North Carolina's Caleb Wilson calls out Kansas' Darryn Peterson after leading Tar Heels to win over Jayhawks
Wilson revealed the grudge he held against the Kansas star that motivated him in the win
By
Kyle Boone
•
1 min read
North Carolina five-star freshman forward Caleb Wilson said Friday he changes his phone's wallpaper as a motivational tool ahead of every game to "make sure he's pissed." He has a list of different options to sort through to ensure maximum self-rage. And ahead of No. 25 UNC's statement 87-74 win over No. 19 Kansas on Friday night, he chose a very specific moment in time, and in the process unloaded a heaping of shade at KU's Darryn Peterson, a fellow five-star recruit.
"My wallpaper today was my feeling after the McDonald's All-American Game when I didn't touch the ball," Wilson said. "And Darryn Peterson was on my team. So that was my wallpaper."
Put Caleb Wilson among nation's top freshmen as well after UNC's win vs. Kansas in early blue-blood battle
Isaac Trotter
Peterson, the No. 1 player in the class of 2025 according to 247Sports, was named the game's co-MVP alongside Duke freshman Cam Boozer. He finished with 18 points and led the West to a 105-92 win over the East squad. Wilson, the No. 8 player in his class, played 20 minutes in that game and produced a respectable six boards and three points off free throws.
But it was the absence of production when he played alongside Peterson -- notably, the unwillingness of Peterson to share the ball, as he remembers it -- that stuck with him most.
After UNC’s win over Kansas, Caleb Wilson told us he changes the wallpaper on his phone before games to make sure he’s “pissed.”
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) November 8, 2025
What was on his phone today?
“My feeling from the All American game when I didn’t touch the ball…and {Kansas’} Darryn Peterson was on my team.” pic.twitter.com/yorTefyLgs
Wison's pregame strategy to enrage himself using his phone's wallpaper worked perfectly vs. the Jayhawks. With his memory of anger still fresh after playing alongside Peterson in the McDonald's All-American game, he fueled himself to a game-high 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting and added seven rebounds and four assists. Peterson finished with 22 points, three rebounds, three assists and three turnovers.
"It was personal for me," Wilson added postgame, invoking shades of Michael Jordan. "We hadn't beat them in 20 years. And they beat us in the national championship, and coach was emotional about that. So I wanted to impress my coach and I wanted to impress the world. I wanted to let the world know who I am for sure."
Mission accomplished for Wilson. And Friday might've been just the introduction to a trajectory taking him straight to stardom.
