UNC head coach Hubert Davis, guard Seth Trimble and center Henri Veesaar spoke at the ACC Tipoff in Charlotte Tuesday afternoon. The Tar Heels have a new-look roster this season, featuring multiple incoming transfers and freshmen. Trimble and forward James Brown are the only scholarship players returning from the 2024-25 season.
Here are selected highlights from the program’s time at the ACC podium:
Henri Veesaar
Arizona forward Henri Veesaar in action against Oregon during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 23, 2025 in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
On what has stood out to him about UNC so far: I’m just feeling the love of the community and seeing what the school really means to the whole community of Chapel Hill and everywhere in North Carolina. Knowing that you play for so much more than just yourself. The players that paved the way for you, seeing everybody come back during the summer just to talk to us, the older players who are already retired or still have contracts overseas or are in the NBA. They risk their body just to play with us. Seeing that it means that much to them to make us better, that just means everything. You know that you got to bring it every day just for them.
On the benefit of UNC’s preseason schedule: I feel like especially for the Blue and White scrimmage, just being able to kind of get the rust off. We haven’t played in front of fans. For some freshmen, it’s the first time to play in front of a crowd like that. So just having that moment for everybody and getting the nerves off and having the new fans and everybody, it really helps. And for BYU [on October 24 in Salt Lake City], having that preseason game, it’s really good for us too. I don’t exactly know the rankings but I know they’re ranking really high. So to play against a team like that, not even when the season has started, to see where you’re at, really is gonna be a good measuring point.
On learning from assistant coach Sean May: He’s a great mind for basketball team, especially for bigs. He’s definitely given me a couple new moves and just teaching me patience. Maybe let the cutters go through, scan the floor, face up. He is big on facing up. Working on those moves and being able to have the spacing to do it is really gonna help me. Especially playing against bigger defenders, you maybe don’t want to bang four dribbles if they’re stronger than you, but if you can face up they have to take their arm bar off you, then you can drive into their hips and they can’t really push you and you can get always get your shot off.
Seth Trimble
North Carolina’s Seth Trimble (7) drives to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
On playing for Hubert Davis: It’s super cool. It’s a blessing, because it’s not every program, it’s not every place, it’s not every level where you have a coach who truly cares for you, not just on the court, but off the court. We can go to HD about anything. We could go tell him some boring life story, and he’s fully invested in it. We can go tell him about who we just met or whatever it is. We can go and have that relationship with him and build that from there. I mean, it’s amazing, because once it gets on the court and we know we’ve built that off the court, I know he knows me, I know him. There’s even more trust there on the court, so it makes it even easier.
On leading the team this season: I think the biggest thing is continuing to preach on the foundations that our coaches teach us on the traditions here at North Carolina. Just about all that, continuing to remind everybody how important it is to wear this jersey and how important it is to play for each other and how important it is just to represent the history that’s come through here. I think that gives us enough motivation as it is and plays a huge part in our will and want to play basketball.
On if there are any particular games he’s looking forward to this season: I really wanna get my getback games. All the teams that we lost to, we have a chance to play a lot of them again. But truthfully, taking one game at a time is so important for me by right now. The only thing I’m thinking about is this BYU game. Because it’s the first one in the book. Whether it doesn’t count or it does count, it’s the first one in the book. I know if we could take one game at a time and take that approach, then we could really do something serious.
On what he thinks the team can accomplish: I’d be wrong if I thought anything else but the national championship. The pieces that they brought, the way guys have been competing, I see it and I know it can be there. We just have to take care of it this year.
Hubert Davis
North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis gives a thumbs up to a player during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Miami, Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
On building camaraderie with his new roster: There’s 11 new guys, and one of the things that is I think huge is college isn’t the same as when I was in school. When the season was over, you weren’t allowed to have those opportunities with your coach until October 15th, and that’s absolutely a different case now. The 11 new guys, plus returners, like Seth, we’ve been on the floor for eight months, during the summer, individual workouts, team practices, team getaways, functions. We spent a ton of time with each other on and off the court. I always tell the guys that in order to play for me, you have to know me and I have to know you, and the only way that we get to know each other is spend a lot of time together. I’m thankful that we’ve had that time in the summer and in the fall heading into the season where we have a clear understanding of who we are on and off the court that allows us to be the best that we can be on the court.
On player development in his program: There’s a number of things at the top of the list, and player development is one of them. In order for our team to be good, each individual player has to be good. One of the things that I always tell the guys as a coach, filter through comes from two things. One, obviously my personality, and, two, my experience as a player.
One of the things in terms of individual development that we speak about at great length every day is for our guys to be basketball players. I know that sounds simple, but for our guys to check a number of different boxes on both ends of the floor, not one-dimensional. What great example of Seth and Henri, of guys that can get it done on both ends of the floor and do a number of things on the offensive end, whether it’s around the basket or obviously outside from three-point range. And so those are things that we talk about and things that we individually develop and work on a daily basis out there on the floor.
On Seth Trimble’s leadership: That’s the cool part about college, is seeing someone grow up. As a freshman, I didn’t say any words. And by senior year, I wasn’t comfortable in front of the camera, but I was more comfortable at using my voice. It’s the same way for Seth. Him being here four years, he was part of my first recruiting class. And for us to go through this together is really unique. I don’t know how many programs, how many teams have an opportunity to coach a kid that accomplished at that level for four straight years in this climate. And I want him to be so celebrated this year, because he’s gonna have a terrific season and he’s gonna end up having a long NBA career.
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.
