Could Love had been a big difference this season

[IDUNK4HEELS]

The answer is yes. He was the PAC 10 player of the year last season and this year he is still scoring a ton of points. He was a Duke killer as he always played Great against the Blue Devils.

It was unfortunate that the fans made his decision to transfer very easy as he was given even more grief than Withers has received the last two seasons…

People complain in his last season at Chapel Hill he played too much hero ball the real facts are that Bacot was double and tripled team all the time. Nance and Black hardly scored which left only Davis to help Love in scoring. And all of the Freshmen did not help at all. Styles and Johnson hardly gave the team anything either.

I know for many seasons fans here have always targeted that one player to take their frustrations out on but for what Love could give the team his loss is really missed especially shooting the three…

 

[Point2Passer]

Well you stated the answer IS yes, as it’s a fact.

You’ve preemptively bashed fans that don’t agree, so what’s the point of the post?

 

[NathanFielder]

Caleb Love this season:
38% FG%, 32.7% 3PT
And that’s with him being on a heater lately. Through the first 26 games, Love was shooting 29.6% from 3PT. Since: 44.4%. Probably not a 44% 3PT shooter in reality.

Love last season at UNC
38% FG%, 29.9% 3PT%
Which is right in line before Love’s heater.

Maybe they’re better. Maybe they’re like an 8/9 seed. But not the difference.

More and more UNC fans are really into players that are ok. They really like players that are ok and occasionally go on heaters.

 

[Point2Passer]

Caleb Love this season:
38% FG%, 32.7% 3PT
And that’s with him being on a heater lately. Through the first 26 games, Love was shooting 29.6% from 3PT. Since: 44.4%. Probably not a 44% 3PT shooter in reality.

Love last season at UNC
38% FG%, 29.9% 3PT%
Which is right in line before Love’s heater.

Maybe they’re better. Maybe they’re like an 8/9 seed. But not the difference.

More and more UNC fans are really into players that are ok. They really like players that are ok and occasionally go on heaters.

A ball dominant, streaky, volume shooter with a permanent green light might actually make us worse (being we already have one).

 

[strummingram]

Another guard... THAT'S what UNC was missing! Who knew!

 

[UNC-75]

I watched a few of his games this year and he forced matters often resulting in turnovers or badly missed shots. But he clearly is a talented gamer. But what we really needed was a strong 5 not another guard.

 

[KeeLo]

Where is Grover? He'd be the best to advise on this.

You can't teach Caleb's level of confidence with his shot; the confidence that each shot was going in. On the flip-side, ironically and unfortunately, his shot-selection judgment was probably unteachable.

Considering the quantity of stagnant possessions (even without him), there probably would've been plenty of eye-roll, face-palm moments with occasional superman plays. Maybe they do win that game vs dook and maybe another 1 or 2 Q1 wins though. I would've liked to see how he would've paired up with a pass-first PG like EC; probably would've improved his percentages; helping his game mature.

Would it be a fair assessment to say RJ's hero-ball moments are more tolerable to fans than Caleb's?

 

[dtodd4475]

Caleb is clearly the main piston that runs Arizona's engine. They defer to him, even Bradley who transfered in with him with an equally big time rep. He and they have been good, his inconsistency is still there.

Great Player of the Year year last year, a step back this year. He and RJ's career numbes are eerily similar.

 

[gary-7]

The answer is yes. He was the PAC 10 player of the year last season and this year he is still scoring a ton of points. He was a Duke killer as he always played Great against the Blue Devils.

It was unfortunate that the fans made his decision to transfer very easy as he was given even more grief than Withers has received the last two seasons…

People complain in his last season at Chapel Hill he played too much hero ball the real facts are that Bacot was double and tripled team all the time. Nance and Black hardly scored which left only Davis to help Love in scoring. And all of the Freshmen did not help at all. Styles and Johnson hardly gave the team anything either.

I know for many seasons fans here have always targeted that one player to take their frustrations out on but for what Love could give the team his loss is really missed especially shooting the three…

Since Tommy took over and hired Steve, AZ has become my third favorite team (behind UNC and Auburn) so I've watched several of his games. I pull for them hard, but TBH, Love is still very much what we saw here --- "good Caleb" and "bad Caleb" --- he can shoot them into games and also shoot them right outta games. Trust me, his "conscience" hasn't gotten much more selective.

The good news for AZ is that they have an elite PG (my guy Jaden Bradley) who keeps Caleb from being too ball-dominant --- and sure enough, the more Jaden controls things, the better they are, and the better Caleb is.

This very much parallels what we have. The more our elite PG Eliot controls the rock and the flow, and keeps RJ from being too ball-dominant, the better we are.

In other words, it's what we pretty much have all known all along, i.e., that RJ and Caleb are overlapping talents, and thus NOT complementary. So the answer is clearly "no".

 

[gobblercalls]

and if UNC had Arizona's staff, IMO, we'd have finished a close 2nd in conference and probably have single digit losses.

 

[IDUNK4HEELS]

Nobody can tell me that Jackson was better than Love this year nor can anyone tell me that his experience in playing in big time games would not have helped the offense this season. Just Love’s height at 6’4 would have helped and a prime example was yesterday when RJ being covered by a bunch of 6’6 Duke defenders could not find much space to shoot. Regardless if you like Love or not no one can argue his size and experience and all of his big games against Duke would not have made a difference in the team’s success or lack of this season…

 

[dtodd4475]

Nobody can tell me that Jackson was better than Love this year nor can anyone tell me that his experience in playing in big time games would not have helped the offense this season. Just Love’s height at 6’4 would have helped and a prime example was yesterday when RJ being covered by a bunch of 6’6 Duke defenders could not find much space to shoot. Regardless if you like Love or not no one can argue his size and experience and all of his big games against Duke would not have made a difference in the team’s success or lack of this season…

He and RJ were/are so similar in strengths, a change was in order. Caleb has been THE man for Zona the last two years. I root for him. He put in work again last night.

 

[NathanFielder]

Nobody can tell me that Jackson was better than Love this year nor can anyone tell me that his experience in playing in big time games would not have helped the offense this season. Just Love’s height at 6’4 would have helped and a prime example was yesterday when RJ being covered by a bunch of 6’6 Duke defenders could not find much space to shoot. Regardless if you like Love or not no one can argue his size and experience and all of his big games against Duke would not have made a difference in the team’s success or lack of this season…

Caleb Love is one of the talented guards I’ve seen play at UNC. It’s just the wrong solution for the problem UNC has.

It’s like a football team that has a talented QB playing behind a horrific OL with good WR. Caleb Love is another WR in that equation when you need to fortify the offensive line. And maybe the coaching, lol.

Also, Hubert doesn’t trust his bench so Caleb would’ve played 30+ MPG. This would’ve relegated Seth to scraps minutes. And also probably limit Powell’s minutes too.

I don’t really care about Caleb Love’s experience. He’s just as inconsistent as he was 2 seasons ago. That’s just the type of player he is. And Ian Jackson certainly had an inconsistent season. But there are a few games UNC absolutely doesn’t win without him too.

 

[WoadBlue]

The answer is yes. He was the PAC 10 player of the year last season and this year he is still scoring a ton of points. He was a Duke killer as he always played Great against the Blue Devils.

It was unfortunate that the fans made his decision to transfer very easy as he was given even more grief than Withers has received the last two seasons…

People complain in his last season at Chapel Hill he played too much hero ball the real facts are that Bacot was double and tripled team all the time. Nance and Black hardly scored which left only Davis to help Love in scoring. And all of the Freshmen did not help at all. Styles and Johnson hardly gave the team anything either.

I know for many seasons fans here have always targeted that one player to take their frustrations out on but for what Love could give the team his loss is really missed especially shooting the three…

Could he have helped? Yes, he could have. But as the announcers for today's Big 12 game noted, there is Good Caleb and Bad Caleb. he wins you games, and he loses you games. He is superb when on, and when he is not on he can be some bad crap.

This UNC team is defined by up and down inconsistently. Love would have fit right in. He would not have made that better.

 

[WoadBlue]

and if UNC had Arizona's staff, IMO, we'd have finished a close 2nd in conference and probably have single digit losses.

I agree.

 

[RoseHeel]

I guess we'll never know since we scapegoated him for Hubert and threw him to the curb.

 

[dtodd4475]

Houston is lock down dee. Zona's only chance is hot Caleb today.

 

[al would]

The answer is yes. He was the PAC 10 player of the year last season and this year he is still scoring a ton of points. He was a Duke killer as he always played Great against the Blue Devils.

It was unfortunate that the fans made his decision to transfer very easy as he was given even more grief than Withers has received the last two seasons…

People complain in his last season at Chapel Hill he played too much hero ball the real facts are that Bacot was double and tripled team all the time. Nance and Black hardly scored which left only Davis to help Love in scoring. And all of the Freshmen did not help at all. Styles and Johnson hardly gave the team anything either.

I know for many seasons fans here have always targeted that one player to take their frustrations out on but for what Love could give the team his loss is really missed especially shooting the three…

I was just sitting here watching AZ/Houston and was thinking the same thing. I would have much rather had him (Love) stay than RJ for a number of reasons. Overall size being one and I think he would have complimented EC and enhanced his growth a ton more than RJ... no doubt about that in my mind. jmo

 

[dtodd4475]

He's willing Zona to attack against Houston's dee, he competes on offense. Not always the case on defense, but I root for and enjoy watching Caleb get after it.

 

[Quest4Seven]

and if UNC had Arizona's staff, IMO, we'd have finished a close 2nd in conference and probably have single digit losses.

They also run the same system our coach that played for Dean Smith and coached under Roy Williams refuses to run

 

[UNC-75]

Love today a high scorer but in the last 3 minutes he turns it over twice and shoots 2 air balls.

 

[Quest4Seven]

I just cant see the babies at Dook beating these grown ass men Houston has. Sampson is also twice the coach Scheyer is

 

[uncboy10]

Getting another year from Ingram would’ve made a much bigger difference.

 

[tcb22]

Getting another year from Ingram would’ve made a much bigger difference.

Very true--he would have been the leader we missed.

 

[pittsburghheel]

Getting another year from Ingram would’ve made a much bigger difference.

For sure. Besides talent, he brought a level of stability and maturity to the team that we are missing.
I wonder if Harrison likes living out of a suitcase and making less money than Cade Tyson this season. Ugh.

 

[pittsburghheel]

I just cant see the babies at Dook beating these grown ass men Houston has. Sampson is also twice the coach Scheyer is

I thought that last year...and Duke beat them in the Sweet 16. Flagg and KK are different.

 

[Quest4Seven]

I thought that last year...and Duke beat them in the Sweet 16. Flagg and KK are different.

Last year when Snead got injured in the first 2 minutes?

 

[pittsburghheel]

Last year when Snead got injured in the first 2 minutes?

I think it was at the 14 minute mark but I understand your point. Injuries are a part of the game but Dook's talent is off the charts. Flagg's injury allowed other players to step us. They've shown themselves to be tough by overcoming the loss of their 2 best players and beating us and L'ville to win another ACC title.https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap/_/gameId/401638638

 

[Kool1234567]

Exactly what we needed another poor shooting player that doesn’t play D…

 

[1heel4life]

Love today a high scorer but in the last 3 minutes he turns it over twice and shoots 2 air balls.

Same old Caleb!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DSouthr]

"Those that do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it"...

 

[RP12]

Better question for me is would swapping Caleb for RJ have made the team better or worse? Really a question of physical vs mental. I lean toward yes just because of the matchup differences and being able to get shots off more readily in hero mode but he would have gone there a little more often probably. Also think that roles may have been a little clearer but who knows really. Interesting question on a day of waiting for news at least.

 

[strummingram]

Better question for me is would swapping Caleb for RJ have made the team better or worse? Really a question of physical vs mental. I lean toward yes just because of the matchup differences and being able to get shots off more readily in hero mode but he would have gone there a little more often probably. Also think that roles may have been a little clearer but who knows really. Interesting question on a day of waiting for news at least.

Give me RJ over Caleb all day, every day.

 

[Heelicious]

For sure. Besides talent, he brought a level of stability and maturity to the team that we are missing.
I wonder if Harrison likes living out of a suitcase and making less money than Cade Tyson this season. Ugh.

ha ha wow that is a great, cutting statement putting into perspective the crazy-ness of NIL and some bad decisions all around, in hindsight