NBA Draft: Arizona's Caleb Love Appears to be Finding His Game While Elevating Draft Value

Following an up-and-down start to the season, Arizona’s Caleb Love has found his groove over the past three games, fighting his way back into draft conversations.

Dec 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) celebrates his dunk during the first half of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Returning All-Americans are typically not content with their draft value and hope to raise their translatability during an extra year of eligibility. While this approach does not always work out in their favor, the recent play of Arizona’s Caleb Love has looked extremely promising. He had a concerning start to this season, which was riddled with low-scoring games, but in his final two game of non-conference action and his Big 12 opener against TCU, Love has quickly gotten back on track. Coming off a remarkable 2023-24 season in which he was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year and an All-American, he already laid an impressive baseline of who he is as a player. However, continuing his recent productivity in Big 12 play could drastically change how he is viewed by NBA teams.

Let’s dive into Caleb Love’s intriguing season so far, focusing on his three most recent outings.

Through his first 12 games of the season, Love has averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting career-high percentages: 42.6% from the field and 89.7% from the free throw line, along with 31.3% from three. He has been a consistent scoring threat throughout his collegiate career, but averaging a career-high in steals as well as a career-low in turnovers highlights his improvements in motor and all-around impact. He is still not a perfect prospect, but his improved efficiency in his past three games against Samford, Central Michigan and TCU looked very promising.

Starting with Love’s game against Samford on Dec. 18, the Wildcats walked away with a 96-64 win thanks to his well-rounded game. He had 23 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals while shooting 7-of-14 from the field, 3-of-9 from three and 6-of-8 on free throws. He made plays in the half-court by knocking down catch-and-shoot jumpers, finishing cuts and finding open teammates but was at his best while pushing in transition. His high level of body control to finish after absorbing contact stood out, as he regularly got downhill and kept the pressure on interior defenders.

Following this game with yet another solid performance against Central Michigan raised hope for Love to continue to improve his play. In this 94-41 win, Love finished with 24 points, two rebounds and one assist while shooting 9-of-15 from the field, 3-of-8 from deep and 3-of-3 on free throws. While this game focused more on his off-ball ability, Love regularly cut behind the defense and relocated after making passes to get into space.

His most recent showing came in a 90-81 victory over TCU in Arizona’s Big 12 opener. This was his season-high in points and assists and was by far his best game of the year as a prospect. He finished with 33 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. While he continued scoring from all three levels as he did in his two previous outings, his ability to find open teammates after causing their defenders to adjust to him looked great. His scoring upside has looked unquestionable for quite some time now, but his flashes of playmaking ability so far this year drastically shift how well he could translate to the next level.

As Caleb Love progresses through the season, the consistency of his performance will be key in shaping his draft narrative. The flashes of improved efficiency, scoring versatility and enhanced playmaking are promising indicators of his growth as a player. If he can sustain or elevate this level of play in the competitive Big 12 conference, Love’s stock as a draft prospect may soar, presenting him as not just a scorer but a more complete and impactful player ready for the next level.

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