CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Just four months into his time at North Carolina, freshman Zayden High already is feeling comfortable playing on the college level.
The four-star stretch forward from Texas came to the Tar Heels by way of Arizona Compass Prep. He said his time there has helped to make the adjustment to college basketball easier.
“The transition hasn’t been as bad because I went to prep school last year,” High said earlier this month. “And so it definitely helped me out. The basketball part is nothing, nothing has been that hard at all.
“Faster pace for sure and the strength on the court is definitely up there. But it’s more of an IQ thing. I feel like I’m pretty smart on the court, so it hasn’t been that hard of a transition.”
High showed a high motor during the scrimmage portion of last week’s Live Action preseason event at the Smith Center. He finished with 10 points (all scored in the first half) and a game-high seven rebounds, while also recording two steals, according to stats compiled by Inside Carolina. On one play, High slid down the baseline before receiving a bounce pass from RJ Davis. That feed had the 6-foot-9 High quickly spring-boarding to flush a two-handed dunk.
There were a number of learning moments to take away from High’s first action in front of a UNC crowd, too. Late in the first half, he found himself deep under the basket when guarding Armando Bacot. The veteran big man quickly capitalized on the positional advantage he had gained, using a quick drop-step to convert a jump hook through contact from High.
But moments like those are part of the process for High. He has embraced the challenge that comes with being a freshman in an era where fifth-year players — and even older — are a commonality across the country. High said he sticks close to his older teammates and tries to soak in their wisdom.
“I mean, (Bacot), RJ, even some of the transfers kind of took me under their wing,” he said. “I ask them a lot of questions, just gaining knowledge. They’ve been in college for countless amount of years, so they know how it works. Just picking their brain about certain things.”
The Tar Heels are working toward their Nov. 6 season opener against Radford. High has joined Elliot Cadeau as freshman additions to UNC’s roster this season. One is five-star point guard recruit looking to perhaps make a run at ACC Rookie of the Year honors. The other is a versatile forward aiming to carve out a role with his effort and energy.
The two freshmen are roommates and share a unique relationship, which began before High stepped on campus in Chapel Hill. Cadeau and High met this spring in the championship game of the GEICO High School Basketball Nationals. Cadeau’s Link Academy team defeated High’s Compass Prep team 73-55 for the title.
“I played against Elliot in the national championship last year, so we weren’t cool until we both got to campus,” High said. “But it’s no bad blood between us. I love Elliot.”
Early signs of High’s ability on defense have prompted praise from UNC teammates. Coach Hubert Davis said he has been quite pleased with the development of High, as well as Cadeau.
“They’re high-level guys on and off the court and they bring a skill set to us that honestly, it’s just been needed,” Hubert Davis said. “Having that type of competitive fire and their ability out there on the floor has been such a blessing.”
Upon joining Carolina as a four-star prospect ranked outside the top 60 overall prospects nationally according to 247Sports, some might expect High to play sparingly this season. Recruits of his status in the past have tended to take a backseat year at UNC as a freshman, before catapulting themselves into the rotation as older players.
But if Bacot’s words from earlier this month are any indication, High might make that leap sooner than anticipated.
“I played 20 to 24 minutes in the ACC as a freshman and I was solid somewhat, and I don’t even know if I was as good as them (High and Cadeau),” Bacot said. “Zayden, the way he can defend and some of the things he can do, he’s going to surprise a lot of people. He’s definitely going to play. He’s going to play a lot this year.”