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Ingram is gone but is Trimble coming back?
It sure seemed like Harrison Ingram would play his senior season at Carolina, didn’t it? He is a kid who was quickly beloved by Tar Heel alumni and fans. An obvious team leader with an infectious work ethic, a prototype we’d all like to get to know better even from the upper deck.
And while his late season play boosted him onto some NBA mock drafts, Ingram looks like an in-between player for pro ball. Not quite big enough to play inside, not a great shooter required of small forwards in the show.
Did he lose his chance to be remembered fondly as one of the best all-around Tar Heels, since most one-and-dones lose that gravitas a few years after they leave? But Ingram said thanks to everyone and so long in a statement to the bloggers, although there is an NCAA path for him to change his mind.
That’s another bad thing about the transfer portal: apparently schools cannot issue official statements about transfers leaving (or coming until they show up). So scuttlebutt on Seth Trimble permeated the weekend.
Trimble had issued an official statement to the media but has not made speculative lists of other schools. A native of Wisconsin, Trimble was expected to be linked to Marquette in Milwaukee or the Badgers in Madison.
Then came the new UNC buzz. And any mention of Trimble brings up the rumors on why he left in the first place. The since-removed post by his unhappy mother after Seth did not play much in the second half loss to Alabama? And what about R.J.?
It was believed that whether or not ACC Player of the Year Davis returned for his fifth season, Trimble was still leaving because he wanted to be more than a sixth man as a junior after finishing third in the ACC balloting for that honor in 2023-24.
Davis has not announced his plans, but the upside of Trimble entering the portal was to some people a sign that R.J. was coming back. Now, no one seems to know anything for sure, and a low-level panic is setting in because several transfers who strongly considered Carolina have gone elsewhere and the portal closes on May 1.
With Elliot Cadeau apparently playing one more year, the Tar Heels need better size and strength in the backcourt; what if it’s a bigger third guard that could result in Trimble perhaps playing even less than he did as a sophomore?
And then there is the NIL money that some athletes are expecting and some schools are dangling. Negotiations are going on, but without some oversight bad decisions are bound to be made in this new Wild West.
Here’s hoping Ingram and Trimble aren’t making them.
Featured image via Todd Melet
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Seth woke up. maybe Harrison will follow…