Believe it or not, the 2025-26 Carolina basketball season is just around the corner. It feels like it has been quite a while since we were sweating out the Heels making it to the NCAA Tournament, which
is likely because of all of the football distractions that took place since then. While the football distractions were transpiring, Hubert Davis put in a lot of work this summer to rebuild his roster. On paper things look pretty good, but it is such a new roster that the overwhelming thought about this team has been: “Let’s wait and see.”
It’s understandable that fans do not want to get burned this season, but there truly is a lot about this team to be excited about. One group of guys that as a collective is flying under the radar is the freshmen, who of course are led by five-star power forward, Caleb Wilson. To kick off our roster preview, let’s take a look at what we can expect from the freshman class.
Isaiah Denis
One player that may be flying under the radar this season is four-star shooting guard, Isaiah Denis. He arrived onto campus as a four-star combo guard out of Davidson, NC, and he is the 10th-best combo guard in the 2025 class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
What’s notable about Denis’ game is that he is a 6’5 shooting guard who is a known threat with his jumper. Scouting reports state that he can create space and hit jumpers off the dribble, and he is a capable scorer on all three levels. The one knock on his game is that he can be turnover prone, which will probably not sit well with a lot of fans after the Heels dealt with some turnover issues last season. Still, Denis is a promising freshman that should be able to contribute early, and it’ll be exciting to see what he added to his game once he arrived on campus.
Derek Dixon
While there hadn’t been a lot said about Isaiah Denis as far as national media goes, there’s buzz that is increasing around four-star combo guard Derek Dixon. Arriving on campus out of Washington DC, Dixon is listed at 6’5 and is ranked the 8th-best combo guard in the 2025 class. He also the 45th-best freshman in the country, which is a fact that is only overshadowed by the guy that we will preview in a moment.
While Denis is known more as a shooting guard, Dixon will spend time as a point guard that will back up Kyan Evans. There has been a lot said about his shooting ability and his ability to push the ball in up-tempo systems. There’s a lot of glowing reviews about his offensive abilities, but defensively he should be a reliable contributor as well. He hit a growth spurt between high school and college, so standing as a bigger guard should make him a suitable option to switch from 1-3.
There’s a lot more that can be said about Dixon, but the most important thing Carolina fans should know about him is that he is a fiery competitor that should have an immediate impact for the Tar Heels. The big question will be what his minutes look like off the bench, but I would be shocked if Hubert Davis buries this guy on the bench.
Caleb Wilson
Now we get to the most talented/most fascinating freshman in the UNC 2025 class, Caleb Wilson. Listed at 6’10, Wilson arrives on campus from Atlanta, GA where he played for Holy Innocents Episcopal School. He is ranked as the third-best power forward out of high school, and the eighth-best player overall, which means there has been a lot of chatter that he could go in the first round of the NBA Draft once he leaves Chapel Hill. Wilson is a long power forward that is capable of guarding just about every position on the floor. Because of his smaller frame he is a very mobile forward for his size, his mobility also goes hand-in-hand with his ability to get to the rim both on offense and defense. Some of the plays that I’ve seen him make in high school were simply gorgeous, and it’s safe to say that his motor shouldn’t be a problem at the college level. On the offensive side of the ball, Wilson finished his 2024-25 campaign averaging 21.6 points per game, and was pretty solid efficiency-wise. His three-point shooting has been his weaker area of expertise, but he has been going really hard in the gym over the summer, though, and it’s pretty clear that he wants to be more of a threat in that department if given the opportunity.
If there’s one intangible that stands out for Caleb Wilson, it is confidence. He has had multiple interviews where his confidence has shined bright, which he contributes to all of the work that he is putting in. He told Adam Lucas and Jones Angell that he wouldn’t be as confident as he is if it weren’t for all of the hard work that he has put in, which is something that you love to hear from a freshman. Wilson has a chance to be a special player for the Tar Heels, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is a top prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft by the time the season’s over.
Overall Outlook
While Hubert Davis was only able to land three freshmen in the 2025 class, the guys that he landed were needed to improve the roster. He was able to land two guards who have more size than RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau did that are both capable shooters, and he also landed a future NBA Draft pick in Caleb Wilson. The ceiling for this group is decently high, but it is fair to say that it is not as high as the freshman class from last season. Still, this is an intriguing group that could do a lot of good things for the new-look Tar Heels, and things only look better when looking at the composition of the rest of the roster.
