When Caleb Wilson announced his initial commitment to play basketball at UNC , excitement rolled its way through Chapel Hill faster than fans rushing Franklin Street.
Now 21 games into his Tar Heel career, that excitement continues weaving its way through central North Carolina, as Wilson is a household name in college basketball. During UNC's 91-75 blowout win over Georgia Tech on Saturday , Wilson furthered his case for the best playerin college hoops, breaking a pair of program records.
Wilson scored 22 points, his 15th time doing so this season, breaking Tyler Hansbrough's record for most 20-point games by a Tar Heel freshman . Wilson also scored in double figures for the 21st-consecutive game, surpassing Rashad McCants' streak from the 2002-03 campaign.
"Just being patient with the right ones around the rim," Wilson said postgame, according to Tar Heel Tribune's R.L. Bynum . "Recognizing you can't just go athletic every time. When I make the right play, it just makes everything look better.
"Sometimes, you just got to see what's going on," Wilson continued. "Once I figured it out, I was good."
Hubert Davis praised his superstar freshman after the game, pointing to how Wilson's performance was a positive ripple effect on teammates.
"We thought they'd have to double the post if we threw it into Caleb," Davis said, according to Bynum. "And just instinctively, as soon as the ball touched his hands, he got it to an open teammate. That ignited everybody else — the point-five mentality,"
Wilson's first 20-point game came way back during North Carolina's season-opener, when – coincidentally – he also scored 22 points in a 40-point blowout of Central Arkansas. Wilson now has three-consecutive 20-point outings – and his lowest point total in a singular contest is 13 (vs. Radford, at SMU).
Michael Jordan might be the best overall basketball player to come through UNC, but Hansbrough is the best collegiate player to don the Carolina Blue. Hansbrough averaged just over 20 points per game across his four years in Chapel Hill, earned First Team All-ACC honors each season, won National Player of the Year Honors in 2008 and an NCAA Championship the following season.
McCants played three seasons as a Tar Heel, winning the 2005 National Championship during his final year in Carolina Blue. McCants averaged 17.6 points per game, earned All-ACC honors his final two collegiate campaigns and, like Hansbrough, enjoyed a multi-year NBA stint before playing professionally in Europe.
Wilson is headed to the NBA after this season, barring a shocking return that makes North Carolina the immediate, 2026-27 National Championship favorite. Whenever Wilson leaves town, his name will be up in the Dean Dome rafters.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Caleb Wilson breaks Tyler Hansbrough, Rashad McCants' UNC records
