On Wednesday, the UNC Tar Heels basketball program invited two incoming transfers to speak at a press conference.
Point guard Kyan Evans and center/forward Henri Veesaar spoke to the media in Chapel Hill for the first time, and discussed the potential fit in Hubert Davis’ program.
Veesaar, a 21-year-old from Estonia, started his college career playing for the University of Arizona, where he primarily came off the bench. However, even coming off the bench, Veesaar found a way to be an integral part of Arizona’s rotation.
In nearly 21 minutes per game in the 2024-25 season, Veesaar averaged 9.4 points per game, five rebounds, on 59% shooting from the field. He can also shoot from the perimeter if needed, but that’s a part of his game that still needs refinement.
Not only that, he’s a trusted rim protector, coming off a season where he averaged 1.1 blocks per game coming off the bench. As a potential starter with the Tar Heels, it’s possible for that number to skyrocket.
Once he entered the transfer portal, he took one visit to campus back in April and instantly knew that UNC was the place to be.
Quickly after that, he told reporters that he went to former UNC guard, Caleb Love, currently with Arizona, and one of his close friends about what it’s like to play in Dean Smith Center.
"I asked him what he thought about this program, how his relationships were with the coaches and how he saw me fit into the program," Veesaar said. "Everything he said checked all the boxes for me. He said it was a great place to be, they're definitely going to push me. You're going to get better here and that's all I can ask for."
For Evans, it’s a little different story because he fills a need that the Tar Heels were desperate for last season.
Evans was one of college basketball’s elite 3-point shooters, where he shot from the perimeter at a 44.6% clip as a member of the Colorado State Rams. According to KenPom, UNC was as middling of a perimeter shooting team there was.
UNC shot 35% from the perimeter, but it was also among the lower percentile in terms of 3-point attempts per game, ranking 218th in the nation.
During his sophomore season at CSU, he averaged 4.4 3-point attempts, and there’s cause to believe that number will rise.
Evans possesses a tremendous amount of confidence for someone his age. In his introductory press conference, he knew how well of a fit he was and that he can create a whole new dynamic for the Heels.
“You can’t leave any space, no space,” Evans said. “You want to try and keep me out of the paint, because I’m gonna get my teammates involved. But it’s hard to do both, so good luck.”
In other words, Evans is a threat any time he has the ball, so if you choose to defend him one way, be prepared for what’s coming in other ways.
As we inch closer to the season, Davis put a tremendous amount of pressure on his team. How will they react? Veesaar and Evans seem to know how they will, but it’s up to the rest of the team now.