UNC Basketball: Tar Heel of the Game vs Loyola

Which UNC basketball player earned our first “Tar Heel of the Game” honors for the 2021-2022 season?

The Keeping It Heel team is beginning a new game day tradition this basketball season!

After each UNC basketball contest, we will name our annual “Tar Heel of the Game.” The player who stands out the most in each game will receive the honors.

As the season goes along, we will keep track of which players earn these honors. At the end of the season (hopefully after a deep run for the Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament) we will crown our “Tar Heel of the Season,” which will be given to the player who earned the most of these honors throughout the 2021-2022 campaign.

Opening night in Chapel Hill was a success, as North Carolina picked up a double-digit victory in Hubert Davis’ debut as the program’s head coach. For our first “Tar Heel of the Game” honors, we look at none other than Caleb Love, whose performance on opening night could be a great sign of things to come for the sophomore guard this season.

Overall, Love logged a team-high 31 minutes, and led the Tar Heels with 22 points. The sophomore made seven of his 13 field goal attempts, and also added two rebounds, two assists and two steals to his stat line.

Right from the opening tip, you could see a major difference with how Love conducted himself on the floor. With a full year of experience under his belt, it appeared as if Love was much more confident, as he made some very smart decisions with the basketball and used his athleticism to attack the basket efficiently.

When he drove to the hoop, not only was Love able to absorb contact, but showed the ability to finish off shots at a high rate. His 10 free-throw attempts set a new career-high, and could be a common trend that could be a major factor in the sophomore’s game this season.

Similar to last year, we saw the high-energy type of play from Love. Just a few minutes in, the St. Louis native added to his already impressive highlight reel with this two-handed slam.

Needless to say, Love’s play will be a major factor for the Tar Heels this season. As year #2 is now officially underway, it’s very possible that a major breakout season is on the horizon for Love.

Love gets the first “Tar Heel of the Game” honors for the 2021-2022 season. Check in with the Keeping It Heel team on Friday night to find out who will get the honors for the team’s game against Brown.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding  Love and the UNC basketball program.