Caleb Wilson Adjusts As Defensive Attention Increases

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Caleb Wilson drew a defender at nearly every turn in Fort Myers last week.

Through his first five games as a freshman, he established himself offensively with his ability to get to the rim, finish with dunks and draw fouls. The 6-foot-10 forward scored more than 20 points in four of his first five games while making 67.3% of his shots from the field.

Wilson’s production was so high that Michigan State’s Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo invoked the name of basketball names when talking about his team’s strategy to stop him.

“We talked about trying to, every time he touched the ball, having six eyes on him,” Izzo said on Thursday. “It was the (Michael) Jordan rules of Chuck Daly. You can’t cover him one-on-one, I don’t think you can.

“I guess I’ll give us a little bit of credit, but you’re not going to hold that guy back much. He’s really good, really good.”

Wilson averaged 18 points in his two games in Fort Myers, but he shot 10-25 (40%) from the field. An increase in double teams and the clogging of the paint made life more challenging for him as he tried to get his offense. He continued to get to the free throw line, though, as he made all 10 of his attempts against St. Bonaventure and six of his seven attempts against Michigan State.

Wilson noticed the changes in defensive attention while in the Sunshine State, and he spoke to that adjustment on Thursday after facing the Spartans.

“I just have to learn how to play with being the focus,” Wilson said. “In high school, I had to do it. In college, it’s different because there’s more athleticism, better players, and I just have to learn how to play with players focusing on me being at the top of the scouting report. That’s all it is. They just started face guarding me, trying to be physical off the ball.”

Wilson and the Tar Heels will face No. 18 Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. It will be the team’s third game against an AP Top 25 opponent, with Kansas and Michigan State being the first two.

UNC’s win against Kansas was something of a coming-out party for Wilson, as he scored a season-high 24 points on that nationally televised stage in the North Carolina win. By the time the Fort Myers Tip-Off came around, he became a focal scouting report on defensive game plans as UNC’s leading scorer and rebounder.

Wilson often found himself willing shots up against a crowd of defenders last week, staying aggressive but being met with resistance. 

“It definitely has changed throughout each game,” Hubert Davis said on Thursday of the defensive coverages on Wilson. “The first time that he was doubled was against St Bonaventure, and then obviously, Michigan State was loaded towards him when he was trying to attack the basket. He was still able to get there pretty much as well. And so Caleb, adjusting in that and understanding the opportunities for him to score, but also to get two on the ball and be able to facilitate and hit open teammates. The great thing about Caleb is, yeah, he can score, but he’s also a gifted passer and a willing passer as well.”

Wilson ranks second in the ACC and 24th in the country in free throw attempts per game, making 76.8% of his shots at the charity stripe. He leads the Tar Heels with 11.4 shot attempts per game.

Though he’s taken plenty of difficult and contested looks, Davis said he doesn’t believe Wilson is forcing shots up when around the basket.

“Caleb is a competitor,” Davis said. “He wants to win. He wants his team to be successful, on both ends of the floor. He’ll do whatever he needs to do to put us in a position to be successful.”