CHICAGO – Seth Trimble isn’t afraid to do things the hard way.
The former Menomonee Falls High School standout had an old-school college basketball career. He stayed at North Carolina for four seasons, with only a minor flirtation with the NCAA transfer portal, getting better in bigger roles every year.
Now Trimble is scrapping his way to a professional career. Since the Tar Heels’ season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 19, he’s had only a few days off. The 6-foot-3 guard had a solid performance at the Portsmouth Invitational pre-draft event for seniors, then he was invited to the G League Elite Camp at Wintrust Arena.
“I’m a guy that that’s not looking to run,” Trimble said May 10. “I’m looking to face whatever problem’s right in front of me.
“It could have been super easy just to transfer out, go somewhere else, produce better and probably quicker. But I didn’t. I know what staying through and persevering can do for you.”
Seth Trimble was Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball before hitting iconic shot in UNC-Duke rivalry
Trimble was named Mr. Basketball by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association in 2022. He led Falls to its first appearance in the WIAA state tournament.
“All my life I’ve been playing competitive basketball against a lot of guys that I’ve grown up with,” Trimble said. “Milwaukee has a lot of tough players. A lot of tough guys who have got it out of the mud. Lots of guys from the suburbs who can play. There’s guys from everywhere in the state who can really play and really give their all.”
Trimble then spent four seasons playing for the Tar Heels, one of college basketball’s blue-blood programs.
“When you’re playing at the best stage and at that level, at that college level, you have no choice but to perform,” he said. “If you don’t, you get left behind, you’re going to get replaced and you’re going to be hated by a fan base.
“So you have no choice but to perform. I wasn’t perfect. I had bad games. I had great games. Sometimes I was inconsistent, sometimes I was consistent. I gave it my all and and I grew at that level each and every time and ended up being a pretty good player.”
As a senior, Trimble had to overcome a broken bone in his left forearm that caused him to miss nine games. But he also had an all-time highlight, a three-pointer in the waning seconds to beat Duke in early February, a shot that will be replayed forever in montages before every TV broadcast of the storied rivalry.
“To etch myself in that history, and good history for myself and the University of North Carolina is special,” he said.
Seth Trimble is defensive-minded guard
Trimble has a close resource for figuring out what it takes to be a pro. His older brother J.P. Tokoto, who also starred at Falls and UNC, has played in the G League and for several foreign teams since 2015.
“You got to work,” Trimble said about what he’s learned from Tokoto. “You got to be willing to work, and you got to be willing to sacrifice.
“There’s going to be a lot of things you have to pass up on and things you’re not willing to do. Because this is what it takes. You got to sacrifice and you got to treat this like a No. 1 priority because it is.”
Trimble’s ability to be a disruptive defender is what will earn him serious looks from NBA teams, but they also want to see him be more of a consistent play-maker and shooter on offense.
“I think I have an NBA-level defensive presence,” Trimble said. “My athleticism is definitely NBA ready, and then just got to continue to evolve on from behind the arc of the three. That’s my biggest thing.
“It’s coming. I’m going to keep getting better with it, and then once I do that, you know, I’ll be where I want to be.”
Trimble wasn’t among the five players who were picked from the G League Elite Camp to participate in the NBA combine.
He’ll still likely land a spot on a NBA summer league team, then hope to show enough to be invited to a team’s training camp in the fall.
Trimble will keep grinding. Just like he always has.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Menomonee Falls and UNC star Seth Trimble works for NBA dream
Reporting by Ben Steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
