Heel Tough Blog: UNC Lands Northwestern Big Man
- Joshua Marlow
- 37 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Needing to find a suitable replacement after Henri Veesaar declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, Michael Malone first looked internationally before turning to the transfer portal and identifying Northwestern transfer Cade Bennerman as a target, after he redshirted with the Wildcats last season. Earlier this afternoon, Bennerman committed to Michael Malone and the UNC program, becoming the fifth transfer to commit to Malone this offseason.
Bennerman, committed to Northwestern back in 2024 as a three-star recruit, chose Northwestern over Michigan and Penn State. He’ll bring some much-needed size to the front-court, as he stands at 7-0, weighing over 215 pounds. Back in 2024, he averaged a little over 6 points and 3 rebounds during the Adidas AAU Circuit, but he did score in double figures in 5 of his final 6 games.
This is the first step towards replacing the departed Veesaar, and it appears Carolina will utilize the committee approach to do so. In addition to Bennerman, UNC is showing interest in multiple overseas targets, including Mouhamed Faye, Sayon Keita, and Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje.
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