By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — There’s no mistaking when Caleb Wilson enters a room.
The 6–10 Carolina freshman forward from Atlanta doesn’t just walk in. He fills the space. His voice carries. His laugh echoes. His presence draws people in, teammates and students alike.
There might be some five-star recruits who don’t have time for other students while walking through the UNC campus, but Wilson is just the opposite.
“I just try to make sure I speak to everyone,” Wilson said, “because it’s always a feeling of uneasiness when you’re around a basketball player. People think that we think we’re better than them. So, I always try to make everyone feel like I’m personable, like you can talk to me.”
He means it.
Wilson talks to everybody, whether it’s students on their way to class or teammates in the locker room. He makes sure everyone feels seen.
“I walk in the locker room, make sure I speak to everybody,” he said at a Smith Center press conference on Thursday before practice. “I just try to incorporate everybody in everything we have to do.”
That openness has made Wilson more than just another talented freshman. It’s made him a connector and a leader before most first-year players would ever think to take on that role.
“I just feel like I talk all the time,” Wilson said. “On the court, I’m gonna play as hard as I can and try to lead with action before I lead with my voice. Because actions speak louder than words.”
Wilson’s personality lights up the campus, and his intensity on the court is hard to miss. Last summer, Wilson spent late nights in empty gyms, chasing the version of himself he wanted to become.
“I’ve never worked as hard in my entire life like this past summer,” he said. “I was working out at 10 p.m. by myself and doing a bunch of different things that I felt like separated me from everybody else in the country.”
That separation is evident not just in his skills, but also in how he carries himself. He’s confident, but it’s confidence earned through effort.
“You’ve got to work to get it,” he said. “Someone can’t give that to you.”
On the court, that confidence translates to a blend of versatility and creativity that is rare for a player of his size. Wilson laughs at the idea of being boxed into a position.
“I think I pass the ball just like a guard,” Wilson said. “I think I rebound like a four or five, and I think I’m athletic as a three, two or one. So, I don’t understand putting people in positions. You just play what’s needed.”
That adaptability has made him a natural fit alongside redshirt junior Arizona transfer center Henri Veesaar, his running mate in the frontcourt. The two are still developing their chemistry, but Wilson says it’s coming fast.
“We play a lot together with the high-low game,” he said. “We talk on the court: ‘OK, this time I’m gonna dribble to the left. Next time the big steps up, I’m throwing the lob. Just be ready for it.’ Eventually, during games, that’s gonna happen.”
Wilson’s love for basketball runs deep, but he’s learned to find balance off the court, too. Between long practices and study sessions, he finds peace in surprising ways.
“I build Legos,” said Wilson, who recently built a Lamborghini Countach out of Legos and will soon have the money — if his earnings this season weren’t enough — to buy the actual car. “I listen to a bunch of music. I play video games. I read a lot of stoicism. It’s beneficial to your mental health. I feel like it makes me approach the days differently than I used to before.”
That calm, reflective and disciplined mindset was sparked in high school.
“I took a class my senior year, and we learned about philosophers like Aristotle,” he said. “It really influenced me. You can’t control what other people think, or other people’s actions. I read a book called The Daily Stoic every day before I leave.”
But make no mistake: Wilson’s philosophical side doesn’t dull his edge. His defensive energy is contagious, and he’s quick to credit Assistant Coach Sean May for helping him refine it. He says that the coaches have pushed him to be the best defender in the country.
“Whenever someone talks about me, that’s the first thing they talk about [is] my defense, and I like it,” he said. “It’s a translatable skill.”
Wilson studies defense the way others study art. He watches players such as Marcus Smart and Tony Allen to learn how they defend opponents and when they attempt a steal.
“When somebody’s dribbling the ball, you never want to swipe down. You want to swipe up so the ref can see that you didn’t hit an arm,” Wilson said. “A ball goes up, which gives you an advantage because I’m tall. I can jump up and get it. Or, whenever somebody passes from the top of the key, they usually bring it down to their chest instead of passing over their head. So, it’s a lot of little things, small stuff like that that let me make smart decisions.”
His teammates feed off that attention to detail and his unshakable energy. Whether he’s leading a defensive rotation, joking with teammates, or playing Zach Bryan or Tyler Childers tunes with fellow freshman Derek Dixon after practice, Wilson keeps it interesting.
“Derek put me on country music,” Wilson said. “We listen to that music all the time when we’re riding together.”
That blend of high energy, humility and leadership has already made Wilson one of the most magnetic personalities on the team. He might be just a freshman, but his goals are anything but small.
“I’m here to make myself a legend here and win a bunch of games,” he said. “I didn’t commit to Carolina to come here and go to karaoke night. I came here to be a great basketball player.”
If his first few months are any indication, he’s well on his way.
| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Freshman | Caleb Wilson (5 star) | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| 5 | Freshman | Isaiah Denis (4 star) | CG | 6–4 | 180 |
| 3 | Freshman | Derek Dixon (4 star) | CG | 6–5 | 200 |
| 40 | Sophomore | Ivan Matlekovic | 5 | 7–0 | 255 |
| 11 | Sophomore | Jonathan Powell | G | 6–6 | 190 |
| 2 | Sophomore | James Brown | 5 | 6–10 | 240 |
| 1 | Sophomore | Zayden High | 4 | 6–10 | 230 |
| 44 | Junior | Luca Bogavac (BO-guh-VAHTS) | W | 6–6 | 215 |
| 4 | Junior | Jaydon Young | 2 | 6–4 | 200 |
| 13 | RS junior | Henri Veesaar (VEH-sar) | 5 | 7–0 | 225 |
| 0 | Junior | Kyan Evans | 1 | 6–2 | 175 |
| 15 | Junior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| 7 | Senior | Seth Trimble | 2 | 6–3 | 200 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Sophomore | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Junior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
| 6 | RS senior | Elijah Davis | 2 | 6–3 | 205 |
Former UNC players who transferred
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elliot Cadeau | Junior | PG | 6–1 | 180 | Michigan |
| Jalen Washington | Senior | C | 6–10 | 235 | Vanderbilt |
| Ian Jackson | Sophomore | G | 6–4 | 190 | St. John’s |
| Cade Tyson | Senior | F | 6–7 | 200 | Minnesota |
| Ven-Allen Lubin | Senior | C | 6–8 | 230 | N.C. State |
| Date | Month/day | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 24 | Friday | L, 78–76 | vs. No. 10 BYU in SLC | Exhib. |
| 29 | Wednesday | W, 95–53 | vs. Winston-Salem St. | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 94–54 | vs. Central Arkansas | 1–0 |
| 7 | Friday | W, 87–74 | vs. No. 17 Kansas | 2–0 |
| 11 | Tuesday | W, 89–74 | vs. Radford | 3–0 |
| 14 | Friday | W, 97–53 | vs. N.C. Central | 4–0 |
| 18 | Tuesday | W, 73–61 | vs. Navy | 5–0 |
| Fort Myers Tip-Off | ||||
| 25 | Tuesday | W, 85–70 | vs. St. Bonaventure | 6–0 |
| 27 | Thursday | L, 74–58 | vs. No. 9 Michigan State | 6–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | |||
| 2 | Tuesday | W, 67–64 | at Kentucky | 7–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 81–61 | vs. Georgetown | 8–1 |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 80–62 | vs. USC Upstate | 9–1 |
| 16 | Tuesday | 8 p.m. | vs. East Tennessee State | ACCN |
| CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta | ||||
| 20 | Saturday | 3 p.m. | vs. Ohio State | CBS |
| ————————— | ||||
| 22 | Monday | 8 p.m. | vs. East Carolina | ACCN |
| 30 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Florida State | ESPN2 |
| January | ||||
| 3 | Saturday | 2:15 | at SMU | The CW |
| 10 | Saturday | 6 p.m. | vs. Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 14 | Wednesday | 9 p.m. | at Stanford | ACCN |
| 17 | Saturday | 4 p.m. | at California | ACCN |
| 21 | Wednesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Notre Dame | ESPN2 |
| 24 | Saturday | 2 or 2:30 | at No. 23 Virginia | ESPN or ESPNU |
| 31 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | at Georgia Tech | ACCN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. Syracuse | ESPN |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | vs. No. 3 Duke | ESPN |
| 10 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at Miami | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 14 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh | ESPN |
| 17 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at N.C. State | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 21 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at Syracuse | ABC |
| 23 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 11 Louisville | ESPN |
| 28 | Saturday | 6:30 or 8:30 | vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Clemson | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | at No. 3 Duke | ESPN |
| 10–14 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photos by Joshua Lawton
tarheeltribune.com 