The absence of college star Caleb Wilson from the North Carolina Tar Heels made an impact on their seeding in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Wilson was enjoying a strong freshman campaign with North Carolina, averaging 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game throughout 24 appearances. He was shooting 57.8% from the field, including 25.9% from beyond the arc, and 71.3% from the free-throw line. He has also been a double-double threat as he was on pace for honorable freshman awards across the nation.
However, he suffered a hand injury against Miami on Feb. 10. The injury was so severe that he sustained a broken thumb as he will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season. Even though North Carolina stood its ground without him to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament, Committee Chair Keith Gill revealed that Wilson's absence had an impact on the team's seeding.
“We spent a lot of time obviously talking about Caleb Wilson, and that obviously impacted the way we talked about North Carolina,” Gill said, per reporter Brendan Marks.
What lies ahead for Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
Caleb Wilson saw an incredible freshman campaign end sooner than he would've liked. Despite this, he will be providing immense support to his North Carolina Tar Heels squad throughout the NCAA Tournament.
Wilson excelled with his performances on the court prior to the season-ending injury, seeing North Carolina go 19-5 with him. Without him, they went 5-3 as they remain resilient as an ACC powerhouse.
North Carolina boasts a 24-8 overall record on the season, having gone 12-6 in its ACC matchups. They finished at fifth place in the conference standings, getting a bye to the quarterfinals in the ACC Tournament. However, they lost to Clemson as they sustained an early exit in the tournament.
The Tar Heels will look forward to their journey in the NCAA Tournament, getting the 6-seed in the South Region. They take on the 11-seed VCU Rams in the first round on March 19 at 6:50 p.m. ET.
