R.J. Davis, Caleb Love named to preseason All-American teams
It’s not a secret that the UNC basketball program has a ton of talent returning for the 2022-23 season. With four of their five starters from a year ago back, the Tar Heels are among the favorites to cut down the next come April.
But before we get that far ahead of ourselves, we need to get through the offseason and to the start of the regular season.
Last week, Armando Bacot was named to Jon Rothstein’s preseason All-American first team. A well-deserved honor for a player who should be in the national player of the year category. But he wasn’t the only one.
Both Caleb Love and R.J. Davis were also named All-American’s by Rothstein and College Hoops Today.
Love was named to the second team as he enters his junior season and is coming off a fantastic sophomore campaign:
Caleb Love, North Carolina: Love’s overall shotmaking and level of play reached a different level late last season — especially in the NCAA Tournament. The 6-4 guard scored 30 points in the Sweet 16 against UCLA and tallied 28 in the Final Four against Duke. Like Bacot, Love returned to school with the intention of bringing another national title to Chapel Hill in 2023.
Joining him is his backcourt teammate, Davis who landed on the third team:
R.J. Davis, North Carolina: Bacot and Love get the bulk of the attention when it comes to the Tar Heels, but the 6-foot Davis is also one of the best players in the sport. A New York native, Davis averaged 14.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and five assists in six NCAA Tournament games last spring and scored 30 in the Round of 32 against Baylor.
If Love and Davis can play at the level they did a year ago and even elevate it, the Tar Heels could be better than advertised. The duo really turned it on last year at the right time and are one of the best returning backcourts in all of college basketball.
Let’s hope they can keep that play going.
