UNC’s Veesaar Shares Reaction To Caleb Wilson’s Season-Ending Injury

The North Carolina Tar Heels suffered a major loss last week when it was announced that star forward Caleb Wilson’s season was over due to a thumb injury.

After missing the previous six games thanks to a fractured wrist, the news of Wilson’s latest injury broke just before their final regular-season game against #1 Duke, which they would go on to lose 76-61. The Tar Heels survived his initial absence, going 5-1 in the six games he missed. However, their performance against Duke was significantly less inspiring.

Wilson’s Numbers This Season

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Wilson was the Tar Heels' best player this season despite being just a freshman. He led the team in points per game (19.8), rebounds per game (9.4), steals per game (1.5), assists per game (2.7), and blocks per game (1.4). Wilson was also highly efficient on offense, shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor on the season.

Despite leading the Tar Heels to most of their 24-7 record and 12-6 conference record, Wilson won’t get the chance to suit up for the ACC or NCAA Tournaments later this month, which drastically affects UNC’s ceiling in both postseason scenarios.

2025 Caleb Wilson pic.twitter.com/6TWC5VGpIV
— Pitless (@pitlessball) March 6, 2026

To make matters worse for North Carolina fans, Wilson is probably headed to the NBA Draft rather than running it back next season. His rare combination of size and skill has made him one of the top prospects for NBA teams this summer, and many mock draft boards project the 6-foot-10 forward to be selected in the top 5 of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Feb 10, 2026; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) looks on against the Miami Hurricanes during the first half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Following their loss to Duke, center Henri Veesaar shared his reaction to finding out that Wilson wouldn’t play another game for the Tar Heels this season.

Veesaar’s Thoughts

Feb 28, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) shoots as Virginia Tech Hokies center Christian Gurdak (32) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

“Playing with Caleb has been amazing this year,” Veesaar said. “Just seeing him fight to come back, he’s been so excited. I feel like, it isn’t even my personal thought where I’m like ‘oh, it’s going to hurt the team,’ it’s just seeing him."

"I think he’s been devastated ever since learning about it, going through the surgery. Just seeing his emotions, how much he wanted to play, how much he wanted to go to the NCAA Tournament, and March Madness, and just seeing it get taken away from him. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Feb 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) and center Henri Veesaar (13) and forward Jonathan Powell (11) react in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Tar Heels will look to prove that they can win without Wilson over the next couple of weeks and try to avoid any upsets in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.