Isaiah Barnes is headed to Tulsa, and Caleb Love is making his way to Michigan. The college basketball transfer scene is hot, and things are about to get even more interesting. The latest round of musical chairs has the former Michigan basketball guard switching over to Tulsa, while the Tar Heel phenom is trading in the North Carolina baby blue for a Wolverine life in Ann Arbor.
To say the 2022-23 North Carolina backcourt struggled would be an understatement. The Tar Heels recorded their fewest assists in a season since the stat was tracked in 1968-69. Love’s shot selection didn’t exactly win him any brownie points either, but let’s not forget the shining moments where he absolutely dazzled the NCAA Tournament crowd. Love became a household name after leading the Tar Heels on an unforgettable run to the national championship game. The Tar Heels lost to Kansas in a nail-biter, but Love managed to hit the game-sealing three-pointer against Duke in the Final Four and scored a cool 28 points.
Meanwhile, the former Michigan guard averaged an impressive 15.9 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game during the 2021-22 season. His three-point shooting was definitely on point, sitting at a solid 36 percent. Love has shown promise in the free throw department as well, making 80.8 percent of his attempts as a freshman and 86.3 percent as a sophomore. However, he did experience a dip this past season with 76.5 percent.
Caleb Love joins a Michigan backcourt that includes the returning sophomore point guard Dug McDaniel and graduate guard Jaelin Llewellyn, who is set to return after a season-ending knee injury last December. Freshman George Washington III, a top-120 combo guard recruit out of Dayton, Ohio, will also join the team this summer.
So, what’s next for these young ballers? It’s safe to say that Love’s addition to Michigan’s backcourt is going to shake things up, and Barnes’ arrival in Tulsa might just be the spark they need. As for North Carolina, it looks like it’s time for the Tar Heels to regroup and re-strategize. The college basketball scene can be as unpredictable as it is exhilarating, and this latest transfer update proves that it’s going to be one heck of a ride. Buckle up, folks! The 2023 season is going to be wild.