What happened to Caleb Wilson? How UNC basketball star’s thumb injury impacts Tar Heels, NBA draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

North Carolina will be without its best player while attempting to vanquish all foes en route to an NCAA title.

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Caleb Wilson, the vaunted Tar Heels freshman who led North Carolina in every major statistical category, was ruled out for the season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The designation comes after Wilson, 18, underwent surgery to repair a broken right thumb he suffered during practice ahead of the Tar Heels’ season finale against Duke.

Wilson had been troubled with injury issues prior to his operation, missing three weeks after injuring his left hand. A projected top-five pick, Wilson’s absence will loom large on North Carolina, who have looked far less imposing without him in its ranks.

With that, here’s what you need to know about Wilson’s status going forward, as well as how his injury could impact his draft stock.

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What happened to Caleb Wilson?

According to Charania, Wilson suffered a broken right thumb in a non-contact drill in practice on Thursday. He elected to undergo surgery to repair the injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Wilson sustained the injury while dunking the ball with his right hand. He had previously been nursing a fractured left hand, missing three weeks after sustaining the injury in a Feb. 10 loss to Miami.

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Caleb Wilson injury update

Wilson broke his thumb while participating in a non-contact practice drill ahead of North Carolina’s regular-season finale against Duke on Saturday. Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis said Wilson was “progressing” towards returning to the court before long, telling John Rothstein that “there [was] a chance” Wilson could take part in Saturday’s joust, depending on how his left hand felt in North Carolina’s next two practices.

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That statement was delivered before Thursday’s practice session. After fracturing his thumb on his shooting hand, Wilson opted to go under the knife. Barring something unexpected, he likely played his last game for the Tar Heels.

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How long is Caleb Wilson out?

Wilson will miss the remainder of the regular and postseason. According to Charania, he is expected to be cleared to return to basketball activity during the pre-draft process. That could see him take to the floor as soon as May.

Caleb Wilson stats

Wilson enjoyed a sterling maiden season in Chapel Hill, leading the Tar Heels in scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks and steals. Here’s a look at his numbers:

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57.8 percent field goal shooting

25.9 percent 3-point shooting

71.3 percent free throw shooting

Caleb Wilson NBA draft

Wilson is widely considered one of the best prospects eligible in this year’s NBA Draft. He’s one of a handful of freshmen expected to hear their names called early in June. Wilson is expected to be selected inside the top-five in this year’s draft, although some have suggested he could go as early as inside the top-three. He doesn’t quite have the pull of Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa or Cameron Boozer. But he figured to give himself a shot of penetrating the triad with strong showings at the ACC and NCAA tournaments.