UNC Basketball 2023-24 player preview: Zayden High
The UNC basketball program is preparing for its 2023-2024 season, looking to bounce back from last year’s nightmare.
It has been quite an adventure for the Tar Heels since they last walked off the court, with significant movement coming from the transfer portal. Caleb Love will not be in Carolina Blue this year, and it is not because he enlisted for the NBA draft. Instead, he will be in Arizona as a member of the Wildcats.
Love is not the only main Heel left in the offseason for new threads. Puff Johnson, D’Marco Dunn, Justin McKoy, Will Shaver, Dontrez Styles, and Tyler Nickel transferred from UNC.
What became a depleted roster created new opportunities to build, and that is precisely what UNC did, using RJ Davis and Armando Bacot as their corner pieces. One of those new pieces is four-star freshman Zayden High.
With the season near, we move on to the following player preview with Zayden High up next.
2022-23 season in review
Dec 10, 2022; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Compass Prep forward Zayden High (23) celebrates a dunk against IMG Academy during the HoopHall West basketball tournament at Chaparral High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
UNC freshman class is exciting, and Zayden High plays a role in the excitement of the future. The 6-9, four-star power forward became a household name during high school, ranking as the 19th best power forward in the nation.
As the fourth-best player in Texas, High averaged 17.1 points and 9.2 rebounds in three years at Smithson Valley. High had some memorable moments, but one of the biggest has to be from his fourth-quarter takeover against Oak Hill at the Hoophall classic.
UNC signee Zayden High scored 15 points vs Oak Hill at the Hoophall Classic today pic.twitter.com/cmize0PbW3
— Tar Heel Tapes (@TarHeelTapes) January 16, 2023
Projected role for 2023-24
Apr 2, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels mascots Rameses performs after a Tar Heels victory over the Duke Blue Devils during the 2022 NCAA men’s basketball tournament Final Four semifinals at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
Hubert Davis expressed a desire to better manage the bench rotation after some criticism following last year. That leads to the belief that High could find a role in the second unit, with Harrison Ingram playing the four.
That said, the competition is tight to see court time, with Jalen Washington, James Okonkwo, and Jae’Lyn Withers all in the mix with experience.
Bold prediction
Dec 10, 2022; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Compass Prep forward Zayden High (23) against IMG Academy during the HoopHall West basketball tournament at Chaparral High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Regarding bold predictions, High will get a chance to showcase what he got at one point during the season. When that time comes, he will give a glimpse of the future, dominating in capping off a Tar Heel victory.
When his number gets called, one solid performance could lead to critical minutes during March Madness.
