UNC Basketball Shocker: 7-Foot Center Joins Tar Heels—What This Means for Hubert Davis’ Championship Hopes!
Following a season in which it was undersized in the post, UNC added Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar, Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson and five-star recruit Caleb Wilson to surround sophomore returner James Brown in a revamped frontcourt.
- Matlekovic played sparingly at High Point but brings international and professional experience from Croatia and Serbia.
- UNC adds Matlekovic to a revamped frontcourt that includes transfers Henri Veesaar and Jarin Stevenson, five-star recruit Caleb Wilson, and returning sophomore James Brown.
UNC basketball is adding another big man ahead of the 2025-26 season. Listed as a 7-foot, 245-pound freshman on High Point’s 2024-25 roster, Matlekovic was a part of a 29-win squad that raised a conference championship trophy and played in the NCAA Tournament. He appeared in five games for the Panthers, averaging 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 6.2 minutes per contest. Matlekovic scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds against Carolina University, an NAIA program, for his best performance as a freshman.Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
Ivan Matlekovic stats
Here we go — another intriguing twist in the ever-evolving saga of UNC basketball. Just when you thought the Tar Heels’ frontcourt makeover couldn’t get any more interesting, enter Ivan Matlekovic: a towering 7-footer from Croatia, bringing a blend of international savvy and pro experience from Serbia to Chapel Hill’s hardwood. Sure, his minutes at High Point were limited, but this sophomore is stepping into a roster freshly revamped with transfers Henri Veesaar, Jarin Stevenson, and the highly touted Caleb Wilson, alongside returning talent James Brown. It’s clear that head coach Hubert Davis is stacking up the pieces, aiming to shore up a front line that desperately needed some muscle and depth after last season’s undersized struggles. Whether Matlekovic can make an immediate impact remains an open question, but the potential for growth and the intrigue of his overseas background definitely add a fresh layer to the Tar Heels’ 2025-26 outlook. Curious to dive deeper? LEARN MORE
Ivan Matlekovic role with UNC basketball, Tar Heels’ frontcourt
According to Joe Tipton of On3Sports, High Point transfer Ivan Matlekovic is set to join the Tar Heels as the 10th newcomer on the roster. A 7-footer from Croatia, Matlekovic will arrive in Chapel Hill as a sophomore for head coach Hubert Davis’ fifth team.
Given Matlekovic’s limited usage in the Big South, it’s hard to imagine he’ll come to Chapel Hill as a player expected to provide a post presence right away for the Tar Heels. But it never hurts to have an extra big body, particularly for a program that lacked frontcourt depth last season. Matlekovic, a 20-year-old sophomore, had international experience playing for Croatia and Mladost, a professional team that competes in Serbia. He averaged 5.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in that league. With the national team, he competed in the FIBA U18 European Championship, averaging 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds across five games.
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