In the days leading up to the game against Kansas on Nov. 7, freshman forward Caleb Wilson announced there was a “white out” taking place at the Dean Smith Center.
There was one problem: the university had not announced a “white out” and was instead planning a “Blue Out.” However, due to the public’s enthusiasm for the “white out” and the strong support Tar Heel fans have shown Wilson, the university eventually announced they would host a “white out” for the Kansas game.That set the stage for North Carolina’s 87-74 victory as Wilson finished with a career night—posting a game-high 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting, along with seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
“He’s played less than two games, and already the whole crowd is cheering his every move,” head coach Hubert Davis said after the game. “Is there something he does to connect with people beyond just being a great basketball player? Absolutely. He truly connects with people. When he steps onto the court, his talent is obvious, but when he enters a room, you can immediately feel his personality.”
“His presence lights up a room the moment he walks in, Davis said. “Of course, he’s incredibly gifted as a basketball player, but he’s also such a genuine and kind person. He was inviting people to the game at the Pit this afternoon, and we had a whiteout because Caleb went on social media and said, ‘I want a whiteout.’ It’s the first whiteout I’ve had in 14 years.”
While Wilson has cultivated a strong following in Chapel Hill, this comes as no surprise to those who witnessed his growth at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School.
The Introduction
Wilson enrolled at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, a K-12 school in the Atlanta metro area, in eighth grade.
When Mario Mays, head basketball coach at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, met Wilson, he immediately knew the program would benefit from his presence..
“Well, first thing, he was a 6-8 eighth grader coming out of middle school,” Mays said of Wilson while laughing. “You start to think, ‘Man, we’ve got an opportunity to build the program, you know, the next four years around this kid,’ and so that was kind of my first thought. Like, this kid is huge.”
“You know, I got the opportunity to see him play that spring, and I was just like, ‘Man, this kid has a wide range of skills, and it’s going to be amazing to watch him grow.’ And so that was the thing. You know, I saw him play in the spring with his AAU team. Then we got ready for our summer camp, and he just did some things you don’t see the average young guy do in summer camp.”
Jason Rutledge, the upper school principal at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, first met Wilson and his mother, Sabrina, when he was helping them put together a four-year plan for his high school courses. He knew that Caleb was there at HIES to play basketball (all he had to do was look up), but he didn’t know just how good he really was.
“I didn’t know that much about Caleb at the time,” Rutledge said of Wilson. “Knew that he played basketball and was, you know, a really nice kid, great family, but I had no idea at the time that he was going to be the talent that he turned into, and I didn’t realize that until I saw him play.”
Rutledge, who played at the Division III level and coached high school basketball for a while as well, knew that Wilson was a different type of player by his junior season
“I played against Andre Patterson in high school and then coached against Derrick Favors when he was in high school and he played in the league for 10 years,” Rutledge said. “I instantly realized Caleb is way ahead of both of them at the same age, so I knew he was special.”What made Wilson stand out to Rutledge, other than his height and skill, was his down-to-earth nature, which is an admirable quality to have, given his stature, even going back to high school.
“He’s kind of got that Magic Johnson type charisma that can, you know, just come in and make everybody feel at ease and kind of light up a room, while, in the meantime, still taking care of his business, taking care of academics and early morning, late night practices, and, you know, all of the things that come with that.”
The Transformation
Before Wilson’s senior season, there was a lot of pressure around Holy Innocents due to the expectations surrounding the program after it had just lost in the state championship by just five points to North Oconnee in the GHSAA Class AAAA State Championship game. Wilson scored 26 points and 18 rebounds.
At the start of Wilson’s senior season, the team was not playing together and something seemed off. Mays called in Rutledge, who is also a sports psychology teacher at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, to speak with the team and help them turn pressure into diamonds.
“You could sense the pressure; it was almost like watching an All-Star game—players were more individualistic and weren’t playing for each other.
Rutledge told the team that simple acts of togetherness, like players helping each other up and positive physical interactions, are linked to increased confidence and better performance. Citing a study and the example of Steve Nash’s MVP season, Rutledge emphasized that more high-fives and camaraderie build stronger teams.
Rutledge addressed the team’s lack of chemistry, which led to immediate improvement. He also singled out Wilson not only as the team’s best player, but also its top leader, urging him to involve his teammates rather than let them stand around and watch.
“I challenged him to take on that responsibility—and he was the type who could take feedback and criticism because he is always looking to grow. He has that Mamba Mentality, always seeking every edge to get better. He absorbed everything I discussed and put it into practice.
”Wilson, who is never satisfied, understood this and quickly made changes.
“You could see immediate changes: his assertiveness, how he engaged the whole team, giving high-fives, and doing all the things a leader does. That’s what sets him apart. He isn’t the type who shies away from challenges or avoids failure to protect his hype. That’s not Caleb. He has that Kobe Bryant mentality—facing down challenges and lifting everyone around him.”
Not only did Wilson record 21.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.6 blocks and 2.1 steals per game that season, he and his teammates also ended up winning the school’s first state title.Mays described Wilson as a “giver”, some one who selfless, hard-working leader whose generosity, positivity and team-first mentality make him both an exceptional athlete and an even better person. For Wilson it’s natural, and that’s why he and his teammates got better over the course of the season.
“He just worked extremely hard to continue to get better, challenge yourself constantly. And then he found out how to challenge his teammates, which really kind of made us better. And some people can challenge teammates in a manner in which it turns them off, but he found a way. He found that balance to be able to challenge them in a way that, you know, it made him better.”
The Killer Instinct
Leading up to the Kansas game on Nov. 7, Wilson was locked in to the point that it spooked Davis.
“I just told him like, ‘Bro, this s— matters to me,’” Wilson said on Friday after the game. “I was pissed off all week. First of all, they say they got someone on the other team who’s better than me. And then also, it’s Kansas, and we haven’t beat them in 23 years. This is personal.”
That “someone on the other team” was Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson, a 6-foot-6 wing considered by many to be a potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Just a week before the game, Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 ranked Wilson as only the fifth-best freshman in the ACC in his conference preview.Mays knew Wilson would be motivated before the game because he is always searching for something to drive him. He recalled how disappointed Wilson was after returning home from the McDonald’s All-American Game, remembering that Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa and Peterson had the ball most of the time, leaving Wilson little chance to showcase his skills.
“He’s a high-level basketball player, but he’s also a very intelligent kid that understands how to get himself going,” Mays said. “And, you know, if you’re going to be great, you got to know how to push your own buttons. I think that’s just a part of his makeup; he understands how to push his own button, but he also works his tail off.
”Wilson was a large portion of why UNC dispatched Kansas and Peterson and the game made him a household name among college basketball fans if he already wasn’t.“I think he did a great job on the national stage, being able to show everybody else: I’m as good as, or better than, these guys that are in this top conversation. I want to be considered in this top conversation; I got something to offer and I got some things to show.”
Mays said Wilson’s greatest asset is his ability to impact the game as a winner, not just as a scorer. Mays emphasized that Wilson prioritizes winning over individual statistics, which sets him apart from other players.“I hope when the draft comes—these people get paid a lot of money to do what they need to do—the one thing that they are seeming to already realize: hey, this kid is a winner. So, you know, hopefully that’ll move him up that ladder, because I think he deserves to be in the conversation with the top brass of freshmen and the top players that’ll be in the draft mixture.”
Super-Charged Glue
Mays said he knew Wilson would fit in at Chapel Hill not only because of his skillset, but also because of his “infectious energy.”
“When you look at Caleb, you see someone whose infectious energy uplifts everyone around him—not just his team at North Carolina, but the entire campus. As Coach Hubert Davis said, if Caleb ran for student council president, he would probably win. His positive spirit makes it impossible for people to be unhappy around him, and that’s a testament to his personality and the effect he has wherever he goes.”Rutledge also acknowledged his humble personality is always on whether he is on or off the court.
Rutledge is not surprised by the fact that Wilson “forced” UNC to do a whiteout for its game against Kansas via social media as he was always interacting with Holy Innocents’ student section, “The Bear Den” and he had a massive presence on campus as he was a role model for a lot of the elementary and middle school kids on campus as well. Because of his energy on and off the court, Rutledge called Wilson “supercharged glue”
Rutledge called Caleb Wilson “supercharged glue” not only for his intelligence, skill and infectious, team-first attitude that connects and motivates his teammates, but also for the way he interacts with classmates and students in the elementary and middle schools on campus.
“He’s not a bully—he knows how to joke around and get people involved, but it’s always light-hearted and fun,” Rutledge said. “He just enjoys being around people. Whether it’s a middle school kid looking for a photo or my own child who goes to watch the game and gets a one-on-one picture with him, Caleb just gets it.””That’s why I call him ‘supercharged glue.’ Socially and on the basketball team, he keeps everyone connected, but he’s also supercharged because he brings energy and positivity to everything he does.”
