UNC basketball coaches keeping close eye on top 2025 recruit Caleb Wilson at Peach Jam
With its three-man recruiting class for 2024 currently rated the nation’s best, North Carolina’s increasing its focus on the 2025 class.
That had Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis and his assistants at the Nike Peach Jam event for the 9 a.m. games Thursday to check out 6-foot-9 forward Caleb Wilson.
The Atlanta native, playing for the Georgia Stars in the first game of the day at Riverview Park Activities Center, noticed Davis sitting among the college coaches courtside during the first half.
UNC assistant coach Sean May also watched Wilson play.
Rated a five-star recruit by the various recruiting services and the No. 5 player in the 2025 class according to the 247sports.com composite rankings, Wilson said he talks with Davis weekly and has a strong relationship with him.
He also said he definitely wants to use one of his official visits to get more information about UNC. He intends to visit this fall, once practices begin for the new season, because watching a practice is important to him.
“You can tell me whatever through the phone,” Wilson told the News & Observer on Thursday, “but when I see it with my two eyes, I’ll be like “this is what I like, this is going to help me get better, which is what I focus on.”
Listed just shy of 200 pounds, Wilson is focusing on gaining strength this summer while playing on Nike’s EYBL circuit.
“I’ve done a lot of push ups,” Wilson said. “I’ve been in the weight room more and I’m really proud of myself for sticking to it. I’m really starting to see development with my shot, also, and development with me getting to the rim. And I’m getting to the rim way better than I was at the start of the year.”
Tennessee and Alabama are among the 20 offers Wilson said he has received. He took an unofficial visit to Georgia Tech, which is located in his hometown, and he holds an offer from the Yellow Jackets. Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri have also offered him.
Duke has been in contact with him, but has yet to make an offer, Wilson said. He had a good dialogue going with Amile Jefferson, the former Duke player who has since left the Blue Devils staff to become an assistant coach with the NBA’s Boston Celtics.
“The last conversation I had with him,” Wilson said,”we were talking about his experiences at Duke. How his four years were up and down. He went to the national championship game, the Final Four and then down to, you know, losing in tournaments. It was a really good conversation. I really learned a lot about the coaching styles, the coaches, how you see coaching and how you get coached.”
Duke associate head coach Chris Carrawell has since taken over recruiting Wilson, the player said.
Wilson said he’s nowhere near a college decision, saying that will come “sometime during my senior year.”
He’s entering his junior season at Atlanta’s Holy Innocents Episcopal School.
Thus far in Peach Jam play, Wilson is averaging 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and four assists per game. He had 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists on Thursday morning when his Georgia Stars team lost, 74-55, to Illinois-based Mac Irvin Fire.