North Carolina's Caleb Wilson done for season with thumb injury

Field Level Media|published: Fri 6th March, 15:03 2026

NCAA Basketball: North Carolina at Syracuse

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) shoots prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

North Carolina freshman Caleb Wilson will miss the rest of the season with a broken right thumb.

The Tar Heels confirmed on Friday that Wilson is done for the campaign following his non-contact injury during a drill in Thursday's practice. Wilson was nearing a return from a six-game absence. He was on the court and pushing to be cleared to return for Saturday's rematch with No. 1 Duke when the latest injury occurred.

The team's leading scorer and rebounder at 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, Wilson had 20 or more points 17 times this season. He's projected to be a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

He fractured his non-shooting hand Feb. 10 against Miami.

While he was not yet cleared for 5-on-5 work in practice according to head coach Hubert Davis, Wilson was on pace to play no later than next week's ACC tournament.

--Field Level Media

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