CHAPEL HILL – One game in as North Carolina’s new lead guard, and Caleb Love is feeling pretty confident about things.
The freshman from St. Louis took the keys this past week for the Tar Heels’ opener versus the College of Charleston and turned in an impressive performance, leading the Heels with 17 points while also handing out four assists against just a single turnover.
Love and the rest of Carolina’s ballyhooed six-man freshman class have been on campus for four months working out, getting used to Roy Williams’ commands, and jelling, but nothing can match the lessons learned in actual games. And Love finally got a real-life taste of what it’s like running the show for his demanding coach’s challenging system.
The mandate is meeting that demand: Freshman or not, Love has plenty on his plate, but finally playing a game brought Williams’ words more into a clear reality.
The pace Williams wants can be practiced until the cows come home, but it’s mastered in the games. Love wasn’t surprised by what he faced trying to execute last Wednesday, but he’s also glad to have one under his belt now, too.
“No not at all, because I’ve been here for a long time now,” he said, emphasizing he knows what his Hall of Fame coach wants. “I think me playing out there this first game I got a better feel of how the games are going to go, so I’ll get better at that as we play.”
In 26 minutes of action, Love was 4-for-11 from the field, including 1-for-4 from 3-point range. Williams has described Love as a “volume shooter,” though he prefers his guys convert a higher percentage. At this time, however, there’s so much on Love’s plate his shot selection and accuracy aren’t the only things on the radar.
“Taking better shots in the offense and also the pace of the game, knowing time and situations, when to get the big guys some touches,” Love said, articulating his coach’s list of must-dos. “I think that’s the biggest thing, just learning how the be a real point guard and control this team, because the team goes as the point guard goes.”
So as people watched Love play the game he’s excelled for years, within his own walls an educational experience had him percolating. Add to it how he and fellow freshman guard RJ Davis will pair together on the perimeter. They got sample number one the other night.
On Wednesday, they became the first freshman backcourt duo to start for the Tar Heels since the Elite Eight loss to Georgetown in 2007 when Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington got the nod. Davis is Love’s backup at the point and there will be times when they swap when on the court together.
Love says their rapport is already strong and will only get better.
“I think areas we have to get better at are more chemistry and getting back on defense, because coach wants the point guards to get back on defense,” he said. “So, when both of us are in there, we have to pick and choose whoever’s the point guard (must) get back.
“What we have in common and is better for us, I think we already have as a backcourt, I think we’re so lethal, I don’t think anybody can really guard us is transition.”
Love is one of 50 players on the preseason Naismith Trophy watch list, and Wednesday he became just the seventh UNC freshman point guard to play at least 25 minutes in an opener and second to score at least 17 points.
The Charleston game was the classroom, but this week in Asheville is a big exam. The Tar Heels open the Maui Invitational versus UNLV before playing either Stanford or Alabama. Waiting on the other side of the bracket are Texas, Indiana, Providence and Davidson. Carolina will face one of those teams Wednesday.
So, Love and his fellow youthful Heels will really find out a bunch about themselves this week. And for him, meeting Williams’ demands is at the very top of his priority list.
“Coach is the hardest on me about my pace,” Love said. “In practice, he’s always preaching that on how I’ve got to push the ball and get the ball up. I know how the games are going to go now, so I’m going to be better in the Maui Invitational.”
Carolina opens play Monday versus UNLV at 7 pm.
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