UNC’s star freshman, Caleb Wilson, looked like he might be on the verge of a return as the team closed out the regular season and headed into tournament play. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas. Wilson returned to individual workouts and broke his right thumb in practice on Thursday and will need surgery. He will miss the rest of the season.
Beyond what it means for UNC to have to finish the season without him, it’s such a devastating way for Wilson’s season and college career to end. In an age of
college basketball where loyalty is hard to find, there was no doubt that Caleb Wilson absolutely loves Carolina. We are all worse off for not getting to see him finish that journey healthy and on the court.
Of course, now comes the reckoning of what the ACC and NCAA Tournaments will look like without him. The Tar Heels have certainly weathered the storm while awaiting the return they thought we were getting. It won’t be easy to face some of the best teams in college basketball without their best player, but the guys who have stepped up in Wilson’s absence will hopefully continue to surprise and impress us.
They’ll certainly have a fantastic cheerleader on the bench rooting for them.
