Trimble Explains 2 Important Factors in North Carolina’s Win

Winning on Saturday night was a must for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who were coming off an embarrassing defensive performance against SMU last weekend. This time around, North Carolina found a way to beat Wake Forest 87-84, but it should not have been that close, as the Tar Heels nearly coughed up a 15-point lead in the second half.

While speaking with the media during his postgame press conference, guard Seth Trimble discussed the win and began by highlighting a bench contributor.

Trimble's Thoughts

Jan 10, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) fights for position against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

"I mean, [Jaydon] Young was incredible," Trimble said. "He stepped up when his name was called. He's been persevering all year, maybe not playing games, playing four minutes some games, but he knew that his opportunity was going to come. And, I mean, that was this right here was a product of the work that he's put in. He stepped up huge, and he made it happen."

Young totaled 12 points while shooting 4-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. The junior guard was the Tar Heels' third-leading scorer on Saturday, revealing what type of game this contest shaped out to be.

Additionally, North Carolina's win marked the program's 500th win at the Dean E. Smith Center. Trimble spoke on the significance of that achievement, and what it meant to him by being a part of that historic accomplishment.

Jan 10, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Nate Calmese (1) fights for position against North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

"It's incredible. It's a blessing," Trimble said. "And we're super, super thankful, grateful just to be a part of this history. There's many greats that came before us, many great coaches, many great accolades that these players and coaches have brought and just for us to be an extension of that means, it means a lot."

It has been well-documented that the Tar Heels' near second-half collapse was an alarming development, as they continued to illustrate their lack of attention to detail in key moments. As the veteran leader on the team, Trimble took blame for that transpiring.

Jan 10, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) goes to the basket with Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Cooper Schwieger (13) and Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Juke Harris (2) defending during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

"I take accountability for that," Trimble said. "I played a terrible game. I think if I play what I call a normal game, an average game, for me, we win more comfortably. I think a couple other guys step up. We win more comfortably. It's just we just didn't play our best tonight."

Trimble was uncharacteristically quiet on Saturday night, totaling 10 points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals, and one block while shooting 3-of-7 from the field, including 0-of-1 from three-point range. However, Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson took care of business, combining for 47 points and 21 rebounds while collectively shooting 17-of-19 from the field.

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