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Seth Trimble press conference ahead of facing Duke at home for the final time. #UNC
Feb 5, 2026
Seth Trimble press conference ahead of facing Duke at home for the final time. #UNC
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0:01
You know, we know. We know. I I watched
0:03
my film.
0:04
I've watched my film.
0:06
Caleb was um telling us that he was
0:08
telling just a lot of call them, I
0:10
guess, Coach Davis stories this week and
0:12
like said, you know, I can see that he
0:14
remembers every single moment of those
0:16
two games. What are some of the stories
0:18
that maybe stood out to you? And are
0:20
there any that you're like, man, like
0:22
respectfully, this is like the fourth or
0:24
maybe even eighth time I've heard this
0:26
my time here. Uh something that just
0:28
always sticks out to me is not his story
0:30
in particular, but his passion whenever
0:32
he talks about uh you know this this
0:35
Duke this Duke matchup. It means so much
0:37
to him. It meant so much to him as a
0:39
player and it means so much to him as a
0:41
coach and even as an assistant coach.
0:43
You know, he takes so much pride in and
0:45
representing the name on our chest
0:47
during this matchup. And you can tell he
0:49
he really really wants it. So he's doing
0:51
everything he can to get all of us on
0:53
board with it. But he's doing a really
0:55
good job with it. you're coming into
0:57
your fourth year of Carolina Duke,
0:59
obviously, which I feel like is so rare
1:00
to see now guys, you know, stick out
1:02
their four years in the same place. Can
1:03
you kind of just talk me through, you
1:05
know, your emotions and then going off
1:07
of that, are you imparting any wisdom
1:09
on, you know, an otherwise completely,
1:12
you know, new roster of guys that have
1:13
never experienced this before?
1:15
Uh, yeah, for sure. Uh, you know, my
1:17
emotions this year have have have been
1:20
high. You know, I'm really just
1:21
cherishing this this matchup, this
1:23
opportunity, and, you know, a blessing
1:25
like this. uh you know, everybody
1:27
there's a lot of people in this world
1:28
that would die uh to be in my position.
1:31
So, you know, I'm really making sure
1:32
that I'm I'm making the best out of it.
1:34
This is my last home game uh with, you
1:36
know, the Duke and matchup. So, I'mma
1:39
just make it the best that I can. Uh but
1:41
I'm doing a a pretty good job of, you
1:44
know, letting the guys know how much
1:46
tension there is during this matchup.
1:47
You know, what the stakes are at, uh you
1:50
know, the history, you know, how they
1:51
beat us three times last year. You know,
1:53
how much it means this university. uh to
1:55
the former players and just just to
1:57
everybody that represents North
1:58
Carolina. So guys definitely know that
2:00
they they know now. I'm sorry and uh
2:02
they're on board with it.
2:03
To be the only guy that's really been a
2:05
part of this before on your roster, how
2:07
much is experience in this kind of game
2:08
really worth?
2:09
Uh it's a huge part. It's a huge part of
2:11
it. Uh I mean, like I just said a little
2:13
bit ago, you don't really understand,
2:15
you know, the stakes of it and what this
2:18
really means until you're out on that
2:20
court Saturday and you see it's like no
2:22
other home game all year. Uh, so I think
2:25
it's a huge part that that I'm here and
2:27
I'm able to share that knowledge and
2:29
that the coaches are able to share some
2:30
knowledge and I think it'll go a long
2:32
way.
2:32
When you've played in this before,
2:34
especially your first run, how amped up
2:36
were you then and did you kind of learn
2:38
from that? Maybe there's a certain even
2:40
keel that you nature you have to have to
2:42
come into this game.
2:43
Absolutely. Uh, I mean my freshman year
2:45
I was I was super super amped up. you
2:48
know, I didn't expect myself to play 20
2:50
minutes or to go and have this huge
2:52
role, but I knew that I was, you know,
2:56
putting myself into the history books,
2:57
you know, with this with this rivalry.
2:59
So, it was it was a huge blessing. I was
3:02
super excited. But I did learn that you
3:05
have to approach it like like another
3:07
game. You know, you have to take that
3:08
mindset, you have to take the attitude
3:11
and and approach it the right way, but
3:13
then you also have to, you know, block
3:15
out the the circus. what coach Davis
3:18
calls it. You got to block out the fans.
3:20
Uh, everybody's in your DMs before the
3:22
games, you know, telling you to please
3:23
beat them. Uh, you know, you just got to
3:25
block out all the noise from from the
3:27
fans and even friends and family. So,
3:29
how hard is that?
3:31
Uh, when I was younger, it was it was
3:33
definitely hard. It was definitely hard
3:35
just cuz I was new to it. But now, uh,
3:39
I'm I'm I'm able to be off of social
3:41
media. I'm able to ignore, uh, when
3:44
people are talking about the matchup. um
3:46
I'm able just to focus on, you know,
3:48
what it is that we're trying to focus on
3:50
in this gym and as a team. So, it's not
3:52
too hard for me now, thankfully.
3:54
How uh how different is it being kind of
3:57
one of the only ones on on this team to
3:58
have played in that game? Because
3:59
obviously in years past, you know, a lot
4:01
of the other guys have been in this
4:03
game, but how different is that for you
4:04
to be one of the only ones on this team?
4:06
Uh
4:07
it's I I don't feel a huge difference
4:10
with it. I mean, there definitely is a
4:12
difference. Uh, I think in in the past,
4:16
you know, coming into this matchup as a
4:19
team, we're talking about it, you know,
4:20
like what happened last year, uh,
4:24
experiences with it, you know, how we
4:26
know the fans will be, but now it's me
4:27
really telling everybody what it'll be
4:29
like. So, you know, instead of just
4:31
coming together as a team and talking
4:33
about it, it's kind of me, you know, me,
4:36
Elijah, uh, Zayen, James Brown, kind of
4:40
us guys, you know, preaching out,
4:41
dishing out to our teammates to, you
4:43
know, get them on board. So, it's a
4:45
little bit more teaching this year, but,
4:47
you know, I'm all for it.
4:48
Seth, in the offseason, you had dinner
4:50
with a lot of these guys who were now on
4:51
the team before they committed here. How
4:53
many times did the Duke game come up in
4:55
those conversations at those dinners and
4:57
different things like
4:58
Yeah, I mean I couldn't tell you how
4:59
many times but it's definitely part of
5:00
the recruiting pitch. Uh I mean when you
5:04
talk about North Carolina uh you think
5:06
about the history and when you think
5:08
about the history of North Carolina, you
5:10
think about this matchup, you know, it's
5:12
just what comes with it. Uh so it was
5:14
definitely part of the pitch. Uh and and
5:16
when that's part of the pitch and and
5:18
you're a player being recruited by North
5:20
Carolina, you know, it's really hard to
5:21
to not be attracted by that. So, it
5:23
definitely got brought up.
5:24
Is it something that usually the guys,
5:25
not you, the other guys are bringing up
5:27
asking you about your experience or is
5:28
it normally you telling them like, "Hey,
5:30
about this game?"
5:31
A little bit of both. I'd probably say
5:32
more, you know, guys asking me about the
5:35
experience cuz everybody's curious. Uh
5:36
there's no other matchup, no other
5:38
rivalry like this and uh in college
5:40
basketball. So, definitely more of other
5:42
guys asking, but like I said, it's part
5:46
of my pitch, you know, I'm I'm laying
5:47
out to the guys. I'm letting him know
5:49
how it is because like I said like it's
5:51
it's history that nobody but two teams
5:53
gets to be a part of. So super special.
5:55
Caleb was telling us that he's watched a
5:57
lot of old Carolina Duke games on
5:59
YouTube. Have you done that um before
6:01
one of these games?
6:02
Uh I feel like I got a good knowledge of
6:06
of all the North Carolina Duke games in
6:08
the past. Ever since my brother has, you
6:11
know, got to North Carolina. Uh ever
6:14
since he rode as a freshman, I've been
6:16
locked in on the games ever since. So,
6:18
haven't really gone back too much. It
6:20
would be super cool to go back and watch
6:21
the games, you know, like that pre2000
6:24
era. Uh, but I haven't gotten to him as
6:27
as much as Caleb has.
6:29
Going back on Caleb, he hasn't been
6:31
afraid to talk about uh how much he, you
6:34
know, his understanding of the Duke
6:35
rivalry and he's been very outspoken in
6:36
his disdain for them, I guess. Can you
6:38
kind of talk about have you noticed a
6:41
difference in his approach this week uh
6:43
versus any any other week just cuz it
6:45
seems like he never played in it, but it
6:47
seems like he's got a great grip on what
6:48
he's in for already.
6:50
Yeah, I think Caleb uh he definitely has
6:52
his own thoughts and and his
6:54
perceptions, you know, what what what
6:57
it's like going into this week, but all
6:59
year long Caleb has been really really
7:01
professional. He's been uh very
7:04
appropriate. and he's just done the
7:06
right things leading the games and I
7:07
think he's just taking the same mindset.
7:09
Uh cuz as players at this level, you
7:12
want to be good, you got to be as
7:13
consistent as possible in the everyday
7:14
things in practice. So I think it's just
7:16
another week at practice for him, but he
7:18
definitely has in his head, you know,
7:20
the hatred and you know, whatever it is
7:23
that he has to do.
7:24
The final nine minutes became kind of a
7:26
story versus Syracuse and those kind of
7:28
lapses or lack of energy different parts
7:30
have been, I don't know, a theme this
7:32
year. Obviously, maybe that's not an
7:34
issue versus Duke, but do you feel like
7:35
you guys have a good grasp of it now
7:38
heading into this game against a team
7:39
like Duke who seems to be really that's
7:42
one of their strengths is playing 40
7:43
minutes at?
7:44
Yeah. Uh we know that we let that last
7:47
seven to nine minutes slip away against
7:49
that Syracuse game. Uh but we were able
7:51
to learn from it very quickly and drop
7:53
it and I think we're confident that that
7:55
won't happen this Saturday.
7:56
Just going back to Caleb really quick.
7:58
He's talked so much about two years ago
8:00
that experience him coming getting to
8:02
see you guys beat Duke at home. I guess
8:04
that was the Harrison Ingram game. He
8:06
went crazy locker room going on street.
8:08
Do you remember him being there? And if
8:10
so, what do you remember about that?
8:13
Uh I do. I don't have too big of a
8:15
memories, but I just remember him being
8:16
in the locker room as we were
8:18
celebrating uh that game. And that's
8:20
that's really it. That's all I remember
8:22
about Caleb being here a couple years
8:23
ago. But that's I I do remember him
8:26
celebrating with us in the locker room.
8:27
Seth, you've faced Kale Foster and Isaia
8:30
Evans before, obviously growing in their
8:32
roles this season. What What do you kind
8:33
of look forward to about those match
8:34
ups?
8:35
Uh just
8:37
a tough backord that I get to play that
8:39
I get to play against. Uh you know, I
8:40
love competition. Uh I love this matchup
8:43
and you know, Caleb and Isaiah, they've
8:45
they've done really good things for a
8:47
team this year. So to be able to step up
8:50
and take that challenge on the biggest
8:51
stage possible this Saturday will be
8:52
super exciting.
8:53
You mentioned Coach Davis's passion.
8:55
Obviously, it's apparent with this game,
8:57
like he's had some different things he's
8:59
done for the Duke game since he's been
9:01
head coach. Is there anything notable or
9:03
different this week or anything that
9:04
stands out to you?
9:05
Uh,
9:07
nothing super different. Just like I
9:09
said about Caleb, Coach Davis is a guy
9:12
who, you know, does things the same.
9:14
You're not going to see him, you know,
9:16
ever take a day off when he comes into
9:18
work. He's going to bring that passion
9:19
into the building each and every day.
9:21
So, that's absolutely here coming into
9:23
this week. But I'm I'm pretty positive
9:26
Saturday he'll he'll cook some up for us
9:27
in that pregame speech and he'll have us
9:29
ready to go. That's one thing he's great
9:31
at. I'll give him that.
9:32
So we know experience is big. But are
9:35
there or do you see any positives and
9:36
there being so many new guys on you
9:38
guys' side coming into a game in an
9:41
environment like this?
9:41
Uh absolutely, absolutely. I think a
9:43
positive is that guys are going to be
9:45
super hungry uh just to get this win.
9:48
First of all, knowing knowing everything
9:50
that goes into this matchup and then
9:52
knowing that, you know, the jersey that
9:55
they're representing now, that same
9:56
jersey lost three times last year. Uh
9:59
they're just going to be super excited
10:00
just to, you know, put themselves into
10:03
the history books uh in in the best way
10:05
possible. So, guys are I mean, very very
10:08
excited for this game and it'll be good.
10:10
Seth, I know pace is always important
10:12
for you guys in every game, but how much
10:15
have y'all really emphasized this week
10:17
knowing Duke likes to slow it down and
10:19
and grind it out and your role in that
10:21
pushing the tempo?
10:22
Uh that that's a huge point of emphasis
10:24
for us. Uh every game it is. Uh but we
10:27
know especially in games like this, we
10:28
feel like there's not a lot of teams in
10:30
college basketball that can keep up with
10:32
our pace. So we're going to try and use
10:33
it to our advantage and and and just
10:35
take control of the transition game. But
10:37
we know if we can control that and do
10:39
what we need to do, uh, we can put
10:40
ourselves in a good position.
10:42
Seth, you've spent a lot of time in this
10:43
building during your career, but even
10:45
before it. I want there's been a lot of
10:47
debate about what to do about the Smith
10:48
Center. I just wanted your perspective
10:50
on this building, on this place, what it
10:52
means being on campus, all that stuff.
10:54
Yeah, I mean, I think everybody in this
10:56
building, everybody here knows how much
10:57
the Dean Smith Center means to
10:59
everybody. Uh, the the history, the the
11:03
players that have came through here, the
11:04
coaches have coached here. Uh it it it
11:07
means the world to Carolina fans, but I
11:09
mean I think at the end of the day uh
11:11
whatever it is they decide to do uh is
11:14
going to be the right decision and
11:16
Carolina history will continue. You
11:18
know, obviously we'd love to see the
11:20
Dean Spence Center still around, but if
11:22
they go another direction with that,
11:23
then we're just going have to bring the
11:24
history to uh bring the history there.
11:26
But
11:27
yeah. Yeah, man.
11:29
Thank you everybody.
11:30
That's all I got. Thank you.
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