Henri Veesaar Ruled Out At NC State

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina big man Henri Veesaar has been officially listed as out for Tuesday night’s contest in Raleigh with NC State. The news comes as part of North Carolina’s availability report released two hours before tipoff in correspondence with ACC policy.

Out: Caleb Wilson, James Brown, Ivan Matlekovic, Henri Veesaar

Veesaar was sidelined in Saturday’s win over Pitt due to flu-like symptoms and a lower-extremity issue. However, a team spokesman confirmed Monday that the illness has subsided, and Tuesday’s concern centers solely on the lower-extremity injury. 

The lower-extremity issue traces back to an injury Veesaar suffered in UNC’s loss in Coral Gables seven days ago. Sources indicated to Inside Carolina that he received additional treatment for the injury following the defeat.

Veesaar participated in the Tar Heels’ initial pregame warmups Saturday but ultimately was not feeling up to the task. The primary concern at the time was his illness, and the only visible treatment on his lower body was a strip of kinesiology tape running the length of the seven-footer’s left Achilles.

In spite of appearing in danger of missing his second game in a row, Hubert Davis offered an encouraging update on his center during his weekly radio show Monday night.

“He’s getting a lot better, (Monday) was a huge jump in his improvement,” Davis said Monday. “He had, you know, an injury in his lower extremities, and then also had the flu, and it was a major jump in both of those today. It’s still day-to-day, we’ll have to evaluate (Tuesday) if he’s available for NC State, but I was really encouraged by the improvement in both areas today.”

Veesaar ranks second on the Tar Heels in both scoring (16.4) and rebounding (9.0). With Veesaar officially out, UNC wil enter the Lenovo Center without both pillars of its superstar frontcourt. Without those two, UNC had little trouble dispatching Pittsburgh, 79-65. But facing NC State, in Raleigh, is a far tougher task.

Wilson is sidelined indefinitely by a fractured left hand suffered in the first half of Tuesday night’s loss at Miami. He leads UNC with 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He has set UNC freshman records by scoring in double figures in all 24 games to begin his career and with 17 20-point games. He ranks among the top five in the ACC in scoring, rebounding, field goal shooting (.578) and double-doubles (11) and leads the nation with 66 dunks.

>>> Sources: Caleb Wilson Return Timeline <<<

Without Veesaar and Wilson, Jarin Stevenson and Zayden High carried the load against Pitt on Saturday, combining for 34 points on 13-of-18 shooting. In High’s first start as a Tar Heel, the San Antonio native posted career highs in minutes (32), points (15) and rebounds (7).

Reserve big men James Brown and Ivan Matlekovic remain sidelined for the Tar Heels. Brown first appeared on the reports prior to UNC’s ACC opener against Florida State on Dec. 30, while Matlekovic has been sidelined since Jan. 17 at Cal.