“Life is long if you know how to use it.” -Seneca
Every morning, UNC freshman Caleb Wilson wakes up and reads stoicism.
“I feel like it’s beneficial to your mental health,” he said during a wide-ranging press conference at the Dean Smith Center Thursday afternoon. “I feel like it makes me approach the days differently than I used to before.”
His love affair with the classics began in high school, when Wilson took a class on his favorite subject: ancient history. He was entranced when the class read great works of philosophy, the 2,000-year-old messages striking a chord with the 18-year-old basketball prodigy.
“You can’t control what other people think,” Wilson said. “You can’t control other people’s actions… I would learn stuff about how to interact with people. How to make people feel incorporated with you.”
Armed with his new perspective, the five-star recruit now walks around the UNC campus with an open mind and a welcoming demeanor. He is willing to take pictures with anybody who asks, and wants to eliminate the sense of intimidation that exists when “normal” students encounter basketball players. Head coach Hubert Davis went so far as to say that if Wilson ran for student body president, he might win.
That takes confidence, and Wilson is certainly not lacking for that. He went viral in September for guaranteeing wins against in-state rivals Duke, NC State and Wake Forest. In August, before he’d participated in a single official practice as a Tar Heel, Wilson signed a multimillion-dollar endorsement deal with New Balance.
He presented a striking image at Thursday’s press conference, far different from your normal incoming freshman. Wilson made eye contact, confidently answered every question and even seemed to enjoy the 18-minute media session. With all due respect to the other freshman hoopers around the nation, that’s not normal.
“My confidence came this summer,” Wilson said. “I’ve never worked as hard in my entire life as this past summer. I was working out at 10 p.m. by myself and doing a bunch of different things that I feel like separate me from everybody else in the country.”
The reasons for Wilson’s bullishness are easy to see: with the 6-foot-10 frame of a forward and the court vision of a guard, Wilson’s passing ability has caught his own teammates by surprise in preseason practice. He possesses a touch on his jump shot which allows him to play away from the basket, though he’s at his best when he’s throwing down thunderous dunks. And his defensive ability is what solidified his place among the top 10 players in the 2025 recruiting class.
Wilson has eclectic tastes away from the court. The Atlanta native enjoys listening to country music, particularly Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers. He builds LEGOs, describing a Lamborghini set as his personal favorite. And of course, he dabbles in stoicism.
“I do things that are freeing, mentally, off the court,” Wilson said. “You can’t put all your mental cards in one deck.”
But make no mistake: basketball will always come first for Caleb Wilson.
“I’m here to make myself a legend and win a bunch of games,” he said. “I didn’t commit to Carolina to go to karaoke nights. I came here to be a great basketball player.”
For now, Wilson’s self-confidence hasn’t rubbed anyone the wrong way. Teammates say he’s willing to crack a joke to cut the tension in a hard practice, then throw down a dunk to ratchet it back up again. Hubert Davis praised Wilson’s team-first mentality, which he described as a rarity among players of his high school pedigree. Even Steve Kirschner, the men’s basketball program’s communications director for decades, was impressed by how Wilson carried himself. Whereas Armando Bacot took time coming out of his shell before becoming a media darling, Wilson is ready to go before playing a single game.
It may not be hyperbole to say that Wilson’s on-court performance – and by extension, that of the Tar Heels as a whole – could determine the fate of his head coach. The UNC program’s failure to develop seeming one-and-done players in the past has become something of a scarlet letter, as former five-star prospects such as Ian Jackson (St. John’s) and Elliot Cadeau (Michigan) took their talents elsewhere in the transfer portal after up-and-down tenures in Chapel Hill.
If Davis is to be believed, that does not appear to be a possibility with Wilson.
“Everything that he talks about is about the team,” Davis said. “It’s about North Carolina. Everything.”
He was first bewitched by UNC after attending its game against Duke at the Smith Center in February 2024. He saw the Tar Heels beat the Blue Devils in front of a packed house, then took in the celebrations both in the victorious locker room and amid a mob of raucous fans on Franklin Street.
“I was like, ‘Man, I need to get that done,'” Wilson remembered.
Of Caleb Wilson (#8), head coach Hubert Davis says “Everything that he talks about is about the team. Everything.” (Image via UNC Athletic Communications/Maggie Hobson)
Give Wilson a follow on social media to see just how much he loves being a Tar Heel. You’ll see a video of him taking the stage at Ludacris’ Chapel Hill concert the morning of the football game against Clemson on October 4, where the freshman encouraged Tar Heel fans to attend the Blue-White exhibition at the Smith Center afterward. There’s another video of Wilson milling about in The Pit, in the heart of the UNC campus, handing out flyers to students for a Back-to-School event put on by the men’s basketball program. He may only be here for one year, but Wilson is soaking up every aspect of life in Chapel Hill.
“Throughout campus, I just try to make sure I speak to everyone,” he said. “I always try to make everyone feel like I’m personable. You can talk to me.”
He talks on the court, too.
“He’s got a little dawg in him,” said guard Kyan Evans. “He’s gonna yell at you if he dunks on you. I really like that about him.”
“He’s a social guy. Likes to troll. You guys have probably seen that,” said fellow freshman Derek Dixon.
Wilson is not afraid of giving other teams bulletin board material with his preseason comments. He embodies the mindset of another great stoic, Seneca: “He who fears death will never do anything worthy of a man who is alive.”
And Wilson is nothing if not alive. He’s been onstage with Ludacris. He’s partied on Franklin Street. He’s gone viral on social media. In short, he’s already lived the dreams of many a college freshman. And if all goes well, he’ll fulfill his personal dream at the 2026 NBA Draft next summer, where Wilson is projected to be a first-round pick.
His undeniable talent should be enough to get him at least that far. But the fate of a professional basketball player is a crapshoot. Unanimously heralded prospects have failed, and hidden gems have shined. It’s enough to cause some anxious nights for a would-be star, but Caleb Wilson isn’t worried one bit. Just like a true stoic.
“I watch a lot of NBA and professional players play,” he said. “But I’ve never seen anyone like me.”
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Maggie Hobson
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