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#UNC five-star freshman forward Caleb Wilson press conference
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0:00
Kevin, I didn't get a chance to talk to
0:02
Andrew Jones.
0:03
Oh, sorry. Andrew Jones, Tario Hill 247,
0:06
I didn't get a chance to talk to you the
0:07
other day, uh, after B after the the
0:10
Blue White game. I thought some of your
0:11
comments were really interesting about,
0:13
uh, your your take on on the play in the
0:16
game and how long it's taking, how it'll
0:18
take you guys a while to get fully fully
0:19
comfortable. Uh, what is your gauge on
0:22
the guys coming together and becoming a
0:24
fully synchronized unit on the court?
0:26
Because it seems like off the court, you
0:27
guys have everything in place there. uh
0:30
you know, we're all extremely talented
0:32
players, so I feel like it takes just
0:34
some time to mesh, everybody to
0:36
understand their role and what it takes
0:37
to win. So, uh I definitely believe
0:40
it'll take time and during the season, I
0:41
feel like it'll happen more quickly
0:42
since we're able to play against
0:44
competition and other teams, but um I
0:46
just feel like it always it's always
0:48
going to take time. It's always going to
0:49
be a journey and it's a day-by-day
0:51
thing. So, I can't put like a timet on
0:53
when I feel like we'll mesh, but I feel
0:55
like every day we get better and better
0:56
as a group.
0:57
Yeah. And how how discernable is that?
0:59
You say you feel like you get better
1:00
every day. Is there something when you
1:03
leave practice like, "Okay, we're a
1:04
little bit better at this aspect of
1:05
something, maybe communicating on the
1:07
court or something else."
1:08
Um, for me, uh, it's just chemistry. So,
1:11
like me and Henry, we play a lot
1:13
together uh with the high low game and
1:15
dribble, drive until a lob or something
1:17
like that. So, we talk on the court and
1:19
we're like, "Okay, this time I'm going
1:21
to dribble it to the left. Next time the
1:23
big steps up, I'm throwing the lob. Just
1:25
be ready for it." And eventually like in
1:27
during the game during games we'll play
1:28
later this year. That's going to happen.
1:30
And throughout practices we've gotten
1:31
better at like when I first did it he
1:33
didn't know it and he didn't expect it
1:34
because he didn't know I could pass the
1:36
ball as well as I can. But now that
1:37
we're able to talk and communicate it's
1:39
able to happen more often and not resone
1:41
a turnover.
1:42
Hey Jeremiah with inside Carolina. I
1:45
actually wanted to ask you a little bit
1:46
about that about the the passing. A
1:47
couple of your teammates said that they
1:49
didn't realize the passer that you were
1:51
you know before they started playing
1:52
with you. Um, is that something for you
1:55
that you feel like you've kind of always
1:56
had a natural feel for as far as just
1:58
being able to kind of distribute and
1:59
play throw?
2:00
Uh, for sure. You know, I've played a
2:02
lot of sports that require throwing
2:04
growing up. I played baseball. I was a
2:06
short stop. I played pitcher. I played
2:07
first and then football. I played
2:09
quarterback. So, giving the ball and
2:11
distributing has always been a part of
2:13
what I've done in my entire life. I
2:14
always feel like I've been a capable and
2:16
good passer. But I feel like the more
2:18
I've learned, the more I've been able to
2:19
understand basketball, not just who's
2:21
guarding me, but who's around me, it's
2:23
been able it's been easier for me to
2:25
make good decisions.
2:26
And then to go off that a little bit,
2:27
uh, kind of thinking about that being
2:29
part of your skill set, do you kind of
2:30
feel in your I know obviously basketball
2:32
is a lot different now. People consider
2:33
positionless, but do you feel like your
2:35
game kind of falls into a certain
2:37
position? Like you feel like more of a
2:38
four, more of a wing guy. Like how do
2:40
you kind of see how your game's a lot?
2:42
Uh, I I feel like basketball is kind of
2:45
positionless at this point and
2:46
especially the way I'm used in our
2:48
system. Um,
2:50
I I don't want to say I'm a four or
2:52
three because
2:54
like I feel like I do so much. Uh, I
2:57
feel like in whatever case needed to be,
2:59
I'm going to be able to do what it
3:01
takes. If I needed to just rebound the
3:02
basketball, that's what I'll do. But I
3:05
think I pass the ball just like a guard.
3:07
I think I rebound like a four or five.
3:09
And I think I'm athletic as a three, a
3:12
two or a one. So I don't understand like
3:15
the putting people in positions. I just
3:17
feel like, you know, you just play
3:19
what's needed to go, what's needed to
3:20
happen. And basketball to me is a sport
3:22
that's not predictable. It's not it's
3:23
not like football where if you're a
3:25
running back, this is all you're doing.
3:26
I get a rebound and I push like a guard
3:29
would. So it's hard to box myself in.
3:33
Caleb, you Brendon Markson, the
3:35
athletic, um, you mentioned your
3:36
relationship with Henry on the offensive
3:38
side. Defensively, a lot of potential
3:40
there. What has that fit been like? And
3:42
overall, how would you assess the the
3:44
way this team's defense is coming along?
3:46
Hubert's best season has been when you
3:47
had a top 10.
3:48
Um, I feel like our defense has come
3:50
along a lot. Uh, Coach Sully has pushed
3:52
me to be the best defender in the
3:55
country. You know, I feel like whenever
3:58
whenever someone talks about me, that's
4:00
the first thing they talk about is my
4:01
defense. And I accept it and I like it.
4:03
You know, it's it's a translatable
4:05
skill. And um but I feel like our
4:07
defense is definitely coming along. We
4:09
have great guard defenders. My man
4:11
Derek, he's 6'5 guard. So we have size
4:14
up and down the lineup defending. Seth
4:16
is a great defender and uh Jiren's a
4:18
great defender and me and him are both
4:21
switchable. So we could switch on and
4:23
off the ball. And uh I feel like like
4:26
with Henry and me, like we're like the
4:27
twin towers in there. Like we're both
4:30
gonna jump as high as we can to contest.
4:31
As long we stay out of foul trouble,
4:33
it'll be really hard to score in there.
4:34
We're both physical and I feel like it's
4:37
just going to be a great defensive year.
4:38
Honestly,
4:38
you mentioned being switchable. If I can
4:40
just follow up like what is your level
4:41
of comfort switching out onto say guards
4:43
or point guards or things like again you
4:45
mentioned your athleticism. Is that
4:46
something that you would be up for if
4:47
you were asking you to do it?
4:49
I'm I'm up for it. I mean I feel like uh
4:52
if you follow my basketball journey, uh
4:55
switching is something that's going to
4:58
make me look really good. Uh, I like to
5:01
guard guards because I feel like every
5:03
guard when they feel like they got a big
5:04
on them, they try to dance and stuff
5:06
like that and I just end up taking it or
5:08
making them shoot a bad shot because
5:09
it's kind of like egoing them and making
5:11
a move. So, I love playing defense. I
5:13
love switching. So, uh, I definitely
5:15
feel comfortable with it to answer your
5:17
question.
5:17
Caleb, no ice cop 247. We we've been
5:20
around you a little bit. Your confidence
5:21
obviously is something that sticks out.
5:23
Where did that where does that
5:24
confidence come from? Have you always
5:25
been like that since playing sports as a
5:26
kid? and just sort of how did you
5:28
develop that?
5:29
Um, I feel like confidence is first of
5:31
all, you got to work to get it. Uh, I
5:33
feel like you can't um, someone can't
5:35
give that to you. So, I mean, I've never
5:38
worked this hard in my entire life. Like
5:40
this this past summer, like I was
5:42
working out at 10:00 p.m. at night by
5:44
myself and doing a bunch of different
5:46
things that I felt like separated me
5:48
from everybody else in the country. So,
5:50
I feel like my confidence really came
5:53
just this summer and knowing that I'm
5:55
working so hard and doing things that
5:56
aren't normal and
5:58
I feel like it's all just it's it's it's
6:00
all for myself.
6:01
I'm curious, what are some of the
6:02
moments the past, I guess, couple months
6:04
that you really cherish off the court
6:06
with your teammates? What are some of
6:07
the things you guys have done that you
6:08
really look back to and say, "Wow, this
6:10
is really a blast." Or anything like
6:11
that?
6:11
Uh, definitely our Outer Banks trip. Um,
6:13
we we had a lot of fun. I was able to
6:15
get to know what my guys do off the
6:17
court, you know, and here like we don't
6:20
live together. So, spending that one or
6:22
two nights in the house together was
6:23
really fun, you know, playing games,
6:26
going to the pool, going out to the
6:27
beach. It was just really got nice to
6:29
meet and know the guys that I was going
6:30
to be playing basketball with. So, I
6:32
would say definitely that was one of the
6:33
biggest things.
6:34
Any hobbies that your teammates have you
6:36
didn't expect them to have?
6:37
Jiren plays on his phone all the time.
6:39
Like he plays he plays Clash of Clans. I
6:42
think that's the game. And uh yeah, but
6:45
Derek, we listen to country music all
6:47
the time. Derek put me on the country
6:49
music. So we love Zack Bryan. We love uh
6:52
Tyler Childers. Listen to that music all
6:54
the time. We were riding together. So
6:55
that's something else I say is cool.
6:58
Sort of.
6:59
You good?
7:00
Adam Smith with inside Carolina. Uh sort
7:03
of along those lines, like how do you
7:05
sort of balance I mean you seem like a
7:08
fun guy, tons of personality. Like how
7:10
do you balance that side of it with the
7:13
work like you're talking about like at
7:15
10 p.m.? Like I think Derek told us that
7:17
you guys were in here like 600 7 in the
7:19
morning before orientation
7:22
getting shots up like I mean I think
7:23
people see the the character that you
7:25
are but what's what's the work side of
7:27
it that people maybe maybe don't see
7:29
right now?
7:30
Uh just it kind of comes from my dad. Uh
7:32
my my dad's always told me like it has
7:35
to be a balance like you're saying. Uh,
7:37
I love to have fun off the court, but
7:40
that's not why I'm here. I'm here to
7:42
make myself a legend here and win a
7:44
bunch of games. So, I didn't commit to
7:46
Carolina to come here and go to karaoke
7:49
night. So,
7:51
yeah. I came here to I came here to be a
7:53
great basketball player. So, I do things
7:55
that are kind of freeing mentally off
7:57
the court because, you know, I feel like
7:59
it definitely is important for you to
8:00
have a mental balance. You can't put all
8:02
your mental cards like in one deck. So,
8:05
I try to do things that kind of take my
8:06
mind off basketball, but it's hard for
8:08
me to do it. But, it's it's good for me
8:10
because, you know, the ball is going to
8:13
stop bouncing one day. You want to have
8:14
certain stuff that you can fall back on.
8:16
But, um, I just I love basketball and I
8:19
love the grind. I love seeing myself get
8:21
better. So, that's really where that
8:22
comes from.
8:23
Just just to follow up real quick, what
8:25
work you said working out at 10:00,
8:27
doing things to separate yourself. What
8:29
What are some of those things you think
8:31
that um would separate yourself? some of
8:34
the stuff, some of the work that you put
8:35
in.
8:35
Um, I'll definitely say, uh, running,
8:38
running, I feel like, uh, being in the
8:41
best shape is definitely going to be
8:43
important, you know, playing as many
8:46
minutes as I hope to play. And, uh, also
8:48
like I do work out a lot, but, I also
8:51
took time to like stretch and stuff like
8:52
that because I want to stay healthy as
8:55
long as I can. And I just did a lot of
8:58
things that I hadn't done before, which
9:00
is why I'm more confident I've ever been
9:01
because in high school I wasn't I wasn't
9:04
stretching after workout or I was
9:07
working out early in the morning, but
9:08
like I wasn't working out three times a
9:10
day and practice definitely was not as
9:12
hard as it is here. So it's just it's
9:14
just a lot of stuff I'm doing different.
9:16
Caleb Ariel Tribune, you you see that
9:20
high energy on the court and off the
9:22
court with your personality. I think co
9:24
coach Davis said if you ran for student
9:26
body president you'd probably win.
9:28
Yeah.
9:28
Um tell me about the
9:31
how your personality is shown on campus
9:34
and
9:35
would you be able to be more of a leader
9:38
than most freshmen would be because of
9:40
your personality? Um, so all like
9:45
throughout campus I just try to make
9:46
sure I speak to everyone because uh like
9:49
it's always a feeling of uneasiness when
9:52
you're with around a basketball player
9:54
because you know people think that we're
9:57
I don't even want to say not human but
9:59
like that we think we're better than
10:00
them. So I always try to make everyone
10:01
feel like you know I'm personable like
10:04
you can talk to me. I even said it in my
10:05
introduction interview that we posted on
10:07
social media like if you want a picture
10:08
you want to talk I'm not going to shun
10:10
you away. I just talk to everybody, make
10:12
sure everybody feels incorporated with
10:13
what we do. I have tons of friends that
10:17
don't play sports just because, you
10:18
know, we have the some some of the same
10:20
things we do off the court. But, um, as
10:23
a leader, as a freshman, like I I talk
10:26
all the time. I talk constantly. I walk
10:27
in the locker room, I make sure I speak
10:28
to everybody. Uh, I just feel like I
10:31
just try to incorporate everybody and
10:32
everything we have to do. And on the
10:34
court, I'm going to play as hard as I
10:35
can and try to lead with action before I
10:37
leave with my voice because, you know,
10:39
actions speak louder than words every
10:40
time.
10:41
Would you call out a teammate?
10:43
Yeah, I I would call out a teammate, but
10:44
it's just I feel like as long as it's
10:48
like a relationship where they feel the
10:49
same way, that they can do the same
10:50
thing to me is always good. I just don't
10:53
want to be like a one-sided leader, if
10:54
you feel me.
10:55
Caleb Rod Baxley, Fable Observer.
10:58
Looking at this freshman class across
11:00
the country, really good group. Mhm.
11:02
What separates you from the rest of the
11:03
guys in your class?
11:05
Um, I would say work ethic and just the
11:08
ability to do whatever it takes to win.
11:10
Um, I feel like I don't I I feel like I
11:13
know when I need to be selfish. I know
11:15
when I need to attack the rim and do
11:17
what I have to do to win, but I'm also
11:19
not pressing to do any of that. I'm
11:20
pressing to win. So, I'll just say just
11:22
the pressure mentally for myself to do
11:25
what it takes to win.
11:26
And you touched on a little bit with the
11:27
defensive side of that. Where did you
11:29
kind of pick that up to where you're
11:32
more advanced than some freshman may be
11:34
when they come in as a defender?
11:36
Uh I I watch film and um I watch
11:40
defenders often. I watch Marcus Smart a
11:42
lot. Um Tony Allen and uh I I watch
11:46
videos of them saying like little things
11:47
that they would do or look for when
11:49
they're playing a player to help me like
11:51
determine when they can steal the ball.
11:53
Like as simple as like when somebody's
11:55
dribbling the ball, you never want to
11:57
swipe down. want to swipe up so the ref
11:58
can see that you didn't hit an arm and a
12:01
ball goes up which gives you an
12:02
advantage because I'm tall I could just
12:04
jump up and get it or how whenever
12:06
somebody passes the ball from the top of
12:08
the key I do it all the time they
12:09
usually bring it down to their chest cuz
12:10
they feel comfortable with it there
12:12
instead of passing over their head so
12:14
it's a lot of things like small things
12:15
that I look at and I determine through
12:17
film that allow me to make smart
12:19
decisions without fouling on the court
12:21
so you mentioned earlier sorry response
12:23
with the end know you mentioned earlier
12:24
some of the things that you do for
12:25
mental balance outside of basketball. I
12:27
was wondering if you could elaborate and
12:28
give us some examples of that.
12:30
Um, I build Legos. I listen to a bunch
12:33
of music. Um, what else do I do? I play
12:36
the video game a lot. Uh, I I read I
12:40
read like a bunch of stoicism. I feel
12:42
like it's beneficial to your mental
12:44
health, you know? I feel like it kind of
12:46
makes me approach the days differently
12:48
than I used to before. Something else
12:49
that I did differently when I got here.
12:51
And uh,
12:53
I just sleep too. I sleep like whenever
12:56
I get a chance I sleep a 30-minute nap
12:58
I'm taking it. I just I do a lot of
13:00
stuff differently than I did last year.
13:02
So yeah.
13:03
Okay. Following up the the stoicism
13:05
thing. When when did that start and I
13:07
guess what have you taken from that? Um
13:09
that started actually
13:12
so I took a class my senior high school
13:15
in the second semester and we were
13:16
learning about like ancient history
13:18
which is like my favorite subject and
13:20
we're learning about philosophers and
13:21
things that they had to like offer and
13:25
uh they I learned about like Aristotle
13:29
and just how to approach your day like
13:31
how you can't control what other people
13:33
think or you can't control other
13:34
people's actions and I kind of like it
13:37
it really like influenced me then and
13:39
then I got like more into it and I would
13:41
learn stuff about like how to interact
13:45
with people, how to make people feel
13:46
incorporated with each other, like
13:47
incorporated with you and stuff like
13:49
that. So, it's just a lot of stuff I
13:51
learned from it and I read a book called
13:52
The Daily Stoic every day before I
13:54
leave. It's like a quote every morning.
13:56
It's great.
13:57
What was the quote this morning?
13:58
I don't remember actually. I don't
14:00
remember. It's been like a busy day.
14:01
It's been a busy day.
14:03
We'll be putting these in the game now.
14:05
You should.
14:06
Hey, Caleb. uh grand stats territorials
14:08
on SI. You know, Henry mentioned a lot
14:10
about, you know, how Shawn May has
14:11
helped him with offensive rebounding. Uh
14:13
what ways has Shawn helped you kind of
14:15
develop your game on the opposite glass
14:17
and also the defensive side of the
14:18
glass?
14:19
Um offensively, like he's done a lot for
14:23
me because I haven't this isn't like my
14:25
first time in my life in a long time
14:27
where I've been like had to do something
14:29
specifically like my job every time down
14:32
the court is to do a specific thing. So,
14:35
he's helped me a lot with my post game,
14:36
like just making easy simple moves like
14:38
just shooting a jump hook instead of
14:39
trying to body someone down or muscle
14:41
someone to preserve your legs and then
14:43
uh just teach me how to run and seal.
14:45
Just like simple things that you know
14:47
you feel like you should or would know
14:48
at this this age, but just teaching me
14:50
like small nuances of the game.
14:52
Yeah. And also because I know you
14:54
mentioned you wanted to be a legendary
14:55
and you're learning from a legend. Uh
14:57
and he's, you know, his jersey is up in
14:58
the Raptors. What does that mean for you
15:00
as a Carolina basketball player? Uh, it
15:02
means a lot honestly. Uh, coach believed
15:05
in me. He was one of the lead guys when
15:07
I was being recruited. So, it it
15:08
definitely means a lot and I feel like
15:10
he's pushing me every day to be better
15:12
and we talk after every practice and we
15:13
watch film together. So, it it means a
15:15
lot to be pushed by a legend because I
15:17
know he did some legendary things when
15:18
he was here.
15:19
What stands out when you play with this
15:21
guard group?
15:23
Um, I would say shooting honestly like
15:26
everybody can shoot like up and down the
15:28
lineup. I feel like, you know, it's
15:31
going to allow for so much spacing and
15:35
I'm going to dunk on somebody. So,
15:38
that's what I like about it.
15:39
Got time for about two more. Adam, and
15:41
then one. I'm sure this won't be the
15:42
last time we have Caleb in here.
15:44
Sort of along the lines uh that that
15:46
Grant was asking about Caleb. I mean,
15:48
you're so mobile for your size, the
15:50
length, the hops. Like, you know, you're
15:53
kind of a different kind of big. Is is
15:56
there anyone that that maybe Coach May
15:59
or anybody is showing you from
16:00
Carolina's past that they think you
16:03
could emulate or is there not somebody
16:06
um you know at your size? I don't know
16:08
like a Tyler Zeller or Isaiah Hicks or I
16:10
mean I don't know like is there anybody
16:12
like that?
16:12
Um no they haven't they haven't told me
16:15
uh anybody like from Carolina's past
16:18
that they've seen that's kind of like
16:20
similar to me. Uh we we watch film, but
16:23
it's always just personalized to me. Uh
16:26
I watch a lot of NBA and professional
16:29
players play, but I've never really seen
16:32
anyone like me really, honestly.
16:35
Last one.
16:36
Michael Co, wchlamro.com.
16:38
When Coach Davis was recruiting you to
16:40
come here, what was his pitch to you and
16:42
what was the moment that kind of sealed
16:43
the deal for you to come here? Um, well,
16:46
he had a pitch, but I knew I was coming
16:48
here after the Duke game. So, that was
16:51
like two years ago. We beat him and I
16:53
was like, "Bro, it don't get no better."
16:54
And so, I knew then that I wanted to
16:58
beat Duke and I was in the locker room
17:00
partying and then last year we didn't
17:01
beat him. And so, I was like, "Man, I
17:05
need to get that done." So that's that's
17:08
what made me come here. Honestly, when
17:09
we when we beat Duke and I saw
17:12
Franklin Street lit up and I was able to
17:14
go out with the team for a second and
17:16
just kind of get the vibe, I was like,
17:18
man, I got to come here. I got to win
17:20
some games.
17:20
I got to ask, what's your favorite Lego
17:22
set?
17:24
That's a tough one. Oh, I'm really big
17:27
into cars. So, I built the uh I think
17:30
it's a Lamborghini Contact. I think
17:31
that's the name of it. But I built one
17:33
of those. But I built one other one,
17:35
too. Oh my gosh.
17:38
Okay, I'm just gonna say the Lamborghini
17:39
Countag because I I really I built that
17:41
recently. Maybe like two months ago.
17:44
I hate to stop this
17:46
but we do have Jaden behind him.
17:48
And then
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