UNC Basketball 2021-22 Player Preview: Caleb Love

Our UNC basketball 2021-22 player previews continue with the return of spark plug, sophomore point guard Caleb Love.

D’Marco Dunn | Dontrez Styles | Creighton Lebo | Puff Johnson | Dawson Garcia | R.J. Davis | Kerwin Walton

When the UNC basketball chips began to fall with the departures of Day’Ron Sharpe, Walker Kessler, Garrison Brooks, and the sudden retirement of Roy Williams, two big pieces were remaining. One of those chips is Armando Bacot, and the other is St. Louis native Caleb Love.

A new look UNC basketball program now under the guidance of Hubert Davis could see a return of the glory days that brought banners to Dean Smith Center. Love, throwing on the Carolina blue for another season gives UNC a chance at fulfilling a hopeful championship with his pace as the map to the treasure. A tempo that matches UNC fan-favorite Coby White could often be looked at as a gift and curse last season, but with another year in Carolina, the speedy pace that Love plays with should be a rewarding treat.

What makes Love’s game so exceptional is his ability to push the tempo and get points on the board quickly. His pace was also his downfall last season, often going too fast, which caused turnovers and fans to scream slow down. Love could’ve gone pro like White or Cole Anthony, but another year playing in the house Jordan built could help Love find the right pace and help his draft stock.

Season Review, 2020-21

Love as a freshman delivered highlight reels periodically throughout the season that had the student section roaring after thunderous dunks. At 6-foot-4, Love started 26 out of 29 games, averaging 27.7 minutes, 10.5 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. His best game of the season came against the blue devils on the road, where he sent home the Cameron Crazies listening to Drake after he dropped 25 points and seven assist on 56% shooting from the field.

Now we get to what some hate about Love 2020-21 season.

The biggest flaw in Love’s game last season came from his shooting percentage. Love struggled behind the arch, shooting at 26% for three-pointers. The needle didn’t move much for Love when it came to field goal percentage either, shooting 31.6% from the field. The good news is the main focus in the off-season for Love was to work on that shot. A better field goal and three-pointer percentage with an even balance of pace is the key for Love this season.

What To Expect In 2021-22

This season expects Love to be more efficient in scoring and to have a better overall pace. Love was named to the preseason All-Atlantic Coastal Conference second team with expectations of continuing his glimpses of explosiveness we saw last season. The guard that can score in a flash should see a boost in his points per game average. I expect at the very least a five-point increase with more quality shots versus the number of attempts he took in his freshman campaign.

Bold Prediction

This season, Love’s field goal percentage jumps up from 31 percen to 40 percent, and his three-point shooting soars up from 26 percent to 35 percent Along with his rise in shooting percentage splits, he limits his turnovers to 55 on the season compared to the 90 he had in 29 games last year. Creating a better balance on pace and knowing which shots to take will help Love be a confident NBA lottery pick draftee and finish the engraving of Love’s name in UNC basketball history.

The talent is this there, and this season we don’t just see a glimpse of Love potential…Instead, we experience the next NBA star.

Be sure to check back with Keeping It Heel as we continue our coverage on the UNC Basketball program.