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#UNC players Kyan Evans, Seth Trimble, Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar after beating Kansas
Nov 8, 2025
#UNC players Kyan Evans, Seth Trimble, Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar after beating Kansas
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0:00
and allowed you guys to play with more
0:01
pace in the second half.
0:03
Uh I think we just settled in and um you
0:06
know first first big home game with the
0:08
crowd. First half was a little shaky and
0:10
then I think we just settled in second
0:12
half and just started playing more like
0:13
ourselves
0:14
with the fact that it was a you know a
0:16
big home game. I know you obviously want
0:17
to you know kind of take things one at a
0:19
time. How do you feel that you guys
0:20
responded to that and you know kind of
0:22
embraced that because obviously I saw at
0:23
the end you guys were kind of hyping the
0:25
crowd up. How do you feel you kind of
0:26
embraced the the
0:27
Yeah, I mean we love the crowd. They
0:29
brought us energy and um you know we got
0:31
to kind of give a little give and take
0:33
with them so it's fun just to interact.
0:35
Seemed like they were trying to get the
0:36
ball out of your hands in the first
0:37
half. What changed in the second half?
0:39
Um I think just being more assertive
0:42
just just uh just getting my space and
0:45
getting to my spots.
0:46
And then then 10 turns in the first
0:48
half, one in the second half. Just
0:50
better decisions or just how do you
0:52
explain that?
0:53
I think that was just a little bit of
0:54
just settling in. Uh, like I said, I
0:57
think just we were a little we were a
0:58
little sped up in the first half and
0:59
then we just settled in second half and
1:01
and played like ourselves.
1:02
Was there anyone at halftime who spoke
1:04
up, either a player or a coach? He sort
1:05
of got y'all going.
1:07
I think the whole team kind of just came
1:08
together, said what they had to say and
1:10
um we knew what it was. We knew what we
1:12
had to do.
1:14
Caleb certainly, you know, showed up to
1:16
the moment, you know, but kind of the
1:18
way in which he was getting them turn
1:19
shots and everything like that. just
1:21
what did you make of, you know, his his
1:23
ability to kind of, you know, be
1:24
efficient in all?
1:26
I mean, we see it every day. So, uh,
1:29
it's not as crazy to us, but I mean, for
1:31
for him to come out and perform like
1:33
that, uh, just a young dude like he is,
1:36
uh, special.
1:37
We talking to Hubrick yesterday. He was
1:38
kind of saying he was kind of saying
1:39
that, you know, Caleb was especially
1:41
locked in throughout throughout the
1:42
week. Did you notice that at all? Did
1:44
you see any kind of changes?
1:46
Uh, I think he takes his craft extremely
1:48
serious uh, all the time. I I haven't
1:50
seen him as a young guy just not just
1:52
kind of fade away. He doesn't do that.
1:54
He's just always locked in. That's what
1:56
makes him who he is.
1:58
What was the message at halftime from
1:59
from the coaches?
2:01
Uh they said we just got to cut down on
2:03
the turnovers and and just start start
2:05
playing more like ourselves.
2:07
You guys played the starting five most
2:09
of the way in the second half at the
2:11
bench. How connected was that group and
2:13
how do you think the pieces in that five
2:15
really fit together and match? Um, I
2:18
mean, we play together every day and
2:20
that's what we're building for. So, I
2:22
think uh I I think we're great together,
2:24
but I think we have a lot of
2:25
combinations we can throw in and be
2:27
successful with.
2:29
You need that fight. You need that
2:30
energy in you. Uh, so I absolutely love
2:32
seeing that from Caleb. I mean, it
2:33
turned us up a little bit and even
2:35
though we went down a little bit, I
2:36
mean, he was he was our energy source
2:37
for that little for that little bit.
2:39
You mentioned guys playing scarier in
2:40
the first half
2:44
your role in that you had to change. I
2:46
got to be much more aggressive. I got to
2:48
be much more aggressive. Uh I mean
2:51
anytime throughout the day. What up big
2:52
dog? My guy right here. I got to be much
2:54
more aggressive all throughout the game.
2:56
Continue to get downhill and then
2:57
continue to shoot the open shot. I don't
2:59
know what I shot today, but in the first
3:02
half in the second half,
3:03
okay, in the first half, it was just a
3:05
little bit unacceptable. Uh you know,
3:07
that's what the team needs from me. I'm
3:08
such a dynamic guy getting downhill and
3:09
being a crazy guy. So it's selfish of me
3:12
to to not play like that at all times.
3:13
Seth, you played a lot of balls here.
3:15
You played a lot of ball here that
3:17
second half. The outsore Kansas 5837.
3:19
Where does that compare to halves of
3:21
basketball that this team has played
3:22
since you've been here?
3:23
Man, that was that was a pretty complete
3:26
uh second half. That was a pretty
3:28
complete second half. Uh I mean, it was
3:31
incredible. It was incredible. I mean,
3:32
everybody stepped up so much in that
3:34
second half. Uh like I said earlier, I
3:36
still feel like I played pretty bad, but
3:38
I stepped it up a little bit. But I
3:41
mean, that was completely played. So on
3:42
the defensive end, we rebounded well,
3:44
got to the free throw line. We led up a
3:46
little bit uh with like 3 minutes left
3:48
to go, but that was our only laps in
3:49
that in that second half.
3:50
I was going to say Oh, sorry. I was
3:52
going to say your first turnover came
3:53
with like 322 left in the second half.
3:56
Did you know that you hadn't committed
3:57
any turnovers?
3:58
I had no idea. I had no idea. You know,
4:00
when you're commit a lot of turnovers,
4:02
you're not thinking about it when you're
4:03
not committing any turnovers.
4:04
What are the challenges of of Garden
4:06
Peterson and what were you trying to do
4:07
with him?
4:08
Just make it tough. Uh, I know I'm a
4:10
really good defender. Uh, but he's an
4:13
elite scorer. I mean, as you saw
4:15
tonight, I feel like we played
4:16
incredible defense on him. We made it
4:18
very, very tough. And he still had 22,
4:20
whatever it was. You know, he's that
4:22
kind of guy where he's going to make
4:24
shots. He's going to get to his spots
4:26
and, you know, he's he's he's going to
4:28
play well. So, you just got to make it
4:28
as tough as you can. But, I feel like we
4:30
did a really good job of that tonight.
4:33
New players on the team this year. Um,
4:35
so how has that affected the chemistry
4:36
on and off the court? Like how are you
4:38
keeping the Carolina strong?
4:39
Yeah, that chemistry, you know, you
4:41
don't even think about it now. It's
4:42
completely it's 100%. It's it's there.
4:44
You don't even think about obviously in
4:45
the summertime you want to build it up,
4:47
but we did such a good job hanging out
4:48
in the summertime building that
4:50
connection off of the court. So, we
4:51
really had that trust with each other on
4:52
the court. So,
4:53
you said something a second ago online
4:55
chemistry about 23 years. Did you harp
4:59
on the 23 years and this to those guys?
5:01
And is that part of connecting this? And
5:03
once you learn to play for this, it kind
5:04
of takes you to a different level.
5:06
Absolutely. Absolutely. I told him guys
5:07
in the locker room, coach told them, uh,
5:09
you know, we told them we represent this
5:12
university tonight. We protect our floor
5:14
and we're not losing. You know, like I
5:16
said, we're North Carolina. It's a to
5:18
not be a team for 23 years. That's
5:21
that's
5:23
Yeah, that's a lot of years.
5:24
Was that the halftime speech,
5:26
huh?
5:26
Was that the halftime speech?
5:27
That was the pregame speech. Uh, the
5:28
halftime speech was just to be ourselves
5:30
in the second half. You know, relax. It
5:33
was our first big game together that
5:34
actually counted. Uh, so just relax, be
5:37
there for each other, and just just play
5:39
our game. That was that was the halftime
5:40
spre.
5:43
Uh, how much did you or did you not
5:46
think about last year in Lawrence? I
5:48
mean, you guys had a tremendous second
5:50
half. Took the lead,
5:52
but you couldn't finish it. You know
5:54
what I'm saying? Like, you did finish it
5:55
tonight. You know, you didn't let it get
5:57
away.
5:58
Absolutely. Absolutely.
5:59
Was that a motivating factor in some
6:00
ways?
6:01
It definitely was. It definitely was.
6:03
Uh, like I said, at 23 years piece was
6:05
the biggest motivator. Uh, Coach Davis
6:08
not beating Kansas until now was a huge
6:10
motivator. And then, yeah, that I mean,
6:13
we came back down from 20 last year and
6:15
we're up four with three minutes left
6:17
and we let the game go. So, it was a
6:18
huge motivation for me. I'm carrying the
6:20
turnover from the last two years. It was
6:22
a get back game. It was a get back game
6:23
and I let that be known that. I said,
6:25
"Y'all got to ride for me. Ride for AD.
6:27
Let's go get it."
6:28
Everybody just got got a call pretty
6:31
much.
6:35
Seth tried to say it went straight to
6:37
you. But what did you see on that? What
6:39
did that do in terms of that top?
6:41
I'm a freak athlete. So whenever I see a
6:42
chance to get to the rim, I'm doing it.
6:44
I'm not going to try to get out there
6:46
and shoot threes. If I have to, I will.
6:48
But nobody's made me do that yet. So
6:50
every time I see opportunity to get to
6:52
the rim, that's what I'm going to do.
6:53
Until somebody stop me and people say I
6:55
can't shoot, they don't even know.
6:57
I'm just going to keep being aggressive
6:58
for sure. As long as I see the ball
7:00
going anywhere near the rim, I'm going
7:01
to get it. I feel like I'm going to get
7:02
it from from anybody or anybody.
7:05
Games like tonight, why you came here?
7:06
I didn't hear you say one time.
7:08
Games like tonight, why you came to
7:09
Carolina?
7:09
I I I thought I was coming here or I
7:11
kind of knew I was coming here after I
7:12
seen him play Duke and beat him. So, I
7:14
was like, man, don't get no better for
7:15
sure.
7:16
Has your intensity ever been this high?
7:18
I mean, some of the hustle plays you
7:19
were making early in the game and just
7:23
running for diving for loose balls or
7:25
whatnot. Is it is that as most intense
7:27
game as you've played?
7:29
Uh
7:30
probably at this level in college. Uh
7:33
it's definitely an adjustment. Um and
7:35
you know people like to refer to me as a
7:37
star player or something like that, but
7:38
at the end of the day I'm going to do
7:40
the same thing that the last person on
7:41
the bench is expected to do. Just dive
7:43
on the floor and get those balls. I'm
7:44
not going to act like I'm a primadon or
7:46
act like I'm pretty. Like that's what it
7:47
takes to win. So if whatever it takes to
7:49
win, I'm going to do it. And that's what
7:50
I needed to do to win right there. And
7:52
it turned out in my favor. Caleb, you
7:54
mentioned that you get to the rim a lot
7:55
is what you do. You know, your
7:56
athleticism. Tonight, I believe you hit
7:58
at least two, maybe three mid-rangers.
8:00
You had that nice little turnaround. Can
8:01
you speak a little bit to the
8:02
development of your jumper? Even going
8:04
back, you know, watching you at at with
8:06
the Night Riders on Peach Jam like what
8:07
is it, two years ago, or even on the EBL
8:09
circuit the year before that? It just
8:11
seems like your jumper's come such a
8:12
long way. Like what what's been the
8:14
process behind that?
8:15
I mean, I just focused on it so much
8:16
before the season cuz like college,
8:18
you're playing against higher level
8:19
players and you can't always get to the
8:21
rim. You got fouls and you got people
8:23
that can block your shot, especially at
8:25
my height. So, I just realized I had to
8:28
change my game, be more of a
8:29
facilitator, more of a playmaker, try to
8:30
get a lot of assists, try to create for
8:32
others, and also I work a lot on my ball
8:34
handling and just shooting, doing
8:35
everything really. I'm not I focused on
8:37
my jump shot a lot, especially when I
8:38
first got here to, you know, expand my
8:40
game, but that's really it.
8:42
A lot of guys have been pointing to the
8:44
health you being at home to be able to
8:45
get a win like this.
8:46
Oh, man. That crowd was insane. Like, I
8:48
think first half was struggling cuz we
8:49
couldn't hear each hear each other a
8:51
little bit. the second half we had to
8:52
get a little bit louder and turn it up
8:54
cuz man the fans were supporting us.
8:56
They sent a full house. It's amazing to
8:57
play in this environment.
8:58
Is it one of the best atmospheres you've
8:59
ever played in anything you think?
9:00
Oh, for sure.
9:01
How how do you feel probably get these
9:03
guys? I mean you you you didn't get them
9:04
at Arizona, did you?
9:06
We beat them once we lost
9:06
one. Okay. So, but but to get them like
9:09
this
9:10
Yeah, for sure. Setting like first
9:13
really big time game of the season and
9:14
we were able to win that helps us set
9:16
the tone and just the game like amazing
9:18
the energy we had as a team. the bond
9:20
we're building next to that. And I feel
9:22
like if you win this game, we kind of
9:24
know that we're doing it right and we're
9:25
just stacking details and stack things
9:27
get better as long as the season come
9:28
over and but if you lose this game
9:30
sometimes people are going to have a
9:31
little doubt in their mind and this kind
9:32
of clears it up and that's I think the
9:34
best part of it.
9:35
Henry, I'm sorry if you already asked
9:37
this but halftime locker room guys
9:39
playing a little scared, a little
9:40
nervous. What what happened in there?
9:42
What was said to kind of get you guys to
9:44
come out as well as you did in the
9:45
second half?
9:45
I mean I don't think we played nervous
9:46
or anything like we were we gave good
9:49
effort. we were fighting. We just
9:50
weren't making shots. And the other part
9:51
was like we weren't getting great shots
9:53
cuz we we're set up we call them foul on
9:55
us quick. I think they had like seven
9:56
minutes left and then we stopped trying
9:57
to drive the basketball. We started
9:59
shooting and kind of just we had to
10:01
switch our mindset that we need to get
10:02
what we want rather than take what they
10:04
give us.
10:05
What were the emotions of that early
10:07
second half run? I mean, you had two
10:08
dunks during that spree. I mean,
10:11
what were the emotions of the team
10:12
during that run?
10:13
Man, I feel like we felt we were on top.
10:15
like we thought we were getting
10:16
everything back. At halftime we went in,
10:18
they were up and we were at home court
10:19
and we wanted to protect the home court
10:20
and so just having those two dunks and
10:22
like afterwards we had multiple threes
10:24
too. Just having that energy but that we
10:26
built from them them having called a
10:28
timeout like we I think couple minutes
10:30
in there were only one time out left for
10:32
them. So just being able to set the tone
10:34
and take those away for late game
10:35
scenarios like that's that's amazing.
10:37
That feels great. You just feel like
10:38
you're beating off that energy because
10:39
you know that they're getting they call
10:41
the timeout because they're not doing
10:42
enough. they're going to get yelled at
10:43
by their coach, everything. So, we know
10:45
that we were feeding off it. They're
10:46
losing their time. I was like, "It
10:47
didn't feel great as a competitive."
10:49
What was the was the design coming out
10:50
of the second half in that first
10:51
possession for you to kind of be able to
10:52
pick and roll? It just sort of happened
10:54
that way.
10:56
Honestly, I feel like I'm so in a energy
10:59
rush. I don't really remember. I would
11:01
tell you, but I don't remember.
11:03
I'm kind of just happy that we won the
11:05
game.
11:06
Yeah. for for you Henry as somebody
11:07
who's come in this off seasonason
11:08
obviously a lot of new pieces it sounds
11:10
like there was a big point emphasis both
11:11
from Seth and coach Davis this week we
11:13
haven't beat these guys in 23 years how
11:15
h how did you sort of process that what
11:17
did that mean to you as someone who is
11:18
still somewhat new to the
11:20
yeah I had learned that today and I was
11:22
like we're changing that I coach asked
11:24
before the game what we going to do with
11:25
this moment and I was like beat them
11:27
that's it I said probably my own way but
11:30
co I think everybody got the message and
11:32
everybody was fired up for the game and
11:34
I was I have So much respect for all
11:36
these guys. The way they throw in the
11:38
ball, the way they play, everybody who
11:39
came in, gave effort. Zaden High was
11:41
amazing with offensive rebounds. Like
11:43
those little things he did, they was at
11:45
the end of the game stack up.
11:46
What would you how would you evaluate
11:47
Cameron's play first big time game?
11:49
I mean, he's just an amazing player. I
11:51
don't even know what else to say.
11:52
Everybody already knows how good he is
11:53
and just him being able to show, but I
11:55
think the most impressive board was his
11:56
effort. The way he throw the board in
11:58
the first half, like
11:59
second half, like three minutes left,
12:01
the full length of the
12:01
No. Yeah. just getting the ball and like
12:03
diving on the ball and getting that foul
12:05
and find a crowd of like as a freshman
12:07
and how young he is. That's so
12:08
impressive with the experience he's only
12:10
had being able to make those plays and
12:12
not be scared of the moment. He's a big
12:14
time player.
12:15
How'd you deal with the physicality of
12:16
their center inside?
12:18
I don't feel like it was anything that
12:20
I'm not used to. I feel like Big 12 was
12:22
very physical last year, so I'm kind of
12:24
used to it as well as the way they play.
12:26
I was going to Yeah, I was going to say,
12:27
you know, coming from Arizona last year,
12:28
coming from the Big 12, do you think
12:30
that having experienced a couple games
12:31
against these guys under your belt, you
12:32
know, kind of prepared you and helped
12:33
you perform the way you did tonight?
12:35
No, for sure. I think I kind of knew
12:36
that they're going to throw something
12:38
tricky at us or like I was kind of
12:39
waiting for the back screen plays. I
12:41
think second half they ran one but they
12:42
didn't throw it. So, I think they're a
12:44
great team and they can really step our
12:46
moment and they were making all the
12:48
threes to stay in the game and we had to
12:49
keep closing out the game, make
12:51
offensive play, defensive plays and
12:53
they're a great team, great coaching and
12:55
I think I'm just happy the way we got it
12:57
done. How important is it for?