After leading the Tar Heels to wins against Syracuse and No. 4 Duke, UNC star freshman was named the ACC Freshman of the Week and the Naismith National Player of the Week Monday afternoon.

Wilson finished with 22 points and nine rebounds in the 87-77 win against the Orange, then scored 23 points against the Blue Devils and fellow freshman sensation Cameron Boozer. Wilson has now scored at least 20 points in five consecutive games, raising his season scoring average to 20.2 points per game.

“He basically put us on his back,” UNC head coach Hubert Davis said of Wilson’s performance in the first half against the Duke. Wilson scored 17 of his 23 points in the opening half, shooting 5-7 from the floor and 6-6 at the foul line.

“I knew we needed a spark,” Wilson said after the Duke game. “I’m not a selfish player so I always try to get my teammates involved, but when my team needed me, and I saw that they did, I just had to go.”

Wilson is already a member of the 10-man midseason watch list for the Karl Malone Award, given to the best power forward in men’s college basketball. He has been named ACC Freshman of the Week twice previously and ACC Player of the Week once previously this season. He’s the first Tar Heel to be named ACC Freshman of the Week three times since Coby White did so five times during the 2018-19 season.

In addition, Wilson was named to the 20-man midseason watch list for the Wooden Award Tuesday, one of several awards for National Player of the Year.

Wilson and the rest of the Tar Heels will be back in action when they visit Miami Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward

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