Seth Trimble and North Carolina basketball grinded out a 67-63 win against Clemson in the final game of the season at the Smith Center. The win pushed the Tar Heels to 24-6 overall and 12-5 in ACC competition, while also capping off a perfect 18-0 home record on Roy Williams Court.
Seth Trimble Opens Up on Sticking With UNC in Portal-Heavy Era
For the first time during Hubert Davis’ tenure, UNC reinstated senior speeches on Senior Night, which had been paused since he became head coach. Davis explained on the “Hubert Davis Live” radio show that the speeches returned specifically because Trimble wanted the opportunity to address the crowd following the Clemson game.
Trimble made the most of that moment, as he passionately expressed what it meant to remain at UNC despite facing adversity.
“It means everything that I stayed,” Trimble said. “I didn’t run, you know, most guys in my position, without a doubt. They would have been transferred, they would have run and, you know, they wouldn’t have faced the problem at hand.
“So I was able just to bail adversity over these last four years and persevere and embrace at the same time and embrace my love for this university speaks so much on the impact this school has had on me.”
Trimble became the only returning rotation player entering the 2025-26 offseason. In his first two seasons at UNC, he often played limited minutes while also being overshadowed by Caleb Love, R.J. Davis, and Armando Bacot. His choice to stay, even when it meant initially accepting a non-starting position, carried a huge risk.
Trimble actually sought other opportunities after his sophomore season, entering the NCAA transfer portal. However, he withdrew his name after just two weeks of reflection, saying that his heart and soul belong in Chapel Hill. In today’s era of NIL deals and frequent transfers, his decision to remain is uncommon, as many players move programs in search of starting roles, especially when their time to maximize their college careers is limited.
Davis had a great statement about Trimble’s loyalty towards UNC during Monday’s segment of his radio show, saying he is “scared” that Trimble might be the last accomplished player to ever stay four years at one institution. He also mentioned how emotional it feels, given that Trimble was part of his first recruiting class.
Trimble himself spoke on Tuesday about possibly being the last four-year player for UNC basketball.
“I really hope I’m not,” Trimble said. “But if I am, I think it speaks on just the character and the love and the passion I have for this university. Me leaving my sophomore year would have been very logical. I took a huge chance coming back here.
“Five-star freshman coming in, best part of America returning, elite point guard coming back, the back court was packed. But I took a chance because I couldn’t leave. I didn’t want to, and I couldn’t. The love I had for this place and everything else was just too strong.”
Trimble scored nine points, shooting 2-of-10 from the field but calmly knocking down the free throw with 0.9 seconds remaining to seal the win on Senior Night. The outing came just one day after he earned ACC Player of the Week honors.
UNC will close out the regular season Saturday with a road showdown against No. 1 Duke.
