North Carolina's superstar freshman forward Caleb Wilson hasn't played in a game since Feb. 10 after he suffered a fracture in his left hand in a game at Miami (FL).
UPDATE: Wilson was ruled out for the season after suffering a broken thumb in practice on Thursday, Mar. 5. All content below was written prior to the knowledge of this injury.
The Tar Heels (23-6, 11-5) have gone 4-1 in the five games without Wilson, but it's clear that his impact is missing. The potential top-four pick in the 2026 NBA Draft exponentially increases North Carolina's ceiling.
Wilson, 6'10", is averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 57.8% from the field. His mid-range shot making and acrobatic finishing style make him difficult to stop inside the three-point line and keep off the free-throw line (7.5 free throw attempts per game).
We'll take a look at where he stands in his recovery and when he could potentially return to the court below.
When could Caleb Wilson return to the court?
Wilson was ruled out "indefinitely" when his injury was sustained, but there's been a big update recently on where he stands in his recovery.
Pictures of Wilson without a cast on circulated online and head coach Hubert Davis confirmed that the forward is without a cast now.
"He doesn't have his cast on anymore, but he can't do anything five on five...but in terms of dribbling, catching, shooting...he's been doing (those) and just continues to get better every day," Davis told TarHeel247.
The Tar Heels have two games remaining on their regular season schedule, including the massive rivalry game at No. 1 Duke.
They play at home against Clemson today, March 3rd, then will make the short drive to Durham to play Duke on March 7th.
Wilson is out vs. Clemson, but he will surely want to play in the Duke game, but only time will tell if North Carolina wants to activate him before the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament, where they're currently projected as a sixth seed.
