Up next in 10
#UNC's Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and Seth Trimble after win over ECU
Dec 23, 2025
#UNC's Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and Seth Trimble after win over ECU
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
I just know everybody's ready to go in
0:02
this break. We want to end it on a good
0:03
end it on a good note. So that kind of
0:05
approach made us just take the whole
0:07
game serious and make sure we play
0:08
throughout the game. So we left going on
0:10
break feeling good.
0:11
Most fast breaking points in a game
0:13
since the opener against Central
0:14
Arkansas. He had 17. Is it as simple as
0:16
Seth being back helps or was there
0:18
something else that was leading to that
0:19
tonight? I would definitely say set is a
0:21
big part, but uh uh we just honestly
0:24
just been playing just smart basketball
0:26
and just making sure you're emphasizing,
0:28
you know, with our with our size and
0:29
athleticism, just making sure we get up
0:30
the court.
0:31
Can we call Henry a three-point marksman
0:33
now?
0:33
I'm telling you, man, he he knocking him
0:35
down, honestly. Uh he's he's shooting
0:37
the ball well and I'm really happy for
0:39
him. I feel like it's really going to
0:40
stretch us stretch the defense out,
0:41
especially ACC play.
0:43
You've had a couple of dunks this year
0:44
where it's like you take your arms
0:46
longer than it is already very very
0:48
long. come up short on that. What
0:50
happens when when when you're in those
0:51
situations and you're just short on
0:53
good?
0:53
I just sometimes like I just be out
0:56
there having fun honestly like you
0:58
talking about the duck I miss today.
0:59
Yeah, there's been a couple like that.
1:01
I just I literally just be like, "Bro,
1:02
I'm about to try to duck with this dude
1:04
and if it if it go in or not, I just
1:07
live with it. But most of the time it go
1:08
in."
1:09
So there's just like a radius around the
1:10
basket where you're thinking you're
1:11
slamming it no matter what. Right.
1:13
Like if I'm inside if I'm on the ACC
1:15
logo, I'm trying to dunk it
1:17
on the ACC. Yeah, the lane. Yeah,
1:20
but uh it really if I look somebody in
1:23
the eyes before I dunk or before I'm
1:24
about to go, I'm about to try to dunk
1:26
it.
1:26
I feel like sometimes like like I try to
1:29
like sometimes I miss a layup cuz I'm
1:30
already thinking I'm about to duck on
1:32
this dude and then like I did that
1:33
today. I think I missed like a left head
1:35
layup. I was literally thinking I'm
1:36
about to duck on him. I want to duck on
1:37
him so bad.
1:38
Yeah, I was that far at long after the
1:40
one that you actually missed. It was
1:41
that same time frame I think when you
1:42
had that.
1:43
I wanted to dunk on him so bad. So when
1:45
when you have that and you kind of miss,
1:47
what do you think to yourself right
1:48
away? Do you do you mentally lock lock
1:50
it in like okay next time I got to be
1:52
like an inch closer or something like
1:53
that?
1:53
No, I just be like that's tough and just
1:55
keep it pushing honestly. I mean in like
1:57
a real like close game like I'm not
1:59
going to mess up. That's kind of how I
2:01
feel.
2:01
Understood.
2:01
Yeah. But I was just out there trying to
2:03
have fun. I really wasn't dumping that
2:04
dude.
2:05
You a little extra edge after you got
2:07
caught that favorite foul. It seemed
2:08
like the next few times down court you
2:10
were really
2:11
Yeah. I didn't get that one honestly cuz
2:13
uh he was like he was hooking me. I just
2:15
tried to get him off me cuz I don't want
2:16
to hurt my shoulder or anything like
2:17
that. So I just slung. But I mean I I
2:21
was I was kind of pissed off about it.
2:23
But honestly, you know, everybody's
2:25
going to try to throw whatever they can
2:27
at me. So kind of just like all right,
2:29
that's what we're going to do. Let's
2:30
just go.
2:31
Just another chapter. Something
2:32
different every game.
2:33
Yeah. Just something to learn from
2:34
honestly. Like the rest are going to
2:35
call the game that way. I just got to
2:37
adjust how I play.
2:38
Have you tried dunking from the free
2:39
throw line?
2:40
I can do it. Yeah,
2:41
I can't do it. Uh I did it maybe like
2:43
a month ago. My legs used to be fresh.
2:46
I mean, this is your fourth game in 10
2:48
days.
2:49
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm not going to
2:50
lie. That uh we have I think we have a
2:52
stretch in play when we play Saturday
2:55
and Monday. But learning from this, I'll
2:57
work make sure I like work my recovery
2:59
and stuff like that cuz Ohio State game
3:00
was tough and physical. Just got to make
3:02
sure I get in the cold and stuff like
3:03
that.
3:03
It's good prep for the tournament
3:04
though, isn't it?
3:05
That's exactly how it is. Were there
3:07
talk about you you guys have gotten some
3:09
off some bad starts particularly in the
3:11
first half. Was there talk before this
3:12
game how we got to clear this up and
3:14
stop doing that?
3:15
We literally cuz ACC plays next week. So
3:18
we know how serious it's getting and uh
3:21
just just had to approach the game in
3:22
the right way.
3:23
Caleb, what excites you the most about
3:24
going on conference play for the first
3:26
time?
3:26
Amazing job showing me all the film on
3:28
everything that we did over summer in
3:29
practices in the games. Just seeing
3:31
where I had passed out on threes or
3:33
where I can hunt them better. When you
3:36
shoot a three and guys try to close out
3:38
on you, it doesn't look like they're
3:40
closing out because because of your
3:41
length, dude. So, you can shoot it and
3:44
the close out doesn't even matter.
3:45
Uh, I mean, the closure always matters,
3:47
but I feel like just knowing that you
3:49
can shoot your own rhythm shot, keep it.
3:51
I know I have a high release point. I'm
3:52
7 foot, so I can I have a pretty high
3:54
arc, too, so I feel like I can get my
3:56
normal shot off there with even a close
3:58
out, but you definitely have to be aware
4:00
of how close the defender is. What's the
4:02
most you've ever hit when you're in a
4:04
gym by yourself or with a few other
4:06
people shooting or student manager
4:08
working with you? What's the most? Yeah,
4:10
I think like 26 28.
4:13
When was that?
4:14
Uh I think that was
4:17
that was like a year ago. I think a year
4:19
and a half ago, a little bit even maybe
4:20
more. A little more. I think I haven't
4:23
made that many in a row, but I think
4:24
that's probably the best one where I was
4:26
counting cuz I feel like a lot of times
4:27
I'm not counting as much. one question.
4:30
So, you had four threes today. You had
4:32
five assists Saturday in the last 16
4:34
minutes of the game.
4:35
Describe yourself as a unique big man.
4:38
You're unique and that you can do that.
4:39
Not a lot of bigs can do that. So,
4:41
describe yourself as a player with those
4:42
two things in mind.
4:43
I mean, I feel like just being as a big,
4:46
it definitely adds a little bit of
4:47
versatility to the offense. being able
4:49
to shoot threes, making the bigs come
4:51
out, maybe not as easy, being in a drop
4:53
and like putting two on the ball against
4:55
the guards cuz I can shoot it off and
4:57
they have a long close up. And for the
4:59
passing, I feel like just making the
5:00
right reads, keeping the game simple. I
5:03
think I need to do a better job of
5:04
keeping my turnovers low. So, just
5:06
making easy passes. Sometimes like the
5:09
assists are one thing, but I feel like I
5:11
kind of understand it like just having
5:12
hockey assist kind of being able to pass
5:14
and then give an extra like I get just
5:16
as much a joy out of that as an assist.
5:18
As long as the team scores and we make
5:19
the right plays, I think that's awesome.
5:21
What kind of range do you have? I've
5:22
seen you in warm-ups with your feet on
5:24
the graphical representation of the
5:26
state of North Carolina and making it
5:28
easily.
5:29
I mean, I feel like everybody who's a
5:32
decent shooter can make it from there. I
5:33
just use it more as like being able to
5:36
like whenever I worked out with uh I had
5:40
a coach in Arizona, coach Ken, you know,
5:42
he kind of made me shoot over summer
5:44
from the far beyond NBA line. just being
5:47
able to really use my feet and get
5:49
better mechanics out of it. So, I kind
5:50
of before every game try to shoot from
5:52
far away to make sure my feet are
5:53
involved and just don't shoot with my
5:55
arms.
5:55
Is that this past summer or is that
5:57
previous?
5:57
That was previous summer.
5:58
Oh, sorry. Um then last a lot of uh
6:02
questions on the three-point shot, but
6:04
okay, for my math with a minimum of six
6:06
attempts, you're leading the team in
6:09
three-point percentage 52 53 season. Um,
6:15
is
6:16
Yeah.
6:17
Okay. I surpris Okay.
6:19
Yeah, that surprised me. I didn't think
6:20
it was in the 50s. I know it was like I
6:22
thought it was like 40s or like low 40s.
6:24
That's what I thought. But that's good
6:26
news.
6:27
Okay. There you go. There you go.
6:28
Henry, this was you guys' fourth game in
6:30
10 days. Caleb was mentioning that um
6:33
his legs were a little tired with the
6:34
short turnout from Ohio State. Was it
6:36
nice to have a game where you didn't
6:37
have to play 35 36 minutes? to just kind
6:39
of watch.
6:41
I mean,
6:43
I feel like being able to play games is
6:44
just fun. So, I don't really care how
6:47
much I'm going to play as long as I can
6:48
get out there and compete and be able to
6:50
help the team win. Like just the
6:52
enjoyment of playing basketball. Like I
6:53
get to do this and it's really fun just
6:56
being able to play basketball. I'm
6:58
grateful to have it. I feel like just
7:00
overall like full games in 10. Like I
7:03
sometimes think the practices might be
7:04
worse than games and for games it's fun.
7:06
you have the adrenaline like you're
7:08
competing against new players not
7:09
against the same guys in practice so I
7:12
can't complain like your body can get a
7:13
little bit tired but just do a little
7:15
bit extra treatment with dog or like
7:17
take care of your body and you're going
7:18
to be all right
7:19
and it's a nice prep for how it is in
7:20
March with conference and NCAA
7:22
tournaments right
7:23
for sure yeah I feel like
7:25
professionalize everybody here I think
7:27
wants to be a pro basketball player so
7:28
you're going to have tournaments you're
7:30
going to have games where you're going
7:31
to play maybe even more than four games
7:33
in 10 days
7:34
you obviously you have the green light
7:36
from three. But is the coaches
7:38
encouraging you to shoot more? It seems
7:40
like you could score a lot more from
7:41
three-point range if you took it more.
7:43
What's been the discussion there?
7:45
I mean, just take good ones. That's been
7:47
like really the discussion. Couldn't say
7:49
h good shots. And whenever I can find
7:51
easy shots, best if it's not here early
7:54
in the shot clock, but if you open it
7:56
early shot clock, shoot it. Just kind of
7:58
let the play develop. Let the defense
8:00
maybe make a mistake. And if they don't,
8:02
just see whether they're a little bit
8:04
far off, zagging off or let it fight cuz
8:06
I think it's a great shot. The coaches
8:07
agree it's a great shot.
8:09
Now, you've had a lot of a lot of games
8:10
like this where where you're a lot more
8:12
talented than the other team, but you've
8:14
got slow starts or bad endings and then
8:17
little lags in between, but this was you
8:19
played well the whole game. Was there
8:21
talk about how you needed to put a game
8:23
like this together?
8:24
No, for sure. I think it's good. We put
8:26
two halves together playing great
8:27
basketball from for the whole 40
8:30
minutes. And I think that we got to keep
8:31
that up. That's been a big emphasis for
8:34
us in full moon. Seeing that, oh,
8:35
there's like five, six minute breaks
8:37
where the other team go to run. And it's
8:39
not really them going on run. It's more
8:41
us making continuous mistakes and just
8:43
being able to stack like go one for one
8:45
in many areas of the game and stack good
8:48
possessions. It's really good for the
8:50
team overall and it helps us win games.
8:52
Conference play from here.
8:54
I'd love to see that this value, but
8:55
it's no surprise.
8:59
Yes, sir. all these games with with
9:01
against teams that you guys are
9:03
obviously a lot better then you've
9:04
gotten off to slow starts in the first
9:07
half and had these long ls. Was there a
9:10
lot of talk about how you had you guys
9:12
had to put two halves together like you
9:14
did tonight.
9:14
Uh we just wanted to put them away right
9:16
away right away. That was the talk uh
9:18
for that was our pregame talk. We wanted
9:21
to enjoy our Christmas break as much as
9:23
possible. So we said the quicker we get
9:25
there the better we take care of
9:27
business, the better our break will be.
9:28
So Seth,
9:30
can you tell me about Isaiah Dennis? It
9:32
seems like he does have a lot of
9:34
potential to be a really good multi team
9:35
player here. You can see the you can see
9:37
his game made a couple nice shots
9:39
tonight. What is it about him that makes
9:41
you excited to see what the rest of his
9:43
career looks like?
9:43
Yeah, I mean I get to watch him in
9:45
practice every day. Super dynamic. Uh
9:46
he's great on and off of the ball. Uh he
9:49
wants to be a great defender. He's
9:51
always asking me for tips and whatnot.
9:53
He's just following he's following Zet's
9:56
leads. Uh, so he's doing all the right
9:57
things and he's been incredible like
9:59
what I've seen from him in practice so
10:00
far. Uh, I tell him the opportunity is
10:03
going to come. You know, don't know
10:04
when, but it's going to come. He's too
10:06
good of a player uh to for just to not
10:08
come. So, tell him just to keep working,
10:10
but I'm super excited to continue to see
10:12
his growth.
10:12
Does he remind you of you as a freshman
10:14
at all?
10:15
Uh, yeah, I guess so. He's somebody
10:18
who's who's super hungry. Uh, I'd say
10:20
he's he's more aggressive than than I
10:22
was my freshman year. Uh, but in a way.
10:26
Yeah. In a way.
10:28
What about the chemistry that the
10:30
basically it seems like it's gone to an
10:32
eight-man rotation and the chemistry
10:35
seems to be building even though you
10:36
were out for so many games. Can you talk
10:38
about that dynamic?
10:39
Uh I mean our chemistry has been here
10:41
since
10:43
the day we got here. We've been working
10:44
on it. Uh we've gone on team trips,
10:47
we've gone on team bonding, we team
10:50
dinners, we we hang out all the time and
10:52
on the court we just continue to grow
10:54
each and every day. So, uh, seeing that
10:56
chemistry that we have now is is no
10:58
surprise.
10:59
Just from your perspective, we, um,
11:01
talked to Henry about this after the,
11:04
um, game in Atlanta, but I know that he
11:06
worked a lot with you. Shooting over the
11:08
summer, um, specifically off the ball
11:11
screen and everything like that. Um,
11:12
careerhigh four made threes for him.
11:15
What does that add to Y's offense?
11:19
Oh, it's everything. uh you know when
11:20
teams want to ice us, when teams want to
11:22
play their big in the drop, we just make
11:24
a simple fix and tell Henry to pop. And
11:26
if teams can't get out fast enough, we
11:28
know it's pretty much automatic. You
11:30
know, I think we're pretty confident
11:31
that we get Henry on an open pop three
11:34
or four times is going to go in. So,
11:35
we're willing to live with that. I mean,
11:37
I'm willing to live with it each and
11:38
every possession. So, it just it expands
11:41
our team. It expands our game so much.
11:42
When
11:42
you guys were working together in
11:43
summer, was it mostly you shoot? Was he
11:45
also
11:47
uh Yeah. I mean, us working out, getting
11:50
up an equal amount of shots, but you
11:52
know, getting up a high volume.
11:54
Seth, you've had a unique perspective
11:56
with this team with the injury sitting
11:57
on the bench. As you enter ACC play,
12:00
what do you see as the team strengths
12:01
and maybe some areas that need to
12:03
improve?
12:04
Uh,
12:06
I think our our biggest weakness is
12:08
finishing possessions. Uh, we're a great
12:11
defensive team. Uh, but I feel like
12:13
sometimes maybe we leak out or we foul
12:16
at the end of the possession and we just
12:17
do something silly to to jeopardize
12:19
jeopardize, sorry, the great defensive
12:21
possession that we've had. And our
12:22
strengths, uh, we're a fast team. I
12:26
think all five positions. We have guys
12:28
who can score and create. Uh, and then
12:31
we have just such an unselfish group.
12:33
It's going to take us such a long way
12:34
with that. So,
12:35
do you guys switch less with you on the
12:36
floor than when you weren't on the floor
12:38
sometimes? Yeah. I mean, Kansas game, it
12:40
was a it was a point to not switch. Uh,
12:44
this game we had it there just in case,
12:47
but Ohio State, it was a point to try
12:50
and keep me on Thornton for most
12:51
situations of the game. So,
12:53
yeah.
12:54
When you hear public rest y Elijah Davis
12:58
from three, what do you think?
13:00
I mean, I expect it from Elijah is super
13:03
excited to see, but you know, he's the
13:06
walk-ons, that group, they're
13:07
incredible. told me Elijah is a great
13:08
shooter. Uh he shoots it well in
13:10
practice all the time. So it's really no
13:12
surprise to see, but I'm happy for him
13:13
because I know how hard he's been
13:14
working for him. So he
13:15
he said that his dad had a little tear
13:18
afterward. Yeah.
13:19
Cuz he understand, you know, Hubert
13:20
talks about this all the time. Elijah
13:22
obviously understands it. So
13:23
absolutely.
13:24
Your perspective on that moment that he
13:27
was able to give his dad, give his mom,
13:28
and to etch himself in the record in the
13:30
score book here forever.
13:32
Yeah. No, he put himself in history. Uh
13:34
we know his dad has a lot of history
13:35
here, but just knowing that Elijah can
13:38
be up there in the books with him,
13:39
that's that's incredible.
13:41
Do you think that Do you think that your
13:42
absence in the lineup kind of forces
13:44
younger guys like Derek or new guys like
13:45
Luca to kind of figure it out faster in
13:47
the college level?
13:48
Absolutely. Absolutely. uh when you have
13:52
a player who plays a lot of minutes, who
13:54
has a big role, who's I mean who's had
13:58
experience trying to lead a team and
14:00
that guy goes out, he forces other guys
14:02
to step up. You know, guys have no
14:04
choice. If they don't, we're going to
14:05
get left behind as a team. So, I mean,
14:07
guys did an amazing job stepping up
14:08
while I was out. So, I'm super proud of
14:10
him for that.
14:10
We've seen kind of the minutes fluctuate
14:12
a little bit with in, you know, the back
14:14
court between, I guess, Derek and
14:16
Jonathan.
14:18
um you know the starters D and Ken and
14:20
Luca. Um
14:22
what's I guess is
14:25
stands out about kind of those different
14:26
lineups that you guys can deploy with
14:28
the guards and what do you think will um
14:30
be the benefit you guys?
14:32
Uh I mean I think the benefit is that it
14:34
just shows that we're very versatile.
14:36
We're very dynamic. So we can switch
14:38
things up when certain things aren't
14:41
working and we don't have to depend on
14:44
someone who's cold or you know somebody
14:46
who it's just not their night. We don't
14:48
have to depend on them. We can we're
14:49
fortunate enough to
14:51
you know go to a different guy I guess.
14:53
So I mean simple as that. It's just a
14:56
dynamic ability.
14:57
Thanks a lot. Appreciate it. He's
#College Sports
#Team Sports
#Basketball