Worrying Guards and Center Lulls
North Carolina’s nine-game winning streak was snapped 97-83 by SMU on Jan. 3 at Moody Coliseum. Coach Hubert Davis lamented that Boopie Miller carved through UNC’s defense at will—dropping 27 points, 12 assists, and torching the second half for 70 percent shooting. The Tar Heels couldn’t contain Corey Washington either, who poured in 23 points on 5-of-7 threes. Meanwhile Arizona transfer center Henri Veesaar endured his second straight slow start, managing just 2.5 first-half points and 4.5 rebounds over his last two outings before finding footing later in games. UNC’s defensive lapses and Veesaar’s early lethargy surfaced as the two most worrisome concerns for a team that prided itself on lockdown basketball.
It’s always reassuring when your center treats the first half like nap time and your guards look like they’re auditioning for a slalom ski team—zigzagging all over the court. Clearly, SMU showed up to play basketball, while UNC must have mistaken Moody Coliseum for a yoga retreat. If Henri Veesaar’s pregame routine includes more coffee and less meditation, maybe he’ll remember there’s more to defense than decorative standing. As for Boopie Miller, he played like a man possessed—because the Tar Heels forgot to bring their ropes.
Silver Linings: Two Bright Spots in Defeat
Despite a 97-point shellacking, the Tar Heels unearthed two encouraging trends. The bench erupted for a season-high 23 points—16 of which came from forward Jarin Stevenson, who shot 5-of-6 including 3-of-4 from deep. Coach Davis praised Stevenson’s versatile burst as the best early stretch he’s shown all season. On top of that, North Carolina connected on 12-of-28 three-pointers (42.9 percent), marking their highest volume and efficiency from beyond the arc this year. Those flashes of second-unit firepower and perimeter prowess offered a glimmer of hope for a squad struggling to guard and score consistently.
It turns out that when everyone else is scoring 97 points, letting your bench actually do something—anything—feels revolutionary. Stevenson went from “who?” to “wow!” faster than a Tar Heels player can misplace his defensive assignment. Meanwhile, UNC’s three-point barrage briefly convinced fans that maybe they’d accidentally tuned into an NBA All-Star shootout. If the bench keeps raining buckets and the starters remember there’s a hoop behind them, we may yet see a free-throw percentage that doesn’t belong in a dodgeball court.
Point Guard Postmortem: Trimble Dishes on the Disaster
Seth Trimble offered his take on the loss, admitting UNC struggled to stay in front of SMU’s lightning-quick guards. He singled out Boopie Miller’s speed and patience, acknowledging that physical mismatches on both ends forced the Tar Heels to start their offense closer to half-court. Trimble took accountability for not attacking pressure sooner, despite finishing with 22 points, five assists, and shooting 3-of-7 from three. He insisted that he’d happily slide back into the point-guard role if called upon, stressing his lifelong comfort at the position and promising to blow by defenders next time.
Trimble’s candid confession is what every coach dreams of: a player who admits he should’ve played better while simultaneously offering to resurrect his career as a dribbling tornado. If only he could teleport himself five feet closer to the basket and throw the ball in faster, maybe the scoreboard would have read 97-83… in UNC’s favor. At this rate, though, we might just install an escalator from midcourt to the rim so Trimble can bypass pressure entirely.
Belichick’s Big Catch: Tar Heels Reel in Tight End
UNC and head coach Bill Belichick have been aggressive in the early 2026 transfer portal, netting Jaxxon Warren, a former Colorado State tight end, as their fourth commit. Warren, who originally converted from quarterback to tight end, shined at JUCO Navarro College with 17 catches for 308 yards in 2023 before a foot injury ended his 2025 season at Colorado State. Though he lacks a major recruiting rating, his size, blocking ability, and return to full health make him a culture-fit acquisition to bolster new OC Bobby Petrino’s offense. He joins WR Jonathan Bibbs, OL Andrew Threatt, and QB Billy Edwards in UNC’s portal class.
Who needs five-star hype when you can snag a barefoot tight end who only missed half the season with a foot injury? Belichick apparently loves a challenge: turning a quarterback-turned-JUCO hero into the next NFL unicorn. Jaxxon Warren’s biggest competition on campus might be deciding whether to block or catch—and let’s hope he remembers which is which. But hey, if he can stay healthy, he might be the X-factor in a Tar Heels offense that’s more “here’s the ball” than “here’s Belichick’s playbook.”
Offensive Overhaul: Davis and Trimble Trash Tonight’s Play
After falling 97-83 to SMU, Hubert Davis and guard Seth Trimble blasted UNC’s lackluster execution. Davis attributed the collapse to SMU’s on-ball pressure, length, and physicality, which forced the Tar Heels to initiate offense near half-court and struggle in passing lanes. He lamented that every dribble, cut, and pass was hampered by aggressive denial. Trimble echoed the critique, noting SMU’s bump-and-run on Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar challenged them but praised those two for making plays out of double teams. Both insisted they must learn from facing such defensive intensity moving forward.
Listening to Davis and Trimble break down tonight’s fiasco felt like clocking a 90-minute snore-fest. SMU came to maul, and UNC apparently thought they were hosting afternoon tea. When half your team looks like mannequins in passing lanes, it’s hard to muster any real offense. But at least the postgame press conference provided enough dramatic quotes to keep highlight reels alive—because nothing says “basketball clinic” like admitting you couldn’t dribble or pass.
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