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Caleb Wilson Could Break Two-Decade Long UNC Draft Spell

Michael Malone era begins with Caleb Wilson leading the way.
Caleb Meadows|
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The NBA Draft takes place Tuesday, June 23. The whole basketball world will have eyes on the draft, and NBA teams' futures may change and turn franchises around for the next 10 to 15 years. Fans could finally receive hope from their favorite team based on one draft pick.

UNC Past the Glory Days

North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball is obviously a historic college basketball program, but it has gone through a dry spell in the NBA Draft over the past two decades. UNC has had only two players selected in the top 10 of the NBA Draft since 2010.

To go even further back, UNC has not had a player drafted in the top five since 2005, when Marvin Williams was selected No. 2 overall, and Raymond Felton No. 5. From 1995 to 2005, six players from UNC went in the top five, and then it all went downhill. It has been two decades since an all-time program had a player go in the top five of the NBA Draft.

New Era in Chapel Hill

Caleb Wilson cannot only break the top-five pick dry spell, but also set the precedent for the Mike Malone era. It is a new generation in Chapel Hill, as former head coach Hubert Davis, who was with the program for the past five seasons, was fired after a first-round NCAA Tournament exit.

The program hired former NBA Champion head coach Michael Malone at the beginning of April. Malone won an NBA title in 2023 with the Denver Nuggets. Now he is looking to bring his championship pedigree to Chapel Hill.

UNC star freshman Wilson will not have the chance to play for Malone, but he can leave a legacy behind that will help Malone in the upcoming years. Wilson is projected to be a top-four pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, which would break the two-decade spell.

This would not only be huge for Wilson but also massive for the North Carolina program. The Tar Heels are historically a blue blood, but they have struggled over the past few years to keep up with other top programs. UNC needs Wilson to restart the great lineage of players it once had and set the program up for the future.

UNC will look to not just win games but also attract top talent like Wilson. The Tar Heels have struggled recently to bring top-tier recruits to the program. Wilson going from a UNC great to an All-NBA-caliber player is just what North Carolina needs.

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Caleb Meadows
CALEB MEADOWS

Caleb Meadows is a contributor to the UNC Tar Heels. He previously covered Louisville sports and WWE for FanSided. Meadows also covered local sports in Oklahoma while attending Oklahoma State, where he earned a degree in sports communications. Follow him on X, at @CalebMeadows25.