July 14, 2026, 12:20 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Though he played just one season in Chapel Hill, Henri Veesaar<\/a> delivered an immeasurable impact on the UNC men’s basketball program.<\/p>\n Veesaar gave the Tar Heels a coveted stretch five center, forcing opponents to pick where to defend him. Now a member of the Atlanta Hawks, who chose him 52nd overall in the NBA Draft<\/a>‘s second round, Veesaar is enjoying a memorable start to NBA Summer League action.<\/p>\n That hot streak continued on Monday, with Veesaar scoring 20 points on Monday night during Atlanta’s 102-90 win over the Boston Celtics<\/a>.<\/p>\n Veesaar drained seven of his 12 shot attempts, including a 4-of-6 mark from deep, while making one free throw. Adding four rebounds, three assists, one steal and block apiece to his big night, Veesaar stuffed the stat sheet and continued showing Atlanta they got a major Draft steal.<\/p>\n Monday’s big performance follows Veesaar’s Summer League debut on July 9, when he led all bench scorers with 14 points.<\/a><\/p>\n Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!<\/a><\/p>\n Veesaar averaged career-highs of 17 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks per game during North Carolina’s 2025-26 season, which ended with a Round of 64 NCAA Tournament upset loss to VCU. When frontcourt mate and now-Chicago Bull Caleb Wilson<\/a> missed the final month of his season with two separate injuries, Veesaar stepped up to prove himself as UNC’s main option.<\/p>\n Veesaar initially entered himself in the NBA Draft with a possibility of returning to Chapel Hill, but he decided to stay in the Draft pool<\/a>. Tar Heel Nation wanted Veesaar back for one more season, but his decision is paying dividends just a couple games in.<\/p>\n Follow us\u00a0@TarHeelsWire<\/a>\u00a0on X and like our page on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.<\/p>\n