Caleb Wilson's Dunk Electrifies Fans, Signals Clear Precursor for UNC

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Caleb Wilson may be the most confident freshman in the universe. That’s probably an overexaggeration, but he told the media he wants to “dunk on dudes.”

That’s exactly what he did in North Carolina’s 95-53 win over Winston-Salem State in their exhibition game on Wednesday night as he made the signature play of the game with a thunderous posterizing dunk with 7:51 left in the first half.

“You know, I just usually, when I'm about to duck with somebody, I look them in their face, they make decision to jump. That's on them,” Wilson said after the game.

It was Wilson’s second dunk attempt; on his first try, a Winston-Salem State defender knocked the ball loose as he went up. Wilson then collected the ball, dribbled to the perimeter to reset, drove to the baseline and soared to the rim, throwing down a thunderous dunk over Rams big forward Abou Camara.

"I saw him under the rim, I looked at him and he powered up like he was gonna jump. I knew it was going to be a conflict, and I won," Wilson said.

UNC fans rose to their feet and erupted as he put Camara on a poster.

North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson during UNC's exhibtion game vs. Winston-Salem State on Oct. 29, 2025. | Jackson McCurdy, Tar Heels On SI

‌After the game, Wilson rated his dunk a 7 out of 10. He said he's done better.

While head coach Hubert Davis knows the kind of player he has in Wilson — and likely sees plays like that in practice all the time — his first reaction was typical of any coach at any level: get back on defense.

"I wanted him to get back on defense," Davis said, with a sarcastic smile. "It was a beautiful finish. Not many people can do that."

The Type of Energy Dunks Bring to A Team

UNC, Caleb Wilson — North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson dribbling the ball up the court with senior guard Seth Trimble behind him during the exhibition game vs. Winston-Salem State on Oct. 29, 2025. | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

His teammates were impressed, but they’ve reached the point where it’s routine — they see him make those plays in practice all the time and just shrug, "That’s Caleb."

Wilson’s poster dunk was incredible, but it will be something that everyone will see throughout the season. His teammates may shrug it off, but it will take a while before Carolina’s fan base gets used to it.

UNC — Caleb Wilson | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Yes, the Tar Heels played against Winston-Salem State, a Division II program. But when those plays happen against teams like Duke, Louisville and NC State, those dunks can energize the entire team.

"Yes, you can draw energy from play like that," Davis said. "Energy and effort plays, you just need one person to do it. And then one other person does it, then you have the whole team to do it."

Wilson’s Performance Over In Both Exhibition Games

UNC, Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar — Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and Elijah Davis during North Carolina's exhibition game against Winston-Salem State on Oct. 30, 2025. | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

The freshman phenom recorded his second straight double-double, scoring 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds in the win over Winston-Salem State. He also tallied three blocks, two assists and a steal.

That followed his tremendous performance in UNC’s preseason game against No. 8 BYU, where he posted 22 points and 10 rebounds. Wilson also made a defensive impact with three blocks—including one against future lottery pick AJ Dybantsa—and a steal. However, the Tar Heels lost 78-76.

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