Caleb Wilson is part of the perceived generational freshman class in college basketball. North Carolina certainly feels like they have one of the best players out there. NBA teams are going to be fighting to get Wilson on their rosters moving forward, possessing one of the highest ceilings of anybody out there.
To put into perspective how good some view Wilson, ESPN’s Jay Williams handed out a comparison on Monday night. If Wilson reaches his tip-top potential, Williams believes Wilson can become Kevin Garnett. High, high praise considering the career Garnett put together at the next level.
“He’s a guy that’s a two-way competitor,” Williams said. “He’s lethal in the open floor. His ceiling, to me, is Kevin Garnett. He leads his team in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, and almost assists. He is the identity of the Tar Heels.”
Wilson entered Big Monday vs. Syracuse just an eyelash away from averaging a double-double, scoring 20 points and securing 9.9 rebounds every time out there. He is shooting 58.9% from the field, proving to be incredibly efficient inside the three-point line. As Williams mentioned, the blocks and steals also stand out for Wilson. There, he averages 1.4 and 1.6, respectively.
This is exactly what people thought Wilson was capable of at the college level. Wilson played high school basketball at Atlanta (GA) Holy Innocents Episcopal School, where he was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect. He was the No. 5 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
As for what Garnett accomplished in the NBA, it’s a lot. The best way to summarize things — Garnett is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. During 21 years with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets, Garnett won an NBA Championship and was voted into 15 All-Star games. Awards are also a laundry list, winning an MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, four rebounding titles, and four first-team All-NBAs.
Of course, Williams is not saying Wilson is going to put together as impressive a resume during his professional career, no matter how long it lasts. However, the ESPN analyst is just saying their play styles could wind up being quite similar. Williams views Wilson as somebody capable of being an elite two-way player. Whoever winds up drafting the North Carolina product would be more than okay with acquiring the next Garnett-type.