Caleb Wilson Sports New Look, Finds Better Looks Vs. Georgetown

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Caleb Wilson used Sunday to try new things on the court — starting with his look.

Wilson donned a white headband for the first time this year, a change he made for practical purposes. He had his hair braided on Saturday, and he didn’t want the oils from his fresh look seeping into his eyes during the game, so he paired his white throwback uniform with a plain white sweatband.  

From a basketball standpoint, Wilson made some necessary alterations to account for Georgetown’s defensive coverages. In UNC’s previous three games, double teams increased as teams swarmed him upon getting the ball. As a result, Wilson shot 34% from the floor in those outings.

Wilson studied those defensive looks and changed up his strategy. At first, he sought to go through the teeth of the defense to score the same ways he had been scoring. But on Sunday, though he did stay aggressive in attacking the paint, he used his jumpshot and passing vision to score 20 points on 7-12 shooting to help the Tar Heels defeat the Hoyas 81-61 in the Smith Center.

“I feel like today he was very efficient,” Henri Veesaar said after the game. “Obviously, against Kentucky, he got doubled sometimes, and he would take a little bit of a tougher shot, but he’s a great athlete, so he got his own miss. So we can’t even say anything about it. But I feel like Michigan State was the same way, whenever they put two on him. 

“I feel like now, he’s getting used to it. He’s anticipating. When he catches it, he’s not going quickly. He’s kind of waiting to see where the double is coming from. Who’s doubling? Where are the openings? And he’s a really high-IQ basketball player, so whatever he does is a good choice normally.”

Wilson said he’s noticed teams using their low man to create double teams, trying to deny him the ball. From there, he has to decide whether to wait on the double team and make a play from there or quickly throw the ball back to the passer and reposition to get it back.
 
Wilson shot 50% from the field for the first time since his 23-point effort against Navy on Nov. 18. In doing so, he didn’t just attack the paint, as he found success with his shooting touch.

The midrange shot was working for Wilson against Georgetown, as he went to the turnaround fadeaway when posting up and used those shots to overcome the defense. He still got to the free throw line like he usually does, making all six of his attempts from there.

“It helps me a lot,” Wilson said about his midrange shot. “It just makes the game simple. I can shoot over anybody. I have long arms, I’m really tall, so that’s a shot I can always get. So it’s good to have.”

Though Wilson had a tough shooting day against Kentucky last week, he finished with a season-high six assists in the win. He finished Sunday’s game with one assist, but he did look to move the ball more often than in his games in Fort Myers. 

That increased willingness to move the ball, Hubert Davis believes, makes things easier for him and the offense.

“As teams continue to build more people around him, just learning when to be aggressive, when to get the ball back out, we’ll get it right back into you,” Davis said. “I remember in the second half, I said, ‘Look, you don’t have to force it. Just throw it back out. We’ll throw it right back into you,’ because we love the ball in his hands. He makes great decisions.”

Another noteworthy difference in Wilson’s game on Sunday was what he didn’t do. 

The 6-foot-10 freshman didn’t finish Sunday’s games with any dunks, though not for a lack of trying. On one occasion in the second half, he tried twice on the same play to posterize Georgetown’s Julius Halaifonua, as Halaifonua stopped him the first time and fouled him when Wilson sprang right back up to try the dunk again. 

Derek Dixon tried to connect with him for a pair of alley-oop finishes behind the defense, but the timing was slightly off on both of them and Wilson wasn’t able to drill the passes into the rim.

“I’ve never really thrown lobs before, so I’m not very good at it,” Dixon quipped after the game. “We’ll get him one of these days.”