In a college basketball world full of five-star freshmen, NIL deals and a seemingly-endless amount of players in the transfer portal, it’s easy to forget about development.

An old-school model of patience and measured improvement in a landscape that demands instant results, the slow-and-steady approach is often overlooked in today’s game.

As North Carolina basketball tries to replace three starters — all-time leading rebounder Armando Bacot and two more veteran players in Harrison Ingram and Cormac Ryan — the spotlight will be squarely on juniors Seth Trimble and Jalen Washington.

Entering their third season under fourth-year coach Hubert Davis, Trimble and Washington are expected to show that development still matters and players within a program are capable of taking steps to become consistent contributors.

Davis called it “the natural progression of college basketball” after UNC’s 84-76 exhibition win at Memphis. With fifth-year standout RJ Davis sidelined as a precaution, Trimble scored a game-high 33 points to lead the Tar Heels and Washington was UNC’s top player in the frontcourt, tallying 17 points and seven rebounds.

“In the midst of so much change with the transfer portal, NIL, the fifth year, covid year, all the involvement of agents and everything, we forget about growth. That's what Seth and J-Wash, they're getting an opportunity and a chance for a bigger role, and given that opportunity and chance because of their hard work, their maturity,” Davis said.

“They're a different player than they were before. And that's what college is about. It's about growing up, it's about getting better, it's about improving and growing every year. And because of all the things in college, you forget about that, or a lot of times, kids, parents, everyone tries to speed up the timeline."

Seth Trimble ready to ‘show who I know I can be’ at UNC

Following his sophomore season, Trimble entered the transfer portal on April 9 before withdrawing his name three weeks later to return to UNC.

Unsure if he would be able to accomplish his goals with the Tar Heels, Trimble stepped out of his comfort zone to explore the possibilities outside of Chapel Hill. It didn’t take him long to realize that he could find what he needed at UNC.

Seth Trimble's big night at Memphis

Focused on leadership and improving his shot efficiency, Trimble’s early returns on his decision to stay are promising, evidenced by his showing at Memphis.

“It's just a comfort thing, a confidence thing,” Trimble said. “And I mean, really just me saying, 'Enough is enough, it's time to show who I know I can be, who I know I am.' You guys haven't seen it, and I know it's been there, so it's just a matter of showing it."

Known for his elite athleticism and activity as an on-ball defender, Trimble improved as a shooter last season by making 41.9% of his 3-pointers on 31 attempts. If that trend continues as Trimble increases his offensive output, UNC’s junior guard could be one of the top two-way players in the ACC.

Tar Heels need Jalen Washington to have a ‘big year’

Jalen Washington’s unique journey in Chapel Hill started with a rehab-heavy offseason as a freshman and limited opportunities as a sophomore behind Bacot and Ingram.

With Bacot and Ingram no longer on the roster, the 6-foot-10 Washington is the top choice to be UNC’s main man on the interior.

“He's gotten bigger, stronger, more athletic, and more confident. We need him to have a big year. He's been our best rebounder, our best screener, our best big in shape, running the floor, shooting the ball extremely well from the outside,” Hubert Davis said.

“Does a really good job in space, off of rolls, off of ball screens, being able to finish around the basket, and attacking the offensive glass. And that's what we need. We need him to do that consistently, and as he's doing that, he is a better kid.”

After surpassing 20 minutes once in two seasons with the Tar Heels, Washington knew his offseason preparation would be vital in helping him take advantage of his latest opportunity.

“I’ve really just stepped up my work a whole lot more. I know that there’s a position that’s open and a lot of minutes available,” Washington said. “I just had to work a lot harder in this preseason, be a lot more active in practice and really just take my whole game to another level.”

So far, Davis is pleased with the results.

“He's put himself in a position to have a chance to be a major contributor this year,” Davis said, “and it's because of his hard work and dedication, and he's well deserving of it.”

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Growth of Jalen Washington, Seth Trimble key for UNC basketball