Heel Tough Blog: Florida State Recap

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After a sluggish start, the Tar Heels were able to flex their muscle and took down Florida State, 79-66 on Tuesday night in the Smith Center, to improve to 13-1 on the season, and 1-0 in ACC play. It was the first game in 8 days for the Tar Heels, and the 1-11 shooting start would suggest they were sluggish, but once they found their footing, there was no denying who the better team was. Caleb Wilson was sensational once again, posting a 22-point, 16-rebound, double-double, along with 6 assists, and 2 blocks, and he was the best player on the floor, while continuing to emerge as the best player in the conference. Wilson had help, though, as Seth Trimble (20), Kyan Evans (15), and Henri Veesaar (12) all scored in double figures on a night where UNC only shot 43% from the field and 29% from behind the arc. They were able to overcome an off shooting night by controlling the backboards, 47-37, and points in the paint, 42-20. The return of Seth Trimble has reignited the transition game, and UNC was able to get 20 points in transition, compared to just 4 for the Seminoles. 

Florida State arrived having not won a game on the road, but to their credit, they wouldn’t go away without a fight, trailing just 40-34 at the half. The expectation was for UNC to put the game away in the second half, but it was 46-43 at the under-16 timeout. A 14-3 run gave UNC its largest lead, but it was a seven-point game, with less than four minutes to play. The difference with this team, compared to others, is that they have the depth to wear down the opposition, and that’s what they did tonight, over the course of 40 minutes, just wore down a FSU team that didn’t have the talent or the depth to compete with a team emerging as a national title contender. 

The Florida State game marked the final game of the 2025 calendar year, with the Heels posting a 13-1 record, their best start in over 15 years. With a reduced conference slate but better teams in the league, ACC play is all about positioning for the NCAA Tournament, which UNC should earn a relatively high seed. While the win over Florida State won’t factor into the conference title race, you have to win games like this to ensure you’re playing for a conference title come March. And unlike last year, this team continues to prove they are going to win the games they are supposed to win, especially at home. 

1. Double-Double Machines: For the seventh time already, both Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar recorded a double-double in the same game, which is already the fourth most by a duo in program history. What was impressive about Veesaar was that he didn’t score in the first half, after being subbed out on a pretty regular basis. Combined, they totalled 34 points, 28 rebounds, and 9 assists, with both playing at least 29 minutes. Wilson had stretches where he simply wouldn’t be denied getting to the blackboard, or getting to his spot on the block, getting easy points at the rim. With his 6 assists, most of them coming in the open floor, he displayed the ability to control the game with his passing, which will make him all the more lethal as the season moves along. With his 22-point performance, he surpassed Phil Ford for consecutive 20-point games as a freshman, doing so for the sixth straight game. 

2. Defense: For the 14th straight game, UNC allowed fewer than 75 points, and they continue to harass opponents from the field. The Seminoles shot just 35 from the field, and even though they made 12 threes, they did so on 30%. Carolina held FSU to .985 points per possession, and they scored on just 42% of their possessions. Carolina was able to extend their defense and pick up full-court, forcing FSU to run a lot of their action well beyond the arc. And even though UNC only forced 9 turnovers, they did score 11 points off of them, another advantage that tilted the game in UNC’s favor. Carolina entered the game a top-10 defense in a bunch of different numbers, and they looked the part once again. 

3. Kyan Evans: The Tar Heel point guard was sporting a new haircut, and he turned out his best scoring game since the season-opening win over Central Arkansas, scoring 15 points, on 5-15 shooting, but all of his makes were from the outside, going 5-12. Oddly enough, Evans didn’t record a single assist, but his scoring is needed more than his assisting, and it opened the floor for Wilson and Veesaar, along with Seth Trimble. The staff has continued to work on Evans’ confidence, knowing how important he’ll be for them down the stretch, and it felt good to see him shoot the ball with confidence and be aggressive, like he was at Colorado State. 

4. Rotation: We thought that with the return of Seth Trimble, the UNC rotation would be set, but there could be another move coming to the starting lineup. Luka Bogavac started on Tuesday night, but played just 13 minutes and failed to score a point, going 0-5. Jonathan Powell played 25 minutes off the bench, scoring 6 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, and handing out 3 assists. Jarin Stevenson played 14 minutes, primarily subbing in for Wilson or Veesaar, but you know Hubert Davis trusts him at the “3” spot. With the next game not until Saturday, it will be interesting to see if Hubert does opt for a lineup change, but even with the emergence of Kyan Evans as a scorer, combined with the return of Seth Trimble, they need more than what they’ve gotten from Luka Bogavac so far. 

5. Free Throws: When Hubert Davis met with the media, he did address the need for more consistent free-throw shooting, and tonight was a step in the right direction. Carolina was 14-20 from the charity stripe, which is 70%. Seth Trimble led the way, going 8-11 from the line, being rewarded for his relentless pressure on the rim. Caleb Wilson, who has struggled from the line at times, was a solid 4-5. Veesaar was the only other starter to attempt a free throw, going 0-2. Jarin Stevenson was 2-2 off the bench. 

6. Special Teams: In the secondary categories, UNC was either even with Florida State or held a big advantage, as both teams scored 15 second-chance points. UNC was dominant in the paint, outscoring FSU 42-20, and they outscored them in transition, 20-4. When you control those areas of the game, in addition to how well UNC defended tonight, Carolina is going to be hard to beat, even in an ACC that is better than it has been. 

Up Next: UNC hits the road for its first-ever ACC game at SMU on Saturday. Tip is set for 2:15 on The CW.