University of North Carolina Athletics
Caleb Wilson
Photo by: DALTON WAINSCOTT
Wilson Named To Naismith Defensive Player Of The Year Watch List
January 29, 2026 | Men's Basketball
North Carolina freshman forward Caleb Wilson is one of 25 players on the 2026 Naismith Men's College Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Thursday.
Wilson, a 6-10 forward from Atlanta, leads the Tar Heels in blocked shots (28), steals (32) and defensive rebounds (139) this season. He has started all 20 UNC games this season, averaging 19.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest.
He is one of five Atlantic Coast Conference players on the list.
The full watch list is below.
Wilson, a 6-10 forward from Atlanta, leads the Tar Heels in blocked shots (28), steals (32) and defensive rebounds (139) this season. He has started all 20 UNC games this season, averaging 19.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest.
He is one of five Atlantic Coast Conference players on the list.
The full watch list is below.
| Full Name | Year | Position | School | Conference |
| Flory Bidunga | Sophomore | Forward | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Cameron Boozer | Freshman | Forward | Duke | ACC |
| Kylan Boswell | Senior | Guard | Illinois | Big Ten |
| Jaden Bradley | Senior | Guard | Arizona | Big 12 |
| Maliq Brown | Senior | Forward | Duke | ACC |
| Javontae Campbell | Senior | Guard | Bowling Green | MAC |
| Rueben Chinyelu | Junior | Center | Florida | SEC |
| Somto Cyril | Sophomore | Center | Georgia | SEC |
| Silas Demary Jr. | Junior | Guard | UConn | BIG EAST |
| Zuby Ejiofor | Senior | Forward | St. John's | BIG EAST |
| Kyle Evans | Senior | Forward | UC Irvine | Big West |
| Zvonimir Ivisic | Junior | Center | Illinois | Big Ten |
| Joshua Jefferson | Senior | Forward | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Jaquan Johnson | Sophomore | Guard | Bradley | MVC |
| Keba Keita | Senior | Forward | BYU | Big 12 |
| William Kyle III | Senior | Forward | Syracuse | ACC |
| Yaxel Lendeborg | Graduate Student | Forward | Michigan | Big Ten |
| Tamin Lipsey | Senior | Guard | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Aday Mara | Junior | Center | Michigan | Big Ten |
| Duke Miles | Graduate Student | Guard | Vanderbilt | SEC |
| Tarris Reed Jr. | Senior | Center | UConn | BIG EAST |
| Tyler Tanner | Sophomore | Guard | Vanderbilt | SEC |
| Joseph Tugler | Junior | Forward | Houston | Big 12 |
| Ernest Udeh Jr. | Senior | Center | Miami | ACC |
| Caleb Wilson | Freshman | Forward | North Carolina | ACC |
Players Mentioned
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