was a flop, Davis failed to adequately add a big man to the UNC roster — an issue that reared its head brutally throughout the year — and obviously the Heels fell short of expectations overall as a result. The vibes should be much better now, however, with Henri Veesaar now committed to come to Chapel Hill.
One of the top big men in the transfer portal, Davis and UNC basketball landed the commitment on Friday, as reported by ESPN draft insider Jonathan Givony.
BREAKING: Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar has committed to North Carolina. The 7-foot Estonian is one of the best available big men in the portal. Important frontcourt addition for Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels. pic.twitter.com/XNU83ZNeIu
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 4, 2025
Coming off the bench at Arizona last year, Veesaar put up some great numbers, averaging 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in only 20.8 minutes per game. He also showed some expanding range as a 7-footer, hitting on 32.7% of his limited 3-point attempts but, overall, being wildly efficient in converting 59.2% of his field goal attempts.
Adding Veesaar to the fold is huge, especially with Jalen Washington gone and the frontcourt needing depth around 5-star newcomer Caleb Wilson and Ven-Allen Lubin. However, Davis and UNC can't stop there and the Tar Heels should still be working tirelessly to add more via the portal. These three players, in particular, would be phenomenal next targets to pair with Veesaar and West Virginia transfer Justin Powell.
3. G Kennard Davis (Southern Illinois)
After struggling to make an impact in his freshman season with the Salukis, Kennard Davis is now in the portal as the wing clearly looks to capitalize on a breakout sophomore campaign. Despite a pretty dismal season for Southern Illinois as a whole, Davis shone through, averaging 16.3 points, 2.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game while playing just shy of 35 minutes per night, shooting 37.6% from deep and shooting 45.5% from the field.
What stands out with Davis beyond his offensive capabilities is his potential versatility. While he's not going to be a replacement for Elliot Cadeau at point guard, he can move around on the wing with some nice size and length at 6-foot-6. Powell is likely coming from WVU to be a Jae'Lyn Withers replacement of sorts but I'd like more than one bite at that apple.
Davis could be that. Even with a jump in competition from the Missouri Valley, he has the tools and profile of a useful role player in the Tar Heels backcourt.
2. G Nijel Pack (Miami)
It's already been a long career of ACC basketball for Miami transfer Nijel Pack after he's spent the past three seasons with the Hurricanes following an initial move from Kansas State. After his 2024-25 season was limited to just nine games because of injuries, though, Pack has one more year of eligibility and could be a nice band-aid to help the Heels deal with Cadeau's departure.
Make no mistake, Cadeau was a frustrating player but his ability to run the offense, probe defenses and distribute were clear assets. Especially combined with RJ Davis' career coming to a close, the Heels could use and experienced presence to help guide the offense. Pack has proven to be that in his college career, averaging 13.6 points and 3.0 assists per game in his Miami career while also shooting 38.6% from deep, which could be a huge asset that Cadeau could never provide.
Pack has the miles that you want for a veteran point guard and, even better, a plethora of ACC experience to go along with that. While I remain intrigued by former Miami 5-star Jalil Bethea as he remains available in the portal, Pack might be the more prudent target for UNC on the transfer market.
1. G RJ Luis Jr. (St. John's)
When RJ Luis transferred to St. John's from UMass ahead of the 2023-24 season, he was a solid if unspectacular player for Rick Pitino's Red Storm. However, it's probably not a coincidence that the Johnnies taking off to win the Big East and earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament was in-tandem with Luis making the jump to being a star-level player in the backcourt this season, going off to average 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 31.8 minutes per game.
Luis isn't the most efficient outside scorer or offensive player overall but his value isn't in that. He's a more versatile version of Caleb Love in some capacity, though with infinitely better defense and length. At 6-foot-7, he can score and get his shot in a variety of ways while also opening up lanes, but he can also defend multiple positions at a high, high level and add more value than just his scoring there, not to mention his elite ability as a rebounder for a guard given his size and length.
In truth, the fit for Luis isn't the most natural at UNC, especially if Davis finds a way to keep Ian Jackson in the fold. Having said that, he's one of the three best players in the transfer portal this offseason and, if Davis wants to get the Tar Heels back to title contention, having a player of Luis' caliber is only going to help the cause.