Three Standout Tar Heels in Two-Point Lost to BYU

North Carolina men's basketball fought all the way until the end against the BYU Cougars, but 19 turnovers were a big story of the matchup and how much freshman and future NBA Draft pick, AJ Dybansta, applied pressure to the Tar Heels through 40 minutes of game action. However, UNC had three players who stood out throughout the game, who helped keep the score tight until the last shot.

Senior Seth Trimble, junior Henri Veesaar, and freshman Caleb Wilson — all major factors in the two-point loss to the Cougs.

UNC — North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis at the 2025 ACC Tipoff | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Seth Trimble

Trimble, the leader and veteran of this roster, now in his last orbit in Chapel Hill as a Tar Heel, finished the exhibition contest with 17 points, seven rebounds, an assist and two steals — including one highlight reel, where he caught a lob-pass from West Virginia transfer Jonathan Powell on the fast break and flushed it down with his right hand.

The Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin native shot 6-12 from the field, 0-3 from behind the three-point line and 5-7 at the charity stripe. Interestingly enough, Trimbled finished the outing with a plus-minus of -10.

Oct 4, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) with the ball as guard Jaydon Young (4) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

During the final moments of the contest, Trimble went up for a three-pointer, but drew a foul from BYU's Dybansta — sending him to the free throw line for three shots — where he drained all of them and pushed UNC closer to potentially tying the game or taking the lead with one basket.

Trimble has a whole season ahead to become the leader this team needs to be successful, given all of the transfers and freshmen a part of Hubert Davis' fifth season as the head coach.

Oct 4, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) looks to pass as guard Jaydon Young (4) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Henri Veesaar

Veesaar, the 7-foot big man from Arizona, shared the hardwood floor with former Tar Heel Caleb Love (who also helped Veesaar during the offseason to join UNC). The Tallinn, Estonia native scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had two assists. He shot 5-12 from the field, 0-3 from beyond the arc, but converted on all four of his free throw attempts on the night.

The former Wildcat showed poise once the second half came around, scoring 10 points and going 4-6 on field goal attempts, while also adding five rebounds in the process. The big man displayed something North Carolina desperately needed last season: size and length.

Oct 4, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) with the ball as forward James Brown (2) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Davis and the coaching staff could only do so much with their personnel — mixing and matching who's in the frontcourt. Ven-Allen Lubin (now playing for NC State) stepped in at the five-spot, despite standing at 6-foot-8. And Jalen Washington (now at Vanderbilt) was outmatched physically by opposing bigs.

Now, Davis can be comfortable knowing that he has a reliable center in the paint, anchoring the defense and posing as a lob-threat when teams cover the pick-and-roll action that UNC will be using a lot throughout the season.

Oct 4, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) with the ball as forward Zayden High (1) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Caleb Wilson

Last, but not least, the frosh and a future NBA Draft pick in his own right, Caleb Wilson. The Atlanta, Georgia native led UNC with 22 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. He shot 9-17 from the field, 0-1 from behind the three-point line and 4-6 from the free throw line — all through 33 minutes of play (tied for the second most with Veesaar).

The New Balance brand signee looked comfortable inside the Delta Center, and made plays when North Carolina needed it the most — whether it was being in the right spots on the floor, driving to the lane, or standing tall against his matchup on defense.

Oct 4, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) warms up before the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In many ways, it did not feel like Wilson is an underclassman, but rather someone who has a year of college basketball under his belt. And that is nothing but a plus for North Carolina, as the transition from high school to college can differ for freshmen entering the scene.

Overall, these three Tar Heels made an impact that was a Trimble layup away from tying the game up and potentially going into overtime. But BYU's Keba Keita block erased those dreams from becoming anywhere near true.

UNC — North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis at the 2025 ACC Tipoff | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

North Carolina will have its second preseason scrimmage on Wednesday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m. against Winston-Salem State, before the year officialy begins Monday, November 3 against Central Arkansas and head coach John Shulman.

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