Seth Trimble is taking his game to Louisville, giving Pat Kelsey another big-name addition for a roster already stacked among the nation’s best.
The move sends Trimble from UNC to an ACC rival, and it sets up an immediate twist for next season: the Tar Heels and Cardinals will meet twice, which means Trimble is headed back to the Smith Center in a different uniform.
Trimble explained the decision in an Instagram story, saying, “I’ve been considering returning to college the whole summer now, and Carolina has always in the running,” Trimble said in an Instagram story. “But with a full roster at UNC, and other circumstances, I won’t be able to return home and will be transferring.”
He entered the transfer portal this spring, but his path back to Chapel Hill was reopened by a ruling from U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney. That decision granted a class-wide preliminary injunction requiring the NCAA to deem eligible all high school Class of 2022 athletes who had already used four seasons of eligibility this spring.
That eligibility could still disappear if appeals succeed. If that happens, Trimble would likely turn to the Washington Wizards, with whom he signed an Exhibit 10 contract and played Summer League. He scored 24 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on July 15.
UNC coach Michael Malone made clear how much Trimble meant to the program, saying, “Seth gave Carolina four years of tremendous effort, toughness and leadership and he has earned the respect and affection of Tar Heels everywhere,” UNC coach Michael Malone said. “I have tremendous empathy for Seth because the timing of the court decision put him and our program in a difficult position as we constructed our roster.
None of that changes how we feel about Seth. He has represented Carolina the right way, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to get to know him and his family.
Even though he will be playing elsewhere for one year, he will always be a Tar Heel.”
Once UNC filled its final spot with former South Dakota center Cameron Fens, a return to Chapel Hill was effectively off the table. The Tar Heels still had room, but their priority was a physical center, and the roster picture had already shifted.
There was also plenty of backcourt competition. Michael Malone’s team already has Utah transfer Terrence Brown, Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas, N.C.
State transfer Matt Able, Buffalo transfer Angelo Brizzi and returnee Isaiah Denis in the mix. If the court ruling had come down before Brizzi committed, Trimble probably would have found a place on the roster.
Instead, he lands at Louisville, where the portal haul is as strong as anyone’s. According to 247Sports, the Cardinals have the No. 1 transfer class in the country this offseason. Trimble joins Kansas forward/center Flory Bidunga, the portal’s top overall prospect, and Oregon point guard Jackson Shelstad, ranked No. 18 overall and No. 4 among portal guards.
That group also includes Arkansas wing Karter Knox, Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras, USC center Gabe Dynes and Dayton guard De’Shayne Montgomery.
Louisville is keeping two scholarship players from a team that lost 11 players this offseason: Adrian Wooley and London Johnson. Wooley, who arrived from Kennesaw State, put up 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game as a freshman there.
Kelsey’s staff also added a three-player freshman class headlined by five-star center Obinna Ekezie Jr. and four-star wing Boyuan Zhang. Between the newcomers and the returnees, Louisville has the kind of depth that could allow it to play 10 or 11 guys with athleticism across the floor.
Trimble leaves Chapel Hill with 971 points in 126 games, a resume that includes the unforgettable last-second corner 3-pointer that beat Duke last season. His best scoring night came on Feb. 23, when he poured in 30 points in a 77-74 home win against Louisville.
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