North Carolina added a much-needed big man to the roster in former Northwestern center Cade Bennerman, the fifth player to commit to the Tar Heels from the transfer portal.
With Henri Veesaar declaring for the NBA Draft and James Brown and Zayden High transferring, UNC suddenly finds itself thin up front. The Tar Heels need a new starting center and more bodies at both the four and the five, and Bennerman helps address that shortage immediately. He is the second front court piece to commit to the Tar Heels after Florida Atlantic transfer Maxim Logue.
The 7-foot, 205-pound center was rated the No. 29 player at his position in the transfer portal. He redshirted last season at Northwestern and did not appear in a game, leaving him with four years of eligibility remaining. He has a 9-foot-5 standing reach, a 7-foot-5 wingspan and a 34-inch max vertical.
Here are some things to know about the newest Tar Heel.
Bennerman redshirted this past season and did not play in any games. However, he did play 3 minutes in an exhibition win over Illinois State.
He scored three points, converting 1 of 2 shots from the floor. He completed a three-point play on an and-one and made the free throw. He also grabbed a rebound but did not register any other statistics.
Bennerman traveled to all of the Wildcats’ games and dressed for most of them.
This is what Northwestern Coach Chris Collins said about Bennerman in an article posted on the school's official website last fall:
"Cade is a huge upside player. He's long, athletic, and has skill with good hands and feet. Cade can run the floor at his size, play at the high post, make shots and handle the ball. We feel his best days are ahead of him, and really looking forward to seeing his growth in our program."
Bennerman emerged as one of Tennessee’s top prospects in the class of 2025, ranking No. 2 in the state. The 247Sports Composite listed him as the No. 279 overall player nationally and the No. 38 center.
He drew interest from high-major programs across the country. Along with Northwestern, he picked up scholarship offers from Michigan, Cal, Penn State, South Florida and Tennessee State.
Michigan coach Dusty May began recruiting Bennerman during his time at Florida Atlantic and carried that pursuit to Ann Arbor. He formally offered Bennerman on Sept. 16, 2024, nearly six months after taking the Michigan job, and hosted him on an official visit later that month.
At Father Ryan High School in Nashville, Bennerman closed his prep career with a standout senior season. He averaged 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, helping the Irish win 21 games — their most in a season since 2009.
His performance brought in a wave of recognition. Bennerman was named Region Tournament MVP as Father Ryan captured the DII-AA Middle Region title. He earned spots on the Tennessee Sports Writers Association All-State Team and the DII-AA All-State Team and was a finalist for DII-AA Tennessee Mr. Basketball.
On the Adidas 3SSB circuit, Bennerman played with Game Elite 17U and averaged 5.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: What to know about UNC's newest transfer center