CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Seth Trimble is amongst the last of a dying breed in college basketball. Saturday night will be the Tar Heel senior captain’s fourth and final meeting with Duke in the Smith Center, and his eighth overall. 

“I’m really just cherishing this, this matchup, this opportunity, and, you know, a blessing like this,” Trimble said Thursday. “A lot of people in this world would die to be in my position.”

In an era where money and material benefits often outweigh tradition and history in a player’s college decision, Trible has remained in Chapel Hill throughout his career.

Make no mistake, the owner of Franklin Street’s Ben & Jerry’s has capitalized on the opportunities afforded by the NIL era, but he has stayed loyal to UNC — a commitment that has made him a fan favorite over four years in Carolina blue.

On a North Carolina team that features 11 new faces, Trimble is the only player in the Tar Heels’ nine-man rotation that has ever participated in the UNC-Duke rivalry. 

“You don’t really understand the stakes of it and what this really means, until you’re out on that court,” Trimble said. 

As the Tar Heels’ senior captain — and the only Carolina player with true experience in college basketball’s most historic rivalry — it falls on Trimble to ensure this year’s new-look Tar Heels understand what’s at stake Saturday, and just how intense the rivalry truly is.

“He says it’s the biggest game in your life,” Caleb Wilson said of the wisdom Trimble has imparted on the team this week.

“Knowing everything that goes into this matchup, and then knowing the jersey that they’re representing now, that same jersey lost three times last year,” Trimble said. “They’re just going to be super excited, just to put themselves into the history books in the best way possible.”

In the offseason, during recruiting dinners with then-visitors such as Henri Veesaar and Jonathan Powell, Trimble shared that the Carolina-Duke rivalry is frequently discussed — and even part of the pitch to commit to being part of one of the greatest rivalries in sports.

“When you talk about North Carolina, you think about the history,” Trimble said. “And when you think about the history of North Carolina, you think about this matchup, it’s just what comes with it.”

In his seven prior matchups with Duke, Trimble has amassed a 2-5 record, speaking to North Carolina’s recent struggles with their biggest foe, and the sheer importance to get a win in Saturday’s top-15 matchup. 

Trimble combined for five scoreless minutes in his two games against Duke as a freshman, but in his last five contests against the Blue Devils, Trimble is averaging 9.4 points to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists. 

But Trimble’s ties to the UNC–Duke rivalry extend well beyond his own time in Carolina blue. His brother, J.P. Tokoto faced the Blue Devils six times during his three-year career in Chapel Hill from 2012 to 2015, giving Trimble his first taste of the hatred-filled rivalry at eight years old.

“This is my last home game with the Duke-UNC matchup, so I’m going to make it the best that I can,” Trimble said. “But I’m doing a pretty good job of letting the guys know how much tension there is during this matchup.”

“What the stakes are, the history, how they beat us three times last year. How much it means to this university, to the former players and just everybody that represents North Carolina.”