There’s good news out of Chapel Hill this week: Seth Trimble is trending in the right direction. North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis offered an encouraging update on the sophomore guard during his weekly radio show Monday night, signaling that Trimble is inching closer to a return after missing the last eight games with a broken left forearm.
“He’s progressing nicely,” Davis said. “The last couple days, he’s been [playing] five-on-five and been practicing with us. So he’s progressing, and I like the way that he is.”
That’s a notable shift from Davis’ comments just a few days earlier, when he mentioned Trimble was still limited to individual workouts. Now, the sophomore is back in full-team sessions - a strong sign that his recovery is moving along.
Trimble hasn’t played since Nov. 7, when UNC picked up a marquee win over then-No. 19 Kansas at the Smith Center.
Just two days later, the program announced the setback: a broken forearm suffered in a weight room accident, sidelining Trimble indefinitely. Since then, he’s been a consistent presence on the bench - casted or braced - but during the Tar Heels’ most recent game against USC Upstate, he was spotted without any protective gear.
That alone raised some eyebrows in a good way.
Before the injury, Trimble was off to a strong start. In just two games, he averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while starting both contests. His ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor had Carolina fans buzzing about his sophomore leap.
In his absence, freshman Luka Bogavac has stepped into the starting role and held his own. He’s averaging 12.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists - solid numbers for a first-year player thrown into the fire. While Bogavac has done more than just keep things afloat, Trimble’s return would add another layer of depth and versatility to a Tar Heel backcourt that’s already showing signs of being one of the more balanced units in the ACC.
UNC, now 9-1, is off to its best 10-game start since the 2017-18 season and sits at No. 12 in the latest AP Poll. The Tar Heels are back in action Tuesday night at the Smith Center against East Tennessee State, and while there’s no official word yet on when Trimble might be cleared for game action, all signs point to a return that’s getting closer by the day.
For now, Davis and the coaching staff will continue to monitor Trimble’s progress in practice - but having him back in five-on-five drills is a major step forward. If he can return to form, Carolina’s guard rotation could become a real problem for opponents down the stretch.