UNC Tar Heels' Caleb Wilson Lands Head-Turning Outlook From NBA Execs

North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson will not play again this season due to a broken thumb he suffered in practice earlier this month, an injury that required surgery.

Remember: Wilson was rehabbing from a hand fracture he had suffered the month prior and appeared to be on his way to returning before the broken thumb thwarted his efforts, so now, Wilson's new goal is preparing for the NBA Draft.

In spite of his injuries, the North Carolina star is still generally viewed as a top-four pick in this year's draft class, and some even feel he could slide into the top three.

Why? Because Duke Blue Devils big man Cameron Boozer has not completely won over scouts and executives due to his athletic limitations, leading some execs to believe that Wilson could be the better bet.

"He's so raw, and there's a ton of upside there," one Eastern Conference exec said, via ESPN. "I can easily see him becoming a top-three player in this draft. I think Cam already has his NBA body, but Caleb has a lot of room to grow."

In 24 games this season, Wilson averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds over 31.3 minutes per game while shooting 57.8 percent from the floor and 71.3 percent from the free-throw line.

While there is no question that Wilson has a lot to work on (such as his perimeter shot), a legitimate argument can be made that the Atlanta native does have more upside than Boozer because of his athleticism.

Wilson is a bit of a mixed bag defensively at this stage, but there is no doubt that he possesses considerable upside in that department. Boozer, on the other hand, could very well become a defensive liability on the NBA level.

Of course, it would have been nice to see Wilson in March Madness so scouts could have gotten a better feel of how he reacts to big-game situations, but that typically doesn't have too big of an effect on a player's draft status.

"Since he got to Carolina, his care factor and toughness has really stood out and gone to the next level," an ACC coach said of Wilson.

We'll see where Wilson ends up going in June, but it would not be shocking if he leapfrogs Boozer.

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