Two weeks after entering the transfer portal and bidding his farewell to North Carolina, Seth Trimble has changed his mind. He announced in a social media post on Tuesday that he had withdrawn from the portal and will return to UNC for a third season. The presumed loss of Trimble, earlier this month, was seen as a significant blow to UNC. Now, with his return, the Tar Heels are keeping their best perimeter defender. Trimble during this past season was the sixth man for a team that won the ACC’s regular season championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“I’ve taken time to realize where my home is,” Trimble, a 6-foot-3 guard, said in a statement he posted to his Instagram account. “After my consideration, I’ve decided my heart and soul belong in Chapel Hill. “Tar Heel Nation, let’s work.” Trimble, the younger half brother of former UNC forward J.P. Tokoto, emerged during his sophomore season as a valuable role player. He played well, especially throughout the final weeks of the season, when he became a more potent scorer and routinely provided a spark off the bench.

Among Trimble’s recent highlights was his memorable dunk against Florida State during a dominant UNC victory in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. He matched his college high with 12 points in that game. He finished with eight points — all in the first half — during the Tar Heels’ season-ending 89-87 loss against Alabama in the Sweet 16. Above all, though, Trimble is known for his defense. His athleticism and footwork have made him a lock-down defender, one who has routinely proven his talent for shutting down opposing guards. That was going to be the most significant part of his game that UNC would’ve missed, had Trimble decided to remain in the transfer portal.

His return, though, brings UNC some clarity about its roster and rotation next season. Trimble could compete for a starting position should RJ Davis, the Tar Heels’ leading scorer and the ACC Player of the Year, decide not to use his final year of eligibility. If Davis does return, Trimble could still be in line for an expanded reserve role.

The Tar Heels expect to replace at least three starters from last season. Two of them, Armando Bacot and Cormac Ryan, expired their eligibility. Harrison Ingram, the versatile wing forward, announced on Saturday that he planned to enter the NBA Draft. There are plenty of minutes available for Trimble, especially given his skill set. During his sophomore season, he played about 17 minutes per game and averaged 5.2 points. He became a more effective 3-point shooter, and made 13 of his 31 attempts (41.9%). Trimble in April 2021 was the first high school player who committed to UNC after Hubert Davis became the Tar Heels’ head coach. Davis during the final weeks of last season routinely praised Trimble’s contributions. Some of them — his energy, for instance — weren’t always quantifiable in a box score but proved to be important, nonetheless.

After UNC’s season-ending loss against Alabama in an NCAA Tournament West Regional semifinal, Trimble was among those Tar Heels who took the defeat the hardest. He spoke through tears about how close he and his teammates had grown. “This team just really brought everybody’s faith back, as a whole — brought back the Carolina standard,” he said. Trimble was referring then to the disappointment of his freshman season, when UNC missed the tournament after beginning that season ranked No. 1. “Of course, everybody was ready for last year to be done,” he said. “Now nobody wanted this year to end. So that says a lot.”

His decision to transfer, then, was met with surprise to some. Two weeks later, it no longer felt right even to Trimble. And so he left the transfer portal and decided to come back, and in the process provided a resounding answer to one of the most significant questions surrounding the Tar Heels — that of how they’d replace their sixth man, and best defender.