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Former UNC Basketball Gem Caleb Love Announces Return to College

Tar Heel product Caleb Love and returning UNC basketball guard RJ Davis should be college hoops royalty again.

Matt Giles

Former UNC basketball guard Caleb Love
Former UNC basketball guard Caleb Love / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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Six and a half hours before the deadline on Wednesday night, former three-year UNC basketball backcourt starter and 2022 Final Four clutch performer Caleb Love revealed on social media that he has withdrawn his name as an early entrant in the NBA Draft and will return to Arizona, where he shined last season after transferring out of Chapel Hill.

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"Wildcat nation," Love addressed his Arizona basketball fanbase in closing his announcement video, "it's been so amazing the way you've welcomed me and showered me with love. No way I could walk away from all of that right now. The show goes on."

Love's option to spend an extra year in college stems from the NCAA's decision to not count the truncated 2020-21 season, his freshman campaign with the Tar Heels, against any athlete's eligibility.

As CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein noted, the 22-year-old is one of five 2023-24 AP All-Americans on tap for 2024-25 college hoops, along with Alabama's Mark Sears, Auburn's Johni Broome, Kansas' Hunter Dickinson, and of course, Love's former UNC basketball teammate in reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis.

Davis and Love, the final Pac-12 Player of the Year as the Wildcats gear up for their Big 12 debut next season, are the only returning high-major talents already boasting conference POTY hardware.

While UNC and Arizona are not slated to square off in the regular season, it wouldn't be a surprise if they meet late in the NCAA Tournament. Each figures to begin the season comfortably inside the top 25.

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Matt Giles

MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of FanNation's Blue Devil Country and All Tar Heels, covering the Duke Blue Devils and UNC Tar Heels on SI.com.

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