Thanks to the transfer portal, it becomes increasingly rare to see a college athlete stay at their school all four years. UNC basketball star Seth Trimble is one of those rare few, though.
Trimble, an unofficial team captain, will become a full-time starter for North Carolina this season. Trimble started just three of his first 67 games as a Tar Heel, then split duties with Ian Jackson last year.
The Tar Heels missed the 2023 NCAA Tournament during Trimble's freshman year, earned a top seed and advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2024, then barely snuck into the Big Dance this March.
At ACC Tipoff on Tuesday , Trimble spoke on returning UNC back to college basketball prominence – when other teams feared the Carolina Blue.
"I'm the one who has been here four years," Trimble said. "I'm the one who has been on a North Carolina team who has failed to meet any expectations, and I'm the one who has been on a North Carolina team that has been on a team that's amazing. My sophomore year. I've been through it all here, even individually. I've been a guy that played zero to four minutes and I've been a guy that played 38 minutes. I mean, I've been in a lot of positions here, and I'm really just trying to use that to just continue to share with my teammates, because that experience — if they can go on with that experience before the season even starts and before they go through it on their own, that can really help them."
Trimble entered the transfer portal last offseason, but quickly withdrew himself , much to the joy of Tar Heel fans. Trimble is an unquestioned leader in Chapel Hill, both on the court and inside the locker room.
Even though he only started half of UNC's games during his 2024-2025 season , Trimble still averaged career-highs of 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
With Trimble now stepping into a leadership role, expect his numbers to increase – and North Carolina's return to collegiate basketball prominence.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Seth Trimble talks returning UNC basketball to greatness at ACC Tipoff
