"Remember, the Tar Heels were down by 12 points entering halftime of the first game in Chapel Hill on Feb. 7. You could sense that the vibes in the building were changing after the break until Wilson quickly scored, got a steal and scored on another layup seconds later on his team's first possessions. That sequence changed the environment and boosted the energy in the building."
"You could make the case that Cameron Boozer (24 points, 11 rebounds) met his match in Wilson, who was KenPom's MVP in that game after scoring 23 points and recording a ridiculous 158.0 offensive rating compared to Boozer's 107.0 that night."
"On Saturday, the Tar Heels will miss the length, explosiveness and two-way playmaking of their brightest star against a Blue Devils team that looks even better than it did entering the first matchup. The good news is UNC is 5-1 without Wilson and sustained its top-50 defense over that stretch."
Caleb Wilson, a star freshman for North Carolina, underwent surgery for a broken right thumb sustained during practice and was ruled out for the season. Wilson had been recovering from a previous left hand fracture suffered during the February 10 loss at Miami. His absence creates a major challenge for the Tar Heels heading into their matchup against Duke on Saturday. Wilson's two-way playmaking, length, and explosiveness were crucial to UNC's performance, as demonstrated in their earlier game against Duke where his quick scoring and defensive contributions energized the team. While North Carolina maintains a 5-1 record without Wilson and has sustained a top-50 defense, Duke represents a significantly stronger opponent than previous matchups.
Read at ESPN.com
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