UNC Basketball: No Tar Heels in first round of 2022 mock draft

No UNC basketball players listed in first round of latest 2022 mock draft

Despite being one of the nation’s top 25 teams entering the 2021-22 college basketball season, the North Carolina Tar Heels don’t have a single player in NBADraftNet’s latest 2022 NBA mock draft.

That includes Armando Bacot, who tested the NBA waters between his sophomore and junior seasons, but ultimately chose to return to college for at least one more year. Judging by recent projections, though, Bacot could be heading toward a full four-year career at the University of North Carolina.

One player that may be aiming for an early exit from Chapel Hill is sophomore point guard Caleb Love. Although Love isn’t included in NBADraftNet’s 2022 mock draft, he is listed as a player to watch. That’s at least, in part, thanks to the kind of upside that Love is thought to possess and showed on a number of occasions last season.

"“A 6’3, 195-pound combo guard for the Tar Heels, Love averaged 10.5 points and 3.6 assists per game as a freshman,” NBA Draft analyst Michael Hopp writes. “The sophomore guard will have to drastically improve his efficiency, as he shot under 32 percent from the floor and 30 percent from deep. However, his free throw percentage is above 80%, creating optimism that he just needs more time to get his shot figured out. Love is a long and strong defender, able to limit the opposing team’s best guard. He is also excellent at forcing turnovers, with 1.2 steals per game. One other cause for concern with the North Carolina guard are turnovers, as Love averaged more than three per game. He has the physical make up and athleticism, but the consistency and production needs to improve in his second year with the storied program in order to justify a spot in the first.”"

Love played particularly well in a pair of rivalry games against the Duke Blue Devils last season when he averaged 21.5 points, seven assists and 2.5 rebounds. He shot better than 53 percent from the floor and 54.5 percent from three-point range while shooting a perfect 7-for-7 at the free throw line. The Tar Heels won both games, and Love showcased his abilities on college basketball’s biggest stage.

It’s performances like that, and the high expectations that came with him to North Carolina when he was a decorated player out of Christian Brothers College in St. Louis, Missouri, that’s keeping Love somewhere near the first round of 2022 mock drafts. With more performances this season like he had against Duke as a freshman, and more consistency in general, Love could end up being a first round selection in next year’s NBA Draft.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Caleb Love, and the UNC basketball program.