UNC's Trimble, Veesaar Blame Lackluster Offense for VCU Upset

Just like that, North Carolina’s season ends in an upset.

The Tar Heels were upset 82-78 in overtime by the 11th seed VCU Rams in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. After leading by as much as 19 at one point, the Tar Heels go home on an awfully sour note.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis instructs his team against the VCU Rams in the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In the final minutes of regulation and the entirety of overtime, the Tar Heels’ offense went completely ice cold, allowing the Rams to catch momentum and eventually steal a victory from North Carolina. UNC was outscored 47-36 in the second half and 7-3 in the overtime period.

Tar Heels Allow VCU Comeback

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) reacts after losing to the VCU Rams in overtime of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Not only did their offense go cold, but the Tar Heels also couldn’t guard a parked car down the stretch, allowing the Rams to convert on 15 of their final 19 field goal attempts before the overtime period. VCU also shot 62 percent from the field and 70 percent from three-point range in the second half.

For the first 25 minutes of action, it looked as though the Tar Heels would be able to secure an NCAA Tournament victory despite being without their best player, Caleb Wilson, thanks to a season-ending thumb injury before the end of the regular season.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) celebrates after a play against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Being without Wilson left the Tar Heels with a massive void to fill, as he led the team in points per game (19.8), rebounds per game (9.4), assists per game (2.7), steals per game (1.5), and blocks per game (1.4) as a freshman this season.

After the loss, Seth Trimble and Henri Veesaar explained what went wrong in the final minutes of regulation and in overtime against the Rams.

VCU Rams forward Lazar Djokovic (17) and VCU Rams guard Brandon Jennings (0) defend the shot of North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Trimble, Veesaar Share Thoughts

“Overtime we were getting great looks,” Trimble said. “Shots just weren’t falling, overtime was as simple as that. I think in the second half, we just slowed down too much, got a little tense. We weren’t playing as loose as we were playing the whole game. That makes a difference.”

“I feel like they did a good job of packing the paint,” Veesaar added. “We’re just kicking out, and we’re obviously 8 for 29 on threes. We were not able to really hit at the end of the game. We were settling for those shots, because they did a good job of pushing us out. I feel like we kind of were getting a little bit slower, rather than the first half, we were more fluid. I think that’s something we can control.”