North Carolina's Caleb Wilson: Will declare for draft

Wilson (thumb) will declare for the 2026 NBA Draft, according to his X account.

Analysis:

Considering how excellent Wilson was before his season-ending thumb injury, there should be no surprise that the freshman is intent on going pro after only a year of college basketball for North Carolina. In 24 games and starts, the 6-foot-10, 215-pound forward logged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds (6.6 defensive), 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks. Though there may be some room for improvement on Wilson's overall shooting (25.9 three-point percentage and 71.3 free-throw percentage) and health concerns, considering the freshman's injured hand was damaged in succession, his two-point prowess (backed up by 61.0 percent from the field) and overall upside give him a top-five projection going into the 2026 NBA Draft. Wilson is one of college basketball's best, and perhaps there is no better demonstration than with the 2025-26 All-ACC First Team's inclusion of the prospect despite UNC playing seven conference games without him.