UNC Basketball: Caleb Love ranked among top freshmen to make impact

UNC Basketball freshman Caleb Love earned some national recognition, making the list of the top 16 impactful freshmen

The North Carolina Tar Heels basketball program is welcoming in a top 3 recruiting class for the 2020 cycle and it’s coming at the right time. After a dismal 14-19 season, UNC has a very talented six-man class that hopes to make an instant impact right away.

In addition to that class, UNC is also returning Garrison Brooks, Armando Bacot, Anthony Harris and Leaky Black from last season’s team. But it’s going to take more than that to right the ship and UNC might have the answer with one big recruit.

Ahead of the start of the 2020-21 season, CBS Sports has released their list of 16 freshmen that can make the most impact next year. Among them listed is five-star point guard Caleb Love who headlines UNC’s 2020 class.

The outlet ranked Love No. 3 among the freshmen that should have an immediate impact in college basketball season behind only Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State) and Evan Mobley (USC).

Here is what CBS Sports had to say about Love:

"It was a bleak season for Roy Williams at UNC, who dubbed last year’s team the “least gifted team” he’s ever coached. But things are on the upswing after Williams got up and did something about it, signing arguably his most talented class ever led by Love, the Tar Heels incoming point guard.Love fits the archetype of prior UNC lead guards with score-first instincts who have been successful under Williams. The Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year can score it at every level and really made strides as an outside shooter this past season. His game should fit perfectly into UNC’s system, and he’ll be the face of one of college basketball’s biggest turnarounds — a team that finished with a losing record in 2019-20 that could be a title threat in 2020-21."

The Missouri native should have a big role right away for UNC as he’s expected to be a starter when the Tar Heels open up the season in November. With Cole Anthony gone and Anthony Harris likely not being ready for the start of the year, the Tar Heels are going to have to rely on some freshmen in their backcourt.

Love is the prime candidate to be that star in the backcourt but he could also move to a shooting guard role if Roy Williams goes to fellow freshman R.J. Davis at point guard. Both are very talented players that are excellent scorers, giving UNC some hope that things can turn around. However, they will be tested early as they are both freshmen and it’s no guarantee it does solve UNC’s big problems that they had last season.

For more on Love and other UNC Basketball commits, please check back with Keeping It Heel