Zayden High said that he is not satisfied with…
UNC first-year forward Zayden High (1) shoots the ball at the men’s basketball scrimmage versus St. Augustine’s on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in the Dean E. Smith Center. The Tar Heels won 117-53.
It’s easy for Zayden High to pick his “welcome to college” moment.
At a summer practice, the UNC men’s basketball first-year forward was matched up with graduate center Armando Bacot. Zayden couldn’t help but talk a little smack, prompting the kind of response only an upperclassman can give.
“[Bacot] came down and kind of dunked,” Zayden said. “I wouldn’t say on me, but like over me — around me. He started talking [back]. He was like, ‘Welcome to college!’”
Rest assured, there’s no bad blood from the moment. In fact, the veteran center said he has been impressed by Zayden’s physicality, toughness and fearlessness in practice — traits a team usually expects from its fifth-years, not its rookies.
“I’m a huge fan of him,” Bacot said. “I love playing with him.”
Zayden joins UNC’s roster of older, seasoned players as one of only two first-years on the team. As an all-around threat, Zayden is both active around the basket and capable of knocking down outside shots. While he isn’t exactly sure what his role will be yet, he’s happy to be plugged in anywhere to help the team.
“I think he’s going to play a lot this year,” Bacot said.
‘Family > everything’
It’s no surprise that Zayden quickly found his place in the ‘Carolina Family.’ Across his forearm in black, cursive ink, a tattoo reads, “Family > everything.
