The NBA Draft is less than a week away and we’ll soon know the destination of several college basketball stars at the next level. Dozens of players will be on hand while many others are hoping to hear their names called and their dreams come true. After what he accomplished this year, Caleb Wilson is certainly among that group.
The skinny on Wilson
A 6-10 forward out of Atlanta, Wilson was a 5-star recruit and one of the nation’s top prospects. He opted for North Carolina and Hubert Davis’s program and turned in a very productive freshman campaign, even if the ending wasn’t quite what he expected.
Wilson averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game and was named a Second Team All-American, becoming a very productive scorer, rebounder, and leader for the Tar Heels. Unfortunately, a hand injury brought an early end to his season in mid-February, with Wilson suiting up for just 24 games in that freshman campaign.
North Carolina would falter early in the NCAA Tournament and make many changes to their program, but we’re thinking about Wilson and what’s next for him. His hand fracture doesn’t complicate this professional future and he’s looking like a potential future star at the next level.
You may be surprised to hear that it’s been seven years since North Carolina had someone drafted in the Top 10 of the NBA Draft. In fact, Coby White is the only player drafted Top 10 out of Chapel Hill since 2013 and he put together some decent years with the Chicago Bulls.
Projections for Wilson
Ironically enough, many draft projections have Wilson heading to those same Bulls, who own the 4th pick in the Draft. The Bulls have drafted three North Carolina players in their history and that pick of Michael Jordan nearly forty years ago really floats to the top.
We’re not saying that Wilson is anywhere close to Jordan’s level, but could he be that important piece for the Bulls? That franchise really needs help in the frontcourt and has just adapted a new identity under head coach Tiago Splitter. If Wilson does indeed land in Chicago, there’s a real chance he develops into the NBA big that helps change the tide for a long-suffering Bulls franchise.
Add us as a preferred source on Google