Q&A: Seth Trimble gets real about his winding path to stardom at UNC

Seth Trimble has taken the road less traveled on his way to stardom.

In an era defined by player movement, Trimble stuck it out at North Carolina after playing sparsely his first two seasons. He's now the Tar Heels' top guard and, according to CBS Sports' Isaac Trotter, one of only 22 high-major scholarship players to celebrate Senior Night with the same team they started their college careers with.

If his story wasn't Hollywood enough, the climax came when Trimble nailed a game-winning 3-pointer against rival Duke in one of his last games at the Smith Center. The Tar Heels would eventually finish the regular season undefeated at home, a major feat for a program with as much prestige and championship tradition as any in the country.

🗣️ "TRIMBLE DOES IT!"

An all-timer from @JonesAngell on last night's game winner 🎙️#GoHeels x @Verizonpic.twitter.com/h8Gxal9iFi— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) February 8, 2026

While Trimble is reaping the benefits of his patience now, the reality he finds himself in wasn't always in sight. Trimble, a former Gatorade Player of the Year and Wisconsin's Mr. Basketball, doubted whether he could reach that level of success in college. He even entered the transfer portal after his sophomore season to consider a fresh start.

Trimble spoke with For The Win this week in a conversation made possible by Mizzen+Main and its Collegiate Collection. The 21-year-old explained why he stayed at Chapel Hill through the adversity and how it's changed his life for the better.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

FTW: What have you learned during this winding journey at UNC? 

Seth Trimble: The biggest thing I learned is nothing worth it in life is gonna come easy. The struggles, the good, the bad -- all of it is for a reason. I grew up here. I came here a teenager and left a man because of the blessings, the opportunities and also the adversity that I faced here. So just staying the course has been the biggest lesson I’ve learned. To be here four years at such a prestigious university when a transfer portal is such a big thing now, it says a lot about this university.

What obstacle has been the most difficult to overcome?

ST: My sophomore year, we were doing amazing as a team and I was such a big contributor, but I just felt like I wasn’t living up to who I knew I could be. I just wasn’t meeting that expectation. It took a toll on me. It definitely did. And I had some moments of doubt and hesitation of, “Am I really built for this, at this level?” And over that summer, I built so much confidence and gained a realization that I am. And I had so much of a better year, and it led to this senior year.

When did your breakthrough sink in mentally?

ST: I feel like I was killing it the whole summer (2024), playing super confident, super in control. But obviously you still have that doubt, that wonder because you haven’t played a real game yet. But in the preseason game against Memphis for the St. Jude’s exhibition game, I had an amazing game. I had 33 points that game and just felt in control, I was confident and the game just came easier. And that’s when I knew that it was gonna be that type of year, that work finally started paying off. 

How has your relationship with Coach (Hubert) Davis deepened over your time in Chapel Hill?

ST: Coach Davis, he has always been a believer in me. He’s always been in my ear, pushing me and just motivating me to be the best I can be. I think where we’ve grown is I tried to fight him a little bit my freshman, sophomore years. Just naturally because I wasn’t who I wanted to be, maybe I felt like this or this wasn’t happening. Young players are more stubborn. That’s just the truth. But growing up and really listening to him and accepting his advice, allowing him to just let me grow has made us that much closer. My sophomore year going into my junior year, he hit me with words, and his words were, “Just try to only listen to me. Only listen to the coaches on this staff. Only listen to what’s in your circle.” And after I did that, I just took off. So I give him a huge credit for my success here. 

How has your personal journey affected your perception of player movement across the sport?

ST: With the transfer portal, I totally understand that guys gotta do what’s best for them. I’m for the transfer portal because it’s brought some teammates here that are now my brothers over the last three years. So I’m very grateful for it. I’m glad that -- I know I had my little stint in the transfer portal -- but I’m glad that I stuck it out and did what I did because I feel like that was the best decision for me. But some of the best decisions for these other guys are in the transfer portal. It’s as simple as that. So I’m super grateful for it. I think it does very good things for this sport and I’m all for it. 

How have you grown as a leader in conjunction with your ascension as a player?

ST: You gotta embrace it. It’s hard to be a leader at a school like this. But when you set the challenge and face it head on, you face the adversity, the criticism, everything that comes with it, it becomes easier. But my teammates have done such a good job of embracing me as their leader, and it’s given me more confidence to be the best leader I can be. So I gotta give a big thank you to them.

Under your leadership, UNC has looked incredibly calm throughout the season. Where does that come from?

ST: It comes from our faith and the foundations that Coach Hubert and the rest of the coaches give us each and every day. You can’t get too high or too low and with being level, there’s a confidence and a calmness that you approach everything with. And I think we just have that. Even through the adversity we faced this year, we haven’t freaked out and we haven’t folded. And I think it’s really taken us a long way. 

Caleb Wilson epitomizes that calmness as a freshman. How has he come along, and how would you describe his game?

ST: Caleb is incredible. We’ve seen that from the second he’s gotten on campus. I always try to be the best leader I can be for Caleb and try to give him any advice that he needs. But he’s such a good player that I haven’t had to give him much. We have that relationship where he feels like he can do the exact same thing for me. If he sees me doing something or missing something, he’s gonna be right in my ear letting me know, and I think it speaks on his character and the relationship we have. We have that trust within each other and we just have that belief. He’s incredible. I compare him to Kevin Garnett with more on the offensive end. He has that potential. He can be that dominant of a two-way player. He’s really good already and he’s gonna be really good for years to come.

You've played a variety of roles at the college level. How do you think that flexibility will help you translate to the NBA?

ST: That’s how it’s going to be in the NBA. I’m this guy now. I’m the guy with the ball in his hands a lot, making plays, key defender, on the court 38 minutes a game. But it probably won’t be like that at the next level. I’m gonna have to work my way back up. I’m gonna have to make sure I’m doing the little things every single possession and I’m the best teammate I can be. The same way I got it out the mud here, I have to do it at the next level. So being here and going through all that, all these different roles, being this player, this player, this player has built me for what’s to come.

You've grown exponentially each year at North Carolina. What do you consider to be the ceiling for your game?

ST: I think with constant improvement, I can achieve everything that I’ve ever imagined in this life. I want to be a longtime NBA player. I want to be an impact player. I want to be a guy who can help a team win a championship. And I want to finish out this career at the University of North Carolina the best I can. And I know that comes with constant improvement, and that’s been something that I’ve chased the last 21 years. So I know with time everything will play out.

What advice would the Seth Trimble of today give to the Seth Trimble who first walked onto campus at UNC?

ST: I’d tell young Seth to believe in yourself no matter what. Things are gonna get really, really hard. You’re gonna get close to folding and life is gonna get after you. It’s gonna kick you first. And I would tell him just to fight it. Never back down from it. Stay true and confident in yourself and believe in yourself because that’s gonna take you farther than anything else can.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Q&A: Seth Trimble gets real about his winding path to stardom at UNC