Arizona star Caleb Love played one of the worst games of his lengthy college basketball career in a home loss to Duke on Friday night. The display of shooting and attitude was so poor that other members of the team did their best not to shake the fifth-year senior’s hand after the game.
The Wildcats were not interested in engaging with Love following his frustrating performance.
As a former five-star, top-10 recruit, Love played three seasons at North Carolina before he transferred out West prior to 2023. He averaged 18 points on 33.2% shooting during his first year in Tucson. His second year is off to a rough start.
Love went 7-of-15 against Canisius and 4-of-9 against Old Dominion. And then it fell off of a cliff. He scored only six points on 15.4% shooting in a loss to Wisconsin and eight points on 23.1% shooting in a loss to Duke. To make matters worse, the 6-foot-4 combo guard went 1-15 from beyond the arc during that brutal two-game stretch.
There were multiple moments against the Blue Devils that will make you scratch your head. Love was trying to play hero ball for absolutely no reason.
Caleb love playing hero ball for literally no reason lmao pic.twitter.com/CO0dcpKsRc
— John (@iam_johnw) November 23, 2024
His ability to finish at the rim was practically nonexistent.
Caleb love is ass lmao pic.twitter.com/Qns4gQkJ10
— John (@iam_johnw) November 23, 2024
Love also turned the ball over three times and showed terrible body language throughout the entire night. College hoops analyst Christian Odjakjian broke down a pair of especially troubling moments from the 15-point home defeat.
Film breakdown of Caleb Love being a lazy, disengaged, bad teammate https://t.co/YUFmtuLso8 pic.twitter.com/8uXNBugaXK
— Christian Odjakjian (@OdjHoops) November 23, 2024
Unfortunately, this has been a trend with Caleb Love since the very beginning. When he’s on, there is no better shooter in the country. When he’s disengaged, there is no one worse.
Tommy Lloyd is trusting the process. Arizona’s head coach is determined to stick with Love and get him back on track.
Tommy Lloyd on Caleb Love’s recent struggles
“he’s not playing great right now… but it’s my job to hang with him because this isn’t the NBA, there aren’t trades- you aren’t releasing guys. I know this, Caleb’s had so much success in college basketball if we hang with him, it’s… pic.twitter.com/dEp2zzp8ec
— PHNX Wildcats (@PHNX_Wildcats) November 23, 2024
However, it might prove to be a bigger challenge than he expects because his other players are sick and tired of the shenanigans. They went out of their way to avoid Love as the clock expired. He wanted to dap them up. They walked in the other direction.
None of Caleb love teammates would dap him up lmaoo pic.twitter.com/iyfSv7QfIG
— John (@iam_johnw) November 23, 2024
Arizona is going to get things figured out. Caleb Love is going to be a crucial piece to the March Madness puzzle. A “come to Jesus” moment might serve him well…
