Caleb Wilson, Jarin Stevenson Talk Importance of UNC Win

The North Carolina Tar Heels led wire-to-wire in their 91-69 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Wednesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center. After losing two consecutive games and three of their last four games, the Tar Heels needed to win against an inferior opponent.

Caleb Wilson further proved his worth to the team, leading the way for North Carolina, recording 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block while shooting 8-of-11 from the field. Meanwhile, Jarin Stevenson was a solid contributor off the bench, totaling eight points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one rebound while shooting 2-of-3 from the field, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.

While speaking with the media during their postgame press conferences, Wilson and Stevenson discussed the team's recent struggles and how that led to the performance against Notre Dame.

Wilson's Thoughts

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) with the ball in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"It just kind of exposed what we need to do better," Wilson said of what the two-game losing streak taught the team. "And everybody's a competitor, so, you know, losing kind of brings out that edge and everybody so I feel like it was good for us to have it earlier this year than later."

During North Carolina's recent skid, blown second-half leads have become a trend, which could not linger much longer. Wilson explained the sense of urgency in this regard.

"It was definitely a conscious effort, but it's more about pride with us now," Wilson said. "You can say whatever you want, but I hate the people that try to blame Coach Davis for our lapses. Our coach is teaching us the right things, all about our effort and us playing as hard as we can."

Stevenson's Thoughts

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) brings the ball up the court as Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Logan Imes (2) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"We had a tough trip down to California," Stevenson said. "I feel like we responded well with practice, getting in the gym and just bringing up the intensity."

Stevenson echoed Wilson's thoughts, sharing with the media how important this game was for building confidence heading into February.

"This was an important game, a bounce-back game, so just getting back here, working on different things, giving all our effort and stuff like that is big, and getting our confidence back," Stevenson said.

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) shoots as Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Ryder Frost (7) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Tar Heels' defense was subpar in the first half against California, but they responded well in the second half, which extended into Wednesday night.

"It shows heart, "Stevenson said of North Carolina's performance in the second half against California. "Shows that we are capable of being a good team and doing the right things, but we need to do that for the whole 40 minutes."

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