Former Northwestern center Cade Bennerman has committed to North Carolina via the NCAA Transfer Portal. He didn’t see any action as a true freshman in the 2025-26 season and ultimately redshirted.
Cade Bennerman played high school basketball at Father Ryan (TN), where he was a three-star prospect. The 7-foot center was the No. 219 overall player and No. 26 center in the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
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At the time of his commitment to Louisville, Bennerman was the No. 30 center in On3’s 2026 Transfer Portal Player Rankings. On April 21, North Carolina also landed a front-court commitment from former FAU forward Maxim Logue.
Bennerman and Logue will help fill the roster hole left by Henri Veesar, who declared for the 2026 NBA Draft. Veesar averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this past season, while shooting 60.8% from the field and 42.6% from beyond the arc.
For his efforts, Veesar was named an All-ACC Second-Team selection this year. Veesar was offered up to $6 million by teams attempting to lure him into the transfer portal this offseason, per CBS Sports‘ Matt Norlander. Nonetheless, he opted to move onto the next chapter of his career.
The Tar Heels are undergoing significant roster turnover after firing head coach Hubert Davis this offseason and replacing him with longtime NBA HC Michael Malone. Malone coached in the NBA from 2001-25.
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He led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA championship in 2023. Now, he’s ready to guide North Carolina to similar success.
“Carolina is one of the most historic programs in college basketball, and I am honored to be the head coach of the Tar Heels,” Malone said. “It is humbling to follow so many legends in Chapel Hill. I know from the many Tar Heels in the NBA how special the Carolina Basketball Family is, and I will do everything I can to continue UNC’s championship legacy while preparing our players for professional careers and life after basketball.”
The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 7 and closed on April 21. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the men’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes did not have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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