CHAPEL HILL — There are two things on the checklist for UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis when putting together a roster.
“It’s the same as anything when you’re evaluating talent, whether it’s high school, transfer portal, internationally,” Davis said recently during a press conference inside the media room at the Smith Center.
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“ … the two boxes that need to be checked, and I told you this before, it has to be a want and a need.”
Following the 2024-25 season, which ended with the Tar Heels sneaking into the NCAA Tournament as a First Four participant, Davis knew what he wanted and needed to fill out UNC’s roster ahead of his fifth season as head coach.
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When asked about his vision for the 2025-26 roster, which includes 11 new players, Davis highlighted height and versatility as the key areas of improvement.
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“I thought we needed to be bigger — positional size — and we needed more size. I think the number one determining factor of an outcome of the game is rebounding,” Davis said.
“I thought defensively we were okay rebounding-percentage wise, but offensive rebounding was nothing near where we needed to be. I wanted to become more versatile, have different types of lineups. I feel like with this roster, we’ve been able to identify both of those things.”
UNC has six players listed at 6-foot-10, including three newcomers — Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar, Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson and five-star recruit Caleb Wilson — who are projected to get a bulk of the Tar Heels’ frontcourt minutes.
Sophomore returner James Brown, a 6-foot-10 center, could enter that mix for more playing time after an eye-popping offseason in which he bulked up from 215 pounds to 240.
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The Heels also got bigger on the perimeter with the additions of West Virginia transfer Jonathan Powell (6’6), international wing Luka Bogavac (6’6), freshman Derek Dixon (6’5) and Virginia Tech transfer Jaydon Young (6’4).
The hope is that the revamped roster will help the Tar Heels take strides in several key areas.
UNC basketball rebounding, defensive stats have to improve
There’s no substitute for length when it comes to defending and rebounding, two things UNC struggled with consistently last season. Reigning national champion Florida excelled at both, finishing sixth in defensive efficiency and fifth in offensive rebounding percentage, per KenPom.
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“In order to be good,” Davis said, “you got to defend and rebound, and take care of the basketball.”
Defensively, after finishing eighth in efficiency during the 2023-24 season, the Tar Heels posted their worst mark under Davis at 47th in 2024-25. Hindered by a smaller, guard-oriented lineup for much of the year, UNC struggled to protect the paint and defend without fouling.
UNC’s defense was 104th in 2-point percentage (49.1%) and 118th in free throw rate (30.5%) last season. That’s the program’s worst 2-point defense percentage since 2004 and worst free throw rate since 2017.
Jan 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) and guard Elliot Cadeau (3) and Boston College Eagles guard Roger McFarlane (3) fight for the ball in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
But with so many newcomers surrounding senior guard Seth Trimble, particularly the size and versatility added, there’s optimism UNC will take major steps forward defensively.
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Of the eight players who averaged at least 15 minutes per game at UNC last season, Trimble is the lone returner from the group. A 6-foot-3 guard and arguably the Tar Heels’ most athletic player as a two-way standout, Trimble averaged 5 rebounds per game and grabbed 169 through 34 games.
Ven-Allen Lubin, who transferred to N.C. State, was UNC’s top rebounder at 5.5 boards per game as a 6-foot-8 forward. That’s the lowest average for a UNC rebounding leader in at least 74 years, going back to when UNC started recording rebounding averages in the 1951-52 season.
Lubin’s 203 rebounds are the fewest to lead a UNC squad since Mike O’Koren pulled down 202 boards for the Heels in the 1978-79 season. The Tar Heels’ 36.7 rebounding average last season is the lowest since the 2002-03 team averaged 34.2 rebounds per game the year before Roy Williams arrived in Chapel Hill.
“A huge staple of Carolina basketball, even before I was head coach, with Coach Williams, was offensive rebounding. And so, that’s an area that’s a major emphasis for us,” Davis said.
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“And having that positional height, having that height in the frontcourt, just allows us to be able to do that and do the things that we want to do.”
With an offensive rebounding percentage of 29.1%, according to KenPom, UNC posted its worst mark in that category of the KenPom era going back to 1997. During Williams’ 18 seasons with the Tar Heels, UNC finished with a top-25 ranking in offensive rebounding percentage in 17 of his 18 seasons, including nine with a top-10 finish and six with a top-5 mark.
Across UNC’s four seasons with Davis, the Tar Heels have posted an average finish of 110th in offensive rebounding percentage, coming in at 59th during the national championship appearance in 2022 and Sweet 16 run in 2024.
Lubin’s 11.4% led UNC’s offensive rebounding output last season, but the additions of 7-footer Veesaar — who had an offensive rebounding percentage of 12.3% at Arizona – and Wilson should provide the Tar Heels with more consistency at creating second-chance opportunities.
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Veesaar, who had 185 rebounds and averaged 5 per game last season, and Wilson are projected to lead UNC in on the glass. But Stevenson and Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans also grabbed more than 100 boards last season, with Powell coming one rebound shy of reaching that mark.
On paper, UNC is positioned to be much better on the glass and defensively. Davis checked the wants and needs for the roster. Now, the Tar Heels have to prove they can translate that to the court.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC basketball roster gives Hubert Davis, Tar Heels chance for change
