UNC Basketball: 3 takeaways from exhibition road win over Memphis Tigers

The first marquee exhibition game for the 2024-25 season was in Memphis, with the Tigers taking on No. 9 UNC Basketball. It was a charity game, supporting St. Jude's Children's Hospital. The Tar Heels didn't have star guard RJ Davis, who was recovering from a recent back injury.

Turns out, UNC didn't need him, as they were able to overcome a halftime deficit to get the 84-76 win. The result itself didn't matter but there were certainly some things to take away from the game on the Tar Heels' side. Here's a look at what happened for the team.

Seth Trimble's star performance

With Davis and his 21 ppg average out, who was going to be the new star scorer? Trimble averaged 5.2 ppg in 17 mpg off the bench as a sophomore and preseason expectations were for him to be an elite defender. Turns out, his breakout could be on the offensive side. He scored a game-high 33 points on 11/17 shooting, making all eight FT attempts. Look for Trimble to have a large role this season and likely start as well.

5-star freshmen struggles

UNC Basketball needed Trimble to score so much due to the struggle with the rest of the wing rotation. Belmont transfer Cade Tyson had seven points on 3/10 shooting, while 5-star freshmen Drake Powell and Ian Jackson combined for just four points on 2/8 FG shooting, missing all six attempts from deep. Neither started, and their impact could be overestimated this season. Trimble's emergence will make them less needed this season, but still, Jackson/Powell will need to find their shot in the regular season.

Jalen Washington's big game inside

The big question entering the season was how the frontcourt would work out for the Heels. GT transfer Tyzhaun Claude didn't play, while former Vandy starter Ven-Allen Lubin had six points and four rebounds in 15 minutes. The big man who did have a big game was Jalen Washington, who produced 17 points on 6/7 shooting, including a couple of made three-pointers.

Washington's offensive game has taken a leap it seems and it's a needed development for the Tar Heels. They managed to win without Davis on the road and found some big performances from two players that gives them hope that they should be able to be a Final Four contender once again.