Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: Tar Heels’ projected 2021-22 starting lineup

By Blake Cockrum

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 12: Garrison Brooks #15, Caleb Love #2, Armando Bacot #5, and Leaky Black #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels talk during a game against the North Carolina Central Eagles on December 12, 2020 at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 67-73. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 12: Garrison Brooks #15, Caleb Love #2, Armando Bacot #5, and Leaky Black #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels talk during a game against the North Carolina Central Eagles on December 12, 2020 at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 67-73. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images) /
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UNC Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 24: Caleb Love #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels moves the ball against the Marquette Golden Eagles during their game at the Dean Smith Center on February 24, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Marquette won 83-70. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Caleb Love

Caleb Love will be the Tar Heels’ starting point guard from day one next season, and there’s very little doubt about that. Not only is Love the player best-suited to handle the team’s lead guard responsibilities, but he’s legitimately their only option — at least from a full-time standpoint.

Sure, R.J. Davis can handle the basketball well, and he’s a solid distributor, but it’s Love manning the point guard position that puts North Carolina in the best position to win. So, while Davis is likely to play some backup point guard throughout season, he will spend the majority of his time off the ball as one of the team’s top shooting guards.

It’s no secret that both Love and Davis had their fair share of struggles last season, enduring the typical highs and lows that college freshman often see, particularly ones thrust into such prominent roles from the get-go. And as far as efficiency goes, Davis was actually better than Love. He shot the ball better than Love did from inside and outside the arc, as well as at the free throw line. He also turned the ball over just 1.9 times per game compared to Love’s 3.1 turnovers per game.

But it was Love that showed out on the biggest of stages last season, namely in games against the rival Duke Blue Devils. In a pair of wins over the crosstown ACC foe, Love averaged 21.5 points, seven assists and 2.5 rebounds per game. He was also incredibly efficient, shooting better than 53 percent overall (15-for-28), and 54.5 percent from three-point range (6-for-11).

Although his season statistics were nowhere near that good, I believe he’ll have far more games like that as a sophomore. Expect Love’s production and efficiency to improve in year two, as he looks to establish himself as the team’s unquestioned leader on the court, and one of the best point guards in college basketball.

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