
Former North Carolina guard Caleb Love has decommitted from Michigan and reopened his recruitment due to an admissions issue, a program source told The Athletic. Here’s what you need to know:
- The 6-foot-4 point guard committed to the Wolverines over home-state program Missouri in April.
- Love, a former five-star recruit, averaged 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game last season at North Carolina.
- Rumors began to circulate two weeks ago that he would decommit, but Love shot down any rumblings on social media.
- The Wolverines still have two transfer portal commitments in Alabama guard Nimari Burnett and Seton Hall forward Tray Jackson.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What this means for Michigan
This is devastating news for a program that was in full-on rebuild mode. The Wolverines have to replace their top three scorers with star center Hunter Dickinson transferring to Kansas and Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard declaring for the NBA Draft. Even if Love was inconsistent at North Carolina, he has scoring ability that Michigan desperately needed. Without him, Juwan Howard’s job just got a lot harder.
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This was especially tough news because Love himself recently disputed rumors that he might re-open his recruitment. This isn’t the first time that Michigan has had issues with the transfer process, as a similar situation arose last season with Terrence Shannon, who ended up at Illinois. To have it happen again is hard to swallow, especially with all that’s at stake for the Wolverines after a disappointing season that ended in the NIT. — Meek
What’s next for Love?
It’s going to be interesting to see how this situation plays out, especially at this point in the offseason. When Love initially committed to Michigan, it was long before the transfer portal closed, and he had his theoretical pick of the litter in terms of destination. Now? We’re not only past the transfer portal entry deadline for undergrads, but many teams have already filled the available scholarships they had. Love will still have plenty of suitors, obviously — he’s one of the most proven shot-making guards available this cycle — but the fit becomes a little trickier to find just because of logistics.
Another key thing to consider: How will Love mesh with teams that are more established? His usage rates at North Carolina suggest he’ll need to be a focal point offensively, and have things tailored to him, to some extent. Is that realistic to find at this point in the offseason? Possibly, but not definitely. Love’s best bet right now may be to see how the NBA Draft chips fall, and strike if a school loses a guard it may not have expected to. — Marks
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(Photo: Peyton Williams / Getty Images)
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