University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
UNC-Louisville Postgame Quotes
February 23, 2026 | Men's Basketball
POSTGAME QUOTES
UNC 77, LOUISVILLE 74
FEBRUARY 23, 2026
DEAN E. SMITH CENTER, CHAPEL HILL, N.C.
UNC 77, LOUISVILLE 74
FEBRUARY 23, 2026
DEAN E. SMITH CENTER, CHAPEL HILL, N.C.
UNC Head Coach Hubert Davis
On getting possessions in loose ball scenarios…
"When the ball is up in the air and it's on the ground, those 50-50 balls have just got to be all UNC. Are we tough enough to get those rebounds? Are we tough enough to get those loose balls? At the beginning of the game, we weren't."
On getting bullied in the paint…
"I'm so happy about tonight, but I mean, we got outrebounded by nine. We gave up 16 offensive rebounds, and I'm just a huge believer in rebounding being the number one determining factor in an outcome of a game."
On speed and pace despite Caleb Wilson's absence…
"No, I mean, it's the same pace. Like I said at the start of the year, my goal is to be the fastest team in the country from free throw line to free throw line."
Louisville Head Coach Pat Kelsey
On playing in the Dean E. Smith Center…
"When you're playing in tough venues like this, you have to be the aggressor. You have to establish yourself and set the tone early."
On slowing down/collapse…
"Why it was like that for that [12] minute stretch from halftime to the 8 minute mark, I'm not sure. But it's something that we did, and something that we've got to fix going forward into the ACC tournament."
On Evangelos Zougris' performance off the bench…
"I thought Zou gave us a great lift. Because Zou played tough and nasty, and rebounded very well."
UNC Guard Derek Dixon
On Seth Trimble's aggression and play…
"When Seth is aggressive like that, our whole team – our whole offense, runs better."
On team endurance and fight…
"There's no quit in this team. It doesn't matter who's playing, who's not. It doesn't matter how big the deficit is. We've always believed we can fight back, and that's the type of belief we have in each other."
On free throws late in the game…
"You always got to have a mindset the next one going in, no matter how many you miss. Even, like, at the end of the game when I was going up there, you know, there was no thought in my mind of missing."
UNC Guard Seth Trimble
On knowing when tonight was going to be a big game…
"I guess as soon as I hit nine points, you know, I felt, I don't know if I had missed a shot yet, but I just felt in [the] groove, [and] in the really good rhythm. And you know, I just knew there was gonna be more to come in a good way."
On Jarin Stevenson's performance…
"I mean, Jarin was huge. He's been huge since Caleb's been out. He's been huge all year, honestly. He made big time shots today, got big time boards and played incredible defense. You know, he had a Jarin Stevenson performance today."
On his aggressive performance today…
"The coaches have been on me. I know I said it, I've said this over and over again, but they've been on me just to go and just finish, you know, coming off the ball screen, go, look to score, you know, don't look to pass. Don't look to make a play. Go to score. And then things are going to happen from that. And then I'm going to be able to kick out, going to be able to hit Henri."
On defensive aggression today…
"It was a huge point to try and slow down Mikel [Brown Jr.] and [Ryan] Conwell. They're two incredible guards, two of the best guards in the ACC. So if you can shut them down, you can put yourself in a good position to win. Now, we didn't necessarily shut them down, obviously, but efficiency wise, they didn't have the best game, and it made it difficult. So I think we did a good job."
UNC Center Henri Veesaar
On tonight's defensive approach…
"We were ready – just being ready on the defensive end and making them score over us. I feel like on the defensive end most of the time, most of the games, we control the way we play, and as long as we don't make any [mistakes]...today we were talking, communicating the whole game. So that was really good."
On Seth Trimble's career high 30 points…
"Yeah, I feel like he was due for one [a standout game] because he's been working so hard. I feel like he had a couple bad games where he hadn't been scoring. I feel like his aggressiveness today was at the right limit, where he was making good decisions, passing the ball, getting downhill."
UNC Forward Jarin Stevenson
On the team's defensive comeback…
"We were taking care of the ball better, getting back so they didn't have any easy baskets. And I feel like we communicated better, and it was more physical."
On playing without Caleb Wilson…
"Yeah, I feel like we figured – some things out again. It comes with energy and intensity. I feel like that was a big part of the second half, run and ball pressure, and different things like that."
On rebounding…
"We got to defensive rebound better. So, yeah, we just got to be more physical, get to the ball, not hold our box outs too long – just get to the ball."
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballCarolina Insider: Rapid Reactions – Men’s Basketball vs. Louisville – February 23, 2026
Tuesday, February 24
UNC Men's Basketball: Trimble's Career Night Leads Tar Heels Past Louisville, 77-74
Tuesday, February 24
Carolina Insider: Rapid Reactions pres. by Modelo – Men’s Basketball vs. Louisville – February 23, 2026
Monday, February 23
MBB: Trimble's Career-High 30 Leads Tar Heels Past Louisville, 77-74
Monday, February 23