UNC Faces Rival NC State Without Star Freshman Caleb Wilson - Can the Tar Heels Keep Rolling?
No. 16 North Carolina heads to Raleigh on Tuesday night for a rivalry showdown against NC State, and they’ll do it once again without their star freshman Caleb Wilson - a major test for a Tar Heels team still adjusting to life without its leading scorer and rebounder.
Wilson, who’s been the heartbeat of this UNC squad with 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a fractured left hand in last week’s game against Miami. The hope is that he’ll return in time for March, but for now, North Carolina has to find a way to keep winning without him.
They passed their first test on Saturday, taking care of business in a 79-65 home win over Pitt - and they did it without Wilson and fellow big man Henri Veesaar. That was Veesaar’s first missed game of the season, as he dealt with both a lower-body issue and an illness. On Monday, head coach Hubert Davis said Veesaar is trending in the right direction and was expected to practice.
In their absence, it was Jarin Stevenson and Seth Trimble who stepped up in a big way. Both dropped 19 points against the Panthers, with Stevenson continuing a strong stretch of play. Over his last six games, the junior forward is averaging 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and one assist - but it’s not just the numbers that have impressed Davis.
“I think he's been in a better rhythm, more comfortable, more confident on the offensive end,” Davis said. “I just love when he's aggressive in practice, in games.
He takes good shots, he makes the right plays and he's just a really good player. When he's aggressive, he definitely takes our team to a different level.”
That kind of growth from Stevenson could be critical as the Tar Heels head into a tougher stretch of their schedule - starting with Tuesday’s trip to face an NC State team that’s hungry to bounce back.
The Wolfpack (18-8, 9-4 ACC) are coming off back-to-back losses - first at Louisville, then a tough one-point defeat at home to Miami. It’s only the second time this season they’ve dropped two in a row, and the loss to the Hurricanes was particularly frustrating.
NC State gave up 20 offensive rebounds and was outscored 56-32 in the paint. Matt Able had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but his three-point attempt came up short.
Head coach Will Wade didn’t mince words about where his team stands.
“Our fans deserve better than what we've been giving them,” Wade said. “North Carolina is a great team.
Coach Davis has done a tremendous job with the team this year. They're huge.
I mean, that's the biggest challenge. We're not the biggest bunch.
And they're massive on the front line, which has been a major issue for us this season.”
Size has been a problem for the Wolfpack all year, and it’s not going to get any easier against a UNC team that ranks fourth in the ACC and 48th nationally in rebounds per game (38.8). Even without Wilson and Veesaar, the Tar Heels bring length and physicality that can wear teams down.
NC State’s best answer up front is 6-foot-9 senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin, who leads the team with 7.1 rebounds per game. Lubin, who played for UNC last season before transferring, has been a force for Wade’s squad, averaging 13.7 points and leading the ACC in field goal percentage at a blistering 68.4%.
The Wolfpack currently sit at 31st in KenPom and are projected as a No. 7 seed in the latest bracketology projections. This is a team with tournament aspirations and the talent to make a run - but they’ll need to clean things up in the paint and on the glass if they want to avoid a third straight loss.
For North Carolina, this is a chance to prove they can win gritty, physical games without their top weapon. Stevenson and Trimble showed they’re ready for the moment, but the challenge is only getting tougher. A rivalry game on the road, against a desperate NC State team, will tell us a lot about where this Tar Heels squad is headed - and how far they can go without Caleb Wilson.
Tip-off is set for Tuesday night in Raleigh. Expect intensity, expect physicality - and expect both teams to come out swinging.