Sophomore forward Zayden High shared Tuesday he plans to enter the transfer portal and explore his options, leaving open the possibility to returning to the UNC men’s basketball program after spending three years in Chapel Hill.

High shared a message across his social media platforms about his decision, which came on the first day the NCAA transfer portal is officially open for the sport.

“The University of North Carolina is a special place for me and my family, and I am truly grateful for everything it has meant to us,” wrote High. “I’ve been blessed to build strong bonds with my coaches and lifelong brotherhood with my teammates. These relationships I will always value. I am grateful for the journey so far and excited for what God has ahead for me.”

The 6-foot-10 forward’s time in Hubert Davis’ program was atypical to many players’. After arriving to Chapel Hill from San Antonio, Texas and playing high school ball in Arizona, High made 23 appearances off the bench as a freshman during the 2023-24 season, largely being used in spot minutes and scoring less than a point per game.

Just one month before the 2024-25 season began, the UNC men’s basketball program announced High was “not enrolled” at the university — with the News & Observer later revealing High was suspended over violating the campus policy on sexual exploitation. According to accounts of several UNC students reported by the outlet, High filmed another student during a sexual encounter without that student’s consent, leading to the university stepping in after a complaint was filed to its Equal Opportunity and Compliance office. With his suspension during the fall semester, High was not allowed to be on an athletics program roster, but he was seen after games using the Dean Smith Center facilities and the N&O reported he kept many of the benefits and access allowed to active UNC players.

Ahead of the 2025-26 season, High was unceremoniously back on the UNC roster and was projected for limited minutes with the Tar Heels’ additions of Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and Jarin Stevenson to its front court. But as the season progressed, both Wilson and Veesaar suffered injuries — leading to High playing extended minutes during the back-half of ACC play. He started UNC’s games against Pittsburgh and N.C. State with both All-ACC players unavailable, and the sophomore’s performance (15 points and 7 rebounds vs. Pitt, and 13 points and 10 rebounds vs. N.C. State) earned him praise from sections of the Tar Heel fanbase. Those two games would be the high water mark for the season, although High averaged more than 17 minutes and 7.5 points per game from Feb. 14 onward. During those nine games, Carolina went 5-2 to close out the regular season before losing its first games in the ACC Tournament and then NCAA Tournament.

High’s announcement about entering the transfer portal comes after Monday’s reports that UNC men’s basketball plans to hire Michael Malone as its next head coach, following Hubert Davis’ dismissal after five years on Mar. 24.

The NCAA transfer portal for men’s basketball opens on Tuesday and will run through Tuesday, April 21. Players who are looking to transfer from their current schools are required to enter their names during that window, but will have the following weeks to commit to where they want to play in the 2026-27 season. For a list of other Tar Heel men’s basketball players who have entered the portal so far this offseason, read Chapelboro’s article tracking their movement.

Featured image via Todd Melet

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Freshmen, Transfers and More: Every Newcomer Joining UNC Men's Basketball for the 2026-27 Season
As Michael Malone embarks on his first season as the head coach of the UNC men’s basketball program, he’s gotten busy securing the additions of several newcomers to the program. Malone and his staff have mined from traditional high school recruiting and the transfer portal to fill out Carolina’s roster, and that work is continuing […]
Report: Buffalo Transfer Angelo Brizzi Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Angelo Brizzi, who spent the 2025-26 season with Buffalo, reportedly committed to head coach Michael Malone and UNC out of the transfer portal Wednesday. Inside Carolina first reported the news. UNC will be Brizzi’s fifth school in five years. The guard began his career at Villanova in 2022 – entering college in the same class […]
Update: Florida Atlantic's Maxim Logue No Longer Expected to Join UNC
Update: Inside Carolina reported Thursday afternoon that Florida Atlantic’s Maxim Logue is “no longer expected” to transfer to UNC this offseason. Breaking: Maxim Logue is no longer expected to transfer to UNC, sources have confirmed. The Florida Atlantic reserve post player's commitment was announced on April 21. Story: https://t.co/eusOm2uKnu pic.twitter.com/tmAiJa0DXu — InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) April 30, […]
Northwestern's Cade Bennerman Announces Commitment to UNC Men's Basketball
Cade Bennerman, who spent his freshman season at Northwestern, announced his commitment to UNC out of the transfer portal Monday. Bennerman, a seven-foot center, arrived at Northwestern as a three-star recruit out of high school who 247 Sports ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Tennessee. He was a star at Nashville’s […]
NC State's Matt Able Commits to UNC Men's Basketball Out of Transfer Portal
The Tar Heels are bringing in a familiar face out of the transfer portal. Matt Able, who spent his freshman season at NC State, announced his commitment to head coach Michael Malone and UNC out of the portal Tuesday. As a rising sophomore, Able will have three years of eligibility remaining. Inside Carolina first reported […]
Utah Transfer Terrence Brown Commits to UNC Men's Basketball
Terrence Brown, who spent the 2025-26 season with Utah, committed to head coach Michael Malone and UNC out of the transfer portal on Tuesday. Brown, who will have one season of eligibility remaining, first made the announcement through On3’s Joe Tipton before sharing his own commitment post. View this post on Instagram NEWS: Utah transfer […]
Tracking Which UNC Men's Basketball Players Have Entered the 2026 Transfer Portal
The NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal opened Tuesday, April 7, the day after the national championship game. Following UNC head coach Hubert Davis’ dismissal on March 24, several Tar Heels have entered their names into the portal and pursue other opportunities. Here’s a list of which players have either made announcements or are reported to […]
UNC Guard Isaiah Denis Entering Transfer Portal, But Open to Returning to Chapel Hill
UNC guard Isaiah Denis, who spent his freshman season as part of the 2025-26 Tar Heels, announced Sunday he will be entering the transfer portal when it opens Tuesday, April 7. Denis made the announcement on his Instagram page. View this post on Instagram Denis arrived at Chapel Hill as a four-star prospect from Davidson […]
Here's a List of Every Transfer to Join the UNC Men's Basketball Program This Offseason (2025)
Several transfers have announced their intentions to join head coach Hubert Davis and UNC next season. Here’s a list of those incoming players: Ivan Matlekovic – High Point A seven-footer originally from Croatia, Matlekovic played in just five games during his only season with High Point. He joined the Tar Heels late in the offseason, […]
UNC Men's Basketball Lands Key International Player for 2025-26 Roster
Luka Bogavac — a 21-year-old, 6-foot-5 guard playing in Europe — committed to head coach Hubert Davis and UNC on Saturday.
›