Caleb Wilson has powered No. 11 North Carolina all year. The Tar Heels will now have to figure out how to play without their freshman star.
The team said Thursday that the high-end NBA prospect had suffered a fracture in his left hand, an announcement coming two days after the 11th-ranked Tar Heels' loss at Miami. It's unclear exactly how long he'll be out, but it's potentially a huge blow for UNC coming roughly a month from Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament.
The lean 6-foot-10 forward leading the team in scoring (19.8) and rebounding (9.4) was injured in the first half at Miami but kept playing before checking out in the second half, then heading to the tunnel for evaluation. He later returned with his left wrist and palm area heavily taped while finishing with a season-low 12 points.
In its release, the team said X-rays taken during the game were negative for a fracture, while a team spokesman said the injury was believed to be a sprained wrist.
''There is no situation,'' UNC coach Hubert said when asked about Wilson's injury during his postgame news conference at Miami.
But additional imaging after the team returned to campus in Chapel Hill revealed a fracture. The evaluation process is ongoing to determine a timetable for his return.
Wilson, who is from Atlanta, ranks sixth among freshmen nationally in scoring and leads the nation in dunks (66). He had set a UNC freshman record by scoring in double figures in his first 24 games and posted 17 20-point games. And along the way, he had made his mark with exuberant competitiveness, relentless motor and high-flying slams.
That included as recently as Saturday night against rival Duke, when he put on a one-man show with 17 first-half points (he finished with 23) that helped keep UNC in it early before the Tar Heels won 71-68 on Seth Trimble's last-second 3-pointer. There had also been standout performances like one in a win against Kansas in November, with Wilson going for 24 points and saying afterward: "I want to let the world know who I am for sure.''
