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Hurting Heels
Caleb Wilson out indefinitely after breaking a bone in his left wrist. What now? Also: Charleston took a loss on the court and in the courtroom, Belmont bounced back and more results from Thursday. We've also got a primer for another big weekend of hoops.
Tristan Freeman
February 13, 2026
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1. North Carolina loses Caleb Wilson indefinitely
Caleb Wilson’s been one of the sport’s top freshmen all season, but he stood out on the national stage during North Carolina’s upset vs. Duke last Saturday.
Wilson scored 23 points, played all 40 minutes and looked every bit like the player who could carry the Heels on a deep NCAA Tournament run.
That took a big hit with an official announcement on Thursday:
Wilson averages nearly 20 ppg and 10 rpg. He and Henri Veesaar (16.4 ppg and 9.0 rpg) comprise one of the sport’s premier frontcourt tandems. They’ve been the consistent strength for UNC (19-5, 7-4 in ACC), which had won five in a row until its upset against Miami this week. Wilson does it all for the Heels, including defending all five positions and creating on offense.
This means more time 6-10 forward Jarin Stevenson (7.2 ppg and 3.7 rpg), who’s started 16 games and is capable of being a solid role player. Backup Zayden High also should see more time, while Jonathan Powell and Luka Bogavac should be the primary options on the wing.
But none of them are Wilson.
Veesaar and guard Seth Trimble (13.5 ppg) will be the top scoring options, but replacing Wilson’s energy and athleticism isn’t possible with the current roster. Stevenson can provide some scoring and rebounding, but it places more pressure on Trimble to be a consistent perimeter threat.
It’s unclear how long Wilson will be out. (He posted “I will be back Tarheel Nation.”) And it’s also unclear how the Heels will fare without him. We’ve seen teams adjust without future NBA lottery picks (See: Kansas), but it’s late in the season to make a significant adjustment and replace a guy who leads UNC in minutes played.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that UNC hosts Pitt (9-16, 2-10) on Saturday. If there’s an optimal ACC team to play while you adjust to a new lineup, it’s the Panthers. (2 pm ET on ESPN)
2. Charleston suffers 2 big losses in one day
While the NCAA was losing a high-profile eligibility-related court case on the football side, it quietly won one in basketball.
