A freak injury has deflated some of the momentum from North Carolina’s hot start to the college basketball season.
Star guard Seth Trimble suffered a broken bone in his left arm after workout equipment fell on him during a workout Sunday, according to WRAL.
A lat pull machine reportedly fell on the senior, with multiple teammates being needed to remove the machinery after it crashed on top of him.
Trimble underwent surgery Monday and the expectation is he can return next month, per the report.
“So sad for Seth,” North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis said in a statement released by the school Sunday. “He’s such a great kid and teammate and has worked so hard for his senior year. He loves being a Tar Heel and we love him. The good news is he will be back at some point this year, and I know he will continue to be a great leader for us until he can get back in the lineup.”
This season is a pivotal one for No. 18 North Carolina with rumors of Davis on the hot seat, and plenty of the burden falls on the lone returning starter in Trimble.
Trimble, a 6-foot-3 guard from Wisconsin, averaged 11.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game last season, and has appeared in 104 games for the Tar Heels.
He started the season on a strong note, especially in a potentially season-defining win over then-No. 19 Kansas last Friday night.
Trimble scored 17 points to go along with eight rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes to help the Tar Heels down the Jayhawks, 87-74, at the Dean Dome.
He added 12 points in 24 minutes in the season-opening win over Radford.
The Tar Heels did not need Trimble on Tuesday against Central Arkansas, with the senior wearing a cast on his left arm while watching the 94-54 blowout.
North Carolina has a tough three-game schedule beginning at the end of the month when they face No. 17 Michigan State on Nov. 27, No. 9 Kentucky on Dec. 2 and resurgent Georgetown on Dec. 7.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
