The North Carolina Tar Heels are having themselves a season, sitting at 16-4 and holding down the No. 16 spot in the national rankings. But while the team as a whole is clicking, one name has quickly risen to the top of the scouting report: freshman forward Caleb Wilson.
At 6-foot-10 and 215 pounds, Wilson isn’t just making noise-he’s shaking up the college basketball landscape. The Atlanta native came in with the hype of a consensus five-star recruit, a McDonald’s All-American, and Georgia’s 2025 Mr.
Basketball. And so far, he's lived up to every bit of it.
Wilson is leading the Tar Heels in just about every major category: 19.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, plus team-highs in steals (1.6) and blocks (1.4) per game. Those aren’t just strong freshman numbers-they’re the kind of stats that put you in national conversation, fast.
But what’s impressed head coach Hubert Davis even more than the stat sheet is the way Wilson has grown as a leader. Davis recently spoke about the freshman’s development, and you could hear the genuine appreciation in his voice.
“I’m just so thankful that I’ve gotten an opportunity just to be able, obviously to coach him, but just to have a front row seat to see this kid just develop and get better,” Davis said. “Over the last couple of weeks, he’s become more vocal. Over the last couple of weeks, he has led us in his energy in practice.”
That’s the kind of progression coaches dream about-when a young player doesn’t just produce, but starts to take ownership of the team’s energy and culture. Wilson’s voice is getting louder, and his presence is only growing stronger.
And here’s the kicker: Davis doesn’t think we’ve seen anything close to Wilson’s ceiling.
“As good as Caleb is, he has a lot more improvement to go,” Davis added. “I don’t think anybody can see the ceiling-it’s that high for him. It’s just such a joy to coach him.”
That’s high praise from a coach who’s seen his fair share of talent come through Chapel Hill. Davis didn’t hold back in expressing just how special this combination is-elite talent, high character, and a team-first mentality.
“Maybe other coaches have this,” Davis said, “but no other coach, no other program has it better than this combination of having this good of a player, this good of a person, and this good of a teammate. It really is a blessing to be able to coach him this year.”
Landing Wilson over blue bloods like Kentucky and Ohio State was a major recruiting win for UNC. But what’s most important now is what he’s doing on the floor-and how much more he might bring as the season heats up.
For a team with March aspirations, having a player like Caleb Wilson leading the way isn’t just a luxury-it might be the key to a deep run.