Caleb Wilson rightfully earns a spot on the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 watch list

The 2025-2026 college basketball season has been one that has been dominated by an elite freshman class.

North Carolina is fortunate that one of the best freshman (and players) in the entire country calls Chapel Hill his home, as Caleb Wilson has quickly risen to stardom with the UNC basketball program.

In recognition of the historic first half he's put together during his freshman season, Wilson was named to the Wooden Award midseason top 25 watch list.

The midseason list is dominated by freshmen!

Typically, you'll see a watch list for prestigious awards, such as the Wooden Award, to be filled with upperclassmen.

This midseason list is a lot different than what we are used to seeing!

Wilson is one of 9, yes, 9 freshman to make the cut, showcasing just how good the newcomers to college basketball have been. This group has wasted no time making a tremendous impact on the sport, as there are star-studded true freshmen playing like they are experienced veterans.

Wilson's Impact

It's difficult to put into words how impactful Wilson has been, as he has spearheaded what feels like a resurgence of the UNC basketball program. After a year in which the Tar Heels just barely made the NCAA Tournament, Wilson arrived on campus and has played at a level we might never have seen in Chapel Hill before, which is saying something given the stars who have called North Carolina home.

Wilson leads the UNC basketball program in scoring (19.3 points per game) and rebounding (10.9 per game). If this pace keeps up, Wilson would set new all-time program records for freshmen. He also leads North Carolina in offensive rebounds, steals, free throws (made and attempted), and blocked shots.

He surpassed Phil Ford for the most consecutive 20+ point performances by a true freshman, and currently is leading the entire ACC in double-doubles and rebounds (both of which he ranks first among all freshman qualifiers.

Needless to say, this dude is the real deal, and is more than deserving of being on this list of the best 25 players that college basketball has to offer.

2025-26 Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch list

Darius Acuff Jr.- Arkansas
Nate Ament- Tennessee
Cameron Boozer- Duke
Jaden Bradley- Arizona
MIkel Brown Jr.- Louisville
Tucker DeVries- Indiana
AJ Dybansta- BYU
Kingston Fleming- Houston
PJ Haggerty- Kansas State
Thomas Haugh- Florida
Graham Ike- Gonzaga
Josh Jefferson- Iowa State
Alex Karaban- UConn
Trey Kaufman-Renn- Purdue
Yaxel Lendeborg- Michigan
Tamin Lipsey- Iowa State
Koa Peat- Arizona
Darryn Peterson- Kansas
Labaron Philon Jr.- Alabama
Emanuel Sharp- Houston
Braden Smith- Purdue
Bennett Stirtz- Iowa
Bruce Thornton- Ohio State
JT Toppin- Texas Tech
Caleb Wilson- North Carolina