A promising season shattered. Star freshman Caleb Wilson's North Carolina career ends abruptly with a devastating thumb fracture, sidelining him for the NCAA Tournament.
Star freshman Caleb Wilson suffered a fracture on his left hand in North Carolina's loss to Miami on Feb. 10.
Wilson wore a cast on the non-shooting hand for a few weeks as he participated in non-contact drills. The Tar Heels expected the future NBA draft pick to return to the court sometime before the NCAA Tournament.
Last week, UNC head coach Hubert Davis said Wilson was making significant progress on his recovery. The Tar Heels expected him to return soon, though he had not been cleared for five-on-five drills in practice.
Things took a drastic turn ahead of No. 17 North Carolina's contest at No. 1 Duke on Saturday.
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Wilson broke the thumb on his right (shooting) hand during a non-contact drill on Thursday. He needs surgery to repair the thumb and will not return for the NCAA Tournament.
His season and career at North Carolina are over.
"Just in: North Carolina's Caleb Wilson broke his right thumb in a non-contact drill in practice Thursday and has undergone season-ending surgery, sources tell ESPN," Charania posted on X.
"Wilson is expected to be cleared during the NBA predraft process, where he'll compete to be the No. 1 pick in June."
Wilson led UNC in points per game this season with 19.8 points per game. He averaged a team-high 9.4 rebounds.
With Wilson out, the Tar Heels have leaned on center Henri Veesaar and guard Seth Trimble. UNC most recently beat Clemson 67-63 at home on Tuesday.
The Tar Heels are expected to make the NCAA Tournament without Wilson, but their chances of making a deep run took a huge hit with the news they'd be without their best player for the remainder of the season.
UNC has one more game to prepare to be without Wilson before playing tournament basketball.
North Carolina enters Saturday's final regular season contest against Duke with a 12-5 ACC record, fourth in the conference. The Tar Heels are 24-6 overall.
Wilson played a key role in UNC's 71-68 win over Duke on Feb. 7. He recorded 23 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.