Seth Trimble’s Rim-Running Revival Is Powering UNC’s Offense to Another Gear
ATLANTA - For North Carolina to hit its ceiling this season, they don’t need Seth Trimble to light up the scoreboard every night. But what they do need is for the senior guard to be a consistent third option - a reliable slasher who can complement the dynamic duo of Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar.
And when Trimble plays that role? The Tar Heels win.
UNC is 5-1 in games where Trimble scores 16 or more, the lone exception being a 22-point outburst in a tough loss at SMU. The wins in that stretch aren’t against cupcakes, either - they’ve come against Kansas, Ohio State (on a neutral floor), Florida State, Virginia, and Georgia Tech. That’s a résumé boost and a blueprint all in one.
What’s behind Trimble’s impact? Efficiency at the rim.
In those five wins, he’s finishing 64.7% of his layups and dunks - and that’s excluding trips to the line where the shot didn’t fall. In the seven other games, his finishing percentage is actually a tick higher at 68.2%, but he’s made seven fewer buckets overall.
The difference isn’t just how well he’s finishing - it’s when and how often he’s getting those looks.
Now fully recovered from a broken bone in his arm that sidelined him for nine games, Trimble’s attacking game is starting to look like it did before the injury. Over UNC’s last two road wins - at Virginia and at Georgia Tech - he’s 8-of-10 at the rim. That’s not just efficiency; that’s elite-level shot selection and execution.
But what’s just as important as the numbers is how he’s getting them. Trimble isn’t forcing the issue. He’s picking his spots, playing with patience, and letting the game come to him.
“I think I'm being patient with the right ones around the rim,” Trimble said after the win at Georgia Tech. “Just realizing you can't just go up because guys are just as athletic as you.
So, just trying to make the right play and every time being patient with it. The right ones are going to come around, and when the right ones come, even better.”
That kind of maturity in decision-making is what separates good players from impactful ones. And when Trimble is making the right reads, UNC’s offense opens up in a big way. With Wilson doing his thing and guys like Jarin Stevenson (at UVA) and Luka Bogavac (at Georgia Tech) stepping up, the floor is spaced, the defense is stretched, and Trimble has room to operate.
Hubert Davis sees it, too.
“A hundred percent,” Davis said after the win in Atlanta. “He was doing that at the beginning of the year.
When he came back, I felt like his moves to the basket were hesitant. And with his athletic ability and his skill… and his ability in the fast break, and even in the halfcourt; he's our most powerful driver and finisher.”
That’s high praise - and it’s earned. Davis also pointed out that Trimble’s recent stretch of aggressive, smart drives has elevated the entire offense.
“The last two-to-three games, he's done that consistently and consistently well. And from an offensive standpoint, that takes us to a different level.”
Trimble dropped 16 points in Charlottesville and followed it up with 18 in Atlanta. But it’s not just the scoring.
His leadership - especially vocally - has been key. Davis credited him with leading huddles and setting the tone on the floor against Georgia Tech.
That’s the kind of two-way presence UNC needs from Trimble. Not just a scorer, but a steadying voice.
Not just a slasher, but a smart one. And when he plays within himself - when he doesn’t force, but flows - the results speak for themselves.
Three straight wins. Two of their best offensive road performances of the season. And a team that looks increasingly dangerous with Trimble back in rhythm.
If this version of Seth Trimble sticks around, North Carolina just got a whole lot harder to guard.