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When North Carolina basketball held a 40-25 halftime lead over Kansas in the 2022 national championship game, Caleb Love and RJ Davis nearly experienced all the joy that March Madness has to offer. But A historic collapse, which included their own shooting woes, saw a phenomenal run conclude in complete dejection.
Although the talented guards no longer share a locker room, they were each looking to write a storybook ending in the 2024 NCAA Tournament that would make the past pain all worth it. Unfortunately, however, both of their seasons, and possibly college careers, are ending in disappointment yet again.
It gets worse, though. Their fingerprints are all over their teams' Sweet Sixteen losses. That is a harsh statement to make given that neither North Carolina nor Arizona even has a chance to make the Final Four without their respective star seniors. But Davis and Love did not get the job done on Thursday night.
Despite the Wildcats playing in the West Coast, they could not overcome a defensively well-prepared Clemson squad. Caleb Love was 5-of-18 from the field and did not make a 3-pointer (0-of-9), as the No. 2 seed fell, 77-72.
RJ Davis practically mirrored his former backcourt mate, shooting 4-of-20 from the floor while also going 0-of-9 from downtown. The No. 1-seeded Tar Heels squandered an eight-point halftime advantage and made multiple mistakes in crunch time. Alabama's Grant Nelson unexpectedly erupted for 24 points and five blocks– including the game-sealing one– to propel the Crimson Tide to the 89-87 win.
Love and Davis are now part of an exclusive club they never wanted to join. “It’s the first time any two players have shot 0-9 or worse from 3 on the same day in NCAA Tournament history,” Jared Berson posted on X.
Caleb Love, RJ Davis are denied an epic Elite Eight clash
CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein is known for his ability to turn a phrase and churn out a nickname. Every year, he assigns a name each region on the NCAA Tournament bracket. He labeled the West the “Region of Drama” due to the possible scenario of Caleb Love playing his former school for a chance to return to the Final Four.
Clemson and Alabama took it upon themselves to throw that script in the shredder. Love transferred out of North Carolina after last season and ascended into stardom at Arizona. The 2024 Pac-12 Player of the Year averaged 18.1 points on 41.8 percent shooting to go with 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
There were indications of a dry spell, however. Love is a volume scorer who has a tendency to force up shots. But RJ Davis should have been better equipped to avoid a high-stakes slip-up.
He scored 21.3 points per contest and incredibly connected on 41.1 percent of his 3-point attempts on his way to earning All-American and ACC Player of the Year honors. Davis still managed to get to the free throw line versus Bama and finished with 16 points, seven dimes and two steals. He needed to be much more efficient, though.
Caleb Love and RJ Davis might have the 2024 NBA Draft on their minds, which means this could potentially have been their last opportunity to experience a truly happy March Madness ending. Regardless, their accomplishments should not be forgotten because of these Sweet Sixteen shortcomings.
