UNC’s Henri Veesaar improving but still questionable for clash with NC State
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- Veesaar was a game‑time decision, later ruled out; illness and lower‑body issue persist.
- UNC started Stevenson and High, tightened rotation and won 79-65, playing eight players.
- Coaches to assess Veesaar at practice; ACC injury report at 8 p.m. to provide update.
With Tyler Hansbrough set to be on UNC’s radio call in Raleigh, Hubert Davis couldn’t help but crack a joke.
“Can Tyler play tomorrow?” Davis asked Monday night on his radio show, making light of the Tar Heels’ injury status. Things are still up in the air for North Carolina big man Henri Veesaar, who was listed as “questionable” on UNC’s ACC-mandated availability report ahead of Tuesday night’s rivalry matchup against N.C. State at Lenovo Center.
A team spokesperson told the N&O Monday night that Veesaar is no longer sick, and the reasoning for his “questionable” status is a lower-extremity injury.
Veesaar was ruled out minutes before tipoff against Pittsburgh after being marked a game-time decision on Saturday morning. A program spokesperson said the UNC forward had been ill since the team returned from Miami earlier in the week and was also dealing with a lower extremity issue at the time.
The 7-footer dressed but did not participate in normal pregame warmups Saturday at the Smith Center. He appeared to have tape on the back of his left ankle/Achilles area as he went through stretches with UNC trainers.
On Monday morning, UNC coach Hubert Davis said Veesaar “continues to feel better” — both with his lower-body injury and in regards to his illness — but added he had not yet seen the Arizona transfer that day. Davis said the North Carolina staff would see how Veesaar was doing at Monday afternoon practice and “move forward from there.”
“He had the flu, and that’s just not for one day,” Davis said on the Monday morning ACC coaches teleconference. “He is feeling a lot better from that. And then, the lower-body extremity [injury], it’s getting better every day. It was an improvement from Saturday to Sunday’s practice. And my hope is that it’s an even bigger jump today. But he’s getting better on both ends.”
Veesaar’s absence came the same day freshman forward Caleb Wilson sat out for the first time with a fractured left hand, sidelining UNC’s two leading scorers. Wilson’s timeline remains indefinite, although the freshman has remarked in passing that he hopes to return for North Carolina’s second clash with Duke on March 7, as the N&O previously reported.
Wilson will not undergo surgery, a source with knowledge of the situation told the N&O, which will expedite his recovery process. He has also been seen using a bone growth stimulator, similar to the machine Seth Trimble used earlier this season as he rehabbed from a broken forearm.
Without Veesaar, the Tar Heels moved Jarin Stevenson and Zayden High into the starting lineup and tightened the rotation against Pitt. UNC used its sixth different starting combination of the season and played just eight players in the 79-65 win over the Panthers.
Veesaar is averaging nearly a double-double with 16.4 points and nine rebounds per game. His 61.5% field goal clip ranks top-25 in the nation.
Veesaar’s status will be closely monitored as the Tar Heels prepare for their rivalry matchup at Lenovo Center on Tuesday. That game tips off at 7 p.m. More information will be available Tuesday night when the mandatory ACC injury report is updated.
This story was originally published February 16, 2026 at 10:58 AM with the headline "UNC’s Henri Veesaar improving but still questionable for clash with NC State."