UNC Resetting Ball Handling Roles With New Additions

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina presents a more balanced roster for the 2025-26 season compared to the guard-heavy squad it boasted last year. With the reset, ball-handling opportunities have opened up.

Seth Trimble is the only returning guard from last season’s team, and the team added Colorado State point guard Kyan Evans through the transfer portal. UNC also picked up Virginia Tech transfer Jaydon Young and freshmen Derek Dixon and Isaiah Denis to fill out the backcourt. In addition to the team’s guards, Hubert Davis mentioned Luka Bogavac as another player who can handle the ball. Bogavac was second on Montenegro’s SC Derby team in points at 14.9 per game and third in assists at 2.3 per game.

Davis has often spoken about wanting multiple options for the ball handlers on his team. He’s not sure yet how this new look North Carolina team will split up the on-ball duties, but he said having options is a plus.

“I want as many ball handlers as possible that not only can create plays for themselves, but for teammates,” Davis said earlier this month. “That helps us. We very rarely get pressed because we have a number of guys that can handle the basketball, and we can’t get taken out of our offense because we have a number of guys that can start and finish the play. And so this year, obviously not having RJ (Davis) and Elliot (Cadeau), it gives an opportunity for other guys to be able to step up in that role, and I’m really excited about that.”

Cadeau led North Carolina in assists in each of his two seasons with the team, with Davis right behind him. Davis acted as the team’s point guard in lineups that didn’t include Cadeau. Trimble rarely ever played point guard last season, though he slotted there on occasion for a few plays at a time.

Evans played with first-round pick Nique Clifford while at Colorado State. Clifford led the team in assists (4.4 per game), with Evans following behind at 3.1 a night. He had eight games last year with at least five assists. Evans figures to slot into the point guard spot for UNC, saying earlier this month, “I think I’m the point guard.”

Evans said it was a beneficial experience playing with Clifford, as it helped him learn how to play with teammates of different playing styles.

“Kyan’s just embracing the role that any point guard should embrace,” Trimble said last week. “Being a voice for the team, being a leader, being an extension of the coach and just being confident so everybody else can be confident on the court. He’s played amazing this summer. He’s getting to his spots. He has a patient game. He’s an elite shooter, as you all know, and a really good passer. He’s been able to create opportunities for all of us this summer, and we’ll just continue to play off of him. He’ll be really good for us.​​”

North Carolina opens the season against Central Arkansas on Nov. 3 at the Smith Center. The team will play an open intrasquad scrimmage on Oct. 4 in Chapel Hill following the football team’s game against Clemson. The Tar Heels will also play two exhibition games — one on Oct. 24 in Salt Lake City against BYU, and another at home on Oct. 29 against Winston-Salem State.

Those preseason opportunities will give the Tar Heels chances to formulate their on-court chemistry, including the ball-handling dynamics among the guards.

“I think HD is just gonna put us in the best position to be successful,” Evans said. “And whatever that is, I don’t know what it looks like now, but I think we’ll all be pretty good at it, and we’ll excel at it.”