Seth Trimble to Louisville basketball is official, pending court ruling

Seth Trimble is one step closer to suiting up for Louisville basketball in Year 3 of the Pat Kelsey era.

The Cardinals officially introduced the former North Carolina guard as a signee Friday, Aug. 21. The 6-foot-3 native of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, has been admitted to UofL and arrived on campus earlier in the week.

Trimble just wrapped up a four-year career that saw him total 992 points on 44% shooting (29.6% from 3-point range) across 129 appearances (45 starts) for the Tar Heels. On July 31, a Colorado district court judge greenlit a preliminary injunction granting him and every other Class of 2022 athlete a fifth season of eligibility in response to the NCAA adopting a "5-in-5" model earlier this summer.

The NCAA is appealing the Colorado district court judge's ruling and sought both an administrative stay and a stay pending appeal, which were denied. After briefing wrapped Monday, Aug. 17, a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit could come at any time.

In a statement provided to The Courier Journal, a Louisville Athletics spokesperson said the department is "actively monitoring all NCAA and state/federal legal proceedings regarding additional year(s) of eligibility for any potential student-athletes" and "will work through established NCAA eligibility procedures" based on the outcomes to ensure everything checks out before allowing Trimble to compete.

Trimble finished 2025-26 averaging a career-high 14 points on 47.1% shooting (18 for 63, 28.6%, from 3) in addition to 3.8 rebounds, three assists and 1.3 steals across 32.4 minutes per game. He earned All-ACC honorable mention status despite a broken left forearm sidelining him from nine contests between Nov. 11 and Dec. 16.

Trimble turned in his best game to date against the Cards on Feb. 23, netting a career-high 30 points on 10-for-13 shooting from inside the arc to power UNC's 77-74 victory at the Dean E. Smith Center. That was one of four instances when he scored 20-plus as a senior.

"Seth Trimble is one of the steadying forces in college basketball," Kelsey said in a statement Friday. "There's no question that he will have an immediate impact on what we have been building this offseason. Seth is a tenacious, physically imposing presence that makes his impact felt on both ends of the floor. He's incredibly familiar with what it takes to compete at a high level in the ACC, and he brings it night in and night out. He has a special blend of maturity, poise and leadership qualities that will endear him to Card Nation. I firmly believe he's the type of competitor and human that will flourish in our program.

"It was apparent from day one of recruiting him that Seth's goals align with our vision, and we are thankful that he has decided to join us on this journey. The opportunity to sign such a high-quality player and person with this much experience at this point in the year is certainly unique, but we know Seth will fit right in with what we have here in Louisville."

Trimble is UofL's seventh addition by way of the transfer portal, joining Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Gabe Dynes (USC), Alvaro Folgueiras (Iowa), Karter Knox (Arkansas), De'Shayne Montgomery (Dayton) and Jackson Shelstad (Oregon).

Adrian Wooley is the only scholarship returner who saw the court for Louisville during the 2025-26 season. Then, there's London Johnson, a former NBA G Leaguer who redshirted Year 2 of the Kelsey era after arriving on campus last December. Three freshmen round out the roster: Obinna Ekezie Jr., Isaac Ellis and Boyuan Zhang.

The evaluators over at 247Sports consider the Cards' 2026 class to be the sixth-best in the country.

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Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Seth Trimble to Louisville basketball is official, pending court ruling