(Photo: Ivan Matlekovic, 247Sports)

 

 

North Carolina has added another piece to the 2025-26 roster late in the game.   The announcement came Thursday night that Ivan Matlekovic will be joining the Tar Heels.

The seven-foot center out of Croatia will make the short trip from High Point to Chapel Hill after one year with the Panthers.  He appeared in five games as a freshman where he averaged 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in five games.  He did block four shots in 31 total minutes of play for the season.

He has played in the Croatian Basketball League for HAKK Mladost.  The big man also was a part of the Croatian national team, playing in the 2022 FIBA U18 European Championship where he averaged 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds. 

So what are we to make of Matelkovic and his addition just days before the fall semester begins?  We have several thoughts to share. 

  • The addition of Matlekovic is a low risk move for the upcoming season. He is the 13th member of the roster, so he is an extra piece for Hubert Davis to have.  If it isn’t able to make valuable contributions in games it is no great loss.  Coach Davis has done this before to a degree with players like Justin McKoy and Ty Claude.
  • You can never have too many post players. That was the Dean Smith philosophy.  Matlekovic may not seem like a major impact type of transfer, but he could still make contributions.  Going up against a big man in the seven-foot range in practice every day may help UNC’s current post players adjust to size.  There aren’t a lot of individuals that tall walking down the street.  The Tar Heels also currently have post depth, but injuries or other things can quickly change things.  Fans should probably hope he doesn’t get called on to do too much, but he is there if need be. 
  • Matlekovic is low risk in the long term. The basic feel for Matelkovic seems to be if he pans out then it is a win/win.  If he doesn’t contribute to winning on the floor then it was not a reckless gamble.  Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson have more pressure to make their mark.
  • Matlekovic is a project. His numbers both in FIBA and at High Point prove that.  He is not highly touted.  One number that sticks out is his age.  He will turn 21 in October, so he is not a pup.  If he was 18 we would have a different story.  But instead he is as old as many college juniors and seniors.  He isn’t a teenager with a high ceiling.  The coaching staff will be putting in the work on his development.
  • This is another example of the college sports landscape in 2025. UNC is also still waiting to officially add Luka Bogavac.  More high school seniors are waiting until the late winter or spring to commit, so they can get a better grasp on the upcoming rosters.  However, a clear window is coming later and later with each passing year.  Not only is there the transfer portal to take into account, but an increasing number of international players who once would have played professionally overseas can now make more money in the collegiate ranks due to NIL.  Many of them go well into the summer before getting all of the obstacles out of the way to play in the states. 

Matlekovic will be joined in the frontcourt this season by  Veesaar,  a seven-footer, who transferred from Arizona who averaged 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks as a sophomore.  It will be a shock if Wilson will not be the starting four as a freshman.  Jarin Stevenson will also spend some time at the four as well as the small forward spot.  The 6-foot-11 junior spent his last two years at Alabama.  6-10 sophomore James Brown will be returning for his sophomore campaign after playing sparingly last season.  Zayden High will be returning after last playing in the 2023-24 campaign, but did not play last season.