ACC Tipoff: UNC Using Preseason To Sort Slew Of New Parts

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Seth Trimble began to emerge as a starter early last year before the regular season started. With RJ Davis out due to an injury he sustained in the Blue-White scrimmage that year, Trimble went with the Tar Heels to FedEx Forum to face Memphis. He poured in 33 points in the North Carolina victory, a would-be career-high for a player who spent his previous two seasons in a reserve role. Trimble’s role fluctuated after that due to injuries and lineup changes, but it set him on a path of more playing time and shot opportunities.

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“I remember last year, unfortunately, RJ got hurt, but it was the start of Seth,” Hubert Davis said at ACC Tipoff on Tuesday. “It gave him an opportunity to show the improvement from year to year.”

The Tar Heels will again get a look at themselves on the road this year, as well as at home. Their season tips off less than a month from now, but when it does, the team will have already spent time on the court in front of crowds.

After completing its Blue-White scrimmage on Saturday, UNC will hit the hardwood for three more outings — one more intrasquad scrimmage and two exhibition games against other teams. UNC will scrimmage in Cherokee on Oct. 18 as part of a fundraising event at Cherokee High School. The Tar Heels will head to Salt Lake City and face AJ Dybantsa and the BYU Cougars on Oct. 24 at the Delta Center. Five days before the season opener, North Carolina will host Winston-Salem State on Oct. 29 in the Smith Center.

UNC has 10 new scholarship players on its roster, with six transfers, three freshmen and one overseas addition. The October opportunities to take the court will allow the Tar Heels to get a head start on blending the new pieces.

“Especially for the Blue-White scrimmage, just being able to get the rust off,” Henri Veesaar said. “We hadn’t played in front of fans, maybe some freshmen, this is the first time they’ve played in front of a crowd like that. So just having that moment where everybody’s kind of getting their nerves off, having the new fans and everybody really helps.”

BYU meets North Carolina in Salt Lake City as a projected elite-level team, giving UNC a legitimate challenge in the evaluation process. The team went 26-10 last season in its first season under head coach Kevin Young, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. The team returns Richie Saunders, who earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors last season, and it also added Baylor transfer point guard Robert Wright III. Dybantsa, who had UNC amongst his finalists of schools to play for, was ranked as the No. 1 recruit for the class of 2025 by Rivals.

The game in Utah allows UNC to simulate a road-game routine, with shootaround, curfew, meetings and the like. It also serves as a temperature check for the Tar Heels to see where they stand against another team.

“They don’t speak on who a player is, if a player has a bad game, they don’t speak on anything like that, but it gives us a starting point to really see where we’re at,” Trimble said. “Both teams are trying their hardest to win that game. So it’s a great warm-up. It’s a great starting point, and it allows us to evaluate from there.”

North Carolina opens the season on Nov. 3 at home against Central Arkansas. The Tar Heels went 23-14 last season, sneaking into the NCAA Tournament by making the First Four. After defeating San Diego State in Dayton, they lost to Ohio State in the Round of 64.

UNC brings its new cast of characters into the 2025-26 season, looking to gather early impressions of what it may be working with. Getting exposure this preseason, especially against BYU, will help this year’s squad find some cohesion.

“​​I think it’s huge, especially against the competition that we’re playing against,” Davis said. “Just to get a closer look at what you have and areas that you have to improve on, areas that you feel like you’re doing well, and you want to continue to do. And so playing in that environment against really good competition, I think, can only help you. It’s something that we’ve all talked about and are excited about, just continuing to grow and to build and see what kind of team we can become.”