When UNC announced the commitment of former Georgia Tech forward Tzyhaun Claude on August 16th, it felt a bit unusual. Claude, who began at Morehead State before moving to Western Carolina and then Georgia Tech, seemed somewhat redundant given UNC’s existing lineup of bigs, including Jalen Washington, Jae’Lyn Withers, James Brown, Ven-Allen Lubin, and Zayden High.
However, the situation has become clearer albeit with some uncertainty, as Zayden High has been “removed” from UNC’s roster and is no longer enrolled. According to Inside Carolina, “multiple sources” indicated that High’s status was uncertain for much of the offseason due to an off-court issue. The outcome of that situation appears to result in a sort of suspension, requiring him to sit out the upcoming season.
An off-court issue? In any other context, one might speculate it was an academic problem, but given UNC’s history, notably the significant academic fraud scandal from the last decade, there’s skepticism about the importance placed on academics. It wasn’t just the scandal; the way UNC managed it highlighted their prioritization of athletics over academics.
In any case, the current intention is for High to return to the team next season, but with the landscape of the transfer portal, that may not be certain.
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