Roy Williams doesn’t want to hear about players’ star ratings in high school, he only cares about what he sees when evaluating them as recruits and what they do after arriving in Chapel Hill.

To many North Carolina fans, Caleb Love was a 5-star prospect who could do it all, but to Williams he was a very talented youngster who could do it all. Star rating, nah, not an issue.

So, when Love went off for 25 points and seven assists during UNC’s win at Duke on Saturday night, fans saw a 4-star kid finally meshing his game with his talent. Williams saw a developing player turn in his best game as a Tar Heel.

“I don't care if they're 5-star or three moons, that doesn’t make one bit of a difference to me,” Williams said, following the victory. “Everybody thought that I was crazy when I said how good (former Tar Heel) Marcus Paige was going to be, but Caleb did some really good things tonight.”

Love did a lot of good things.

His big scoring night encompassed a variety of baskets. A screaming dunk early helped get his mojo going, though the high-pitch yell afterward suggested he was already dialed in. And two threes over the final 7:54 of the game, each time fending off a Duke charge – one making it 72-67 and the other time moving UNC’s lead to 86-79 with 1:54 remaining.

In between were a pair of buckets near the lane, one a second-half runner off the glass on the left side. Love shot it over the arching arm of a Blue Devil, indicating he’s starting to adjust to playing against much longer college players.

Moxie, confidence, and some grit were part of Love’s game Saturday night.

“I was in that zone. Just going into the game, I just knew I had to be a big part of my team getting this win. Just controlling the traffic and just doing a lot of those things that point guards do. Like I said, it's been a long, long season for me, up and down, but it's just been great.”

His teammates were thrilled with the freshman point guard’s performance. Not just because he helped them defeat their arch rivals, but they have seen bits and pieces of Love’s whole game starting to come together.

“Man, I’m just glad for him,” sophomore forward Armando Bacot said. “I knew he had one of those games coming, he's a great player. He really is. And just to see him doing it on the biggest stage and in probably one of our biggest games this year was just huge for them.

“And hopefully this can carry over with his confidence going later into the season and maybe, hopefully, this is where we see Caleb Love be born.”

Love did turn over the ball five times, and there’s no way his demanding coach could let that slide.

Williams was obviously happy to have the win, but he knows his team can play much better, and it can be more consistent. To achieve both, Love must play more to where he was on this night, minus the giveaways.

“Oh yeah, and he's going to hear about the five turnovers, there's no question,” Williams said, before noting Love was in the same room waiting to do his part of the postgame interviews on zoom. “He's also going to hear about not getting back on defense as our defensive balance and giving up two layups on the other end. And he's sitting right over there, so you guys, I'm looking at you, but he knows I'm talking to his rear end.”

Then the coach offered some compliments.

“He played the best game that he's played since he got to North Carolina,” Williams said. “But I think he can be a great player and I think he was big for us tonight.”

Love was real big. And star rating or not, it didn’t matter. His points, assists, game management and verve did.