Former UK recruit Caleb Wilson stars for North Carolina in Rupp Arena win
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Former Kentucky basketball recruit Caleb Wilson led North Carolina to a win at Rupp Arena.
- Wilson had 15 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists for the Tar Heels in their win.
- Wilson’s college recruitment came down to UK and UNC.
Entering Tuesday night’s ACC/SEC Challenge matchup between Kentucky and North Carolina at Rupp Arena, one Tar Heel towered above the rest on the scouting report.
Freshman phenom Caleb Wilson — a former top UK recruiting target who picked Carolina over the Cats — entered the contest averaging a double-double. The 6-foot-10 freshman from Atlanta had established himself as UNC’s best scorer, rebounder and steals man on defense.
Containing the five-star recruit was always going to be central to Kentucky’s efforts toward scoring its first marquee win of the season. And the Wildcats didn’t do enough.
Wilson had 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for North Carolina, and it came in a winning effort as UNC came from behind late to top UK 67-64 n front of a hot Rupp Arena crowd. That was good for Wilson’s fifth double-double in eight college games.
“Caleb is not just a scorer. He’s a dude, OK,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said postgame. “So this guy can score. He’s an elite passer... More teams are now loading up on him, double-teaming him, trying to make him a passer more than a scorer. That actually benefits us because he’s such an elite passer.”
Wilson made just 5 of 19 shots from the field, but that poor shooting night was mitigated by UNC’s dominance on the glass. The Tar Heels had 20 offensive rebounds against just 22 defensive rebounds by the Wildcats. North Carolina enjoyed a gaudy 22-5 advantage in second-chance points. That was a season-high in second-chance points for the visitors.
“It’s just something to figure out,” Wilson said of learning to deal with being the priority for opposing defenses. “I missed shots today that I have should not have missed. I’m not going to lie. Just in and out. Missing layups and stuff like that.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s game, plenty of Wildcats were aware of Wilson’s talent.
“Caleb Wilson, he’s been a problem for a lot of teams that they play,” UK sophomore guard Collin Chandler said Monday. “And so we’re ready for him and what he brings. He brings a lot.”
“Just super-high motor,” UK senior guard Otega Oweh said about Wilson. “He plays very physical, very aggressive. He’s averaging 10 boards, too. So we’re going to have to really hit and go get. He’s a good player. Really good player.”
On his radio show Monday night, Pope went further. He repeatedly used the word “alpha” — three times in fact — to describe Wilson’s approach.
“He is so determined to get downhill and get to the rim. His fouls drawn numbers are incredible. He’s playing like a veteran, veteran player,” Pope said. “He’s really special, man... He’ll get some post catches. He’s great in insolation. He’s unbelievable in transition. He’s been great.”
Early on, Wilson asserted himself. The projected lottery pick in next summer’s NBA draft had seven points, seven rebounds and four assists in 17 first-half minutes. Granted, the Cats made him work for it. Wilson missed 9 of 12 shots from the field in the opening period.
But that was negated by UNC’s rebounding success.
It was more of the same in the second half. Wilson had eight points, five rebounds and two assists and two steals in the second period. He missed 5 of 7 shots in the second half.
Contesting Wilson while remaining in legal guarding position was a top priority for Kentucky: Wilson entered Tuesday’s game averaging eight free-throw attempts per contest and was converting from the charity stripe 76.8% of the time.
“We just have to play clean, physical defense,” Oweh said Monday of UK’s approach to guarding Wilson. “You know, a lot of teams around the country, they do it. So there’s no reason why we can’t do it. I feel like, if that’s how we play from the jump, it kind of sets the tone for the refs and sets the tone for the game.”
But, in a foul-filled contest, Wilson got the line — you guessed it — eight times. He made only five of those foul shots.
Of course, Wilson’s winning effort — built on a foundation of hustle plays at both ends of the court — came amid the backdrop of his college choice. In January, Wilson committed to UNC over UK, a decision that came after the Wildcats carried the momentum for most of his recruitment.
Postgame, Wilson said there wasn’t any extra emotion for him in coming back to Lexington to face Pope, the man who was nearly his college coach.
“No, I just played my game,” Wilson said. “I kind of understood that it was going to be a tough game and a tough challenge, especially playing against that crowd, so it was just fun.”
