Caleb Wilson’s superb season in Chapel Hill is over. The former five-star forward was putting together one of the best freshman campaigns in Tar Heels’ history, but a broken thumb in an individual workout this week required surgery and will force him to miss the regular season finale against Duke on Saturday night, the ACC Tournament, and the NCAA Tournament.
Wilson will almost certainly be heading to the NBA, where he will be a top-five pick in this summer’s draft. However, he’s a Tar Heel for life. Wilson endeared himself to the fanbase in a very short time, yet the one question he asked Hubert Davis before undergoing surgery on Friday will somehow make UNC fans love him even more.
Speaking with ESPN’s Kris Budden on Saturday ahead of tipoff in Durham, Davis shared an incredible Caleb Wilson story.
“I'll tell you a quick story,” Davis told Budden. “When it was a decision to have surgery, the first question that Caleb asked was, 'Can I make it to the game tomorrow?’' and it just broke my heart,” Davis said.
“I've talked at great length about how special he is to me, to us, to this program, not just as a player, but as a person, as a teammate. You know, he has a passion to be on the floor with his teammates, and he always dreamed of playing in big games like this."
Caleb Wilson asked if he could be on the sidelines at Duke before his thumb surgery
Wilson has brought incredible energy on the bench for the Tar Heels since he originally broke his hand against Miami on February 10, three days after Wilson scored 23 points in an upset win over Duke in Chapel Hill. Through the subsequent stretch, UNC went 5-1 without Wilson and is riding a four-game win-streak into Saturday night’s matchup against the top-ranked Blue Devils.
As a freshman, Wilson had to grow into his role as a vocal leader for the Tar Heels, but it’s evident that he’s the heart and soul of the program. That’s rare for a one-and-done freshman, and though his lone year in Chapel Hill has been cut short due to his hand injuries, he’ll long be remembered as a fan-favorite.
Wilson was trending towards returning from his original injury to play against Duke on Saturday night, which adds to the frustration of the situation. With Wilson in tow, the Tar Heels were looking like a dangerous team in March, but without him, UNC’s hopes of a run to the ACC Title or even the Final Four have taken a massive hit.
Still, though he can’t impact the game on the floor, Wilson will do everything he can to keep the energy high on the bench and help the team in any way he can until the season comes to an end. Plenty of surefire first-round picks would depart the program to recover and prepare for the draft, but that’s not Wilson, and that’s why UNC fans love him, and why the NBA city that ends up with him will too.