2026 NBA Draft: North Carolina Star Caleb Wilson Breaks Right Thumb, Out for Season

Aaron Beard | The Associated Press
March 7, 2026 | 1:11 AM

North Carolina announced that star freshman Caleb Wilson suffered a broken right thumb during practice and will miss the remainder of the season.

Caleb Wilson appeared close to returning for No. 17 North Carolina from a fracture to his left hand, just in time for the peak of March. Instead, the star freshman and high-end NBA prospect is abruptly done for the season after suffering a new injury.

The school announced Friday that Wilson will need surgery after breaking his right thumb in a non-contact drill during Thursday’s practice. The news comes on the eve of a second matchup with No. 1 Duke, less than a week from the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and roughly two weeks from the start of March Madness.

“Can’t really put into words how special Chapel Hill has been to me man,” Wilson posted on Instagram Friday night. “But truly this has been one of the most amazing experiences and times in my life and I would not trade for anything even with the freak accident injuries as of late.”

It was a shocking change to Wilson’s trajectory as the Tar Heels’ scoring and rebounding leader inched his way back from the injury suffered in a Feb. 10 loss at Miami. He had been cleared for individual work late last week, had shed his cast, and was focusing on non-contact work like dribbling and shooting.

Before Thursday’s practice, coach Hubert Davis told reporters that Wilson was increasing his work but had yet to be cleared for 5-on-5 action. According to the school’s release, Wilson was hurt while dunking later that day.

The Tar Heels had gone 5-1 in his absence, including a home win against then-ranked Louisville and Tuesday’s win against Clemson in UNC’s home finale. Wilson had been on the bench, eagerly cheering on teammates with his left hand in a cast.

Now, the buzz about Wilson’s approaching return is gone. The 6-foot-10, 215-pound freshman from Atlanta was averaging team-highs of 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds, providing elite athleticism, intense competitiveness, and a non-stop motor.

He had endeared himself to fans with his exuberant energy and public comments about wanting to make a mark in Chapel Hill. In his second game, he dropped 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting in a win against Kansas and fellow top prospect Darryn Peterson, saying afterward: “I want to let the world know who I am for sure.”

He was also a standout in the first meeting against Duke, scoring 17 first-half points to keep UNC in the game early, finishing with 23 points in a win sealed by Seth Trimble’s last-second 3-pointer.

Wilson was injured in the next game at Miami, fracturing his left hand while closing out on a shooter. Though X-rays initially were negative, further imaging in Chapel Hill revealed the break.

That turned out to be his last action of the season—and likely his college career, given his high-lottery draft projection and expected one-and-done path.

The Tar Heels (24-6, 12-5) are locked into the No. 4 seed in next week’s ACC Tournament regardless of Saturday’s outcome at Duke.