Caleb Love's Quick, In-N-Out Of Michigan Shows Transfer Portal Dark Side: Glenn Guilbeau

I knew this was going to happen sooner or later.

With all these college football and basketball players transferring in and out of schools like a drive-through burger joint - often on whims and prayers - at some point the paper trails were going to catch up with them. As in grade transcripts.

Transcripts tend to be very important for real students, and apparently sometimes for "student-athletes." But many don't take the first part of that combination noun seriously.

You know, like former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett - the modern age John "Bluto" Blutarsky from Animal House played by John Belushi. "Seven years of college wasted," Blutarsky says in the classic film.

Caleb Love Has An Academic Issue

A transcript issue is reportedly what has happened to former North Carolina star guard Caleb Love, who committed to Michigan in a proposed transfer for his senior season last month. Love is already transferring out of Michigan and has decommitted as of Wednesday.

North Carolina guard Caleb Love shoots past Jalen Wilson of Kansas during the national championship loss to the Jayhawks on April 4, 2022, at the Final Four at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

And it is not all because he is just looking elsewhere again, like so many short-term minded transfers. He can't get into Michigan because of admission issues. A problem with his credits passing over to Michigan, according to 247 Sports.

North Carolina Has Had Academic Issues

Well, well, well, apparently Michigan is a much better school than North Carolina. Of course, that's not a surprise if you remember the academic fraud scandal came to light in 2010 at North Carolina when Roy Williams was coaching. There were fake classes for basketball and football "student-athletes," and some were allowed to sleep during class time.

North Carolina got through that basically unscathed, not surprisingly, but at least at Michigan, they check the grades and credits close. And good for the Wolverines. Because Love is a great player.

His 28 points and key 3-pointer in the final moments took the Tar Heels over Duke, 81-77, in the first NCAA Tournament meeting ever between those two neighbors last year at the Final Four in New Orleans. It also ended Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's career.

Love averaged 16.7 points and 3.7 assists last year for North Carolina, which dropped to 20-13 and 11-9 and did not make the NCAA Tournament. He scored 15.9 a game with 3.6 assists in the 2021-22 season when North Carolina lost the national championship game to Kansas.

Caleb Love Is Nation's Top Transfer Portal Entry

And he is the top transfer waiting to happen in college basketball right now.

He also represents the dark side of the NCAA Transfer Portal. Continuing to switch schools left and right does not advance a true student-athlete's education. How many of the thousands of transfers since this short-sighted rule of 2021, which no longer requires a sit-out year, have switched because they like the academics at the new school?

I will never forget watching an NCAA Tournament game a year ago. A jock-sniffing television analyst raved on about how much he loved the portal as he discussed a player at his fourth or fifth school.

"That's America," he said. "It's about freedom of movement."

NCAA Transfer Portal Mindset Can Be Very Liberal

Well, it's more liberal America. You know, if you don't like it after six months, quit and get on welfare. The portal is in many ways liberal entitlement with a large dose of helicopter parents who want their kids to get everything without working for it, or sticking to it.

Maybe you should have stuck at North Carolina, Caleb.

Some of the most likely landing sports for Love are Missouri, his home state school that recruited him, along with Indiana and Memphis.

Caleb Love Should Just Return To North Carolina

Love took the brunt of criticism from the Tar Heel Nation for this past bad season. But Love had no real issues in the locker room or with coach Hubert Davis.

Why not just transfer back?

When you're old, Caleb, you might remember a real senior night as much as that Final Four win over Duke.