Trimble’s Unintended Victims
Seth Trimble’s return to the line-up has seen immediate impacts, but not all of them are good. The senior guard scored 20 points and grabbed 7 boards to go along with 4 steals. He was a menace on the defensive end and gave North Carolina true grit when the game was a bit shaky.
But his insertion into the starting line-up is having downstream effects. Jarin Stevenson is out of the starting line-up. Luka Bogavac is finding himself lower on the pecking order now that Trimble is back. Bogavac started the game but only played 13 minutes, less time than three of UNC’s subs. He also went 0-for-5 from the floor and did not score for the first time this season.
It's also worth noting that Stevenson and Bogavac were the only two Tar Heels with negative +/- ratings.
It is imperative that these players get back on track. Hubert Davis cannot afford to have any passengers in his starting line-up, and Bogavac is still shooting a higher percentage from three than Kyan Evans. He’s a weapon that needs to keep firing, but he won’t be able to do that from the bench.