After North Carolina blew a 19 point second half lead in an overtime loss to VCU, the Tar Heels 2025-26 season is officially over. And in this new world of transfers and NIL, the attention immediately turns to next season.
So, who should North Carolina keep from this past season’s squad?
First of all, unless the eligibility rules change, and with everything going on in the courts nowadays who the heck knows, Seth Trimble is ineligible for this list. Secondly, if Caleb Wilson wants to come back, and by no means am I suggesting he should (he is a consensus top 5 — maybe even top overall — pick in the NBA draft), a spot is absolutely available for him. Additionally, I am assuming that Henri Veesaar takes advantage of his big year and also goes pro, though a spot would certainly be available for him as well.
So with all of that covered, my top picks to return next year are Derek Dixon and Jarin Stevenson. On the whole, Stevenson showed vast improvement this season, raising his points per game by nearly three and his rebounds per game by one. He also raised his field goal and free throw percentages from previous seasons, which is more impressive considering he averaged more shots per game than he had in previous seasons as well. Stevenson provides a reliable, steady, and returning force in the frontcourt for a team losing big there this offseason.
Dixon, for his part, showed tons of growth this season. The freshman guard wasn’t perfect but was very reliable down the stretch and came up especially big in the clutch. Despite not getting the starting nod until late, Dixon led the team in assists and was also the Tar Heels best free throw shooter (I still see Trimble holding the ball last night up 2 when he could’ve passed it to Dixon before getting fouled, but I digress). Dixon also finished second on the team in three pointers made and three-point percentage (not counting Isaiah Denis, who was an impressive 50% but on only eight attempts). Dixon should only continue to improve, and there is definitely the potential for a Marcus Paige-type jump in year two (Paige more than doubled his points per game from his freshman to sophomore year).
Outside of those two, Luka Bogavac looks finished with this squad (he seemed beyond frustrated last night, and would not surprise me if he went back to Europe), while Jonathan Powell, Jayden Young, and Isaiah Denis would provide quality depth pieces assuming they don’t find better opportunities elsewhere. Frustrating players like Kyan Evans and Zayden High should definitely be allowed to find said opportunities, while injured bigs James Brown and Ivan Matlekovic could provide size for the practice squad.
Talking strictly players here, not coaches; who do you think the Tar Heels should try to keep around for next season? Let us know in the comments below.