Why isn’t Caleb Wilson playing for North Carolina? UNC star out for March Madness

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Why isn't Caleb Wilson playing for North Carolina? UNC star out for March Madness

Caleb Wilson talks injury, UNC journey ahead of 2026 NCAA Tournament

Video of Caleb Wilson discussing his injury and UNC basketball journey ahead of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina star Caleb Wilson was outstanding for the Tar Heels this season and will hear his name called very early in the 2026 NBA Draft. Unfortunately for the program, an injury ended his season prematurely and he won’t be available for the NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina’s March Madness path won’t be easy, either. It opens the big dance against No. 11 seed VCU, winners of 16 of its last 17 games and the A-10 Conference Championship.

The 6-foot-10 former five-star recruit averaged 19.8 points with 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game on 57.8% shooting in 24 games to start this college career. He scored 23 points in North Carolina’s upset win over archrival Duke in February, which also happened to be his last full game before he was injured.

Wilson is in the top tier of NBA prospects for this year’s draft, along with BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., among potential others. He’s also set for his No. 8 jersey to hang in the rafters next season, joining Tyler Hansbrough as the only true freshmen to earn the honor at North Carolina.

Here’s what to know of Wilson’s injury and why he’s missing the entire NCAA Tournament:

Why isn’t Caleb Wilson playing for North Carolina?

North Carolina announced March 5 that Wilson broke his right thumb in practice while preparing for his return from another injury that sidelined him for nearly a month during the regular season. Wilson broke a bone in his left hand against Miami on Feb. 10 and was aiming for a return vs. Duke in the regular season finale before breaking his right thumb.

“I didn’t know right away,” Wilson told reporters March 18 before UNC’s game against VCU in the NCAA Tournament. “It hurt a lot, and things usually don’t hurt that much. I just went and got x-rays and found out.”

The injury was severe enough to end the rest of Wilson’s true freshman season. It was a devastating blow to North Carolina’s March Madness chances, especially as he was nearing a return from his previous injury.