North Carolina Men's Basketball Stance in Latest Power Rankings Revealed

Earlier this week, the North Carolina Tar Heels moved up two spots to No. 12 in the latest AP College Basketball Rankings. Those rankings are released every Monday.

On Tuesday, the Tar Heels improved their record to 12-1, with a 99-51 victory over the East Carolina Panthers at the Dean E. Smith Center.

That prompted ESPN to reveal its latest college basketball power rankings. ESPN's basketball recruiting insider Jeff Borzello compiled his latest power rankings on Wednesday. North Carolina was ranked at No. 11 in the previous listing and stayed at that position in this week's power rankings.

Borzello's Thoughts

Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) brings the ball up court against the East Carolina Pirates during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

"We asked in this space last week how Seth Trimble's return would impact Hubert Davis' starting lineup and rotations," Davis said. "Now we have some answers. Trimble immediately slotted back into the lineup upon his return against Ohio State, playing 36 minutes and showing no ill effects of the broken left forearm he sustained in early November. As we theorized, Davis opted to go with a smaller lineup, as Luka Bogavac kept his starting spot and Jarin Stevenson moved to the bench. UNC made a season-high 12 3-pointers in Monday's win over East Carolina, so it paid off."

To Borzello's point, Trimble's return to the lineup has elevated the Tar Heels' floor and ceiling. With the senior guard out, North Carolina's backcourt production had been lackluster, as Kyan Evans and Luka Bogavac were the main outlets for production in that department.

North Carolina was desperate for a game-changing guard who could facilitate and jumpstart the offense without needing external sources to do so. Trimble provided just that for the Tar Heels, averaging 14.5 points, four assists, and three rebounds per game in two outings.

Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) drives to the basket during the second half against the East Carolina Pirates at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard has opened up North Carolina's offense by pushing the ball in transition whenever the opportunity presents. That willingness to attack the open floor off a defensive stop has benefitted Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson, who have seen more space, with opposing defenses having to account for Trimble along the perimeter.

Veesaar spoke on Trimble's impact following North Carolina's 71-70 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes last weekend.

"I thought definitely having such a big presence on our guards, like we barely have to do anything as bigs on the ball screen and just flies through it," Veesaar said. "He’s so handsy. He kind of makes those plays, and then on offense he runs like — we have so many more transition points just because of him running and like fast break points, lay-ups. I think he had four points in doubles today, and those are huge for us because they’re huge momentum plays."

Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) celebrates during the first half against the East Carolina Pirates at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The Tar Heels are on the brink of cracking into the Top 10, and with the roster at full strength, that should be a reality in the near future.

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