North Carolina has been dealing with a tough situation after freshman Caleb Wilson revealed, following Saturday’s win over USC Upstate, that he was dealing with a foot injury.
For North Carolina to become the team it wants to be, the last thing it needs is a long-term injury to Wilson.
However, when speaking with reporters, including Rod Baxley of The Fayetteville Observer, it doesn’t sound like this injury will keep Wilson out.
“I play through whatever I feel as long as it’s not gonna really mess me up,” Wilson said. “But I’m good now, so just gotta play through injury.”
“My foot is good,” Wilson said. “When I blocked that dude’s shot (against USC Upstate) and fell on my butt, that hurt a lot. I wear a girdle though, so I’ll just get some treatment on it right after this and keep it pushing.”
Wilson entered the season with high expectations, as many believed he could be one of the top freshmen in the country.
Saying he’s lived up to the hype might actually undersell it, as he’s arguably exceeded expectations given what he’s done on both ends of the floor.
As things currently stand, it’s hard to imagine much more from a freshman.
There’s still plenty of season left for North Carolina, and for Wilson to continue playing at this level, he’ll need to remain impactful on both sides of the ball.
But the early returns on the five-star freshman have been exactly what fans could have hoped for.
It’ll be worth monitoring how the injury progresses, but at this point, UNC fans shouldn’t have any complaints about Wilson’s start to the season.
From the sounds of things, there isn't much of a reason to be worried about this foot injury, either.
Even if Wilson were to deal with something, it probably shouldn't be viewed as a bad thing unless it's long-term. If he's ready to go for January and the bulk of ACC play, that's the biggest picture.
UNC would take a big hit if it were to deal with Wilson out for even a few weeks at this rate.