UNC Basketball: The Bench Provides a Much-Needed Spark

During the 2021-2022 season, the UNC Basketball program ran with a very small and limited bench. This season should be very different.

We have seen two games of the 2022-2023 version of UNC Basketball and already, the future is starting to take shape. Last season, Coach Hubert Davis had limited options to go to when the starters needed a minute or got in foul trouble. This year, Coach Davis has a number of options to go to.

During Friday night’s game versus College of Charleston, there were two key members of that new bench who both had an impact on the comeback win. Freshman Tyler Nickel and Seth Trimble may not have had huge nights, but their contributions need to be recognized and noted for the future.

Last night Trimble and Nickel provided some much-needed defense and offense in the big comeback win versus College of Charleston. While the early season “struggles” for the No. 1 ranked Tar Heels might concern fans, Coach Davis is working on figuring out who will be those key members of the rotation moving forward. Last night Trimble hounded the College of Charleston and caused problems. Meanwhile giving rest to players like Caleb Love and RJ Davis.

Nickel provided some offensive punch in the eight minutes he played last night. His final numbers were eight points and two assists. He was 1-2 from the three-point line and 5-6 from the free-throw line. If Davis can get that kind of production from him every game, he would certainly be thrilled.

We will continue to see rotations change and evolve as the season goes along but it is clear that the 2022-2023 version of UNC Basketball has options they simply did not have last season. I would anticipate this will continue to evolve as the Tar Heels move through the pre-ACC schedule.

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