Caleb Wilson injury update: North Carolina star sidelined with broken bone

North Carolina star freshman Caleb Wilson is out indefinitely due to a fracture in his left hand, the school announced in a statement. Wilson’s timetable for a return is not yet clear.

The team announced that Wilson suffered the injury in the first half of North Carolina’s 75-66 loss to Miami on Tuesday. When the injury occurred, the team took X-rays of Wilson’s hand. However, the X-rays came back negative and the Atlanta native played 12 minutes in the second half.

Once the team returned to Chapel Hill, Wilson underwent additional imaging and doctors discovered a fracture. The loss of Wilson cannot be understated. He is leading UNC in points, rebounds and steals this season.

Wilson is averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game this season, while shooting 57.8% from the field. He’s scored in double figures in all 24 of his appearances and notched a program-record 17 games with 20 or more points.

Wilson scored nine points in the second half against Miami despite having a fractured hand. Caleb Wilson was a five-star prospect at Holy Innocents Episcopal School and the No. 5 overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to Rivals Industry Rankings.

He is a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. In January, North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis raved about Wilson’s career potential.

“I’m just so thankful that I’ve gotten an opportunity just to be able, obviously ,to coach him, but just to have a front row seat to see this kid just develop and get better,” Davis said. “… As good as Caleb is, he has a lot more improvement to go.

“I don’t think anybody can see the ceiling, it’s that high for him. It’s just such a joy to coach him. As I’ve told you before, maybe other coaches have this, but no other coach, no other program has it better than this combination of having this good of a player, this good of a person and this good of a teammate. It really is a blessing to be able to coach him this year.”

North Carolina boasts a 19-5 overall record and a 7-4 mark in conference play. The team is ranked No. 11 in the country.

On Saturday, North Carolina will play its first game this season without Wilson. The Tar Heels will square off against Pittsburgh at 2 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN.