Caleb Wilson's hand injury likely just ended his college basketball career, but he is not yet giving up on North Carolina ahead of the team's massive regular-season finale against Duke.
The Tar Heels received the devastating news that Wilson would not be returning one day before the rivalry game. Wilson had season-ending surgery on Friday, but that will not stop him from traveling with the team to Durham to support North Carolina against Duke on the road, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported.
Wilson has not played since Feb. 10, when he injured his hand late in a loss to Miami. He was reportedly close to making his return before re-injuring his finger on a dunk attempt in practice.
North Carolina is 5-1 in its last six games without Wilson, but only one of those wins came against a ranked opponent. They have only averaged 74.5 points per game in that frame, down 5.9 points from their season-long average.
Wilson paced North Carolina in its 71-68 upset win over Duke in the first meeting at the Dean Smith Center. The star forward posted a team-high 23 points with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block while playing all 40 minutes.
Without Wilson, Hubert Davis will rely on star center Henri Veesaar, junior forward Jarin Stevenson and sophomore big man Zeke High to anchor his frontcourt against a physical Duke team. The Blue Devils' success originates in the paint, where Cameron Boozer and Patrick Ngongba II have dominated all year.
However, Duke's frontcourt could also be shorthanded, with Ngongba trending toward being a game-time decision. The 6-foot-11 sophomore has only missed one game in the 2025-2026 season.
