Wilson gets alarmingly few shots down stretch in last four games

By R.L. Bynum

It’s a troubling pattern when one of the best freshmen in the country and a first-round NBA draft pick doesn’t get many shots down the stretch.

In the last four games, Caleb Wilson’s shots have been hard to come by. Teams have been double-teaming the sensational forward all season, but No. 22 Carolina is having particular issues getting him the ball when the Tar Heels have needed points in key stretches.

“Obviously, we’d like to get the ball to him as much as possible,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said Monday during the weekly ACC coaches Zoom press conference. “Also defenses pay him a lot of attention as well, and doubling whenever he catches the basketball and try to get the ball out of his hands.”

Davis didn’t address, when asked, what Carolina can do to get him more shots, instead emphasizing other ways he affects the game.

In the last four games, losses at SMU (97–83), Stanford (95–90) and Cal (84–78) and when UNC barely held on to beat Wake Forest 87–74 at home, Wilson’s statistics in the last 15 minutes of those games are stunningly low.

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Wilson is averaging 15.7 shots and 25.4 points per 40 minutes in all games this season. But in the last 15 minutes of the last four games, he’s only averaging 6.0 shots and 13.3 points per 40 minutes. If you just look at the SMU, Wake Forest and Cal games, that falls to 4.0 shots and 6.7 points.

His only breakthrough during that stretch was when he made all four shots and scored 10 points against Stanford. In the last 15 minutes of the other three games, he’s combined for 10 points on 2 of 7 shooting.

“All I have to say is down the floor, from an offensive standpoint, he either gets an offensive rebound, he either assisted, or he gets fouled and gets to the free throw line,” Davis said.

Wilson has one assist in the last 15 minutes of each of the last four games. He has four total offensive rebounds during the last 15 minutes of the four games, with four of his eight total rebounds coming in the Cal game.

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Wilson’s numbers down stretch

Here are Wilson’s numbers in the last 15 minutes of each of the last four games:
SMU — 2 points, 1–2 FG, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul
Wake Forest — 5 points 1–2 FG, 3–4 FT, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 assist, 1 turnover
Stanford —10 points, 4–4 FG, 2–4 FT, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 turnovers
Cal — 3 points, 0–3 FG, 0–1 3FG, 3–4 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block
Totals — 60 minutes, 20 points, 6–9 FG, 8–12 FT, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals

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Wilson’s play-by-play in last 15 minutes

2nd-half time left	Action	Score
SMU
14:24	Subtituted out	50-58
10:52	Substituted in	61-65
8:48	Missed layup attempt	64-69
7:48	Offensive foul	65-71
7:48	Turnover	65-71
5:59	Assist	70-78
4:01	Defensive rebound	72-86
1:47	Steal	79-92
1:43	Dunk	81-92
Wake Forest
14:53	Made 2 FT attempts	60-53
13:43	Steal	62-53
13:34	Subtituted out	62-53
11:52	Subtituted in	64-53
11:01	Layup	69-54
8:37	Defensive rebound	72-59
7:57	Missed jumper	72-59
3:22	Made 1 of 2 FT attempts	75-73
2:06	Turnover (traveling)	78-76
1:28	Assist	80-76
Stanford
14:30	Offensive rebound	63-53
13:15	Turnover (traveling)	65-57
13:15	Subtituted out	65-57
12:40	Substituted in	65-60
10:51	Missed 2 FT attempts	67-64
10:49	Offensive rebound	67-64
10:46	Layup	69-64
10:28	Steal	69-64
10:21	Dunk	71-64
8:22	Layup	77-72
6:42	Assist	81-77
5:20	Hit jumper	83-77
2:12	Made 2 FT attempts	86-84
1:47	Foul	87-84
0:50	Turnover	87-88
0:15	Foul	88-91
:03	Turnover (traveling)	90-95
Cal
13:20	Defensive rebound	52-66
13:00	Missed jumper	52-66
12:02	Foul	52-66
11:24	Subtituted out	52-67
10:45	Substituted in	52-70
10:22	Offensive rebound	52-70
10:19	Missed jumper	52-70
9:40	Assist	55-70
8:39	Foul	55-72
8:07	Made 2 FT attempts	56-74
7:35	Steal	59-74
6:43	Offensive rebound	62-74
6:07	Steal	65-74
6:04	Split 2 free-throw attempts	66-74
5:37	Block	66-74
3:21	Subtituted out	72-77
1:55	Substituted in	73-79
0:03	Missed 3-point attempt	78-83
0:00	Defensive rebound	78-84

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Team	League	Overall	NET*	WAB*
No. 1 Duke	17–1	29–2	1	2
No. 10 Virginia	15–3	27–4	13	11
Miami	13–5	24–7	32	28
No. 19 North Carolina	12–6	24–7	23	19
Clemson	12–6	22–9	36	33
No. 24 Louisville	11–7	22–9	14	25
N.C. State	10–8	19–12	35	45
Florida State	10–8	17–14	69	74
California	9–9	21–10	65	49
Stanford	9–9	20–11	59	51
SMU	8–10	19–12	39	50
Virginia Tech	8–10	19–12	53	52
Wake Forest	7–11	16–15	64	81
Syracuse	6–12	15–16	83	92
Pittsburgh	5–13	12–19	109	146
Notre Dame	4–14	13–18	93	121
Boston College	4–14	11–20	159	217
Georgia Tech	2–16	11–20	167	210

* — Through Sunday games
Saturday’s results
No. 1 Duke 76, No. 19 North Carolina 61
Boston College 77, Notre Dame 69
Clemson 79, Georgia Tech 76
No. 24 Louisville 92, Miami 89
Florida State 92, SMU 78
Stanford 85, N.C. State 84
Wake Forest 80, California 73
Pittsburgh 71, Syracuse 69, OT
END OF REGULAR SEASON
ACC tournament
Spectrum Center | Charlotte
Tuesday through Saturday

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Date	Time/ scores	Month/day	Opponent/event (current ranks)	TV
		October	Exhibitions
9	W, 88–70	Friday	vs. No. 21 USC in Greensboro
18	L, 76–58	Sunday	vs. Indiana in Indianapolis
27	7:30	Tuesday	vs. Charlotte	ACCN Extra
		November	Regular season
2	7 p.m.	Monday	vs. Western Carolina	ACCN
6	7 p.m.	Friday	vs. Wofford	ACCN
10	7 p.m.	Tuesday	vs. Wyoming	ACCN
13	7 p.m.	Friday	vs. Georgia	ESPN2
20	9 p.m.	Friday	vs. Marshall	ACCN
23	7 p.m.	Monday	vs. Monmouth	ACCN
27	7 p.m.	Friday	Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte	ESPN
		December
1	7:30	Tuesday	ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 12 Arkansas	ESPN
6	3 p.m.	Sunday	vs. Butler	ESPN2
12	Noon	Saturday	at Georgetown	Peacock
15	7 p.m.	Tuesday	Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro	ESPN2
19	2:30	Saturday	CBS Sports Classic vs. No. 23 Kentucky in New York	CBS
21	8 p.m.	Monday	vs. The Citadel	The CW
30	4 p.m.	Wednesday	vs. California	ACCN
		January
2	4 p.m.	Saturday	at Boston College	ESPN or ESPN2
5	9 p.m.	Tuesday	at No. 11 Louisville	ESPN or ESPNU
9	Noon	Saturday	vs. N.C. State	ESPN2
13	7 p.m.	Wednesday	at Florida State	ESPN2 or ESPNU
16	2:15	Saturday	vs. Stanford	The CW
19	9 p.m.	Tuesday	vs. No. 9 Virginia	ESPN
23	Noon	Saturday	at Syracuse	ESPN or 2 or U
26	7 p.m.	Tuesday	vs. SMU	ESPN or ESPN2
30	6 or 6:30	Saturday	Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 3 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn.	ESPN
		February
2	7 p.m.	Tuesday	at Notre Dame	ESPN or ESPN2
6	2:15	Saturday	vs. Georgia Tech	The CW
8	6 p.m.	Monday	vs. No. 11 Louisville	ESPN
13	5:30	Saturday	at No. 2 Duke	ABC
20	7 p.m.	Saturday	at Wake Forest	ACCN
22	7 p.m.	Monday	vs. No. 14 Miami	ESPN
27	7 p.m.	Saturday	at Virginia Tech	ESPN
		March
2	9 p.m.	Tuesday	at Pittsburgh	ESPN or ESPN2
6	6 or 6:30	Saturday	vs. No. 2 Duke	ESPN
9–13		Tues.-Sat.	ACC tournament in Greensboro

Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics