Caleb Love college stats: How has the Arizona star performed for Wildcats?
Caleb Love, the Pac-12 Player of the Year with Arizona last season, withdrew from the NBA draft on Wednesday, the deadline for withdrawing from the draft. He had retained his college eligibility, so his announcement that he was returning to Arizona for another year came as a much-needed boost for the Wildcats and coach Tommy Lloyd.
"Wildcat nation, it's been so amazing the way you welcomed me and showered me with Love. No way I could walk away from all of that right now. The show goes on," Caleb Love tweeted.
Caleb Love started his college career with the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was recruited as the No. 7 overall player and No. 2 point guard by 247Sports in the class of 2020. He averaged 10.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while starting 26 out of 29 games and being named to the 2020-21 Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman team.
The following season, he averaged 15.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 3.6 apg while shooting 37.1%. He was the key player in the 2021-22 Tar Heels roster, which was called the "Iron Five," and led UNC to the 2022 NCAA Tournament final.
As a junior, Love started 32 of 33 games as UNC struggled to a 20-13 record. Despite that, he maintained his stats by averaging 16.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 2.8 apg. After this season, Love entered the transfer portal to join Michigan but instead joined Arizona after an issue with transfer credits, reportedly.
As a senior at Arizona, Love scored 12 points in his debut against Morgan State. Love, the Pac-12 Player of the Year, averaged 18.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 3.4 apg while shooting 41.3%. From beyond the arc he secured 33.2% of his attempts while shooting 83.9% from the foul line.
At the end of the season, Caleb Love declared for the NBA draft. However, he is back now.
What does Arizona's lineup look like for the 2024 campaign?
Arizona saw five players transfer out this offseason. Arizona coach Lloyd had a difficult job in the transfer portal with the school moving from the Pac-12 to the Big 12. However, the return of Caleb Love should make things easier for him.
The Wildcats have added great talent from the market, and the return of Love is a cherry on top. The predicted lineup for the upcoming season will likely feature Jaden Bradley, Love, Anthony Dell'Orso, Trey Townsend and Motiejus Krivas.