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Seth Trimble emerges as a key piece for UNC men's basketball, but it almost never happened

20241214_Ruesch_sports-mens-basketball-la-salle-6.jpg
UNC junior guard Seth Trimble (7) celebrates as he dunks the ball during the men’s basketball game against La Salle on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 at the Dean Smith Center. UNC won 93-67.

It’s always been there for Seth Trimble.

His explosive dunks and mind boggling lay-ins were tell-tale signs of an impending breakout. But the junior guard had to be patient.

During his first year, Trimble cobbled together a few minutes here and there. Stuck behind veteran guards, he averaged just shy of 10 minutes and two points per game.

The next season, his minutes never dipped below double digits. The defensive advantage of having Trimble in the lineup became evident, but he still struggled offensively, averaging just five points per game.

But this season has been different.

Trimble’s offensive numbers have skyrocketed. His points per game have more than doubled, increasing from 5.2 to 12.4. As one of the four UNC players averaging double figures, his minutes have followed suit, nearly doubling from 17.1 to 30.3. He has started in 13 games. But it's an increase that almost never happened. And now, Trimble has become a key piece of a UNC team looking for a statement win against No. 2 Duke on Saturday.  

“With this team, the offense that we play, I’ve been able just to really strive and take the steps that you guys haven’t seen, but that I know they’ve seen every day in practice,” Trimble said after his 33-point performance against Memphis in October

Following UNC's loss to Alabama in the Sweet 16 last season, Trimble found himself at a crossroads. He entered the transfer portal on April 9, looking for a place to fit in offensively.

But nowhere else felt quite right.

After Trimble announced his intention to transfer, Danny Green was one of the Tar Heels who took time to reach out. In their conversation, Green explained his journey at North Carolina: from not earning a starting role until his senior year to later embarking on a 15-season NBA career. It resonated with Trimble.

Two weeks later, he withdrew from the portal.

“I didn't feel that type of love from any other school," Trimble said. "It was meant to be.”

Over the offseason, Trimble lived in the gym. He spent eight hours there daily, devoting three to honing his individual craft with assistant coach Marcus Paige.

Green took Trimble under his wing. They worked out together at UNC for two weeks in the summer. Then, Green invited the junior to L.A. to train even more. 

Trimble focused on getting more on-ball reps, coming off screens and hunting 3-point shots to enhance his drive-first identity. 

Graduate guard RJ Davis frequently went head-to-head with Trimble during offseason practices. RJ Davis detailed the constant back-and-forth between stops and scores during their one-on-ones.

“We get at it,” RJ Davis said. “We just get into each other's heads.”

And in North Carolina's preseason exhibition game against Memphis on Oct. 15, Trimble's work immediately showed. He eclipsed the 30-point mark with an assertive one-handed slam in transition — in typical Trimble fashion.

After the performance, he said he’s been “that guy” on offense since high school.

At UNC, he just had to wait his turn. 

Through the first 12 games of the season, Trimble ranked second in scoring on the team, averaging 14.8 points and scoring in double-figures in all but one game. He exploded for 27 points against Dayton and led UNC to its first ACC win against Georgia Tech with 19 points. 

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But after recording 12 points against UCLA, Trimble was confined to the bench once more. This time, it was with a head injury suffered in practice. He missed three games.

Post-concussion, Trimble struggled to find the bottom of the net, scoring zero points in his return game and a pair of four point performances off the bench. 

He was frustrated. But Trimble refused to surrender to the setback. 

“If I could die anywhere, it would be on the basketball court,” Trimble said.

The next game against California, he broke through for 12 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Trimble had found his rhythm again, even if he wasn't starting.

“I just felt that Seth was off the charts,” head coach Hubert Davis said after the win over Cal. “His energy, effort, attention to detail, he was all over the place.”

Then, a two-game losing skid warranted a lineup change.

Hubert Davis told Trimble the team needed him to get back to his identity from earlier in the season — back to a version of himself that was "relentlessly attacking, shooting without hesitation and craving to get stops on the defensive end” in order to find success.

Against Boston College, the junior guard's name was called during the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 21.

He played 43 out of 45 minutes in the overtime thriller. He scored 18 points. He had a career-high 12-rebound double-double, the second of his career. He scored four points in 18.6 seconds — two of which came from the game-tying layup to force extra time.

“Part of my game is just to always bring that energy and bring that spark that the team needs,” Trimble said after the win. “Today kind of felt like a complete Seth Trimble performance, just from my energy to my intensity on the defensive end."

Coming up, Trimble will get another stab at Duke. In last year’s home matchup, he recorded 10 points in 20 minutes. But his role is different now. He'll have a chance to channel this newfound momentum — to show the improvements his early season performances teased — against UNC's rival.

“[I'll] continue to do the little things that I've been doing all year, that's when the big things are going to come,” Trimble said. “That's when I'll start putting up the numbers I want to put up again. That's when I start getting the rebounds, start making threes again. Just focus on the little things.”

@alexdjones_

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com