CHAPEL HILL — Caleb Wilson sees everything, reads everything and saves everything for motivation.
Following No. 25 UNC basketball’s 87-74 win against No. 19 Kansas on Nov. 7 at the Smith Center, the Tar Heels’ star freshman provided insight on what drives him to bring his best on game days.
Advertisement
“I think it sets an aggressive tone like, we’re here. Me personally, I feel like I’ve been disrespected in polls and things like that,” said Wilson, the first Tar Heel ever to score more than 20 points in his first two games.
“People telling me I’m not a top-three freshmen in the ACC, so I’m just gonna keep going out here and (crushing) people. I got a list on my phone and it’s nowhere near done, so just gonna keep happening for sure.”
KYAN’S KEY MOMENTS: Why Kyan Evans was key in UNC basketball win vs Kansas
WILSON SHOW: Caleb Wilson the star of UNC basketball show entering Tar Heels’ season premiere
Advertisement
MOTIVATION FROM ROY: Hubert Davis uses meeting with Roy Williams to inspire UNC basketball before win vs Kansas
The 6-foot-10 forward, had 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals against fellow freshman star Darryn Peterson and the Jayhawks. So what is his source of motivation?
“I put stuff on my wallpaper before I play to make sure I’m pissed,” Wilson said.
His wallpaper ahead of the Kansas game was a reminder of his feeling after the McDonald’s All-American game. Wilson “didn’t touch the ball” in that showcase and was on the same team as Peterson.
Throw in the fact that UNC hadn’t beaten Kansas in 23 years and that’s all Wilson needed to get him going in front of a crowd of nearly 22,000 people.
Advertisement
“It was personal for me. … We hadn’t beaten them in 20 years,” Wilson said. “I wasn’t even born. … I want to impress my coach, I want to impress the world. I want to let the world know who I am for sure.”
With ESPN televising the game, Wilson let the world know with what he did against Kansas, starting things off with a putback dunk in the opening minute before putting an exclamation point on his performance with a steal and open-court dunk in the final minute.
“I mean, we see it every day, so it’s not as crazy to us. But I mean, for him to come out and perform like that – just a young dude like he is – is special,” said UNC guard Kyan Evans.
Evans went on to say how “extremely serious” Wilson is about getting better. The rookie also led UNC in the plus-minus stat with a mark of plus-21 against the Jayhawks.
Advertisement
“I haven’t seen him, as a young guy, just kind of fade away,” Evans said. “He doesn’t do that. He’s just always locked in. That’s what makes him who he is.”
Wilson scored all over the floor, mixing in turnaround jumpers to show off more of his offensive arsenal. He made his last five shots against Kansas, but arguably his most impressive stretch came when UNC was trailing in the first half.
Self said you could make a case for other Tar Heels, but Wilson was “probably the best player in the game.” Whether he was scoring or doing things that didn’t show up in the box score, it certainly looked that way for most of the night.
There was a stretch in which Wilson was diving all over the floor for loose balls and, with just under 8 minutes left until halftime, he was at the point of attack in UNC’s full-court press defense. His ball pressure led to a 10-second violation, which prompted him to flex, scream and rile up the rowdy crowd with his passion.
Advertisement
“It revs us up. It gives us no choice but to join the wave,” senior guard Seth Trimble said.
As for the motivation it gives Wilson to be mentioned among the likes of Peterson, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Duke’s Cameron Boozer when debating who’s the best freshman in the country, Trimble knows it’s a recurring thought that’s personal for UNC’s young standout.
“I’ll be the happiest man alive if Caleb keeps playing like that,” Trimble said. “. … I’m sure he’s paying attention to it, I’m sure he’s using it as a motivator.”
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Why Caleb Wilson says UNC basketball win vs Kansas was ‘personal’
