When North Carolina (6-1) rolls into Rupp Arena late Tuesday night to face Kentucky (5-2) in the annual ACC/SEC Challenge, the Wildcats will be tasked with taming one of the most explosive freshmen in college basketball.
And that player just so happens to be a former UK recruit whom Mark Pope intensely pursued last year.
Caleb Wilson, a 6-foot-10 freshman forward from Atlanta, was a five-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class. He finished the cycle ranked as the No. 5 overall player in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Wilson’s decision came down to the Tar Heels and Wildcats. In January, Wilson pledged to join head coach Hubert Davis’ program over Pope’s. That came after UK had carried the momentum for most of Wilson’s recruitment. That decision denied Pope what would have been the biggest high school recruiting win of his college coaching career.
Kentucky’s freshman high school recruiting class this year finished with three players in the fold: fellow five-star prospects center Malachi Moreno and guard Japser Johnson, and developmental piece Braydon Hawthorne.
Moreno, a local product from Georgetown’s Great Crossing High School, has adapted well to the college game. He’s logged a pair of double-doubles this season and has started Kentucky’s last two blowout wins over Loyola (Maryland) and Tennessee Tech.
But Wilson is in a different class of freshman star. He has started all seven games for North Carolina and leads the Tar Heels in points (19.9 per game), rebounds (9.9) and steals (1.7). He’s already had a stretch of four consecutive games with a double-double.
“Caleb has been incredible,” Pope said Monday night on his weekly radio show. “He’s playing like an alpha, alpha, alpha. He is so determined to get downhill and get to the rim… He’s playing like a veteran, veteran player. He’s really special, man.”
Wilson has also been plenty effective against both of North Carolina’s marquee opponents. In a home win against Kansas on Nov. 7, Wilson had 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals against one turnover in 31 minutes. He went 9-for-11 from the field against the Jayhawks.
“When he steps on the court, obviously you can see his game,” Davis said of Wilson after the win over Kansas. “But when (Wilson) steps in the room, you can feel his personality. His personality lights up a room as soon as you get into it… Obviously he’s gifted basketball wise, but he’s such a genuine, nice person.”
UNC’s lone setback of the season came in its most recent game, a 16-point loss to Michigan State on Thanksgiving Day. Against the Spartans, Wilson had a team-high 18 points, seven rebounds and two steals in 33 minutes.
Throughout his recruitment, Wilson was pegged as a likely one-and-done college player before moving on to the NBA. His start to the season has only reinforced these beliefs. Two weeks ago, ESPN’s updated 2026 NBA mock draft had Wilson listed as a top-five selection.
Wilson has impressed draft evaluators with his proficiency inside the 3-point line this season, but distance shooting remains an untapped area of his game. Only eight of Wilson’s 80 field-goal attempts this season have been 3-pointers.
But, Wilson has also shown a knack for getting to the foul line. He’s averaging eight free-throw attempts per game, and is converting those efforts from the charity stripe at a 76.8% success rate.
“Caleb Wilson, he’s been a problem for a lot of teams that they play,” UK sophomore guard Collin Chandler said. “And so we’re ready for him, and what he brings. He brings a lot.”
What are some of those standout qualities that Wilson boasts?
“He’s a dangerous downhill driver, and he’s so long. That creates a lot of problems,” Chandler added. “It’s just going to be, who can step in and stop him before he gets to the hoop, which is a lot harder than maybe you can make it sound. But he’s a good player, plays fast, is long.”
North Carolina freshman forward Caleb Wilson reacts after a dunk against Kansas during a game in Chapel Hill, N.C., on on Nov. 7. Grant Halverson Getty Images
Kentucky once led in the high school recruitment of Caleb Wilson
It was around this time last year when the winds in Wilson’s recruitment began to shift away from Kentucky.
Pope’s program was in pole position to land Wilson’s commitment after Kentucky hosted him on an official visit in September 2024. That trip to Central Kentucky included a UK football home game against Georgia, a visit to a basketball practice and a stop at Keeneland.
Not only did UK move into the lead with Wilson after that trip, but it was also an apparent showcase recruiting moment for Pope, who took over Wilson’s recruitment from former coach John Calipari. It was Coach Cal who first offered a Kentucky scholarship to Wilson in June 2023.
While Pope started slow when it came to recruiting Wilson, things were full steam ahead as the 2024 holiday season approached. This was buoyed by Wilson’s attendance at last year’s Champions Classic in Atlanta, when Kentucky defeated Duke for Pope’s first signature win as the Wildcats’ coach.
Chandler was part of UK’s recruiting efforts last year with Wilson.
“When he was visiting here I was there going to dinner and stuff with him. So I got to know him a little bit,” Chandler said. “… I thought it was a great visit, and he’s a good kid. We had a good time.”
As things turned out, UK’s lofty position in Wilson’s recruitment then slipped. And one year on, a high school recruiting knock against Pope remains in place.
Pope is still yet to land a national, one-and-done prospect from the high school ranks. Pope is also yet to oversee a first-round NBA draft selection at the college level, but that’s expected to change this summer with Jayden Quaintance, the sophomore forward who continues to make progress toward his Kentucky debut.
As far as the 2026 recruiting cycle is concerned, Kentucky is yet to make any progress on that front. The Wildcats are one of only a handful of major conference programs without a commitment from a member of the high school senior class following the end of last month’s early signing period.
But Kentucky reportedly remains in a strong spot with two of the best players in the 2026 class, top-ranked recruit Tyran Stokes and top-10 prospect Christian Collins. Both Stokes and Collins would become the highest-ranked high school recruit to ever commit to a Pope-led program.
North Carolina freshman forward Caleb Wilson (8) attempts a 3-pointer over BYU senior guard Richie Saunders (15) during an exhibition game in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 24. Chris Gardner Getty Images
This story was originally published December 1, 2025 at 6:15 AM.
Cameron Drummond
Lexington Herald-Leader
Cameron Drummond works as a sports reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader with a focus on Kentucky men’s basketball recruiting and the UK men’s basketball team, horse racing, soccer and other sports in Central Kentucky. Drummond is a second-generation American who was born and raised in Texas, before graduating from Indiana University. He is a fluent Spanish speaker who previously worked as a community news reporter in Austin, Texas.
Support my work with a digital subscription
