Zack Pearson, Tar Heels WireThu, March 12, 2026 at 12:48 AM UTC·2 min readThe North Carolina Tar Heels are setting their sights on a run here in March, beginning with the ACC Tournament in Charlotte this week. From there, they will turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament as they look to improve on last season's disappointing finish.
But as UNC begins tournament play, they will be without their star freshman.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementForward Caleb Wilson was ruled out for the rest of the season as he suffered a broken thumb in practice last week as he was hoping to make his return from another injury. While Wilson's season is over, he's earning some honors here in March.
On Wednesday, he was named to the Sporting News All-American Third Team:
Here is what Sporting News wrote on Wilson making the third team:
Overview: Where would Wilson have landed on this team if he’d played a full season? Where would North Carolina have gone in March if he were available the rest of the way? To make third team after missing a fourth of the season is extraordinary, but then, so was Wilson. One of the most dynamic 6-10 forwards the college game has seen in a while, Wilson was too much for most opposing defenses to handle. His consistency was astonishing. Averaging just short of 20 points while only once topping 25 points isn’t easy to do, but Wilson managed because he hit the 20 mark in 71 percent of the games he played.
The honor comes just a few days after Wilson was named to the All-ACC First Team for his play this season. He was spectacular before the injury, and it's a shame that he got hurt and won't be able to play in March.
UNC opens up its ACC Tournament on Thursday night as the No. 4 seed.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Caleb Wilson honored for freshman season
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