North Carolina star Zayden High will no longer play under coach Hubert Davis in 2024 season
Tar Heels’ Zayden High is no longer a part of the University of North Carolina. The institution updated about the same on Tuesday, rendering the sophomore’s disconnection with Hubert Davis’ roster.
UNC is fresh off winning the ACC regular-season championship and a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The 6-foot-9 Zayden High was sparingly played last season. He averaged 4.5 minutes through 23 games in his freshman year, averaging 0.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.2 steals on 31.6% shooting.
His season-high minutes came against the Lehigh Moutain Hawks in November and the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte against Oklahoma in December. He also attempted one shot during the two games and garnered eight rebounds.
High's season-high of four points came during the ACC Tournament game against Florida State.
NCAA insider Jeff Goodman claims High was dismissed from Tar Heels. However, he did not cite a reason behind this. Moreover, North Carolina has yet to declare the reason behind High’s disengagement.
Zayden High was slated to see more court time this year and to make his case for the do-it-all kind of player off the bench for Hubert Davis. The forward was anticipated to have a high ceiling by experts within the industry since he entered the college circuit as a four-star prospect.
How can Hubert Davis' roster make up for Zayden High
The update comes as a shock for Hubert Davis, who had integrated high into his new squad in the offseason. He had participated in UNC’s summer practices and was a key piece in the team’s overall camaraderie.
Now, High’s exit accounts for six scholarship players from the previous season who won’t be playing for Davis. Star Armando Bacot, Cormac Ryan and Paxson Wojcik fulfilled their eligibility, while Harrison Ingram entered the draft early and James Okonkwo entered the transfer portal.
Fortunately, Zayden High was projected to be a potential breakout role player for UNC. This means that Hubert Davis will not have to move many pieces to maintain his lineup.
Hubert Davis has added Tyzhaun Claude (Georgia Tech transfer), who received an eligibility waiver from the NCAA for his last season.
More forward options come through Ven-Allen Lubin (Vanderbilt transfer) and Cade Tyson (Belmont transfer) as frontcourt anchors Jae’Lyn Withers and Jalen Washington return. Additionally, five-star recruit Ian Jackson can also utilize High’s minutes.