Caleb Wilson, in his first outing wearing the North Carolina jersey across his chest, looked the part and the kind of player head coach Hubert Davis recruited out of high school.
Wilson, a New Balance brand signee, finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and added three blocks — including one on BYU’s star frosh AJ Dybansta (who returned the favor right back the possession after with a block of his own). UNC’s offense ran through Wilson, and the Atlanta, Georgia native handled the responsibility well.
UNC did not end up with a win, but it learned that Wilson has what it takes to carry his own against tough competition — BYU, preseason No. 8 in the AP Poll, is no cupcake. In the first half, Wilson scored 10 points and shot 4-7 from the field, 0-1 from the three-point line and 2-2 from the free throw line.
The second half saw Wilson continue to pile the stat sheet, with 12 points, 5-10 shooting and 2-4 from the charity stripe — not missing a beat despite the halftime break.
Besides the 19 turnovers North Carolina coughed up to the Cougars, Wilson brought light and laid as one of the positives for Davis to take away after the exhibition. However, as a team, there’s still a great number of problems to be solved.
Wilson, the Foundation of North Carolina’s Roster
In a locker room filled with senior Seth Trimble (a four-year Tar Heel), junior Henri Veesaar (Arizona transfer), junior Jarin Stevenson (Alabama transfer) and junior Kyan Evans (Colorado State transfer), plus others, Wilson is the foundation of this roster — the tone-setter that feeds UNC energy…