Heel Tough Blog: Zayden High Expected to Rejoin UNC Program for 2025-26

University of North Carolina Athletics

After much speculation, Inside Carolina confirmed earlier today that Zayden High will be back with the Carolina Basketball program, after missing the entire 2024-25 season, after not being enrolled in classes last fall semester. High missed last season, due to an off-court matter, and was effectively suspended from the program, but Hubert Davis and the staff never shut the door on a possible return, and that appears to be happening. High, re-enrolled in classes at the beginning of January, and while he never took part in any on-court team activities, he was allowed access to the Smith Center, where he was seen working on his game, in hopes of rejoining the program, for the 2025-26 campaign. 

High played in 23 games two seasons ago, after arriving in Chapel Hill as a four-star prospect, and the prototype of what Hubert Davis was looking for in a big man. And while his 0.8 points per game average and his 1.1 rebounds won’t excite anybody, he was buried on a roster that won the ACC regular season title, won 29 games in total, earned a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and made the Sweet 16. Don’t let the stats fool you, there is talent to be unlocked when it comes to Zayden High. 

His return for next season now seems bigger than we thought it would be this time two weeks ago, when Ven-Allen Lubin entered his name in the transfer portal. Although Lubin expressed his desire and expectation to return to Carolina, the Tar Heels have seemingly moved off from Lubin, and are in pursuit of another wing player, to pair with Kyan Evans, the transfer from Colorado State. If that were to be the case, Carolina’s frontcourt rotation would consist of Arizona transfer Henri Veesar, Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson, rising sophomore James Brown, and Zayden High, who, academically, will more than likely be deemed a sophomore as well. 

With High expected to be on the roster, the Tar Heels roster will include nine new names, with five incoming transfers, three incoming freshmen, to go with Zayden rejoining the program, as Hubert Davis, and new GM JIm Tanner have overhauled the roster, with hopes of putting the program in a better spot to win in both the short, and the long term. 

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