North Carolina’s Final Four hopes just received a major shot in the arm, and it has everything to do with star freshman Caleb Wilson’s impending return from injury. The Tar Heels forward is dealing with a fractured left hand and has been out of the game since Feb 10. However, reports suggest the freshman could return to court against Duke on March 7th.

The game will be crucial for North Carolina, as a basketball analyst, former Tar Heel alumnus Justin Jackson, believes in the Tar Heels and sees them progressing to the Final Four.

“I’ve said from the jump that North Carolina has Final Four potential. But that’s if everything lines up and everybody’s healthy,” said Jackson on the Field of 68 podcast.

Well, health has been an issue, more so when one of their big game players has to nurse himself back from injury. Caleb Wilson is a projected Top-5 pick in this year’s NBA Draft. The top scorer for the Tar Heels this season is Caleb Wilson, averaging 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. If he finds himself in good health before the playoffs, things are undoubtedly going to get difficult for the opposition.

Wilson isn’t the only one who has been grappling with injuries. Center James Brown and Ivan Matlekovic are also out because of foot surgery and a hand injury, respectively, and will be out for the rest of the season. So, that 100% team fitness looks a little difficult to achieve at the moment.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Nevertheless, the UNC team averages 80.6 points per game, ranking among the top 100 nationally. Their offensive rating of 116.8 shows efficiency in scoring, especially in transition and half-court sets. Hubert Davis has a balanced roster, and Caleb Wilson and Seth Trimble have proved themselves to be more than able to carry the team on their backs.

Duke has already tasted a loss against the Tar Heels a couple of weeks back, and Wilson did the bulk of the scoring in that game (23 pts). Now it will be interesting to see if Wilson can again repeat the same on his return against Cameron Boozer’s team. Despite the injury, Wilson’s stock value in the NBA is not going to be affected.

Caleb Wilson’s NBA Draft Stock Looks Good Even After Injury

Caleb Wilson might be injured, but that didn’t stop him from cheering his team on from the sidelines. This commitment, sheer passion, and will to win go a long way when it comes to getting the attention of the prospective NBA teams looking to attain his services.

According to FanSided NBA draft expert Christopher Kline, Wilson is the No. 4 prospect in the class. Despite missing his fourth straight game, evaluators cannot write him off because of his involvement from the sidelines.

Caleb’s activity on the sidelines caught everyone’s eyes, especially ESPN’s Jay Williams, who saw how much influence he had on the game, even though he wasn’t running on the glass. Caleb Wilson was not just standing; he was coaching them through the game.

Rumor has it that Wilson evolved into the vocal leader role during their mid-season slump, where they suffered losses against Stanford, SMU, and California. And now he is blossoming into a full-fledged team leader.

This is exactly the mentality that many believe is setting him apart from Kansas’ Darryn Peterson. Although it’s not ideal to jump to conclusions, as it would be unfair to Peterson in a way, activity matters when you are trying to make a cut in the NBA.

An 82-game-long season counts on your fitness, and if you don’t bring it, then it becomes an issue. Peterson, though super talented, has not been very convincing when it comes to this solitary issue, but for Caleb Wilson, this has been no problem.

Wilson might not have Peterson’s level of perimeter shooting, but he can totally lay it down in the paint, and he has the grit and tenacity to impress anyone who watches him play, and that is what makes him a special breed of athlete.