Caleb Wilson Steps Into the UNC-Duke Rivalry: From Spectator to Center Stage
CHAPEL HILL - Caleb Wilson has had this date circled for a while-even if he didn’t talk about it much. The first UNC-Duke game on your schedule isn’t just another Saturday.
It’s a rite of passage. And now, it’s his turn to live it.
Two years ago, Wilson was just a top recruit soaking in the madness from the sidelines. He watched the Tar Heels take down Duke, 93-84, and got his first taste of what this rivalry really means.
He remembers the celebration, the water dumped on Coach Hubert Davis, the sea of fans flooding Franklin Street. He couldn’t join in-just a high schooler at the time-but the energy stuck with him.
“Just seeing that atmosphere... it was exhilarating,” Wilson said. “It was more than just a game.”
Now he’s not watching. He’s playing. And while the hype around the rivalry is impossible to ignore, Wilson’s doing his best to keep his feet on the ground.
“Honestly, I approach the game like I approach every other one,” he said. “They’re just an opponent. It’s really a battle between me and myself.”
That mindset has been his anchor all season. Same court, same game-just with a few million more eyes watching.
But let’s be real: this one is different.
Duke rolls in with a frontcourt that’s as physical as it is skilled, headlined by a familiar face-Cameron Boozer. The ACC’s leader in points (23.3), rebounds (9.9), and his team’s top facilitator, Boozer isn’t just another name on the scouting report.
He’s someone Wilson knows well. The two were teammates on the AAU circuit with Nightrydas Elite, where they won a national title together.
“He’s a great player. Really cerebral,” Wilson said.
“He’s not going to be rushed. He plays basketball in a very mature way.”
Wilson respects the challenge. He knows Boozer can hurt you in a lot of ways-on the glass, in the post, with his vision.
“He’s definitely a great offensive rebounder,” Wilson said. “Great passer. Scores in a lot of different ways.”
And Wilson knows what it’ll take to slow him down.
“It’s all about keeping physicality with him, keeping body contact, and trying to limit his catches,” he said.
The friendship? On pause this week.
“We talk occasionally, and we’re definitely close,” Wilson said. “But no, we haven’t talked this week.”
That’s how it goes in this rivalry. Teammates become opponents. Friends become foes-at least for 40 minutes.
Wilson’s not just preparing for Boozer. He’s preparing for Duke’s style.
The Blue Devils want to slow things down, grind possessions, and control the tempo. Carolina wants to run.
“We have to dictate the pace of the game,” Wilson said. “They like to walk it up, get into their sets, do exactly what they want to do. We’ve got to speed them up, make their execution tough.”
It’s a chess match, sure. But it’s also a fistfight in the paint. And Wilson knows it.
“The game is won in the trenches, especially ones like this,” he said. “It’s important to play as hard as we can-not just on the perimeter, but inside, too.”
Around campus, the buzz is impossible to miss. Students bring it up between classes. Strangers stop him on the way to the dining hall.
“I go to class, and people are asking me about the game,” he said. “It’s like, ‘man, let’s just play, bro.’”
Inside the locker room, Coach Hubert Davis has been locked in.
“He’s just been serious, honestly,” Wilson said. “I expect some great Coach Davis stories. They usually get me going.”
Davis has lived this rivalry. Eleven times as a player.
Countless more as a coach. And he remembers every second of every one.
“That just kind of shows how significant it is,” Wilson said. “He always tells us our memories are going to be about how we felt after the game.
He remembers every Duke game. That shows you what it means.”
Wilson’s been studying the rivalry for years-from old clips to live games. He remembers watching Zion Williamson blow out his shoe at Cameron Indoor.
He used to stream old UNC-Duke matchups during high school classes. Now he’s in one.
And he’s not shying away from it.
“I’m really excited to go play at Duke, too,” he said. “I like to be the villain in games. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
That’s Caleb Wilson in a nutshell-calm, competitive, and quietly confident. He’s not overwhelmed by the moment. He’s leaning into it.
“If I want to be a legend and submit my name in history, this is a very good opportunity for me to do it,” he said. “It’s a good time for our school and our team to have some pride and dignity and get a win.”
He says he’s treating it like any other week. But you can feel the buzz underneath the surface. The kid who once stood on the outside looking in is now center stage.
And Saturday night? That’s when the memories begin.
“No matter the crowd, no matter the atmosphere,” Wilson said, “it’s still a basketball game.”