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2025–26 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
| 2025–26 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball |
|---|
| Atlantic Coast Conference |
| 24–9 (12–6 ACC) |
| Hubert Davis (5th season) |
| Jeff Lebo (5th season) |
| Sean May (5th season) |
| Brad Frederick (9th season) |
| Pat Sullivan (5th season) |
| Marcus Paige (3rd season) |
| Dean E. Smith Center |
The 2025–26 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by coach Hubert Davis in his fifth and final season as UNC's head coach, and was assisted by Jeff Lebo, Sean May, and Brad Frederick. The Tar Heels played their home games at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Tar Heels finished the 2024–25 season with a 23–14 overall record, with a 13–7 mark in the ACC, tying for 4th in the league. The team faced many ups and downs, starting with a tough non-conference schedule facing teams like Kansas, Auburn, Michigan State, Alabama, and Florida. The Heels showed flashes when rallying from a 21‑point second‑half deficit to defeat Dayton in the Maui Invitational, and overcame a 16-point hole vs. UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic.
As the No. 5 seed in the ACC Tournament, they defeated Notre Dame in the second round, Wake Forest in the quarterfinals, and fell short in a comeback bid against Duke in the semifinals. UNC earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as an 11 seed in the South Region, starting their tournament in Dayton at the First Four. They routed San Diego State 95–68 to advance to the round of 64, but their run ended there with a 71–64 loss to Ole Miss.
The Tar Heels lost virtually their entire core, including all five starters from the 2024–25 season. Among the most notable departures were veteran guard RJ Davis and forward Jae'Lyn Withers, both of whom graduated. Numerous players entered the transfer portal, including Elliot Cadeau, Ian Jackson, Jalen Washington, and Ven-Allen Lubin. Freshman Drake Powell decided to enter the 2025 NBA Draft. The only main rotation player that announced he would be returning was guard Seth Trimble.
UNC aggressively rebuilt its roster through the transfer portal, international signings, and high school recruits. The additions were led by several transfers, including 7-footer Henri Veesaar from Arizona, forward Jarin Stevenson from Alabama, and guard Kyan Evans from Colorado State. They also brought in wing shooter Jonathan Powell from West Virginia, and international guard Luka Bogavac from Montenegro. They also added incoming freshmen, most notably five-star forward Caleb Wilson, along with guards Derek Dixon and Isiah Denis.
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R.J. Davis | 4 | G | 6'0" | 180 | Graduate Student | White Plains, New York | Graduated |
| Jae'Lyn Withers | 24 | F | 6'9" | 220 | Graduate Student | Charlotte, North Carolina | Graduated |
| Cade Tyson | 5 | G/F | 6'7" | 200 | Junior | Monroe, North Carolina | Transferred to Minnesota |
| Jalen Washington | 13 | F | 6'10" | 235 | Junior | Gary, Indiana | Transferred to Vanderbilt |
| Ven-Allen Lubin | 22 | F | 6'8" | 230 | Junior | Orlando, Florida | Transferred to NC State |
| Elliot Cadeau | 3 | G | 6'1" | 180 | Sophomore | West Orange, New Jersey | Transferred to Michigan |
| Drake Powell | 9 | G/F | 6'6" | 195 | Freshman | Pittsboro, North Carolina | Declared for the 2025 NBA draft, selected 22nd overall by the Atlanta Hawks, traded to the Brooklyn Nets |
| Ian Jackson | 11 | G | 6'4" | 190 | Freshman | The Bronx, New York | Transferred to St. John's |
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyan Evans | 0 | G | 6'2" | 175 | Junior | Kansas City, Missouri | Colorado State |
| Luka Bogavac | 44 | G | 6'6" | 215 | Junior | Mojkovac, Montenegro | SC Derby |
| Henri Veesaar | 13 | C | 7'0" | 225 | Junior | Tallinn, Estonia | Arizona |
| Jarin Stevenson | 15 | F | 6'10" | 215 | Junior | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Alabama |
| Jaydon Young | 4 | G | 6'4" | 200 | Junior | Goldsboro, North Carolina | Virginia Tech |
| Jonathan Powell | 11 | G | 6'6" | 190 | Sophomore | Centerville, Ohio | West Virginia |
| Ivan Matlekovic | 40 | C | 7'0" | 255 | Sophomore | Sisak, Croatia | High Point |
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Wilson F | Atlanta, Georgia | Holy Innocents' Episcopal School | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Jan 24, 2025 |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (96) | |||||
| Derek Dixon G | Vienna, Virginia | Gonzaga College High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Sep 27, 2024 |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (85) | |||||
| Isaiah Denis G | Charlotte, North Carolina | Davidson Day School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Nov 2, 2024 |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (85) | |||||
| Overall recruit ranking: 247Sports: 7 | |||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. | |||||
| In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. | |||||
| Sources: |
"2025 North Carolina Tar Heels Recruiting Class". ESPN.
"2025 Team Ranking". Rivals. | | | | | |
| Datetime, TV | Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 24, 2025*9:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 25 | vs. No. 8 BYU The Bad Boy Mowers Series - Salt Lake City | L 76–78 | – | 22 – Wilson | 10 – Wilson | 5 – Evans | Delta Center (9,030)Salt Lake City, UT |
| October 29, 2025*7:30 p.m., ACCNX | No. 25 | Winston-Salem State | W 95–53 | – | 23 – Wilson | 10 – Wilson | 3 – High | Dean Smith Center (15,332)Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 3, 2025*7:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 25 | Central Arkansas | W 94–54 | 1–0 | 22 – Wilson | 10 – Veesaar | 5 – .mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}Tied | Dean Smith Center (16,079)Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 7, 2025*7:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 25 | No. 19 Kansas | W 87–74 | 2–0 | 24 – Wilson | 8 – Trimble | 4 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (21,750)Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 11, 2025*7:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 18 | Radford | W 89–74 | 3–0 | 19 – Bogavac | 14 – Wilson | 5 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (16,613)Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 14, 2025*9:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 18 | North Carolina Central | W 97–53 | 4–0 | 21 – Wilson | 13 – Wilson | 7 – Evans | Dean Smith Center (17,522)Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 18, 2025*7:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 18 | Navy | W 73–61 | 5–0 | 23 – Wilson | 12 – Wilson | 6 – Evans | Dean Smith Center (16,869)Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 25, 2025*6:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 16 | vs. St. Bonaventure Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division | W 85–70 | 6–0 | 24 – Veesaar | 13 – Veesaar | 4 – Bogavac | Suncoast Credit Union Arena (3,500)Fort Myers, FL |
| November 27, 2025*4:30 p.m., FOX | No. 16 | vs. No. 11 Michigan State Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division | L 58–74 | 6–1 | 18 – Wilson | 7 – Tied | 5 – Bogavac | Suncoast Credit Union Arena (3,500)Fort Myers, FL |
| December 2, 2025*9:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 16 | at No. 18 Kentucky ACC–SEC Challenge / Rivalry | W 67–64 | 7–1 | 17 – Veesaar | 12 – Wilson | 6 – Wilson | Rupp Arena (20,029)Lexington, KY |
| December 7, 2025*5:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 16 | Georgetown | W 81–61 | 8–1 | 20 – Wilson | 15 – Veesaar | 4 – Evans | Dean Smith Center (18,583)Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 13, 2025*2:00 p.m., The CW | No. 14 | USC Upstate | W 80–62 | 9–1 | 20 – Wilson | 11 – Wilson | 5 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (17,759)Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 16, 2025*8:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 12 | East Tennessee State | W 77–58 | 10–1 | 26 – Veesaar | 8 – Tied | 6 – Evans | Dean Smith Center (16,548)Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 20, 2025*3:00 p.m., CBS | No. 12 | vs. Ohio State CBS Sports Classic | W 71–70 | 11–1 | 20 – Wilson | 15 – Wilson | 5 – Veesaar | State Farm Arena (16,951)Atlanta, GA |
| December 22, 2025*8:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 12 | East Carolina | W 99–51 | 12–1 | 21 – Wilson | 12 – Wilson | 5 – Trimble | Dean Smith Center (20,479)Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 30, 20257:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 12 | Florida State | W 79–66 | 13–1(1–0) | 22 – Wilson | 16 – Wilson | 6 – Wilson | Dean Smith Center (20,618)Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 3, 20262:15 p.m., The CW | No. 12 | at SMU | L 83–97 | 13–2(1–1) | 22 – Trimble | 7 – Wilson | 6 – Bogavac | Moody Coliseum (6,698)University Park, TX |
| January 10, 20266:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 17 | Wake Forest Rivalry | W 87–84 | 14–2(2–1) | 25 – Veesaar | 12 – Wilson | 4 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (21,750)Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 14, 20269:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 14 | at Stanford | L 90–95 | 14–3(2–2) | 26 – Tied | 9 – Wilson | 2 – Tied | Maples Pavilion (5,369)Stanford, CA |
| January 17, 20264:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 14 | at California | L 78–84 | 14–4(2–3) | 17 – Wilson | 10 – Veesaar | 4 – Tied | Haas Pavilion (8,077)Berkeley, CA |
| January 21, 20267:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 22 | Notre Dame | W 91–69 | 15–4(3–3) | 22 – Wilson | 12 – Veesaar | 5 – Wilson | Dean Smith Center (19,686)Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 24, 202612:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 22 | at No. 14 Virginia | W 85–80 | 16–4(4–3) | 20 – Wilson | 7 – Powell | 7 – Dixon | John Paul Jones Arena (14,637)Charlottesville, VA |
| January 31, 20262:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 16 | at Georgia Tech | W 91–75 | 17–4(5–3) | 22 – Wilson | 12 – Veesaar | 5 – Wilson | McCamish Pavilion (8,700)Atlanta, GA |
| February 2, 20267:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 14 | Syracuse | W 87–77 | 18–4(6–3) | 22 – Wilson | 11 – Veesaar | 4 – Veesaar | Dean Smith Center (20,152)Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 7, 20266:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 14 | No. 4 Duke Rivalry/College GameDay | W 71–68 | 19–4(7–3) | 23 – Wilson | 11 – Veesaar | 4 – Dixon | Dean Smith Center (21,750)Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 10, 20267:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 11 | at Miami | L 66–75 | 19–5(7–4) | 13 – Stevenson | 6 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Watsco Center (7,355)Coral Gables, FL |
| February 14, 20262:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 11 | Pittsburgh | W 79–65 | 20–5(8–4) | 19 – Tied | 7 – Tied | 7 – Dixon | Dean Smith Center (21,750)Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 17, 20267:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 16 | at NC State Rivalry | L 58–82 | 20–6(8–5) | 13 – Tied | 10 – High | 3 – Evans | Lenovo Center (19,367)Raleigh, NC |
| February 21, 20261:00 p.m., ABC | No. 16 | at Syracuse | W 77–64 | 21–6(9–5) | 19 – Veesaar | 11 – High | 4 – Dixon | JMA Wireless Dome (23,606)Syracuse, NY |
| February 23, 20267:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 18 | No. 24 Louisville | W 77–74 | 22–6(10–5) | 30 – Trimble | 7 – Stevenson | 4 – Trimble | Dean Smith Center (20,577)Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 28, 20268:30 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 18 | Virginia Tech | W 89–82 | 23–6(11–5) | 26 – Veesaar | 7 – Veesaar | 4 – Trimble | Dean Smith Center (21,750)Chapel Hill, NC |
| March 3, 20267:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 17 | Clemson | W 67–63 | 24–6(12–5) | 20 – Bogavac | 10 – Stevenson | 4 – Veesaar | Dean Smith Center (20,753)Chapel Hill, NC |
| March 7, 20266:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 17 | at No. 1 Duke Rivalry/College GameDay | L 61–76 | 24–7(12–6) | 17 – Dixon | 9 – Veesaar | 6 – Trimble | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)Durham, NC |
| March 12, 20269:30 p.m., ESPN | (4) No. 19 | vs. (5) Clemson Quarterfinal | L 79–80 | 24–8 | 28 – Veesaar | 17 – Veesaar | 8 – Trimble | Spectrum Center (17,627)Charlotte, NC |
| March 19, 20263:10 p.m., truTV | (6 S) No. 21 | vs. (11 S) VCU First round | L 78–82 OT | 24–9 | 26 – Veesaar | 10 – Veesaar | 6 – Tied | Bon Secours Wellness Arena (14,092)Greenville, SC |
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South. All times are in Eastern Time. |
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