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#UNC players Jarin Stevenson, Luka Bogavac, Seth Trimble, Derek Dixon and Henri Veesaar
Mar 13, 2026
#UNC players Jarin Stevenson, Luka Bogavac, Seth Trimble, Derek Dixon and Henri Veesaar
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0:00
with getting rhythm in the first like
0:01
three quarters of the game offensively.
0:05
>> We got to defend better. I feel like
0:06
they're getting um good looks, good
0:10
shots, and um I feel like yeah, we just
0:12
needed more energy. Um
0:15
>> yeah, we got to get stops.
0:17
>> Why do you think I mean it's 9:30 start?
0:19
I can see how you guys might start slow
0:21
in the game, but why do you think that
0:25
the last seven minutes for you guys on
0:26
that run to close the game? I think,
0:28
yeah, it comes with like a mindset. Um,
0:30
pride, um, energy again. We just got to,
0:34
you know, yeah, have a sense of pride,
0:36
get stops, and, um, I feel like that
0:38
was, that was a big thing. Um, we
0:40
couldn't really get our runs going
0:41
because they were scoring on the other
0:43
end. Um, so, so yeah, we got to be
0:45
better.
0:45
>> What did you see on that final shot?
0:48
>> Take me through what you saw on that
0:49
final shot as we try to make the
0:51
>> Yeah, so I knew we had no timeouts. I
0:53
don't know. I knew there was like two
0:54
seconds left, so we have like two
0:55
dribbles and so took like two dribbles
0:57
and try to get a shot up, try to line it
0:59
up. I guess it was short and missed.
1:02
>> You take any positives in knowing that
1:03
you guys had a hell of a comeback in
1:05
that game?
1:06
>> Um, yeah. I'm proud of our guys for
1:08
fighting, but we shouldn't have been in
1:10
that situation in the first place. Um,
1:12
it comes again with energy and getting
1:14
stops earlier in the game.
1:16
>> Jiren, this is the first time you guys
1:17
have lost consecutive games since the
1:19
California trip. How do you come back
1:21
from this knowing that it's win or go
1:22
home now next week in the NCAA
1:24
tournament?
1:26
>> Yeah, I feel like that should like spark
1:29
something like this our next game could
1:31
really be our last game. So, we got to
1:33
be hungry. Um, we really care for each
1:35
other. So, again, just sticking together
1:37
as a team and um, you know, sticking
1:40
together and just being there for each
1:41
other is going to be important.
1:43
>> You talked about energy. How do you try
1:45
to manufacture energy on the court when
1:48
it's lacking? Um
1:52
>> I feel like
1:54
um again every somebody got to step up.
1:57
The bench got to step up. Um players on
1:59
the court got to play with more energy
2:00
to go out there. I feel like even like
2:03
me just you know speaking up going out
2:04
there making an energy play um to really
2:07
spark something for our team. So yeah,
2:09
everybody's got to be better. I got to
2:10
be better and um yeah, just go from
2:14
there.
2:14
>> Was there enough movement on offense for
2:16
most of the game, do you think?
2:18
movement. Um
2:20
>> yeah, I think so. Um
2:23
>> yeah, we were missing some shots early,
2:24
but it really just puts puts us in like
2:26
a pickle. We're not getting stops. Um
2:28
shots will fall, shots will not fall,
2:30
but if they're just scoring on the other
2:31
end, it's going to be tough to stay in
2:33
the game.
2:34
>> I remember after the NC State game,
2:36
someone asked you, do you
2:38
>> I think there is nothing with Caleb just
2:40
about us.
2:42
No matter who is out for the next games
2:45
or who is in, we should have the right
2:48
approach. The guys who are on the court,
2:50
they should give 100%. And that's that's
2:53
what we must to do every game. No matter
2:56
who who we going to play, no matter who
2:59
be the guys on the court, we should have
3:01
the right approach. That's all.
3:04
>> Thank you. Appreciate it. In in the in
3:05
the first game, uh hitting the
3:07
three-pointers was the key to winning
3:09
many of them from you. Why was it so
3:12
hard to get those threes to start coming
3:14
tonight?
3:16
>> I tried to contribute more on offense.
3:20
It wasn't so good. I tried my best
3:22
today. I missed a couple shots. Uh tried
3:26
to be threat in the other aspects of the
3:30
game. But yeah, I mean they they for
3:34
sure they adjust their defense, but
3:36
yeah, they can do better.
3:39
Was there enough movement on offense to
3:41
to open up three-point shooters?
3:44
>> Uh, it's a little bit of everything.
3:46
Now, we can analyze the small details. I
3:50
think everything starts with the the
3:52
right mindset. Maybe we was looking too
3:56
too much on the future maybe for the
3:59
game tomorrow. So, maybe we wasn't
4:02
focused 100% of the game for for today.
4:04
And we know they they will come like
4:06
underdogs today to just
4:10
beat us and try to make their place in
4:12
the semi-finals.
4:14
>> We get to respect them better
4:17
>> the right approach today. And how do you
4:19
thanks
4:20
>> as March you know March gives you a very
4:23
harsh reality check uh with with with
4:26
you and and your basketball team and we
4:29
got that today. uh
4:31
you know through the emotions of the
4:33
comeback is
4:35
this and that but end of the day uh you
4:38
lose a game in March and now we're done
4:40
in the ACC tournament so it changes but
4:43
we we got to really you know just just
4:47
take this feeling in cuz you know we
4:48
lose one more we're done.
4:50
>> How do you find that toughness? He says
4:51
two games in a row. How do you find it?
4:52
Because like you said it's one win or
4:54
done.
4:54
>> Yeah. stuff, man. Just playing with
4:56
pride. Uh playing for a reason and and
4:59
just playing for your teammates. Uh I'm
5:02
not saying we don't do that because we
5:03
definitely do, but but I don't know.
5:08
It's been two games in a row where where
5:10
the other team has has found it more
5:11
than us and and it's it's been a bad
5:14
result for us. So,
5:15
>> what were the issues finding a rhythm
5:17
offensively until your late run there?
5:19
>> Uh
5:22
uh I mean, we said a lot in the first
5:23
half. Uh I do know that uh we just
5:26
weren't getting our best shots. Clemson
5:29
uh they probably given us one of the
5:31
hardest defensive troubles even last
5:33
game uh we played them until Luca uh
5:36
took off last game. So
5:39
>> yeah, I don't know. I don't know. But
5:41
you know, we can have these spurts on
5:43
offense and be okay as long as we have
5:45
that toughness and physicality on
5:46
defensive end. Uh and we we haven't had
5:49
that. We haven't had that until that
5:51
last little run at the end of the game.
5:52
So, we got to be able to find that
5:54
consistently as a team.
5:55
>> You mentioned their defense. What makes
5:56
their defense tough or different than
5:57
other teams?
5:58
>> Uh, they pack the lane. They
6:02
>> they they go under on on everything.
6:05
They do a good job of swarming. Uh,
6:07
>> you know, they reach in a good way a
6:09
lot. You know, they get away with a lot.
6:10
Uh, and they're just well they're just a
6:12
well-rounded defensive team.
6:14
>> Took took a while in here after the
6:16
game. I don't know if that's longer than
6:17
some other teams have. Curious, was
6:19
there anything special that happened in
6:21
the locker room after the game just as
6:22
far as like conversations or meeting,
6:24
anything along those lines?
6:25
>> Just a postgame talk. Uh just postgame
6:27
talk. It's March. Uh the losses hurt a
6:30
lot more. So, you know, we going to talk
6:33
about it more. Simple as that.
6:34
>> Has it sunk in for you that this is your
6:37
final March run and is there a way to
6:39
convey that to your teammates with what
6:41
this will be like and how important it
6:42
is?
6:42
>> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. For sure. I mean,
6:44
this is not only mine, but it's a few
6:46
other guys. It's it's Elijah, is, you
6:49
know, whoever else it could be. Uh, but
6:53
yeah. Yeah, it definitely has sunk in,
6:55
especially after, you know, losing a
6:57
tough one like this. Uh, in the ACC
7:00
tournament, we talked about how easy it
7:01
would be just to, you know, make a run
7:03
and try and win the thing. But, uh, we
7:06
did not execute that at all. So, it's
7:08
definitely settled in and we're going to
7:10
approach practice uh and and everything
7:14
else next week and in the best way
7:16
possible.
7:16
>> Seth, does this one sting any more than
7:19
a normal loss knowing how much effort
7:21
you guys took to get into the the game
7:24
at the end?
7:24
>> Uh, I mean, it stings cuz it's March.
7:27
You know, you can you can learn from
7:30
this and and and move on, you know,
7:33
without without not too much of a
7:34
problem in the regular season. But, you
7:36
know, a game like this in March, uh, you
7:38
come that close, but now you're out of
7:41
the ACC tournament, it it hurts. So, it
7:43
stands. So, definitely destin.
7:45
>> Seth, this is the first time you guys
7:46
have lost consecutive games since the
7:48
California trip. You guys obviously
7:50
bounced back from that one in a big way.
7:52
Got on the winning streak. How do you
7:54
recreate that these next few weeks?
7:56
>> Uh, just relying on our foundation. uh
7:59
you know the the things the coaches do
8:02
when when we've fallen down this year uh
8:04
they they've done a really good job and
8:06
the things that they've done have really
8:07
allowed us just to get back up on our
8:08
feet and and get back just playing the
8:11
right basketball we know we want to
8:12
play. So we rely on them we listen to
8:13
them and then we just take pride in this
8:15
thing. Uh you know I think if we really
8:18
do this for each other in the next three
8:20
weeks and we really fight and you know
8:22
we really have something to play for it
8:24
can take us a long way. Were there any
8:25
voices dur during timeouts when it
8:27
looked like you you could have easily
8:29
given up and then you
8:31
>> fought back?
8:31
>> Yeah. No, I mean everybody was a voice.
8:33
Literally everybody was a voice. I heard
8:34
everybody's voice especially in the
8:36
second half. Uh so yeah, guys did a
8:38
really good job of that. You know, as a
8:39
reason why we made a comeback, but we
8:41
just can't be in that position to start.
8:43
>> Jiren mentioned energy or the lack
8:45
thereof in the first half was kind of
8:47
what bit you guys got guys in that hole.
8:49
When you can sense that there's energy
8:51
lacking on the court, how can you
8:53
manufacture that? Uh just
8:57
just being as tough as possible out
8:58
there, trying to make uh the right
8:59
plays, trying to make tough plays, and
9:01
just playing with energy, you know, just
9:02
dabbing on the floor, getting a rebound,
9:04
pushing ball in transition. Any little
9:06
thing can spark a team like that, and we
9:09
found our spark, but it just it just
9:11
came way too late.
9:12
>> As you head into the tournament,
9:14
>> uh I mean, we know we can compete with
9:15
anybody. Um but, you know, we lost the
9:18
game. Um that's that's what matters in
9:20
the end. Uh, I mean, I guess we could
9:21
try and carry some of that momentum and
9:23
just use it as an example of what
9:25
happens when we have that competitive
9:26
fight, but um, you know, we lost.
9:30
>> What What were the issues with finding
9:31
an offensive rhythm for the better part
9:34
of the game before that last run?
9:36
>> Yeah. Uh, I think we were just getting a
9:38
little too stagnant. The ball was
9:39
sticking too much. Um, the way they were
9:41
playing the ball screens was was messing
9:42
us up a little bit. And uh I felt like,
9:45
you know, we just had to be better
9:46
flowing in our offense, moving the ball
9:48
side to side and getting some better
9:49
looks.
9:50
>> Sir, do you feel like you guys can go
9:51
into this tournament playing a little
9:53
bit more freely? I mean,
9:56
>> you lose tonight and that obviously has
9:58
gotten you guys down, but
10:00
>> feel like you have maybe a little chip
10:01
on your shoulder to prove that you guys
10:03
are a team to be contended for.
10:05
>> Uh for sure. Yeah. I mean, we believe we
10:07
can compete with anybody, beat anybody
10:08
in the country. Um, you know, we haven't
10:10
been our best the last two games, but
10:12
you know, [snorts] this is this is
10:13
March. This is what you play for. Um, so
10:15
we're definitely going to bring it uh in
10:17
the tournament. Um, you know, do it for
10:19
Caleb. Do it for all the guys that, you
10:20
know, aren't aren't able to play. Do it
10:21
for JB. Um, you know, we we got to be
10:23
better.
10:24
>> What was Clemson doing offensively? They
10:26
gave you guys trouble tonight.
10:28
>> Um, yeah, I think, uh, the way their
10:30
bigs could shoot, um, you know, we play
10:32
a drop. Uh, the way their bigs could
10:33
shoot was giving us trouble. Uh,
10:34
Davidson hit quite a few threes. Um, and
10:38
then they were just making some tough
10:39
shots in the mid-range and you know, our
10:41
defense got to be better. We got to make
10:42
a miss, but you know, those are kind of
10:43
the ones that we want them to take, but
10:44
they were just making them.
10:46
>> Derek, what was the difference in that
10:48
final run that you guys had to cut the
10:50
lead down to to one? Was it just as
10:52
simple as shots going in or was there
10:54
something else that changed from you
10:55
guys?
10:56
>> Uh, yeah, I mean, shots started to fall,
10:57
but I think it started defensively. Um,
10:59
you know, just a little bit more a
11:01
little bit more edge about us, a little
11:02
bit more fight. um and just trying to
11:04
really just trying to do whatever we
11:05
could to get back in that game.
11:06
>> Does that kind of give you a blueprint
11:08
of what to repeat um once the tournament
11:10
starts next week?
11:11
>> Yeah, I mean we got to come out the gate
11:12
with that um that fight, you know, we
11:14
can't waver, it can't, you know, start
11:16
slow, all those type of things. Um which
11:18
we've been, you know, struggling with
11:19
all year, but you know, now it's winter,
11:20
go home. We got we got to bring it.
11:23
>> What was what was Poke Game like with
11:24
some of the the veterans on this team,
11:25
the leaders of Elijah, Seth? Was there
11:27
anything specifically that sticks out
11:28
that you think maybe this whole team can
11:30
take and think about and move on and
11:32
sort of think back to to what someone
11:34
said? Yeah, I mean, um, you know,
11:36
emotional locker room. Um, a
11:38
[clears throat] lot of good things were
11:39
said that, you know, I think we can take
11:40
forward. Um, you know, like I said, you
11:42
know, is win or go home. You know,
11:44
tomorrow's not promised. And, you know,
11:45
I think that was the biggest message
11:46
that we we got out of this.
11:51
>> Thank you. Appreciate it.
11:54
>> Henry, what were the issues of of the
11:56
offense finding rhythm for the better
11:58
part of the game before you made that
11:59
run?
12:00
>> I mean, they were being physical. We
12:02
were kind of getting pushed off our
12:03
spots. Uh we were struggling to make
12:06
shots. Feel like we got a lot of good
12:08
ones and we just couldn't connect on
12:10
those. And then afterwards in the pick
12:12
and roll, they're being physical. They
12:13
were going under. It just kind of
12:17
disrupted our offense and we need to
12:18
kind of figure it out. Then I think
12:20
afterwards [music] we just everybody
12:22
stopped really caring about if like
12:25
being scared to make mistakes. They just
12:27
kind of started playing desperate like I
12:28
said before. But I think that way
12:31
everybody had ultimate confidence to
12:32
take every shot and that kind of worked.
12:34
So we kind of keep that mindset, look
12:36
back on the film. Obviously, we have now
12:38
a week to prepare for the next game and
12:41
just play as hard as we can and go from
12:44
there. Everybody needs to have 1,000%
12:46
confidence. We know we play for a bigger
12:49
place than ours. We play more for
12:51
ourselves. We have a jersey with a UNC
12:54
logo on with one of the biggest San
12:56
Patri, one of the biggest schools in
12:58
college basketball. So, we play for a
13:00
lot more people than just us. I know
13:02
this loss is devastating for everybody
13:03
in this team cuz obviously we want to
13:05
win this tournament then play tomorrow
13:07
and play the next day. But I know
13:09
there's a lot of fans who are right now
13:11
just as upset us and I'm sorry for
13:13
>> sorry never cause that.
13:17
>> Sorry if you already asked us. aren't
13:18
able to hear you, but what do you think
13:19
was the biggest difference in the first
13:21
third? Was it a competitive fight? And I
13:22
think that's a common theme that a lot
13:24
of guys were saying. And what do you
13:25
think you guys can do to bring that from
13:27
the jump? I know we've talked about it a
13:28
lot this year.
13:29
>> Uh, I feel like we kind of had it from
13:32
the jump and then they just kind of went
13:33
on some runs where we just have to
13:35
really make sure we don't like do
13:38
multiple mistakes in a row. We can have
13:39
one, so we can't have three in a row cuz
13:41
that's how people go on runs and we kind
13:44
of dig ourselves in too much big of a
13:46
hole to come back from. But I think
13:48
today we actually won the rebounding by
13:49
like 10. And
13:51
>> like I said,
13:53
>> I know the team overall did a good job
13:55
of not turning the ball lower. I had
13:56
six, so I need to do a better job of
13:58
that. But I think if we rebound like
14:00
this and fight hard and they kind of
14:03
played us oneonone a lot, then I think
14:05
that hurt us. We just kind of need to
14:07
draw a line in the sand and say like you
14:09
can't score on me and just get stops
14:11
that way. We can kind of they don't run
14:14
the down and make a shot. That's
14:15
what really hurt us. them running the
14:17
clock down wasn't as bad, but them
14:18
hitting those all those many hurt us a
14:20
lot.
14:21
>> How do you balance the first 33 minutes
14:22
versus really the last couple of
14:24
minutes? And where do you sort of what
14:26
do you take from him?
14:28
>> I mean, it shows a lot about this team's
14:30
character, the resilience, the way we're
14:33
down, I don't know how much, like 16,
14:35
13, 18 at the end and we cut it back to
14:37
one and we're one shot away from winning
14:40
or going to overtime. I mean that would
14:43
have meant a lot for all of us, but it
14:44
just shows the fight as a team and how
14:46
much everybody really cares and wants
14:48
this team to win.
14:49
>> Is that something you guys take moving
14:50
forward? Is that sort of one of the keys
14:52
or what are you going to look forward?
14:53
>> I feel like
14:54
>> we haven't been we haven't proved
14:56
anything this season cuz we have lost a
14:58
lot of it. We have had we had a good
15:00
home record, but besides that, we have
15:02
had a lot of disappointments that we
15:03
shouldn't have had. I think now we just
15:05
kind of got to play desperate for the
15:07
rest of the year and
15:08
>> try to prove something that this team
15:10
can do. Do you feel like being in the
15:12
NCAA tournament when it's win or go home
15:14
will sort of bring that sense of urgency
15:16
and desperation just naturally out when
15:17
it could be your last game?
15:18
>> Yeah, I feel like even here kind of we
15:21
know that this is a win or go home
15:22
tournament like
15:24
>> we expected to be here until Saturday
15:26
and now we're going home tomorrow
15:28
morning. So just this is the horrendous
15:32
feeling feeling like this knowing that
15:34
we let everybody down. we let ourselves
15:36
down
15:38
>> and yeah, I think we're definitely going
15:40
to have a good get better week and then
15:43
hopefully we can make a run in March,
15:45
really show what this team really can
15:47
do. I know Kale Whistle has been a big
15:49
part of this team success, but we don't
15:50
have him and I think we can do it
15:52
without him. We just really need to
15:55
>> pull ourselves together. Everybody got
15:56
to give 110% of their effort. Just do
15:59
whatever they can to help the team win.
16:01
I think if we play like that and play
16:02
that, we can definitely win. There are a
16:04
lot of people here in this locker room
16:06
who have played in and won a lot of NCAA
16:08
tournament games. You, Seth, Jiren. Do
16:10
you feel like that helps going into the
16:11
next?
16:11
>> Sure. Yeah. I think
16:13
>> everybody here is like postseason
16:15
experience and it's going to help us a
16:16
lot.
16:17
>> We kind of know I have seen so many
16:20
seniors
16:20
>> uh lose that last game and go back to
16:23
locker room and fall out crying just the
16:26
moments you have after that. And I don't
16:27
want to feel that. I just want to make
16:29
this team be able to stand on a Monday
16:31
night and push every single second we
16:35
got to help all the fans and community
16:37
feel the joy of winning and I think
16:40
everybody in this locker room wants
16:41
that.
16:42
>> What worked for you? I mean they were
16:43
double teaming you a lot and you still
16:45
got career highs points and rebounds.
16:48
>> Yeah, I think just having the effort to
16:50
go rebounding gave me a lot of points.
16:51
my teammates found me in short roll
16:54
three-pointers that helped just being
16:56
able to kind of go to work, be physical,
16:58
just kind of I know last game had his
17:01
best game, careerhigh in points, so kind
17:04
of took that personal. He had that on
17:06
me. So, I wanted to have a good game,
17:08
make sure that I play better than them,
17:09
but it wasn't enough what we did today.
17:12
>> Jiren said that you were telling your
17:14
teammates to be more physical. What were
17:15
just some of the other things that you
17:17
were telling them maybe in those
17:18
timeouts? Yeah, I mean
17:20
>> we were down 18 like you said like it's
17:24
that's horrible. It shows that we just
17:26
got to be we can't let them score on us
17:27
oneonone. They literally spaced us out
17:30
and just went oneonone and scored on us.
17:31
We just got to be physical. Draw a line
17:33
in the sand and say you're not scoring.
17:38
You have work