No. 16 North Carolina Faces Injuries, Rivals NC State

Tar Heels look to win second straight without star freshman Caleb Wilson against tough Wolfpack squad.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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No. 16 North Carolina will try to win its second straight game without freshman phenom Caleb Wilson when it travels to Raleigh to face rival North Carolina State on Tuesday night. Wilson, who leads the Tar Heels in scoring and rebounding, is out indefinitely after suffering a fracture in his left hand. UNC was able to get a 79-65 win at home over Pitt without Wilson and co-anchor Henri Veesaar, who missed the game with a lower extremity issue and illness. NC State, projected to be a No. 7 seed in March Madness, is coming off back-to-back losses and looking to bounce back against the bigger, more physical Tar Heels.

Why it matters

This ACC rivalry matchup between two ranked teams has major implications for their NCAA Tournament seeding and momentum heading into March Madness. North Carolina will need to find a way to win without its star freshman, while NC State looks to rebound from a tough stretch and prove it can compete with the conference's elite.

The details

Without Wilson and Veesaar, Jarin Stevenson and Seth Trimble led UNC to a win over Pitt, with Stevenson impressing coach Hubert Davis. NC State, meanwhile, is coming off back-to-back losses, including a one-point defeat to Miami in which it gave up 20 offensive rebounds and was outscored in the paint 56-32. The Wolfpack's leading rebounder Ven-Allen Lubin, who transferred from UNC last offseason, will be a key factor against the Tar Heels' size advantage.

  • The game will be played on Tuesday night, February 17, 2026.
  • Wilson has been ruled out indefinitely after suffering a hand injury against Miami last week.
  • Veesaar missed UNC's last game against Pitt with a lower extremity issue and illness, but is expected to practice this week.

The players

Caleb Wilson

A freshman phenom who leads North Carolina in scoring and rebounding, but is out indefinitely with a hand injury.

Henri Veesaar

A co-anchor in the post for North Carolina who missed the last game with a lower extremity issue and illness, but is expected to practice this week.

Jarin Stevenson

A junior forward for North Carolina who has stepped up in the absence of Wilson and Veesaar, impressing coach Hubert Davis with his aggressiveness and decision-making.

Ven-Allen Lubin

NC State's leading rebounder this season, who transferred from North Carolina to join the Wolfpack last offseason.

Will Wade

The head coach of NC State, who acknowledged his team needs to play better after back-to-back losses and said North Carolina's size will be a major challenge.

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What they’re saying

“I think he's been in a better rhythm, more comfortable, more confident on the offensive end. I just love when he's aggressive in practice, in games. He takes good shots, he makes the right plays and he's just a really good player. When he's aggressive, he definitely takes our team to a different level.”

— Hubert Davis, North Carolina Head Coach (statenews.net)

“Our fans deserve better than what we've been giving them. North Carolina is a great team. Coach Davis has done a tremendous job with the team this year. They're huge. I mean, that's the biggest challenge. We're not the biggest bunch. And they're massive on the front line, which has been a major issue for us this season.”

— Will Wade, NC State Head Coach (statenews.net)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This ACC rivalry matchup will test North Carolina's depth and resilience as they try to win without their star freshman, while NC State looks to bounce back from a tough stretch and prove it can compete with the conference's elite despite size mismatches in the frontcourt.