Grading North Carolina's Lineup Against California

The North Carolina Tar Heels fell to the California Golden Bears 84-78 on Saturday at the Haas Pavilion. It was another outing in which the Tar Heels were thoroughly exposed in several areas, specifically defensively on the perimeter. California went 14-of-26 from three-point range, building a 20-point lead at one point the second half.

North Carolina was able to crawl back into the game, but the Golden Bears' offensive output in the first half proved too much to overcome in the end. Here are grades for each player in the Tar Heels' starting lineup.

Caleb Wilson

Stat line: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks

Once again, the freshman forward was the Tar Heels' main catalyst on offense, leading the team in points. It took Wilson, about 10 minutes to record his first made field goal of the game. During that stretch, California was able to take advantage of that and orchestrate a double-digit lead.

However, from that point forward, Wilson was able to keep North Carolina within striking distance. Ultimately, the Tar Heels came up short, but the 6-foot-9, 216-pound forward has continued to prove his elite potential.

Grade: A-

Henri Veesaar

Stat line: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block

The Arizona transfer was North Carolina's second-leading scorer on Saturday, but it was not his most efficient outing. Veesaar shot 5-of-11 from the field, including 1-of-6 from three-point range.

It was Veesaar’s first double-double in five games, but his presence was not ad apparent as it usually is.

Grade: B

Derek Dixon

Stat line: 14 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, and 1 steal

Dixon was elevated to the starting lineup shortly before tip-off, as head coach Hubert Davis was searching for some type of impact in the back court, other than Seth Trimble. The freshman guard delivered, shooting 4-of-8 from beyond the arc and was a main reason for the Tar Heels' last-ditch effort in the final minutes of the game. After a performance like that, Dixon will surely remain in the starting lineup for at least the next two games.

Grade: A

Seth Trimble

Stat line: 12 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal

Trimble only attempted six shots, connecting on two of them in 29 minutes. The bulk of his scoring Output came from the free throw line, as the senior guard went 7-of-8 from the stripe.

Despite the game being an up-and-down affair, Trimble was marginalized and did not find the same success in transition as he usually does. North Carolina will need Trimble to a focal point of the offensive operation moving forward if it wants to get back on track heading into February.

Grade: B-

Jarin Stevenson

Stat line: 1 rebound and 1 block

With Davis rotating players in off the bench constantly, Stevenson only played 11 minutes in Saturday's loss. As a result, the Alabama transfer was relegated to a spectator role, which speaks volumes about his production.

Grade: D

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