A key contributor will be sidelined for the UNC basketball program's game vs. Clemson

In a rather surprising announcement, we learned that the UNC basketball program will be without a key contributor on Tuesday night as they host Clemson.

It started with this report from Tar Heel Illustrated, who noted that sophomore guard Seth Trimble was not warming up with the team prior to tip-off.

Then, shortly before game time, it was announced that Trimble, along with Creighton Lebo, would not be available for tonight's game.

Trimble has elevated his game in his second season as a Tar Heel, as he's developed into the most reliable reserve for Hubert Davis' team. He not only continues to play elite defense but has added to his offensive game, showing the ability to get to the rim at will while also being able to knock down some shots from three-point range.

Given that Trimble averages just over 17 minutes per game, it will be really interesting to see how Hubert Davis elects to fill the minutes. If Elliot Cadeau stays out of foul trouble, we could see more minutes allocated to the freshman guard, but we could also see someone like Paxson Wojcik play a bigger role.

The hope is that this is not a long-term injury, as Trimble is very valuable to this UNC basketball team. Although the extent of the upper-body injury isn't disclosed, we'll have to wait and see how long this sidelines one of the most important players on this year's roster and how it could impact them moving forward.