CHAPEL HILL – For freshman forward Caleb Wilson, discernable improvement within the North Carolina basketball team occurs daily.
Following the Blue-White game last Saturday, Wilson spoke about some of the sloppiness from the Tar Heels’ play offering no panic or real concern. He knew it would come as the Heels had formally practiced for fewer than three weeks.
The 6-foot-9 top-five class of 2025 prospect also sees literal progress each day, so there’s comfort in knowing anything currently shaky will come together.
“I can’t put a timetable on when we’ll mesh, but I feel like every day we get better and better,” he said Friday at the Smith Center.
Example?
“For me, it’s just chemistry,” he said. “So, like me and Henri (Veesaar), we play a lot together with the high-low game; dribble drive to a lob or something like that. So, we talk on the court, and we’re like, ‘Okay, this time I’m going to the left. Next time the big steps up, I’m throwing a lob, be ready for it.’ And eventually, during games we’ll play later this year, that’s going to happen. And throughout practices we’ve gotten better.
“Like when I first did it, he didn’t know it. He didn’t expect it because he didn’t know I could pass the ball as well as I can. But now we’re able to talk and communicate; it’s able to happen more often.”
Wilson is as decorated a big man that has arrived at UNC in some time, Veesaar was an Honorable-Mention All-Big 12 player at Arizona last season. As a third-year sophomore, Veesaar averaged 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while playing 20.8 minutes per contest. Veesaar shot 59.2% from the field, including 32.7% (16-for-49) from 3-point range. He was 72-for-105 (68.6%) from the free throw line.
In addition, Veesaar handed out 48 assists against 42 turnovers, registered 25 steals and 42 blocked shots.
The 7-footer from Estonia will start at the five spot this season for the Tar Heels while Wilson is very likely the starter at the four spot. And from there, Veesaar has seen the fullness of Wilson’s game and looks forward to feeding off of his play.
“I knew he was a great player, but his ability to read a game and how great of a passer he is, I had no clue about,” Veesaar said about Wilson. “And in the first couple of practices I was in awe,” Veesaar said. “He was throwing me lobs and on fast breaks he would push the ball and give you a bounce pass.
“He really plays like a wing or a guard that’s supposed to be a playmaker because he would push the ball and throw it ahead. He’s really good at it. That’s probably the biggest surprise I had about him.”
Among the several obvious differences in this year’s UNC team from last winter, having a true high-low game is one of them, but two players who can move, roll, see, pass, and finish, plus are willing to be on either ends of those plays makes this a wholly different team.
As Wilson said, the overall chemistry for the Tar Heels may take some time, but early expectations for the Wilson-Veesaar connection are building, especially with their comments.