MILWAUKEE, WI – Among the unmistakable truths about the North Carolina basketball team is that junior guard Seth Trimble loves wearing the jersey.
He loves playing in the Smith Center, representing the jerseys and banners that hang, and by his own admission, cherishes every moment he’s a Tar Heel.
But in the current era of college basketball, even Trimble has a decision to make about his future. The freedom of movement coupled with NIL, most players look to maximize opportunity and reward, and Trimble is no different. Does he want to be a Tar Heel for his final season? He says he does.
“Absolutely. I want to come back to this school. I’m a Tar Heel,” Trimble said Friday after UNC’s 71-64 loss to Mississippi in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. “You just have to reevaluate every year. That goes [for] every athlete, every single team from division three rowing to NBA players, everybody reevaluates so that’s just what has to be done. This year, my teammates, these memories, it means everything to me.”
The biggest takeaway from what he said is the reality that all college athletes are in a business now and each is, essentially, an individual corporation. It’s not personal it’s business is why some players leave places they are happy. And sometimes they are nudged out by a coach diminishing their roles or straight recruiting over them.
Trimble’s role for next season is an uncertainty. One would think starting at the two and serving as team captain and fanny smacker makes complete sense. But UNC Coach Hubert Davis and General Manager Jim Tanner must figure out what will work best for the Tar Heels.
If Elliot Cadeau returns at the point, does Trimble make the most sense playing alongside him? Carolina must find a way to replace one of its most prolific offensive players ever, and all-time leader in made 3-pointers in RJ Davis, so having a two man who can fill it up is optimal.
Can Trimble be that guy? He was third on the team averaging 11.6 points this season but shot only 26.6% (25-for-94) from the perimeter. A huge improvement from outside is needed.
What if Cadeau isn’t in the picture either by choice or he’s nudged out, and UNC gets a scoring point guard who can shoot from the perimeter? It would seem Trimble would be a better fit in that scenario. At least on the surface.
And maybe none of that matters in that Trimble is the consummate program guy. He loves UNC. Nobody teared up more last year when the Heels lost to NC State in the ACC title game, was eliminated in the Sweet 16 by Alabama, or this past Friday inside Fiserv Forum. It matters deeply to him, but he doesn’t 100 percent know what’s ahead.
“I’m just so grateful because I don’t know how many times I’ll get an experience like this, so I took it all in today,” he said, sitting in front of his locker red eyes and all.
Now, Trimble entered the portal a year ago, and he’s expressed multiple times how difficult that was. In just a week, a conversation with former Tar Heel and longtime NBA player Danny Green convinced him to return and stay the course. But he has just one more season left, unless the NCAA adds a fifth year of eligibility this spring, which is entirely possible.
And at times, perhaps Trimble and some other Heels thought about greener pastures elsewhere. But his words Friday suggested leaving Carolina will be harder than it was a year ago.
“The beginning of the year was a struggle,” Trimble said. “If you would have asked every guy in this locker room if we were enjoying the season, if we were enjoying playing on this team, if we were enjoying being coached, whatever it is, the answer is probably no.
“But the way we just sacrificed personal motives for each other, the way we’ve pushed out all the outside noise, just the way we came together as a team these last couple of months… has taught me so many learning lessons. I didn’t want this season to end this early.”
Was it the end for good in Carolina blue for Trimble, or simply the end of this season?
Player exit meetings with Davis and the coaching staff begin Monday, which is also when the transfer portal opens. Trimble and his future sit at the top of most UNC fans’ interest lists, and for good reason.
