Caleb Wilson (basketball)

Caleb Wilson
No. 8 – North Carolina Tar Heels
PositionPower forward
LeagueAtlantic Coast Conference
Personal information
Born (2006-07-18) July 18, 2006
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolHoly Innocents' Episcopal School
(Sandy Springs, Georgia)
CollegeNorth Carolina (2025–present)
Career highlights

Caleb Noah Sheldon Wilson (born July 18, 2006) is an American college basketball player for the North Carolina Tar Heels of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2025 class.

Early life and high school career

Wilson was born and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended Holy Innocents' Episcopal School.[1] He averaged 14.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, 5.2 blocks, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game during his sophomore year.[2] Wilson averaged 21 points, 15 rebounds, and over 4 blocks per game as a junior.[3] He tallied 21.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, five assists, 3.6 blocks, and 2.1 steals per contest to lead HIES to its first state championship. He was selected to play in the 2025 McDonald's All-American Boys Game during his senior year.[4]

Recruiting

Wilson was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2025 class, according to major recruiting services.[5][6] He committed to play college basketball at North Carolina over offers from Kentucky and Ohio State.[7][8]

College recruiting information
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Caleb Wilson
PF
Atlanta, GA Holy Innocents' Episcopal School (GA) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jan 24, 2025 
Recruit ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:    On3:    ESPN:    (96)
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 5    247Sports: 8    On3: 5    ESPN: 5
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "North Carolina 2025 Basketball Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  • "2025 North Carolina Tar Heels Recruiting Class". ESPN. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  • "2025 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved March 15, 2026.

College career

Wilson enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in June 2025 in order to take part in the Tar Heels' summer practices.[9]

Wilson made headlines as a fan favorite in his second appearance for the Tar Heels after leading UNC to a victory over Kansas with a game-high 24 points.[10]

Wilson suffered a fractured left hand on February 10, 2026, during the Tar Heels' loss to Miami at the Watsco Center, knocking him out indefinitely. At the time of his injury, Wilson was leading North Carolina in scoring, rebounding, steals, and blocks per game.[11] On March 6, it was announced that Wilson would require season-ending surgery to repair a broken thumb suffered while dunking a ball during practice.[12]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2025–26 North Carolina 24 24 31.3 .578 .259 .713 9.4 2.7 1.5 1.4 19.8

References

  1. ^ "UNC basketball recruit update on Caleb Wilson of Atlanta". The News & Observer. July 6, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  2. ^ Moran, Sean (January 23, 2025). "UNC Basketball Recruiting Board: Class of 2025". 247Sports. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  3. ^ Jones, Ryan (August 12, 2024). "Caleb Wilson Studied the Legends of the Game, Now He's Channeling Their Wisdom as He Makes His Own Mark as a Top 10 Player in the Class of 2025". Slam. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  4. ^ Beighle, Matthew (January 27, 2025). "North Carolina five-star commit named to McDonald's All-American rosters". Tar Heels Wire. USA Today. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  5. ^ Harper, Mitch (September 4, 2024). "BYU Basketball Coaching Staff Visits Five-Star Caleb Wilson". KSLSports.com. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  6. ^ "Ohio State basketball hosts five-star Caleb Wilson, six others on recruiting visits". The Columbus Dispatch. October 26, 2024. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (January 24, 2025). "Top-10 prospect Caleb Wilson commits to UNC over Kentucky". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  8. ^ Marks, Brendan (January 24, 2025). "North Carolina lands top-10 basketball recruit Caleb Wilson". The Athletic. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  9. ^ "CAMP GAME, Round 1! Caleb Wilson EMERGES as Potential Game-Changer for UNC; Jonathan Powell Paces Current Team | Draft Week for Drake Powell". 13WMAZ.com. June 23, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  10. ^ Murphy, Brian (November 7, 2025), "Already a fan favorite, Wilson delivers for UNC in win over Kansas", WRAL.com, retrieved November 7, 2025
  11. ^ "Caleb Wilson Out With Fracture In Left Hand". University of North Carolina Athletics. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  12. ^ "UNC's Caleb Wilson out rest of season after thumb surgery". espn.com. Retrieved March 9, 2026.