One of the biggest questions around North Carolina heading into the season was how well this backcourt would gel. So far, the results have been mixed — and the Tar Heels latest outing amplified thos concerns.
UNC was run off the floor by an SMU team on the rise, 97-83, at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. The Tar Heels surrendered their most points of the season while the Mustangs shot 60% from the field and 51.9% from 3-point range, piling up a staggering 1.426 points per possession. SMU somehow got even hotter after halftime, pouring in 58 points on 71.4% shooting from the floor and 60% from beyond the arc.
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Most of that damage came from SMU’s backcourt of Boopie Miller (27 points), BJ Edwards (15) and Jaron Pierre (13), which accounted for nearly 60% of the Mustangs’ points. UNC’s guards never came close to matching that production. Of the six guards who played, only Seth Trimble scored in double figures with 22 points. The next-highest total was Luka Bogavac’s eight.
Diving Into the Last Two Games
Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs guard Boopie Miller (2) makes a jump shot over North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) during the second half at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Trimble is having a standout season — 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game — and is easily the team’s best perimeter defender. But the rest of the backcourt has not kept pace, and it’s becoming a real concern as ACC play begins.
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The issues showed up again in a 79-66 win over Florida State. Carolina went 29-for-68 from the field (42.6%) and just 39% in the first half. From deep, the Tar Heels hit only seven of his 29 3-pointers (24.1%). Kyan Evans was the lone bright spot, scoring all 15 of his points on 5-for-12 shooting from 3-point range. Without Evans, the rest of the backcourt went just 2-for-13 from deep — an icy 15.3%.
Over the last two games, Trimble has hit 14 of 29 shots (48.2%) and 3-for-9 from 3 (33%), piling up 42 total points. The rest of the backcourt has combined to go 12-for-44 from the field (27.6%) and 11-for-35 from 3 (31.4%) for just 37 points. One player outscoring five guards by himself is not a sustainable formula.
Looking at the Individual Numbers
Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) looks to move the ball past SMU Mustangs guard B.J. Edwards (0) during the game between the Mustangs and the Tar Heels at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Individually, the numbers aren’t much better. Of the four mainstays who play significant minutes — Bogavac, Evans, Dixon and Powell — none is shooting 40% from the field.
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Bogavac is averaging 10.2 points per game overall but is at just 39.7% from the floor and 32.4% from 3. Recently, his production has dipped to 5.4 points per game on 34.7% shooting, and he has hit only 3 of his last 13 3-point attempts (23%) despite his reputation as a sharpshooter in the Adriatic League.
Evans, brought in as a knockdown shooter after hitting 44.6% from 3 last season at Colorado State, has been underwhelming at 6.2 points per game on 37.1% shooting from the field and 33.3% from deep. He also has not provided the stabilizing presence at point guard Hubert Davis envisioned, averaging 5.4 points, 2.2 assists and 33.3% shooting, with all nine of his made field goals coming from 3 on 27 attempts. He has not attempted a free throw since Nov. 27 in a 74-58 loss to Michigan State — a clear sign he is not getting downhill or pressuring the rim.
Off the bench, Dixon and Powell haven’t offered much relief. Over the last five games, Dixon is averaging 3.0 points and is 4-for-24 from the field (16.6%). Powell has been slightly more productive at 4.6 points per game but is shooting just 30.7% from the floor and 27.2% from beyond the arc.
The Bottom Line
Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) and center Henri Veesaar (13) and guard Derek Dixon (3) and forward Caleb Wilson (8) and guard Seth Trimble (7) come back on the court during the second half against the SMU Mustangs at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
It’s not as if this group lacks talent. Evans was one of the best shooters in the country last season. Bogavac has played against grown men across Europe. Powell held his own as a freshman in the Big 12 at West Virginia. Dixon is a freshman from the talent-rich DMV with room to grow.
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At some point, the pieces may click. But right now, they haven’t, and Davis has to solve what’s going on with this backcourt — before Trimble is left carrying the load on his own.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Backcourt concerns are growing
