Evaluating Caleb Love, Paolo Banchero, and Trevor Keels in the Duke-North Carolina Final Four Game
April 3rd, 2022
By Alan Lu
Yesterday, I decided to take the time to watch North Carolina play against Duke in the Final Four of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Duke came in as the heavy favorite, and it seemed as if they were going to win this game. Paolo Banchero ended up playing well, but North Carolina hung in there, and consistently made plays down the stretch. North Carolina shot the ball really well and were able to get stops in the second half, and Caleb Love thrived as a scorer to help lead his team get a surprising win over Coach K and Duke. Here are my thoughts on how Caleb Love, Paolo Banchero, and other various prospects fared in this game.
(Photo: Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports)
Caleb Love had a very good showing to lead his team to a win over Duke in this game. He excelled at shooting and scoring the basketball, and he made big shots in the second half to propel his team to get the victory. He was a bit turnover prone as he struggled a bit with his passing, but Love thrived at making big shots in crunch time.
(Source: Twitter/@MarchMadnessMBB)
Love did a tremendous job of scoring off the dribble. He showed a knack for scoring on strong drives to the hoop. He has very good speed, balance, and body control to regularly finish plays around the basket, and he also can finish plays using either hand. He managed to score on a switch of hands floater, and he also was able to score on an acrobatic, underhanded scoop layup in traffic. He also managed to score on a reverse layup another time. Plus, he also would score on speedy, left-handed drives in transition.
Also, Love did a decent job of shooting the basketball in this game. He did a good job of scoring on mid-range floaters, and he would tend to go to his right to do so. Love was able to make several pull-up threes, and he was able to make one from way out late in this match. However, he was quite streaky with his three-point shot, and he struggled more to score on threes off the catch.
He looked to be fairly average as a playmaker on offense. For the positives, Love can make an assortment of passes off the dribble to create scoring chances for his teammates. However, he also was quite turnover prone on offense. He would tend to throw hasty passes that got intercepted. When handling the ball another time, he had a ball poked off of him out of bounds to turn the ball over.
He also showed a decent ability to rebound the basketball. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. Love was able to contest a mid-range shot to force a miss, and he would look to play passing lanes to help his team get deflections. However, he tended to give up too much space to shooters, which would lead him to give up baskets to them. He also would take bad gambles and wind up out of position when defending opponents off the dribble.
Overall, Caleb Love put forth a magnificent performance in his team’s win over Duke. He especially played well down the stretch. He is a very athletic, shot maker that played with a lot of poise, and he could be a good pick for an NBA team in the mid to late first round range of the 2022 draft.
(Photo: Gerald Herbert/Associated Press)
Paolo Banchero also had a solid showing in his team’s stunning loss to North Carolina. He is an athletic, shot maker that did a good job of shooting, scoring, and rebounding the basketball, and he has made a good case to be the top pick in the upcoming draft. He was up and down defensively, but he generally played well in this game.
Banchero shot the ball well in this game. He showed a knack for making quick, spot-up threes off the catch. He also utilized a crossover to score on a mid-range shot another time. Also, he showed a decent ability to score in the post. He was able to back his man and use a drop step to score on a strong move around the basket. He also utilized an overhead ball fake to score another time. Soemtimes though, he would take tough, off-balanced shots that would lead to misses.
He also flashed the ability to score off the dribble. Banchero utilized a pump fake to score on a powerful dunk early on. He also used a ball fake and a spin move to score on an aggressive baseline drive. Sometimes though, he would force the issue too much, which would lead him to miss shots in traffic, and he also had a couple of his shots blocked in this contest.
He also showed adequate playmaking skills. Banchero did a good job of making drive and kick passes to get them ball to open shooters. He also managed to find a cutter due to possessing solid court vision. On one play, he tried to drive the ball up court, but he had the ball stolen away from him to commit a turnover.
Also, Banchero did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He showed a knack for crashing the glass to haul in boards on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. Banchero did a very good job of blocking shots to help his team protect the paint. Sometimes he would contest jumpers to force misses, especially early on. However, he also didn’t always show much focus or give great effort on the defensive end. He would tend to give up too much space to shooters, and sometimes he wouldn’t even contest shots, which would lead him to allow scores to his opponents. He also would take bad angles and gambles when defending in the post, which would lead him to commit fouls when defending in the post. He also tried to draw a charge once, but his opponent instead just dribbled around him to score another time.
Overall, Paolo Banchero played well in what could be his final collegiate game of his career. He has been considered a top pick candidate throughout the season, and he made a solid case in this game. He is an athletic, strong forward that can score and rebound the basketball, and he is a shot maker that is unafraid to take shots. However, he wasn’t always focused defensively, and he didn’t always make shots that he’s capable of making in the paint. Still, he is a very talented player that will most likely be a top 5 pick in the 2022 draft, and he has the skills to be a solid starter in the NBA for a long time.
Trevor Keels also had a solid showing in his team’s stunning loss to North Carolina. He is a strong, athletic point guard that thrived as a scorer in this game. He did a great job of scoring on strong, left-handed drives to the hoop. He also showed a knack for scoring on off-ball motion plays. He used a Euro-step to score on a drive on the break. He also ran off a curl cut to score on a layup. Plus, he ran in to score on a quick put back while getting an extra free throw afterwards.
Also, Keels was able to make a pair of open, spot-up threes off the catch. However, he was very streaky with his jump shot, and he also missed his fair share of threes in this game. He didn’t really look to pass the ball very much, but he handled the ball well. Keels was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor to chip in on the glass. He also played satisfactory defense in this game. Keels was able to recover on a drive to poke a ball off of an opponent to get a steal. He also would contest threes to force misses. On another play though, he got beat off the dribble to allow a score.
Overall, Keels played fairly well in this game. He especially thrived as a scorer off the bench. He will need to improve his jump shot and be a more consistent player in games, but his strong athletic gifts, ideal size to play the point, and scoring skills could make him an intriguing option for NBA teams to consider in the mid to late first round of the 2022 draft.
Armando Bacot had a fairly good showing in his team’s win over Duke. He didn’t make shots as efficiently as he usually does, but he did a tremendous job of rebounding the basketball, and he hauled in a whopping 21 rebounds to help his team get the victory.
Bacot struggled to consistently score in the post or on off-ball motion plays, but he would tend to draw fouls to get to the free throw line, and he also scored on a powerful dunk once. He also was active in scoring off of offensive rebounds due to possessing good motor. However, he had trouble finding his shooting touch in this game, and sometimes he would miss shots around the basket due to rushing.
He also committed a couple of turnovers in this game. Bacot was called for setting a moving screen once. He also committed a charging foul when posting up another time. Also, Bacot did a fantastic job of rebounding the basketball, and he was a chairman of the boards in this game. He also played adequate defense. Bacot would rotate to block and contest shots off the dribble to force misses. Sometimes though, he would be too aggressive in contesting shots, which would lead him to commit fouls.
Overall, Armando Bacot played fairly well in this game. Though he wasn’t as efficient of a scorer in this game, he did an outstanding job of rebounding the basketball. He has had a very good NCAA Tournament. He is a strong, mobile big man that plays with a high motor, and he could end up being a good find for an NBA team if he decides to enter and stay in the 2022 draft.
R.J. Davis also played well in his team’s win over Duke. He thrived as a shooter and scorer, and he also made good plays on both ends of the floor to help his team in this game. Davis shot the ball well in this game, especially from the mid-range. He showed a knack for scoring on pull-up, mid-range jumpers. He also showed that he can make threes off the catch and dribble. On the downside, sometimes he would over-dribble, and he would sometimes miss on tough shots around the basket.
Also, he passed and handled the ball well in this game. Davis would make swift drive and kick passes to notch assists, and he also threw good entry passes. He also rebounded the ball very well. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. He was able to pressure an opposing ball handler on a drive and stayed in front of his man, and he cut off penetration to force a passing turnover. However, he had trouble defending taller, stronger players, as opponents would shoot over him, and he also would get outmuscled by his opponents, which would lead him to commit fouls.
Overall, R.J. Davis had a solid showing to help get his team the victory. He consistently played well, especially on offense, and he is an agile, shot maker that can knock down shots to help his team in games. He doesn’t possess ideal size to play the point, and he may need to show NBA teams that he can reliably run the point at higher levels, but Davis has been playing very good basketball lately, and he could be an intriguing option for teams to consider in the second round whenever he decides to declare to enter the draft.
Brady Manek also had a solid showing in his team’s win over Duke. He struggled in the first half, and was up and down defensively, but he shot the ball very well in the second half of this game. Manek did a very good job of making spot-up threes off the catch, and he can run off ball screens and move off the ball to knock them down. He also managed to score on a strong, left-handed drive to the hoop. Manek also would draw free throws on turnaround jumpers in the post, but he also tended to miss on turnaround jumpers when he wouldn’t draw foul calls, and he didn’t always take advantage of size mismatches when posting up.
He also was a bit turnover prone in this game. He would sometimes throw passes that would get intercepted, and he also ended up dribbling out of bounds another time. Manek was able to get boards on both ends of the floor to chip in on the glass. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. For the positives, he did a great job of blocking shots to help his team protect the paint, and he also would contest shots in the post to force misses. However, he had trouble defending opponents off the dribble, and he would tend to commit fouls and allow scores. He also would get outmuscled when defending in the post on other occasions.
Overall, Brady Manek played fairly well in his team’s win over Duke. Though he struggled to make shots in the first half, he thrived at making plays in the second half, and he has proved to be instrumental in helping his team make a deep run in this tournament. He is a skilled, mobile forward that can shoot the basketball, and he could be a solid pick in the mid to late second round range in the 2022 draft.
Mark Williams put forth an uneven performance in his team’s loss to North Carolina. He was very efficient in scoring the basketball, but he didn’t take many shots in this game, and he also ended up being foul prone.
He thrived at scoring on hustle plays. Williams was ale to score on thunderous dunks off of rolls and tip-ins. He also managed to score on a powerful dunk another time in the post, but he also missed on a jump hook on a separate possession. He didn’t seem to make any noteworthy passes, but was called for elbowing an opponent off the ball when trying to post up to commit an offensive foul and a turnover.
He didn’t do as great job of rebounding the basketball in this game, and he would tend to commit touch fouls when going for boards. He also played adequate defense in this game. Williams was able to intercept a pass to get a steal. He also contested a shot in the post to force a miss, and he also successfully drew a charge another time. However, he also called for committing a reach-in foul around the basket once.
Overall, Williams didn’t have his best game, but he’s had a good season overall. He is a very tall and athletic center whose ability to make plays in the paint and motor could make him a likely bet to be a mid first round pick on draft day.
Wendell Moore Jr. put forth an uneven performance in his team’s loss to North Carolina. He did a good job of passing and rebounding the basketball, and he also played solid defense in this game. However, he really struggled to knock down shots, especially in the second half.
He was able to make a step-back three in this game. However, he didn’t take enough threes on offense. Sometimes, he would score on tough, acrobatic layups off the dribble, and he would sometimes show good body control and balance to do so. Other times, he would miss on reckless drives to the hoop, and he tended to miss mid-range jumpers too often. He also did a good job of making passes off the dribble to create scoring chances for his teammates. He also rebounded the basketball very well.
He played satisfactory defense in this game. He did a great job of intercepting passes to get steals, and he also has good strength that enabled him to successfully get a stop when defending a taller player in the post. However, he had trouble defending quicker opponents, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Another time, he gave up too much space to a shooter and didn’t actively contest a shot, as he allowed his man to score on a corner three.
Overall, Wendell Moore had an up and down showing, as he started off well, but he struggled to make shots down the stretch. He is a strong, mobile swingman that has a variety of skills, but he will need to improve his outside shot and scoring skills. Still, he has significantly improved his skills compared to how he’s performed in previous years, and he could be a good value pick for an NBA team in the second round of the 2022 draft.
Theo John is a strong, high-motor big man that made solid hustle plays to help his team, especially in the first half. He would slip screens to score on powerful dunks, and he also used a spin move to score on a jump hook. He didn’t take many shots, but he excelled as a finisher around the basket.
Plus, he also dove for a loose ball to get an offensive rebound, and he then managed to quickly find a cutter to notch an assist. However, he also was foul prone defensively, and he would be too aggressive to contest shots, which would lead him to pick up quick fouls.
Overall, Theo John had a fairly solid showing in his team’s loss to North Carolina. He ran into quite a bit of foul trouble, but he seemed to have a solid impact on his team in the first half. He may be a lower ceiling prospect, as he doesn’t seem to have much of a face-up game, rarely looks to score, and hasn’t played nearly as much as other players on his team, but John’s strength, physicality, motor, and screen setting skills could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.
(Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
AJ Griffin has had some really good games this season, but this wasn’t one of them. He turned in a disappointing performance in his team’s loss to North Carolina. He was able to make some good defensive plays and he can make hustle plays on both ends of the floor, but he didn’t shoot the ball well in this game, and he also didn’t play much (if at all) in crunch time.
Griffin was at his best when he would get the ball off cuts, as he was able to dribble in to score on a quick layup, and he also would make aggressive moves to draw fouls to get to the free throw line. However, he missed on a drive in transition after using a Euro-step move, and it seemed to set a bad tone for him offensively. He ended up missing all of his threes, as he could not make them off the catch or dribble.
He also showed off decent playmaking skills. Griffin was able to use a pump fake as he drove in and made a swift, drop-off pass to notch an assist. However, he doesn’t possess a great first step off the dribble, and he sometimes had trouble getting all the way to the hoop to make plays on offense. He also had a ball poked away when handling it once, but he did not turn the ball over that time.
He did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Griffin also played satisfactory defense in this game. He hustled back to make a chase down block on the break due to possessing good athleticism, timing, and instincts. He also contested a step-back three to force a miss. Another time though, he was called for a reach-in foul when guarding an opposing ball handler. He also didn’t play much late in this game, as Duke preferred going to Jeremy Roach, Keels, and Wendell Moore as their three perimeter players down the stretch to pair them alongside Banchero and Mark Williams or Theo John (as both Williams and John ended up in foul trouble).
Overall, AJ Griffin didn’t have a great game in his team’s loss to North Carolina. He had a very disappointing start to the season as he barely played in his team’s season opener, and he also put forth a lackluster performance in his team’s last game of the season, but Griffin has been very good when he’s been able to get significant playing time, especially during the bulk of the season. He’s probably not a top 5 pick, as concerns over his shot creation skills and seeming inability to consistently play off a scoring big man like Banchero are big enough knocks to likely keep him out of the top 5. However, he’s shown that he can make threes quickly off of pin-downs in some of the other games, and his athleticism, shooting ability, defensive skills, and upside still will heavily intrigue NBA teams. Griffin played poorly in his team’s loss to North Carolina, but he could still end up being a likely lottery pick in the 2022 draft.
