UNC’s Wilson Suffers Crucial Injury in Loss to 'Canes

On Tuesday, the North Carolina Tar Heels suffered a deflating defeat to the Miami Hurricanes, and the latest news on Caleb Wilson only adds insult to injury.

The #11 Tar Heels trailed for all 40 minutes in their 75-66 loss to the Hurricanes. UNC now falls to 19-5 on the season, and 7-4 in ACC play as they saw their five-game winning streak snapped. After their miraculous comeback win over #4 Duke last week, the Tar Heels came out flat in south Florida.

Additionally, standout freshman forward Caleb Wilson suffered a sprained wrist in the game, which could have an impact on his future availability.

Feb 10, 2026; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) shoots the basketball over North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) during the second half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Painful second half

Wilson suffered the injury early in the second half. He would go back to the locker room to get his wrist taped up, before returning to the game with roughly 8 min remaining. He would later be subbed out in the final 2 minutes, and wouldn’t return as UNC fell to Miami.

Wilson finished with a season-low 12 points on 4-10 shooting from the field in the loss, adding 6 rebounds and 3 blocks to his resume. The future lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has been UNC’s best player this season, averaging 19.8 points, and 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 57 percent from the field, and averaging over a block and a steal per contest.

After the loss to the Hurricanes, Davis insisted that the injury to Wilson isn’t particularly serious, and didn’t play a factor in his performance against Miami despite being heavily taped up.

Feb 10, 2026; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) drives to the basket against Miami Hurricanes center Ernest Udeh Jr. (8) during the second half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Last thing UNC needs

“There is no situation,” Davis said, adding that the significant amount of taping on his wrist had no ill-effects on his mobility.

A serious injury to Wilson is the absolute last thing that UNC needs right now. The standout freshman has essentially carried the Tar Heels to where they are right now, and if he isn’t 100 percent, it certainly impacts their ceiling for the remainder of the season, and into the NCAA Tournament.

Nonetheless, UNC will hope for the best regarding Wilson’s latest injury, and will look to finish the season out strong heading into March. As long as Wilson is healthy, the Tar Heels have enough talent around him to be capable of embarking on a deep run in this year’s edition of the tournament. A strong regular season finish will put them in good position to earn a high seed on Selection Sunday.

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