Caleb Wilson Is Starting to Deliver on His Promises - and That Should Have the ACC on Alert
When Caleb Wilson sat down for a preseason podcast interview, he didn’t sound like your typical freshman. He spoke with the kind of confidence that turns heads - not arrogance, but a quiet certainty.
He said he was an elite passer. That his midrange and post game were “above his years.”
At the time, it was all talk. But now, it’s looking a lot more like prophecy.
Fast forward to January, and Wilson is backing up every word. He’s second on the Tar Heels in assists overall, and in ACC play, he’s pacing the team with 24 dimes - a full eight ahead of the next closest teammate.
His court vision, particularly in tight spaces, has become a real problem for defenders. And his post footwork?
Just ask Notre Dame’s Brady Koehler, who got spun around not once, but twice on Wilson baseline moves that ended in a reverse layup and a dunk. That dunk, by the way, was just another entry in the category Wilson leads nationally.
But what really stood out in Wednesday night’s 91-69 win over Notre Dame wasn’t just the highlight plays or the efficient 22-point, 7-rebound line. It was a first-half three-pointer - Wilson’s first make from deep since the East Tennessee State game more than a month ago.
He had gone 0-for-3 from beyond the arc in the seven games since. On Wednesday, he let it fly three more times and connected on one.
“I’ve really been working on my three-point shot,” Wilson said on the Tar Heel Sports Network postgame. “I feel like it’s going to open up the court for me and my teammates. I’m going to shoot it more and I’m going to make it more.”
Now, let’s be honest - Wilson is so dominant around the rim that seeing him 20 feet from it almost feels like a waste. But if he can stretch the floor consistently?
That’s a nightmare scenario for opposing defenses. And based on his track record of turning intention into reality, it might just be a matter of time.
“You know how you work,” Wilson said earlier this season. “If I wasn’t working hard at being better every day and working on exactly what I’m telling you I’m good at, I wouldn’t be talking like this.”
Which makes you believe he’s putting in the hours behind that arc. And if he adds that to his already potent arsenal, Carolina’s ceiling gets a whole lot higher.
Wilson’s three was part of a broader offensive showcase for the Tar Heels, who tied a team record with eight different players knocking down a three-pointer - a mark previously hit against ECU earlier this season and at Wake Forest back in 2019. It’s the kind of balanced perimeter attack head coach Hubert Davis has been preaching about all year.
Davis has said from the jump that this group has the potential to be a strong three-point shooting team. So far, they’ve been serviceable - not elite, but solid.
Against Notre Dame, they came out firing. Fifteen of their first 20 field goal attempts were from deep, and they hit six.
That’s a decent clip, but the volume might’ve been a little much. They cooled off late, hitting just one of their final 11 from distance.
Still, the blueprint for good perimeter offense was there. Both Davis and Wilson used the same language to describe it: the “good threes.” The ones that come off paint touches, post entries, or dribble penetration - not rushed pull-ups or contested shots early in the clock.
“I always believe I want the ball to touch the paint through post or penetration,” Davis said. “That’s what generates the good 3s.”
Wilson echoed the same sentiment: “We just have to shoot the good ones. As long as we shoot the good 3s, I feel like they’re going to go in.”
So what qualifies as a “good one” in Wilson’s book?
“Off penetration or wide-open shots,” he said. “Catching the ball and making sure you have space. Any shot with space is a good shot.”
The middle stretch of the game showed exactly what they meant. Carolina hit six of eight from deep during that run, and it wasn’t just one guy getting hot.
Four different players hit threes in that span. The ball movement was crisp.
The spacing was clean. The looks were open - and they were falling.
The sequence started with Derek Dixon hitting one after Wilson passed out of the post to Luka Bogavac, who swung it to Dixon for the open look. Henri Veesaar followed with a three of his own, creating space off the dribble. Then Veesaar returned the favor, passing up a decent look to find Dixon for a better one after another Wilson post touch.
By the end of the night, Dixon and Kyan Evans had three triples apiece, Jarin Stevenson knocked down two, and Jaydon Young, Veesaar, Jonathan Powell, and Wilson each added one. That kind of distribution speaks volumes - not just about shooting talent, but about unselfishness and trust.
According to KenPom.com, the performance marked Carolina’s most efficient offensive outing of the season against a top-100 opponent - second only to their game against North Carolina Central overall. That’s the kind of offensive rhythm coaches dream about in January.
“We shared the basketball and were intentional in regards to getting the ball inside,” Davis said. “If they double teamed, we had a size advantage and passed the ball out and got a three.”
It was a glimpse of what this team can be when everything clicks - inside-out balance, smart shot selection, and a freshman who’s already playing like a seasoned vet.
And if Caleb Wilson’s track record holds, he’s just getting started.