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Elliot Cadeau and Caleb Wilson can help each other next season.
This is based on conjecture, of course, in these unpredictable days of college basketball. Cadeau may not stay at Carolina for his junior season, and Wilson is yet to sign his letter of intent with UNC.
But if the diminutive point guard and 5-star forward are on the team together, they could become the combination the Tar Heels don’t have this roller-coaster season.
Cadeau is a great talent, a superb ball handler and passer who has improved his shooting as a sophomore. But he still gets criticism for his inconsistency in trying to make something happen as a point guard who turns the ball over too much with his wizardry.
One of the reasons could be attributable to the Tar Heels’ undersized inside game, where the ball is supposed to go on every possession of set offense. Cadeau can make the deft pass and dynamic drive to the basket, but he easily leads the team in turnovers with 64 trying to make something happen.
If the 6-foot-9 Wilson is as good as advertised – in the top 10 best players of his high school class – he could be a scoring strong forward, the lack of which has allowed defenses to swarm Cadeau and R.J. Davis, both shooting under 30 percent from outside.
“With Elliot Cadeau possibly returning, that would be a great guard to play with,” Wilson told 247Sports ahead of his commitment.
The two other signed recruits are combo 4-star guards, 6-foot-5 Isaiah Denis and 6-foot-3 Derek Dixon, who Hubert Davis calls “what we wanted in our class of 2026. Isaiah is an athletic wing who will immediately give us the versatility needed . . . Derek is a complete basketball player who has the ability to shoot, pass and defend at an elite level.”
Their size will make the 2025-26 Tar Heels bigger in the backcourt and may have to play right away if Ian Jackson and/or Drake Powell enter the NBA Draft. Cadeau could also turn pro or go to the transfer portal — and if so, Dixon could move to point guard and give the Tar Heels a taller perimeter than the last two seasons.
Of the chance to team with Wilson, Denis told Inside Carolina, “He knows how to play alongside other good players and he proved that this past AAU season. I’m excited to play with him.”
Added Dixon, “I think he fits with my game really well. He’s a versatile player who can guard multiple positions. He has great size and athleticism but is also skilled and versatile on offense, too.”
Wilson said, “I play with extreme effort and passion. I can defend the best player, no matter what position. I’m a willing passer, and I make good decisions. First and foremost, I’m always looking to get better.”
That could be beneficial for both him and Cadeau.
Featured image via Todd Melet

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Did someone say
Help on the way
Well, I know
Yeah, I do
That there’s help on the way
-Grateful Dead
Talk about looking at the world through rose colored glasses. Carolina has three five star players right now and look where it has gotten them. So what if they add another one next year – there’s absolutely no reason to believe that Caleb Wilson will help UNC do better next season than Ian Jackson has this season. Carolina’s problems are systemic, and adding another highly rated recruit isn’t going to solve that. Quit drinking the Kool-Aid Art.