Arizona Wildcats Star Coming Alive Provides Optimism for Rest of Season Outlook
The Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team has been performing like Jekyll and Hyde in the early going of the 2024-25 season.
Against teams a few tiers below them, their talent level has shined through. In their six non-conference victories, they won by an average of 40.2 points, overwhelming opponents with an efficient offense and at times stifling defense.
But, when they stepped up in competition, they could not consistently produce on both ends of the court.
It resulted in some disappointing performances, as they went 0-5 against Quad 1 teams during their non-conference schedule.
One of the major reasons for their shortcomings was the performance of their star guard, Caleb Love.
The reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year surprised some people when he announced that he would be returning to Tucson for a fifth collegiate campaign, putting off professional basketball for one more season.
His return was one of the main reasons many people thought so highly of the Wildcats coming into the year. With Jaden Bradley and KJ Lewis joining him in the backcourt, Tommy Lloyd had arguably the best guard trio in college basketball.
Alas, Love was not playing close to his potential out of the gate, especially against better competition.
He shot under 40% in four out of the five losses, including an ugly 8-for-36 against the Wisconsin Badgers, Duke Blue Devils and UCLA Bruins combined. His 3-point stroke was nowhere to be found, as he made only 2-of-22 attempts for an abysmal 9.1%.
That level of production was certainly not going to cut it.
This is a talented Arizona squad, but if their best player is performing at that low of a level, it would be tough for the rest of the team to pick up the slack.
While his overall producton has been down, Love has made strides with his efficiency inside the arc.
He is making 57.5% of his 2-point attempts, which is a new career-high. His shooting percentage on 2-pointers has increased each year he has been in college, as he is getting better at finishing around the rim and improved in his shot selection.
Knowing that he had to improve, Love started to turn a corner in the final two non-conference games against the Samford Bulldogs and Central Michigan Chippewas.
He shot 16-of-29 from the field overall, making 6-of-17 3-point attempts. Still not a great percentage, but a step forward from where he had been earlier in the campaign.
In total, Love poured in 47 points in 58 minutes, grabbing seven rebounds with five assists and two steals.
That positive momentum was carried right into the team’s inaugural Big 12 matchup at the McKale Center against the visiting TCU Horned Frogs. In a 90-81 victory, the Wildcats received the kind of star performance from the talented guard they had been waiting for.
Love poured in a season-high 33 points, which was just three points shy of his career-high he recorded on Jan. 27, 2024, against the Oregon Ducks. His efficiency was off the charts, as he made 11-of-17 shots overall and 5-of-11 from distance. From the foul line, he was 6-for-6.
He stuffed the stat sheet as well, grabbing seven rebounds and handing out seven assists with zero turnovers and two steals in 38 minutes played.
That is the kind of performance Arizona needs to make it through a grueling Big 12 schedule. If Love can perform near that level consistently, they will start to look like the team many thought they would be when they were ranked No. 10 in the preseason.
