Stars from both the UNC men’s basketball and football programs earned ACC honors Monday. Freshman forward Caleb Wilson was named ACC Co-Rookie and Co-Player of the Week (sharing the award with Virginia Tech’s Neoklis Avdalas), while House was named ACC Linebacker of the Week.

On the court, Wilson put together one of the best two-game debuts in the long history of the men’s basketball program. With 22 points against Central Arkansas Monday and 24 points against Kansas Friday, Wilson became the only Tar Heel ever to score 20 or more points in each of his first two games. Against the Jayhawks, Wilson stuffed the stat sheets with seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, becoming just the fourth Tar Heel ever to record such a game. Through two games, he is shooting 81 percent (17-21) from the floor.

Wilson is the first Tar Heel to win ACC Player and Rookie of the Week in the same week since Cole Anthony did so during the 2019-20 season. Thanks to Wilson’s play, the Tar Heels moved up seven spots to No. 18 in Monday’s newest AP Top 25 poll. Wilson and the Tar Heels will return to the court Tuesday night when they host Radford at the Smith Center at 7 p.m.

On the football field, House was part of a dominant defensive effort for UNC against Stanford Saturday. The sophomore finished with a career-high 13 tackles, a pass break-up and recorded his second career interception in the 20-15 win. House’s 13 tackles are the sixth-most in a game by an ACC player this season and the most by a Tar Heel since 2023. House is the first UNC linebacker since Cedric Gray to be named ACC Linebacker of the Week.

House and the Tar Heels will look to extend their two-game winning streak when they visit Wake Forest Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

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