By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina fans gladly turned their attention to men’s basketball after watching the Tar Heels’ football team get blown out by Clemson, and they discovered that there are plenty of reasons to look forward to basketball season.
For the first time, fans got to see the new-look UNC team, complete with 10 newcomers, in a 24-minute scrimmage, with the White team defeating the Blue team 55–50 before a large crowd at the Smith Center that filled most of the lower arena.
It was a fast-paced, high-energy glimpse into what’s ahead, but it wasn’t without mistakes.
Coach Hubert Davis, who watched from the scorer’s table beside the usual home bench and didn’t talk to the media afterward, will undoubtedly want to address those turnovers in practice.
“Sloppy, sloppy, but expected,” said senior guard Seth Trimble, who scored 13 points and three 3-pointers for the Blue team. “Of course, really happy about how aggressive the guys played. Nobody, I think, shied away from the moment.”
All of the statistics mentioned are unofficial because official statistics weren’t released.
The NCAA hasn’t cleared junior wing Luca Bogavac to play yet, but his professional experience was obvious. He scored 14 points and four 3s, moved well without the ball, and connected on crisp passes.
Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar also showed range and touch inside, while West Virginia transfer Jonathan Powell hit two 3s for the White team.
“Luca’s a great player,” freshman forward Caleb Wilson said. “He’s a shooter, and he’s kind of a veteran. He played professional basketball overseas. He’s just a great guy. Honestly, he’s going to be good.”
Trimble echoed that assessment, saying, “He shot the ball extremely well. That’s what we need from him all year. He’s an incredible shooter. I think we all know that.”
Wilson, who played alongside Veesaar on the White team, impressed with his versatility and poise. He tied Powell for the team lead with 11 points and showcased both athleticism and maturity.
Wilson’s missed dunk quickly became a lighthearted moment — not just for fans, but for him. He said he never lets mistakes shake his confidence.
“Honestly, I feel like if I mess up — like this might seem crazy — I feel like in my head, I’ll be like, bro, the rim moved,” he said laughing.
Trimble said he had four turnovers, but plenty of other players had those issues as well, and said that he had a “good impression” from the game.
“You look at any team early in the season, you don’t see more turnovers than midway through the season. So, it’s just part of it,” Trimble said.
Trimble’s leadership on the court was obvious, even in a scrimmage, and he embraces that.
“It means a lot,” he said of his leadership role. “I’ve come a long way. I’ve worked extremely hard for it. So just to be able to be in this position… it means so much, but I just have to continue to embrace it.”
The Blue team consisted of Zayden High, Jarin Stevenson, James Brown, Trimble, Luca Bogavac, and Evan Smith. On the White team were Wilson, Veesaar, Kyan Evans, Jaydon Young, Powell, Elijah Davis and John Holbrook.
Wilson showed the confidence of a veteran and his typical intensity on defense.
“[That] always comes from work,” he said of that confidence. “Preparation is always key. As long as you put the work in, which I knew we were doing, I feel like we’re gonna win.”
Wilson said he was energized by his first time playing in front of Tar Heel fans.
“It was great. Honestly, I love hearing the roar after I dunk, even when I missed my dunk I should have made,” Wilson said with a grin. “Always knowing that it’s some support behind you and knowing that you have someone that you’re playing for — so it was good.”
Like Trimble, Wilson said turnovers were a product of growing chemistry that will only get better.
“We haven’t got our chemistry together yet,” Wilson said. “It’s a process. I feel like some of the mistakes are just not knowing where your teammates are going to be.”
But Wilson wasn’t concerned.
“A lot of people out there today were just having fun,” he said. “So, I don’t feel like it should be taken too seriously.”
That chemistry, Wilson said, has been building since the summer.
Check out plenty of a photo gallery from the scrimmage.
“It’s so hard to come together as a team,” he said. “We’re all from different backgrounds… some of us speak multiple languages. But I feel like it’s come a long way for sure.”
Those summer pick-up games and other battles helped the team come together, Wilson said.
“Definitely kind of [had] conflicts and confrontations, but it was all to gain respect for one another. So, once we gained respect, it kind of led to a positive outlook on everybody,” he said.
Trimble agreed that those early sessions were essential.
“The more you can get on the court with each other as a team, the more you can bond, the more you can jel,” he said. “Those open gyms were really important for us. Without them, guys wouldn’t be confident.”
Wilson, reflective even after a strong showing, said he still sees room to grow.
“Yeah, but I feel like I can do so much more,” he said when asked about his defensive impact. “That was my first time playing with a crowd. I’m definitely going to go back and look at things I could have done better.”
Young and Evans were impressive with their ballhandling.
For a first public look at a team filled with fresh faces, that fun, and the flashes of potential, were enough to stir excitement in Chapel Hill again.
NOTES — UNC plays another public scrimmage on Saturday, Oct .18, at Cherokee High School. Here are the details of that weekend and how to get tickets. … Freshman guard Derek Dixon and High Point transfer center Ivan Matlekovic (lower extremity) missed the scrimmage, as well as freshman guard Isaiah Denis (upper extremity). … UNC will play two exhibition games, facing BYU at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, in Salt Lake City (ESPN) and hosting Winston-Salem State at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29. … Carolina opens the season with two home games: Monday, Nov. 3, against Central Arkansas and Friday, Nov. 7 against Kansas. … The times for most regular-season games are expected to be released by early next week.
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The class for next season is listed.
| No./ Stars | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 star | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 3 star | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 5 star | Freshman | Sayon Keita | C | 7–0 | 215 |
| 4 star | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–7 | 190 |
| Freshman | Alexandros Samodurov | C | 6–11 | 212 | |
| RS freshman | Cade Bennerman — W | C | 7–0 | 205 | |
| Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — X | G | 6–9 | 215 | |
| Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 | |
| Sophomore | Matt Able — Y | G | 6–5 | 196 | |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Z | G | 6–3 | 174 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — ZZ | 2 | 6–3 | 193 | |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
W — Northwestern transfer. X — Virginia Tech transfer; Y — N.C. State transfer; Z — Utah transfer; ZZ — Buffalo transfer
Michael Malone’s coaching staff: Chuck Martin, Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May and Pat Sullivan; Deon Thompson will be a graduate assistant, and Brandon Robinson will reportedly have a support staff position.
Players who left for the transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 |
Schedule so far
(Other than the ACC/SEC Challenge, games without links revealed from reporting by Alex Rosinski or Rocco Miller)
(13 of 14 games)
Oct. 18 — exhibition game vs. Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis
Nov. 2 — vs. Western Carolina
Nov. 6 — vs. Wofford
Nov. 10 — vs. Wyoming
Nov. 13 — vs. Georgia
Nov. 20 — vs. Marshall
Nov. 27 — vs. West Virginia at the Dick Vitale Invitational at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center
Dec. 1 — vs. Arkansas in ACC/SEC Challenge
Dec. 6 — vs. Butler
Dec. 12 — at Georgetown
Dec. 15 (tentative date) — vs. N.C. State in a non-conference game in Greensboro
Dec. 19 — vs. Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden, 2:30 p.m.
Dec. 21 — vs. The Citadel
Jan. 30 — vs. Illinois in Nashville, Tenn.
ACC games
Home and away: Duke, Louisville
Home only: California, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU, Stanford, Virginia
Away only: Boston College, Florida State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Photos by Joshua Lawton
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