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After two strong seasons at the University of Arizona, Henri Veesaar entered the 2025 transfer portal and landed at the University of North Carolina. The Estonian was welcomed with open arms, as his 7-foot frame could be a key factor under the basket.
If Veesaar can build on his strengths with the help of head coach Hubert Davis and his staff, the future could be bright for both the player and the program. But some are skeptical that UNC’s staff is overestimating the 21-year-old forward’s potential.
Is Henri Veesaar a ‘Beast’ in College Basketball?
On a recent episode of the “Tar Heels Illustrated” podcast, respected college basketball analyst Andrew Jones expressed doubts about whether the Estonian truly has the impact the Tar Heels believe he does.
“The word I’ve heard about Veesaar is ‘beast,’” Jones said.
“But that wasn’t always the case at Arizona. There were times where, ‘all right Henri’s out there, he’s a good body, he looks like they might be able to play some,’ and then he would have stretches where he wasn’t a beast…”
Jones is especially concerned about Veesaar’s rebounding ability. Despite his size, rebounding has not been a consistent strength:
“My question mark on him was how good is he defensively and how good is he on the glass, because he doesn’t have great rebound numbers for a dude his size and Arizona play a lot of high shot volume games. So, where’s the rebounder?”
Jones illustrated what a “beast” should look like by referencing UNC and NBA rebounding standout George Lynch:
“When you think of George Lynch, the older guys, what’s the first thing you think of? You think of a beast. And what do you think of him being a beast? Number one rebounding. Number two his ability to score at the rim. Number three the back of the 131 zone in the ’93 championship run.”
Lynch was a dependable rebounder over his 12-year NBA career, averaging 5.0 rebounds per game. He excelled especially with the Philadelphia 76ers, anchoring defensive schemes with his positioning, hustle and physicality. Though not the tallest or most athletic forward, his rebounding was built on fundamentals and effort.
As for Veesaar, his development from freshman to sophomore year shows real progress.
In 2022-23, Veesaar played in 29 games and averaged just 7.1 minutes per game. He posted 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds, while shooting 61.9% from the field and 27.3% from three. His free throw percentage was a solid 71.4%, but his role remained small.
By 2024-25, Veesaar had grown into a more impactful player. He appeared in 37 games and averaged 20.8 minutes. His scoring jumped to 9.4 points per game on 59.2% shooting, and his three-point accuracy climbed to 32.7%.
On the boards, he doubled his production to 5.0 rebounds per game, with better activity on both ends. He also contributed 1.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per game.
If Veesaar can continue improving his perimeter game and become more physical inside, he has the potential to be a major factor at UNC and possibly beyond.
