Former North Carolina guard Caleb Love has committed to Michigan, he announced Friday. Love is ranked the No. 12 player in the CBS Sports Transfer Rankings following three seasons with the Tar Heels. The former McDonald's All-American and five-star prospect played a key role during UNC's 2022 Final Four run but announced his intent to transfer following a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
Love should have two seasons of eligibility remaining with the Wolverines, who are seeking to reload after an 18-16 season that ended with a second-round loss in the NIT.
A 6-foot-4 combo guard, Love led the Tar Heels with 16.7 points per game this past season; however, that scoring output came on an inefficient 37.8% shooting from the floor and 29.9% shooting from 3-point range. He dished out 2.8 assists but also turned the basketball over 2.4 times per game.
Still, Love has shown glimpses of elite talent over his three years. He averaged 18.8 points during the Tar Heels' NCAA Tournament run in 2022, highlighted by a 28-point outing on 11 of 20 shooting in a historic Final Four win over Duke. Love also scored 30 points and hit 6 of 13 shots from 3-point range in a Sweet 16 win over UCLA during the 2022 Big Dance.
Those big games and UNC's team success during the 2022 tournament propelled the Tar Heels to the No. 1 spot of the preseason AP Top 25. Both Love and the team struggled to build upon the success during his junior year, however, and the Tar Heels became the first preseason No. 1 team to miss the NCAA Tournament.
Caleb Love has committed to Michigan, per his Twitter page.
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) April 7, 2023
Love was North Carolina's leading scorer this season, scoring 16.7 points per game. pic.twitter.com/wBmRRrtOJV
Michigan's evolving roster
Love's commitment is huge for Michigan because the Wolverines' roster remains in flux. Leading scorer and three-time All-Big Ten performer Hunter Dickinson is in the transfer portal, while Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard have declared for the NBA Draft. That leaves Michigan without its top three scorers.
But after four years on the job highlighted by an Elite Eight run in 2021 and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2022, coach Juwan Howard is not waving the white flag. Instead, he's quickly started restocking the roster via the portal. In addition to Love, the Wolverines have also secured commitments from former Texas Tech and Alabama guard Nimari Burnett and former Seton Hall forward Tray Jackson.
Caleb Love's future
The key to Love unlocking his full potential could depend largely on Michigan's coaching staff's ability to channel his immense talent in the proper direction. It seems clear the Wolverines are going to need Love to produce offense, but can he do so more efficiently than he did for the Tar Heels?
That will be the key to a successful marriage. Howard's teams to this point have either been balanced or led offensively by big men. Assuming Dickinson does not return to Michigan, the 2023-24 squad will almost certainly be more guard-oriented. If Michigan can space the floor better than UNC did this past season, it could create driving lanes for Love and allow him to thrive as an attacker.
