Former North Carolina guard Caleb Love committed to Arizona on Tuesday after making an official visit with the program this weekend, Advertise on social media. Love ranked #17 in the world CBS Sports Transfer Portal Ratings And he was one of the best players available in the gate before committing to Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats.
During his college career at UNC, Love started 96 games and helped the Tar Heels reach the 2022 National Championship before falling to Kansas. The former five-star prospect averaged 14.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 36.0% shooting and 31.7% from 3-point range in his career at North Carolina.
“Caleb is an extremely talented guard with a wealth of experience playing college basketball at a high level,” Lloyd said in a statement. Declare a love decision. “We look forward to helping Caleb develop his game in Arizona. As we get closer to finalizing the roster for next season, we feel good about how everything comes together. Now is the time to start the real work.”
Early in the season, Love committed to Michigan but did not have enough transfer credits to easily clear Michigan’s admissions bar, sources told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander. In order for Love to get into Michigan, he had to take a heavy course during the spring and summer..
Arizona is going through a disappointing loss to Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats were the No. 2 seed in the South Region before jumping off the No. 15 seed in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.
With Love committed, Arizona would move from No. 21 to No. 16 in CBS Sports’ early Top 25 and No. 1 rankings.
Arizona gets an experienced clutch player
The Wildcats have added one of the best players available through the transfer portal, who isn’t shy about trying out a big game. Love hit one of the most iconic shots in UNC program history when he buried a three-pointer in the face of Duke center Mark Williams in the final seconds of the Final Four. The shot ended Mike Krzyzewski’s Hall of Fame career with the Blue Devils.
Love emerged as a star during the 2022 NCAA Tournament but his team struggled last season as North Carolina failed to reach the NCAA Tournament after starting pre-season ranked as the top team in the country. Love averaged 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season.
Love began NBA Draft There was buzz around his name after his run in the tournament, but he chose to return for another season and will play his final season of college basketball in the Pac-12.
I love Lloyd’s latest transfer
In Lloyd’s first season at the school, Arizona reached the Sweet 16 and lost in the first round last season. Love was born the same year Arizona reached the Final Four in 2001. The program has had its share of rosters of talent over the past two decades, including Elite Eight appearances in 2011, 2014, and 2015 under former head coach Sean Miller.
Love is not the only transfer that joins the program through the portal. Arizona has secured commitments from former Alabama PG Jaden Bradley and San Diego State PF Keshad Johnson. Bradley is 46th in the gate, while Johnson is 79th in the 247 transfer rating. All of these players have valuable experience in the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats’ biggest loss was star PG Kerr Kriisa to the transfer gate. Kressa, who transferred to West Virginia, has led the Pac-12 in the last two seasons. Love, Bradley, and upcoming four-star freshman KJ Lewis will headline Arizona’s new roster.