5 Grades for 5 North Carolina Starters Against SMU

The North Carolina Tar Heels suffered their first loss since November on Saturday against the SMU Mustangs at the Moody Coliseum. Prior to Saturday, the Tar Heels had won seven consecutive games, and its last loss was on Thanksgiving Day against the Michigan State Spartans.

SMU's offensive firepower overmatched North Carolina, pulling away late in the 97-83 victory over the 12th-ranked team in the country. It was a disappointing result for the Tar Heels, who were steamrolling into January with a handful of impressive wins.

Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs guard Boopie Miller (2) shakes hands with North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis after the Mustangs defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

However, head coach Hubert Davis and the players will have to go back to the drawing board and assess several things before their next game against Wake Forest next Saturday.

Speaking of assessing, let's take a look at how North Carolina's starting lineup performed against the Mustangs on Saturday.

Seth Trimble

Stat line: 22 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds

Trimble was one of the Tar Heels' most consistent players on Saturday, operating against heavy on-ball pressure throughout the entirety of the game. Despite being under constant duress, the senior guard shot 8-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. The four missed free throws on seven attempts were frustrating, but Trimble was impressive in the team's loss.

Grade: A-

Henri Veesaar

Stat line: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block

The stat line indicates that Veesaar had a solid performance, but that was far from the case. Despite being the team's third-leading scorer, the Arizona transfer shot 4-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, and committed four fouls, which was something Veesaar struggled with heading into this contest.

For the second consecutive game, Veesaar was non-existent in the first half. On Saturday, the 6-foot-11, 224-pound center went 2-of-7 from the field for five points and four rebounds in that timeframe.

Grade: C+

Caleb Wilson

Stat line: 13 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals

For the first time in seven games, Wilson did not score at least 20 points. While that may depict the freshman forward had a poor outing, that is not the case. The former five-star recruit went 6-of-11 from the field and demonstrated elite body control and shot creativity in multiple instances.

Grade: B+

Luka Bogavac

Stat line: 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists

Bogavac was solid on Saturday, filling up the stat sheet in mulltiple categories. Despite only accounting for eight points, the overseas transfer executed his role of stretching the floor, hitting 2-of-4 from three-point range.

Grade: B

Kyan Evans

Stat line: 3 points and 1 assist

After scoring 15 points on Tuesday while attempting 12 threes, Evans reverted back to a passive style of play. In Evans' defense, SMU's on-ball defense was like a pack of bees, and the 6-foot-2, 174-pound guard is slightly undersized.

It would be unfair to ignore those circumstances when evaluating Evans' performance on Saturday, but he was still far from impressive in the loss.

Grade: C-

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