Trimble’s Return Sparks Impact, Hubert Davis Explains

It was a welcoming sight for the North Carolina Tar Heels when Seth Trimble made his return to the lineup on Saturday. In his return, the senior guard scored 17 points while shooting 6-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three-point range.

Trimble was monumental in the Tar Heels' 71-70 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday afternoon. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard hit timely shots again and again, specifically in the second half, with two key threes out of halftime.

While speaking with the media during his postgame, head coach Hubert Davis explained what Trimble provided during his return to the starting lineup.

Davis' Thoughts

Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) celebrates after a victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"Yeah, it does, it opens things up, gives us versatility to be able to do different things that are specific for each game," Davis said when asked if Trimble opens up on-court play. This game it was — I talked about Devin Royal, but there’s really only one guy on our team that had any chance of getting a stop on Bruce Thornton, and that was Seth [Trimble]."

"Having [Trimble] in the lineup was huge," Davis said. "Obviously, he’s gifted, being able to — I felt like in transition, it’s the first time that we’ve gotten pitch-ahead dunks and lay-ups in a while. So, we’ve got to get back to that because that’s a huge part of our offense, is being able to sprint to the offensive end."

Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) reacts after a basket against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Trimble's ability to create points on the offensive end is obvious, but the senior guard also elevates the defense simultaneously. Davis explained how Trimble affects the defensive side of the ball.

"100 percent," Davis responded when asked if Trimble provides flexibility on defense. "Jonathan [Powell] is a big guard, 6’6″, 6’7″, and his ability to defend is huge for us. But having Seth back and having him be able to, quote-unquote, run the point and even have a bigger lineup is something that we haven’t had since he’s been gone."

"So, it’s something that we can look at, and to your point, just the versatility of lineups that we can do in just different situations to put ourselves in a position to possibly win," Davis said.

Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) dribbles against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Transition offense was a major factor against the Buckeyes. Davis explained how Trimble excels in that facet of the game.

"He runs faster. He does," Davis said. "The way that he gets out on the break, he can get a defensive stop. He can get a rebound, and within three to four steps, he’s across half court and he’s gone."

"Just having one person pulls everybody along, and then when they see Seth getting those pitch-ahead lay-ups, everybody wants to score, so then they start running," Davis continued. "It’s contagious, and it was nice to see that back in our offense today."

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