Jan 17, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels assistant coach Brad Frederick (left) and head coach Hubert Davis (right) talk during the first half against the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

5 Grades for North Carolina’s Bench in Latest Loss

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Logan Lazarczyk | Last updated Jan 20, 2026 11:00 AM ET

The North Carolina Tar Heels suffered their third loss in four games on Saturday, falling to the California Golden Bears 84-78 at the Haas Pavilion. In the defeat, head coach Hubert Davis implemented much more of a balanced rotation, giving several players off the bench expanded in minutes.

With California playing at an extremely fast pace, the 55-year-old head coach most likely felt pressure to keep his players fresh. With all that being said, here is how North Carolina's bench graded out in the loss against the Golden Bears.

Luka Bogavac

Stat line: 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal

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Due to his struggles, Bogavac has reverted to his bench role. That served him well on Saturday, as the overseas guard had an efficient outing, shooting 3-of-5 from the field. As mentioned, the Tar Heels emptied their bench, playing nine total players against California. Although there were times when Bogavac played out of control, he was still more than serviceable in the loss.

Grade: B

Zayden High

Stat line: 6 points and 1 rebound

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This was the first occurrence where High was given a modest role in a competitive atmosphere. For the most part, the redshirt sophomore forward has seen minutes on the floor when the Tar Heels empty their bench in a blowout win.

However, on Saturday, North Carolina needed a boost of energy from someone in the second unit, and High provided that in just eight minutes. He went 3-of-5 from the field and contributed to keeping North Carolina maintaining its standing ground in the second half.

Grade: B+

Jaydon Young

Stat line: 5 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal

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Young's breakout performance against Wake Forest last weekend has warranted an expanded role off the bench. The junior guard featured in 14 minutes this weekend against California, shooting 1-of-2 from the field and knocking down both of his free throw attempts.

Although it was a quiet outing, Young was still solid in his limited minutes, proving that he can operate as a consistent contributor moving forward.

Grade: B

Jonathan Powell

Stat line: 3 points and 3 rebounds

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Powell only played in 11 minutes, but his length and ability to stretch the floor proved to be impactful again, despite operating in a limited fashion. The sophomore forward will continue to be depended on to contribute on both ends of the floor and providing a change of pace for the Tar Heels.

Grade: B

Kyan Evans

Stat line: 1 assist

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Evans ceded his starting position to Derek Dixon and demonstrated nothing to alter the change heading into the end of January. The junior guard is dangerously close to seeing his role decrease as the season progresses.

Grade: F

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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