By R.L. Bynum
CHEROKEE — At North Carolina’s final public scrimmage of the preseason, fans at Cherokee High School got a glimpse of what they can expect this season from Seth Trimble and Caleb Wilson — and much more.
But they also saw the No. 25 Tar Heels’ depth on display and the point guard matchup (top photo) that they missed in the Blue-White game two weeks earlier.
Before a spirited near-capacity crowd of more than 3,000 at the Charles George Memorial Arena on Saturday, Trimble scored 18 points and Wilson added 14 to lead the White team, but the Blue team won the 24-minute scrimmage 65–53.
Wilson’s tough defense was on display. At one point, he snagged a steal at midcourt and surged to the basket for a 3-point play. Wilson, who had seven rebounds, also had an impressive spin move inside for a 3-point play in the first half. Trimble scored 11 of his points in the second half and made all three of his 3-point attempts.
As with the Blue-White scrimmage two weeks earlier, Coach Hubert Davis sat at the scorer’s table, in his typical game-day garb, and observed. There weren’t official statistics released, so all statistics listed are unofficial. There was no media availability after the scrimmage.
Turnovers were a significant issue during the Blue-White scrimmage two weeks earlier, and although there was still some sloppiness at times, it improved substantially.
Player movement in half-court offense was impressive with screens on the wings, and there was a lot of unselfish play.
On the Blue team, coached by Brad Frederick and assisted by Marcus Paige, were Kyan Evans, Zayden High, Jaydon Young, Isaiah Denis, Henri Veesaar, Jarin Stevenson, Evan Smith and Luca Bogavac. Joining Trimble and Wilson on the White team, coached by Sean May and assisted by Pat Sullivan, were James Brown, Derek Dixon, Elijah Davis, Jonathan Powell, John Holbrook and Ivan Matlekovic.
Dixon, a freshman point guard who missed the Blue-White scrimmage with a lower-body concern, ran the show for the White team and battled evenly with Evans. Both players showcased their ball distribution and shooting skills, with Dixon scoring six points on 2 of 6 shots from 3-point range and Evans scoring five points, including one 3-pointer.
Two players who stood out were Stevenson, an Alabama junior transfer, and High, a sophomore who missed last season.
Stevenson looked confident and scored 13 points, including three 3-pointers, while High scored 14 points, including a 3-pointer and a free throw. High also took advantage of mismatches against shorter players at times.
Powell, a West Virginia transfer, scored five points on a 3-pointer and an impressive baseline drive.
Veesaar got off to a slow start, missing his first few shots, but finished with 13 points, including a 3-pointer and some nice jump-hooks.
Elijah Davis, Hubert Davis’ son, showed off his perimeter game by sinking a pair of 3-pointers.
Bogavac had a relatively quiet game with five points, but made a nice spinning drive for a 3-point play. He went to the bench in the second half with what appeared to be a minor ankle tweak. He was walking fine after the game.
NOTES — On Friday, Carolina plays the first of two exhibition games. The Tar Heels will be at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City at 9 p.m. ET to face No. 8 BYU (ESPN+). The Cougars lost an exhibition game Saturday afternoon at Nebraska, 90–89. Sensational freshman A.J. Dybantsa scored 30 points. … On Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m., the Tar Heels play host to Winston-Salem State in the other exhibition game (streamed on goheels.com). … The team traveled by bus to Cherokee on Thursday, the first day of fall break at Carolina. … UNC opens the season with five home games, beginning with two 7 p.m. games; Central Arkansas (ACCN) on Monday, Nov. 3, and No. 19 Kansas on Friday, Nov. 14 (ESPN). … The team held an autograph session at Cherokee High School on Saturday morning. Fans who bought tickets to that could also attend the scrimmage. … The crowd sang “Happy Birthday” before the scrimmage for Matlekovic, who turned 21 on Saturday. He played after missing the Blue-White scrimmage and not participating full in the practice the media viewed. … Public release of full videos of the scrimmage was not permitted.
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| 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 | F | 6–10 | 215 |
| Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — ZZ | G | 6–3 | 193 | |
| Graduate | Cameron Fens — V | C | 7–0 | 255 | |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
V — South Dakota transfer; W — Northwestern transfer; X — Virginia Tech transfer; Y — ZZ N.C. State transfer; Z — Utah transfer; ZZ — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
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 revealed so far
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | ||
| 18 | Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis (exhibition) |
| November | ||
| 2 | Monday | vs. Western Carolina |
| 6 | Friday | vs. Wofford |
| 10 | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming |
| 13 | Friday | vs. Georgia |
| 20 | Friday | vs. Marshall |
| 27 | Friday | vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday | at Georgetown |
| 15 | Tuesday (date tentative) | vs. N.C. State in Greensboro |
| 19 | 2:30 Saturday | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York |
| 21 | Monday | vs. The Citadel |
| January | ||
| 30 | Saturday | vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
ACC games
Home and away: Duke and Louisville
Home only: California, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU, Stanford and Virginia
Away only: Boston College, Florida State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
Top photo, Trimble photo via @UNC_Basketball
