UNC Basketball: Future Tar Heel Caleb Wilson drops 28 points in the Jordan Brand Classic
Caleb Wilson is the centerpiece in Carolina’s 2025 recruiting class. The five-star recruit from Georgia is ranked as the fifth best recruit in the country according to ESPN’s rankings. The 6’9” power forward is expected to make an immediate impact and bolster a frontcourt that struggled at times last season. Judging by the results of the 2025 Jordan Brand Classic game in Washington, DC he may live up to the hype.
Wilson finished the game with 28 points on 13-14 shooting. He helped lead Team Air to a 141-124 win over Team Flight. Team Air trailed by 19 points at the half, but partially thanks to Wilson’s second half play they comfortably won the game.
While it’s probably foolish to read too much into an exhibition game that had a defense-optional feel to it, Wilson was still impressive. He collected six rebounds as well as recorded a block and a steal. He finished as the highest scorer in a game that included other notable recruits like the Boozer twins (Duke), AJ Dybantsa (overall #1 ranked recruit, BYU) and Nate Ament (overall #4 recruit). Frankly, an argument can be made that he should have been named the game’s MVP over teammate Kiyan Anthony (26 points, five rebounds).
After the game, Wilson said all the right things in his post game interview. He mentioned wanting to impact the game on both offense and defense, as well as his desire to play in Indianapolis (the site of the 2026 Final Four) with the team next year. He referenced UNC as “basketball heaven” and joked around about talking trash with the Boozer twins. And what will
undoubtedly be music to UNC fans’ ears, Wilson stated: “I feel like every year, we should be a top-five team in the country. That’s part of the reason I went to Carolina. I want to be a part of the group that restores that winning culture and that winning mentality.” Wilson certainly looked the part in this game; he’s hoping his play is a sign of things to come for the Heels.
