Wilson’s Impact Has Been Present Since First Day on Campus

After opening January with three losses in four games, the North Carolina Tar Heels have concluded the month with three straight wins, as their latest victory occurred on Saturday on the road against Georgia Tech.

At this point, it is inevitable that Caleb Wilson will produce at least 20 points, and that transpired against on Saturday. The freshman phenom totaled 22 points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block while shooting 9-of-15 from the field.

While many people were not aware of Wilson's impact, the 6-foot-9, 216-pound forward's coaches and teammates have been well-aware of his potential since the first practice. That includes senior guard Seth Trimble, who admittedly underestimated Wilson's abilities at first.

Trimble's Thoughts

Jan 14, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) gets fouled by Stanford Cardinal forward Aidan Cammann (52) in the second half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

“Our first open gym, I can’t even remember when it was, he was making the ridiculous shots that you see him making now,” Trimble said on Tuesday. “Honestly, I never thought that he’d just go every night and get 20 and 10. But man, after the first two games, when he pretty much did it, I said, ‘Okay, he’s legit, he’s even better than I thought he was.’ And I already thought he was super good.”

In November, Wilson and the Tar Heels defeated Darryn Peterson and the Kansas Jayhawks, and following the victory, the freshman forward shared what he wanted from the fans the next home game.

Hubert Davis' Thoughts

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis reacts in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

“He was handing out, telling people to come to the game at The Pit,” Davis said after beating Kansas. “And we had a white out, because Caleb went on social media and said, ‘I want a white out...’ we had a freshman just say we’re having a white out, and the whole 22,000 showed up in white.”

“No other coach, no other program, has it better than this combination of having this good of a player, this good of person and this good of teammate,” Davis said. “It’s really a blessing to be able to coach him this year.”

Wilson humility makes him easy to root for, and the freshman forward explained how he interacts with others.

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

“I talk to everybody, no matter what they have to offer me or don’t have to offer me,” Wilson said early in the season. “I just feel like we’re all the same, we’re all human. Everybody has something that they can offer you. I like having normal friends that have nothing to do with basketball. It makes it really easy to find them, because it’s a campus full of 25,000 students.”

“The ACC, as I’m learning, is like right back to it,” Wilson said last week. “We have a week break before we play Georgia Tech, and that’s another road game back in my city, so I know it’s [going to] be a good environment. It’s always on to the next.”

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