{"id":24370,"date":"2026-03-19T21:56:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T21:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/?p=24370"},"modified":"2026-03-19T21:56:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T21:56:39","slug":"unc-opens-ncaa-tournament-without-caleb-wilson-vs-surging-vcu-wral-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/?p=24370","title":{"rendered":"UNC opens NCAA Tournament without Caleb Wilson vs. surging VCU :: WRAL.com"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

North Carolina will have somewhat of a homecourt advantage
\nin the opening weekend of the 2026 NCAA Tournament if the Tar Heels can manage
\nwithout star freshman Caleb Wilson.<\/p>\n

No. 6 seed UNC (24-8) plays No. 11 seed VCU (27-7) at 6:50
\np.m. ET Thursday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
\nThe South Region game airs on TNT.<\/p>\n

Wilson, an All-ACC first-team selection, is out for the
\nseason after breaking his right thumb. Wilson injured the thumb while working
\nback from a left hand fracture. Wilson’s last game was on Feb. 20. UNC is 5-3
\nin eight games without Wilson.<\/p>\n

“Our team will move forward,” UNC coach Hubert Davis<\/a> said of Wilson’s injury on March 7 after the regular-season finale against Duke.<\/p>\n

Davis added, “Obviously,\u00a0there’s tremendous sadness for him. I’ve talked about how special … obviously he’s a special player, but just how remarkable of a kid and a teammate he is and the passion that he has for his teammates, for North Carolina for being on the floor, for playing in games like this. It was a dream for him to play in the ACC [Tournament] and the NCAA Tournament, and my heart is broken that he won’t be able to do that.”<\/p>\n

The UNC-VCU winner will play the winner of the Illinois-Penn
\ngame on Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina.<\/p>\n

The other teams in the South Region include No. 1 seed
\nFlorida, No. 2 seed Houston, No. 4 seed Nebraska, No. 5 seed Vanderbilt, No. 7
\nseed Saint Mary\u2019s, No. 8 seed Clemson, No. 9 seed Iowa, No. 10 seed Texas
\nA&M, No. 12 seed McNeese, No. 13 seed Troy, No. 15 seed, Idaho, No. 16 seed
\nLehigh and No. 16 seed Prairie View A&M.<\/p>\n