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1 hour ago
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Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) bites his jersey against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Henri Veesaar apparently had millions of dollars waiting for him to return to college and play for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Instead, he left UNC for the 2026 NBA Draft.
It's looking like a brutal decision.
Veesaar has gone through the majority of the draft and not been chosen. Whether he's a late second-rounder or an undrafted free agent, it's costing him prestige, opportunity and cash:
I really feel badly because Veesaar is such a good kid, and this decision has cost him a ton of money.
Could have made 5-plus million this season to return to college. https://t.co/KoxSyzdzK1
It's also raising a very modern question.
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Can Henri Veesaar go back to UNC?
For the large majority of college basketball history, this answer would've been an obvious no.
It's not so obvious anymore.
Players used to give up their eligibility for sure when they declared for the NBA Draft.
Now, players like James Nnaji have returned to play more college hoops -- and Nnaji was drafted higher than Veesaar could be at this point.
It would require various court pursuits, probably, and nothing would be a given.
But in this new college sports landscape, it's not impossible.
Would UNC have the space and cash for Veesaar now? That's not certain, either.
Nothing is a given here, but all the changes in college sports have left this door at least a tiny bit ajar.
English (US)