Caleb Wilson is quickly establishing himself as one of the faces of a generational freshman class in college basketball. At least the early returns suggest the hype is more than justified.
North Carolina's talented scoring threat has NBA scouts circling. Wilson’s two-way impact has placed him firmly among the highest-upside players in the sport, with professional teams projected to line up for a chance to draft him when the time comes.
To illustrate just how highly Wilson is regarded, ESPN analyst Jay Williams offered a striking comparison on Monday. If Wilson reaches his full potential, Williams said, his ceiling resembles that of Kevin Garnett, which is elite praise given KG's legendary NBA resume.
“He’s a two-way competitor,” [Williams said via On3](https://www.on3.com/college/north-carolina-tar-heels/news/jay-williams-gives-unc-caleb-wilson-a-ceiling-of-nba-great-kevin-garnett/). “He’s lethal in the open floor. His ceiling, to me, is Kevin Garnett. He leads his team in points, rebounds, steals, blocks and almost assists. He is the identity of the Tar Heels.”
Wilson is shy of averaging a double-double at 20 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. He has been remarkably efficient, shooting 58.1% from the field, while also averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.6 steals per contest.
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This production mirrors expectations for Wilson, a five-star-plus prospect from Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Atlanta and the No. 5 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.
Williams was careful not to project a Hall of Fame career. But Rather, he laid out the stylistic similarities. For whichever franchise that eventually drafts Wilson, they'll be landing two-way force.
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