Caleb Love will be the first one to acknowledge his junior and final season at North Carolina didn’t go according to plan.
Not personally, and not for UNC.
Love placed huge expectations on himself before the season. Coming off a terrific run to the national championship game last season, fueled by two of the greatest halves ever by a Tar Heel when Love went off in the second half versus UCLA in the Sweet 16 and second half in the Final Four against Duke.
The last shot he hit that night versus the Blue Devils quickly became iconic, and will remain a significant part of UNC basketball lore for eternity.
But the Tar Heels went from preseason No. 1 and calling the season “Championship or bust,” and Love ended on the All-ACC Honorable Mention squad. No first team, second team, or even third team.
He struggled most of the season knocking down shots, and as much confidence as the St. Louis native exudes, and certainly displays, he was battling internally.
“Yeah, there’s some frustration,” Love admitted. “You don’t want to shoot missed shots, but I’ve got to just keep playing.”
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Love never did find any high-end consistency to his shot, especially from the perimeter. He made only 29.9 percent from outside on the season, going 73-for-244. His best stretch came in a five-game span beginning with a win at Syracuse on January 24 and ending in a win over Clemson on February 11, in which Love was 19-for-41 from the perimeter, which is 46.3 percent. Otherwise, he shot 26.6 percent in the other 28 contests.
He led the Tar Heels in scoring at 16.7 points per game. Love shot 45.5 percent inside the arc, and added 101-for-132 (76.5 percent) from the free throw line. His other numbers: 3.7 rebounds; 2.9 assists; and 1.1 steals. He shot 37.8 percent from the floor.
As much as Love is identified by fans and many in the media, his game has always been more about driving to the basket, or as he calls it, “getting downhill.” That part of the game is more in his wiring than anything else.
“My biggest thing is trying to get to the basket,” he recently told THI.
Love announced March 27 he is entering the transfer portal ending his UNC career. As much as he wants to be known as a fearless and effective driver to the rim, he will go down in Carolina history having made one of the most iconic shots ever by a Tar Heel.
His high-arching 3-point shot over the out-stretched arms of 7-foot Duke center Mark Williams to lift UNC over the Blue Devils in the Final Four concluding legendary Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career will live forever in Chapel Hill.
“Coach puts the ball in me or RJ’s hand and tells us to make a play,” Love said following the game. “(UNC guard) RJ (Davis) and me have been doing it all season. Whoever has the ball, we both made great plays. And it just happened to be in my hands, so I made the play. And we came out on top.”
Love played in all 33 games this season scoring 10 or more points 30 times. UNC’s record in those contests was 18-12. In the 21 games in which Love scored 15 or more points, the Tar Heels were 15-6. And, UNC was 6-5 in games in which Love scored 20 or more points.
His career averages are 14.6 points, 3.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds per game, 36.0 percent from the field, including 31.7 percent from 3-point range, 81.5 percent from the free throw line, playing 32.8 minutes per contest.
The 6-foot-4 two-guard leaves UNC 34th on the all-time scoring list with 1,476 points. HIs 200 made 3-pointers ranks him eighth in program history.
Love announced last week he is transferring to Michigan.
