In 11 weeks, North Carolina basketball will start the 2025-26 season against Central Arkansas at the Smith Center with a new-look squad hoping to get the Tar Heels back in March Madness as a top seed.
After being a part of the First Four in the NCAA Tournament, UNC saw All-American guard RJ Davis exhaust his eligibility and five other players entered the transfer portal. Fifth-year coach Hubert Davis added five players via the portal, three recruits from high school and an international prospect.
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Henri Veesaar (Arizona), Jarin Stevenson (Alabama), Kyan Evans (Colorado State), Jonathan Powell (West Virginia) and Jaydon Young (Virginia Tech) joined the team via the portal. Caleb Wilson, Derek Dixon and Isaiah Denis arrived in Chapel Hill as freshmen. Luka Bogavac joined the team on Aug. 13 after spending time as a professional in Montenegro.
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Classes at UNC started Aug. 18, meaning it’ll soon be time for preseason basketball practices in Chapel Hill. Here’s what the starting lineup could look like when the Tar Heels tip off the 2025-26 season in early November.
Kyan Evans
With Elliot Cadeau at Michigan and RJ Davis playing professionally, the Tar Heels needed a lead guard and consistent shooter from the perimeter. Cadeau was 13th nationally in assist rate (38.2%), according to KenPom.com, but also had a turnover rate of 26.1% and shot 33.7% from beyond the arc. As a sophomore at Colorado State, Evans had an assist rate of 20.3% and turnover rate of 21.3%, but he made 44.6% of his 3-pointers, which was 24th nationally. The 6-foot-2 junior guard made multiple treys in 21 of 36 games last season. UNC needs that shotmaking from Evans and needs him to become a more consistent creator.
Seth Trimble
A senior guard and UNC’s unquestioned leader this season, Trimble is expected to be the Tar Heels’ top two-way threat on the perimeter. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 11.7 points, 5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game as a junior. Head injuries the last two seasons halted the continued upward trend of Trimble’s influence in the latter stretches of those years, but he’s proven capable of making the right plays without racking up turnovers. Trimble also got to the free-throw line, attempting 140 shots from the charity stripe, making 82.1% of those attempts. As a superior athlete with great body control, he’ll need to carry that attack mentality into his final season. Trimble also needs to boost his 3-point shooting (26.6%). Across the final five games of the season, Trimble missed each of his 11 attempts from long range.
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Luka Bogavac
Arguably the most important addition for UNC on the perimeter, Bogavac gives the Tar Heels an experienced scorer and underrated creator. Drake Powell’s departure to the NBA Draft created a void on the wing, a position Bogavac is capable of filling as a 6-foot-5 guard with professional experience. Bogavac, 21, averaged 14.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season in the Adriatic League. He made 40% of his 3-pointers and showed off versatility as a three-level scorer, but he also averaged 1.9 turnovers. Bogavac had 12 games with three or more assists and seven games with three or more turnovers. Still, the experience of an international prospect should provide a major plus to UNC’s lineup.
Caleb Wilson
The headliner of the lineup as a five-star freshman and projected top-10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Wilson is a 6-foot-10 forward known for his relentless rebounding and disruption as a defender. UNC sorely needed a player to help it improve in those two areas this season. The Tar Heels had one of their worst rebounding seasons since the Matt Doherty era in the early 2000s and were 47th in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. Wilson’s versatility gives him a chance to instantly become one of the top freshmen in the country.
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Henri Veesaar
Like Wilson, Veesaar gives UNC size and versatility it lacked in the frontcourt last season. The Arizona transfer is a 7-footer at 225 pounds who played just over 20 minutes per game for the Wildcats as a sophomore. Veesaar averaged 9.4 points, 5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, grabbing six or more rebounds in 17 games. He had an offensive rebounding rate of 12.3%, snagging three or more offensive boards in 14 games. UNC needs that kind of effort on a consistent basis from a player expected to be its starting center.
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 starting lineup prediction for 2025-26 season opener
