Another ACC Tradition Bites the Dust — UNC vs. NC State Rivalry Takes a Hit in New Schedule Shake-Up

The ACC just made it official: say goodbye to the 20-game basketball schedule — and with it, yet another piece of college basketball tradition.

In a decision that’s both strategic and bittersweet, the league announced Wednesday that it will drop to an 18-game conference format starting in the 2025–26 season. The goal? To open up two more non-conference game slots, giving top-tier programs a shot at adding resume-boosting matchups come March Madness.

Sounds like smart business — but at what cost?

Instead of adopting the ACC women’s model, which rotates opponents evenly, the men’s format will maintain a single guaranteed home-and-home rivalry (UNC-Duke, of course), rotate one additional home-and-home opponent, and completely skip one conference team each season.

That means what many feared is now real: UNC and NC State’s annual two-game rivalry is on the chopping block.

While UNC-Duke was always safe — it’s the crown jewel of college hoops and the ratings magnet ESPN practically built a network on — the UNC-State home-and-home tradition has officially lost protected status. The rivalry that’s delivered decades of heated matchups, packed arenas, and bragging rights now risks becoming a once—a—year—or—even—once—every—few—years event.

And here’s the twist of the knife: NC State might be partially to blame for this shift.

In the ACC’s turbulent 2023 expansion vote — the one that added Stanford, Cal, and SMU — it was NC State’s swing vote that greenlit the league’s massive realignment. That move, driven by fear of losing members and TV revenue, directly led to the bloated 18-team conference structure we’re dealing with now. A structure too large to preserve most home-and-home rivalries. Irony, anyone?

With the tradition tossed aside in favor of market value and scheduling flexibility, one of the Triangle’s fiercest rivalries could be relegated to a single-game sideshow. Or worse: no matchup at all in a given season.

For longtime fans, it stings. The annual State-Carolina home-and-home wasn’t just a scheduling quirk — it was a ritual. The chance for each team to defend their home court, the electricity of a split crowd, the animosity, the upsets, the sweet sweep celebrations — it’s all been chipped away.

What comes next? We’ll know soon. The ACC schedule is set to drop in the coming weeks, and fans will find out whether UNC and NC State are getting one final encore… or whether the curtain is closing on this once-sacred tradition.

As for the two newly available non-conference slots, UNC now has? Stay tuned — because with March in mind, the Tar Heels might just be aiming for prime-time matchups.

UNC Basketball gets a commitment from transfer big man.Henri Veesaar

UNC Lands Key Frontcourt Piece as Arizona Transfer Henri Veesaar Commits to Tar Heels

After a fast and focused recruiting effort, North Carolina has landed its guy.

On Friday afternoon, 7-foot Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar announced his commitment to UNC, giving the Tar Heels a crucial interior presence they’ve been hunting all offseason. The Estonian big man, who brings two years of eligibility, becomes a cornerstone addition to Hubert Davis’s 2025–26 roster.

Veesaar hit the portal on March 31, and it didn’t take long for UNC to make its intentions known. The coaching staff zeroed in quickly, getting him on campus before the NCAA’s recruiting dead period — a clear sign they weren’t just interested, they were all-in. That commitment paid off.

While Veesaar wasn’t a full-time starter at Arizona, his sophomore season showed major growth. He averaged 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game — but his versatility stands out. A true modern big, he connected on 32.7% of his threes and flourished as a pick-and-roll weapon, giving Carolina a rare stretch-five option it hasn’t consistently had in years.

The Tar Heels entered the offseason thin up front and in need of size, skill, and mobility. Veesaar checks all three boxes — and then some. Among several quality big men available in the portal, he always felt like UNC’s top priority. Now, he’s Chapel Hill-bound.

This commitment is a major win for Davis and his staff, plugging a gaping hole in the frontcourt and providing the type of two-way upside that can swing games. There’s still work to do — particularly at point guard — but this is the kind of move that sets the tone for the rest of the summer.

With Veesaar in the fold, Carolina’s offseason is off to a strong and promising start.

A former basketball target for UNC decommits after being selected unexpectedly.

Back in the fall, UNC basketball was in the mix for longtime Tar Heel fan Niko Bundalo

The 6-foot-10 senior forward from Prolific Prep (Calif.) had listed UNC among his top nine schools and later included them in his final four, alongside UConn, Michigan State, and Ohio State. However, in a surprising move last November, Bundalo committed to Washington — a program that hadn’t made his previous shortlist.

Now, the recruitment race is back on. Multiple reports on Tuesday confirmed that Bundalo has been released from his signed commitment to Washington and is once again available.

Ranked No. 31 nationally in the 2025 class by the 247Sports Composite, Bundalo is now the second-highest ranked uncommitted prospect in the cycle.

It remains uncertain whether UNC head coach Hubert Davis will pursue him again, though Bundalo’s deep-rooted connection to the Tar Heels — inspired by his mother’s admiration for Michael Jordan — could make Chapel Hill a natural fit. The Tar Heels still have roster spots open for next season.

UNC Basketball Makes the Cut for the Elite Forward List

The UNC basketball program remains in the hunt for five-star recruit Anthony Thompson, who announced his top 15 schools over the weekend.

In early January, Western Reserve Academy (Ohio) standout small forward Anthony Thompson received an offer from Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis. Nearly four months later, UNC has secured a spot on his shortlist.

On Friday, Thompson revealed his top choices on social media, naming UNC along with BYU, Texas, Xavier, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown, Indiana, Auburn, Notre Dame, Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Michigan.

The 6-foot-8, 185-pound left-hander narrowed his options after drawing over 30 scholarship offers early in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

According to the 247Sports 2026 Composite rankings, Thompson currently sits at No. 11 overall, No. 3 among small forwards, and is the No. 1 prospect in Ohio.

“Whenever Anthony Thompson is in the gym, it’s tough to find a jump shot that looks better,” 247Sports’ Eric Bossi recently observed, also noting Thompson’s impressive “nearly 7-foot-3 wingspan.”

The Tar Heels have issued numerous offers to 2026 prospects and remain firmly in the mix for many of their top recruiting targets.

The UNC basketball team wins an in-conference transfer.

UNC Basketball Adds Experienced Guard from Virginia Tech

The UNC basketball staff has secured a commitment from a guard who made a notable leap in his sophomore season at Virginia Tech.

As of Friday, Jaydon Young is officially a Tar Heel. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Goldsboro, N.C., native brings valuable ACC experience with him to Chapel Hill.

Coming out of Greensboro Day School in 2023 as a three-star recruit, Young saw limited action as a freshman, averaging just 1.8 points in 8.5 minutes over 26 games off the Hokies’ bench. However, he broke through during his second year, becoming a key contributor. Young played in all 32 games last season, earning 10 starts, and averaged 8.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game — although he struggled with efficiency, shooting 34.7 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from three-point range. Virginia Tech finished the season with a 13-19 record.

In the current transfer portal rankings from 247Sports, the 20-year-old Young sits at No. 354 overall and No. 84 among shooting guards.

With Young’s commitment, UNC’s transfer class for 2025 — now five players deep — is ranked No. 16 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC, trailing only Louisville’s group.

UNC basketball is included on the list of elite forwards.

UNC Basketball Named Among Finalists for Five-Star Recruit Anthony Thompson

UNC has advanced to the next stage in the recruitment of elite 2026 prospect Anthony Thompson, who announced his top 15 schools over the weekend—and the Tar Heels made the cut.

Thompson, a standout small forward from Western Reserve Academy in Ohio, picked up an offer from head coach Hubert Davis and his staff back in January. Now, nearly four months later, UNC remains in strong contention for the 6-foot-8, 185-pound junior.

On Friday, Thompson revealed his list on social media, naming UNC alongside BYU, Texas, Xavier, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown, Indiana, Auburn, Notre Dame, Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Michigan.

Thompson, a smooth-shooting lefty with a reported 7-foot-3 wingspan, has drawn national attention throughout the 2026 cycle and narrowed his list after receiving more than 30 scholarship offers. He currently ranks No. 11 overall, No. 3 among small forwards, and No. 1 in Ohio per the 247Sports Composite for 2026.

“Whenever Anthony Thompson is in the gym, it’s almost impossible to find a player with a smoother jump shot,” noted 247Sports analyst Eric Bossi, praising the junior’s combination of size, skill, and versatility.

UNC, which has extended over 10 offers in the 2026 class so far, continues to pursue several top-tier prospects and remains a serious player on the national recruiting trail.