Name any North Carolina basketball player and an argument could be made that they’re the team’s most impactful player. Graduate student Armando Bacot and junior Harrison Ingram, however, know who they’d vote for: Seth Trimble. The sophomore provided major contributions in UNC’s 70-57 win over Pitt on Tuesday night. Trimble finished with 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting, six rebounds, an assist and steal in 23 minutes. Nine of his points and five rebounds came in the first half. READ NEXT NORTH CAROLINA No. 8 UNC rebounds from slow start to overcome Pitt, 70-57, on the road JANUARY 02, 2024 9:40 PM His performance included a lob from senior RJ Davis for a dunk, a 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock and an assist on a Bacot dunk. Additionally, Trimble grabbed two offensive boards on missed shots and drew a foul. “I don’t even know what position he plays – 1-2-3. Just put him on the court. He has the most balance I’ve seen – ever,” Ingram said. “He’s a great guy, a great teammate. He hustles, he plays defense and he’s an all around player.” Trimble’s advanced statistics are even more impressive than the basic box score. He finished with a defensive rating of 105.7, which estimates the number of points allowed per 100 possessions, but topped out at 83.7 midway through the second half. His offensive rating landed at 106.5, which estimates points scored per 100 possessions. Finally, Trimble ended with 2.3 net points, which measures points scored against points allowed. He led the team in net points early in the second half at 5.7 before Bacot’s increased scoring down the stretch. Trimble said his primary goal every game comes down to one thing: make a positive impact. Well, he did that and then some.
The sophomore’s performances, however, might be a surprise to the college basketball world — it hasn’t seen all the work behind the scenes — but not the team. He plays for Carolina, after all. “Seth gets on us in practice all the time,” RJ Davis said. “This is nothing new for us, just the way he’s able to get through screens. He’s really strong, and he’s able to guard the best player on the opposing team. That’s something that not a lot of players can do. That’s one thing he can do. He can play 94 feet and is able to box out bigger guys.” Having guys like Trimble should pay dividends for the Tar Heels down the road. RJ Davis said it takes pressure off him and some of the other starters. It’s something UNC has missed in recent years.
Bacot said Trimble has been especially important in emergency situations. He scored 12 against Arkansas and put up nine against Florida State. He provided a spark against the Panthers, too. “I believe that he can be an elite defender on and off the ball because of his athleticism and strength to be able to guard multiple positions,” said UNC head coach Hubert Davis of Trimble. “Offensively, his ability to be able to get to the basket and finish and shoot the ball well from outside. “The guys off the bench really gave us a lift tonight. Everyone made plays on both ends of the floor. That put us in a position to win and Seth was one of them.”
Leave a Reply