After a brutal loss to the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Tuesday, the North Carolina Tar Heels were able to find the win column on Saturday, defeating the Syracuse Orangemen on the road, 77-64.

One of the main storylines surrounding the program this past week was star forward Caleb Wilson’s recent injury, which kept him out for the past three games. To make matters worse, fellow big man Henri Veesaar missed Tuesday night’s contest, which put his status in the air for Saturday.

However, Veesaar was able to silence the concerns regarding his health with an incredible performance against the Orangemen.

In his 26 minutes of play, Veesaar finished with a team-high 19 points, along with three rebounds and three blocks on Saturday afternoon. The junior center was efficient on the offensive side of the ball, shooting 9-13 from the field and 1-3 from beyond the arc.

After spending his first two seasons with the Arizona Wildcats, Veesaar would enter the transfer portal and sign with the Tar Heels this past offseason in hopes that he could become an instant-impact player for the program. The talented center showed plenty of promise throughout his time with Arizona, but would only start in five games during his two-year tenure.

Luckily for Veesaar and head coach Hurbert Davis, the Estonia native would quickly find his role within the starting lineup this season for North Carolina. In his first 25 games with the Tar Heels, Veesaar has averaged 16.4 points, nine rebounds, and two assists per game, making him the perfect complementary piece alongside Wilson.

Unfortunately for Veesaar, Wilson's recent injury has turned him into the team's top offensive playmaker.

Before Saturday’s victory, the center’s only game without Wilson by his side was a struggle for the veteran, as he managed to record 11 points and nine rebounds in North Carolina’s loss to the Miami Hurricanes. But his latest showing against Syracuse is a promising sign for the Tar Heels as they approach the NCAA Tournament.

Depending on when Wilson returns from injury, Veesaar will need to be North Carolina’s leading scorer until Wilson is fully healthy in order to finish the regular season on a high note.

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