Caleb Wilson’s freshman season at the North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball came to a sudden halt. The school revealed Friday afternoon that Wilson suffered a broken right thumb during a non-contact drill at practice on Thursday. According to UNC, the injury requires surgery and will keep him out for the remainder of the season. ESPN first reported the development.
Wilson sustained the injury while trying to dunk during practice, UNC said. The setback arrives roughly three weeks after he broke a bone in his left hand during the Tar Heels’ game against the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball on Feb. 10. That injury had already forced him to miss UNC’s last six games.
The Atlanta native had recently been cleared for individual workouts and was working his way toward a return to the lineup before the new injury occurred on Thursday. However, he had not yet been cleared for contact. A UNC spokesperson said the injury happened early in practice when Wilson’s right thumb struck the front of the rim as he attempted a dunk during warmups.
As previously reported by the The News & Observer, Wilson had been aiming to return from his fractured left hand in time for Saturday’s matchup with the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball. “It’s the biggest game in your life,” Wilson said ahead of the Tar Heels’ Feb. 7 meeting with Duke. “I think it’s gonna be fun. Honestly, I really don’t care about the crowd. I mean, me personally, I’m really excited to go play at Duke too. I like to be the villain in games. And I just think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Speaking with reporters Thursday, shortly before the team’s afternoon practice, UNC head coach Hubert Davis said Wilson was “progressing” in his recovery and did not dismiss the possibility of him returning for Saturday’s game in Durham. That outlook changed within hours when Wilson suffered his second hand injury of the season — one that will end his year. X-rays taken Friday morning confirmed the broken right thumb, and a UNC spokesperson said Wilson was scheduled for surgery Friday afternoon.
Wilson’s first season at UNC
In a college basketball season highlighted by standout freshman performances, Wilson emerged as one of the most productive newcomers in the country. He led UNC with averages of 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, setting several freshman records for the program. Wilson also earned National Player of the Week honors twice and was named ACC Freshman of the Week three times.
Wilson shared a message of appreciation on Instagram Friday night reflecting on his season in Chapel Hill. “To all my supporters young and old, I hope I’ve inspired you to know and see the impact you can make on someone’s life without even knowing,” Wilson wrote. “Like always, I’ll be back and definitely cheering on my guys tomorrow (Saturday) with my good hand!”
Earlier in the week, Davis emphasized how valuable Wilson has been to the team while speaking on his radio show.
“Caleb is a huge piece for us (and) extremely talented,” Davis said. “There’s stats and where he leads us, but his personality, presence in the locker room, on the bench, in the huddle is even more than that. This is a really close, tight-knit team, and a number of guys have raised their game to put us in a position to still be competitive and to still win games.”
The Tar Heels (24-6, 12-5 ACC) have already secured a double-bye in the ACC Tournament and will begin play in the quarterfinals at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 12 in Charlotte. UNC will wrap up its regular season Saturday on the road against top-ranked Duke, with tipoff set for 6:35 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
