North Carolina passed a key test without star forward Caleb Wilson on Monday night as the No. 18 Tar Heels toppled No. 24 Louisville 77-74. The win improved the Tar Heels (22-6, 10-5 ACC) to 3-1, as Wilson suffered a broken hand in a Feb. 10 loss at Miami.
The uncertainty surrounding Wilson’s potential return and a subsequent injury to starting center Henri Veesaar made UNC’s trajectory seem uncertain less than a week ago. These concerns came to light during the blowout loss at NC State on February 17.
But Veessar’s return in Saturday’s win at Syracuse, Monday night’s victory over a quality ACC foe and Wilson’s apparent progress have steadyed the waters in Chapel Hill. North Carolina hopes to have Wilson back for the regular-season finale against Duke on March 7. ESPN reported this during the broadcast of the game.
The Tar Heels are squarely in the hunt for a double-bye at the ACC Tournament and are expected to remain No. 6 in CBS Sports Bracketology on Tuesday after their sixth Quad 1 victory.
Seth Trimble paced North Carolina with a career-high 30 points as UNC kept Louisville at bay for most of the second half. The Cardinals closed within two possessions in the final minute, but a pair of Trimble free throws with nine seconds left helped UNC escape.
In his second game back since a two-game absence due to a lower extremity, Veesaar added 12 points for North Carolina. Mikel Brown Jr. defeated Louisville (20-8, 9-6) by 24 points for the Cardinals.
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Light at the end of the tunnel
There are still games against Virginia Tech and Clemson before Wilson’s expected return. But the light is now at the end of the tunnel and the Tar Heels are proving they can survive without their leading scorer and rebounder. Wilson, who is a potential top five pick in 2026 NBA draftaveraged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 blocks.
In his absence, UNC leaned more on junior forward Jarin Stevenson and Montenegrin import Luka Bogavac. Both carried their weight against Louisville by combining for 21 points on 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range.
Seth Trimble’s star gear
While getting Veesaar back and Wilson healthy are crucial to North Carolina’s ambitions, UNC’s ceiling may ultimately be determined by the type of guard play it gets in March. Trimble showed he can put UNC on his back when necessary by delivering the best offensive game of his four-year Tar Heels career.
His steal and breakaway dunk at 13:38 gave North Carolina its largest lead at 56-40. Trimble defeated Louisville’s formidable star tandem of Brown and Ryan Conwell, which was an achievement considering the two combined for 47 points. Once Wilson returns, less will be required of Trimble offensively. But this match was a reminder of his abilities and could be a confidence booster for the team’s third top scorer.
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