Caleb Love 2025 NBA Draft Profile

Because the NCAA provided extra eligibility for the COVID-19 pandemic, Caleb Love will enter the NBA Draft in 2025 as one of the most experienced players in college basketball history. However, that experience rarely leads to an early selection in the draft. What does Love’s draft outlook look like after such an illustrious college career?

Caleb Love 2025 NBA Draft Profile

College Career

Love entered college as a five-star recruit for North Carolina. Like all five stars, he was expected to leave Chapel Hill after one year. However, he opted to stay for one more season to improve his draft stock. That extra season provided him with a chance to send Duke home in the 2022 Final Four. He succeeded, hitting the dagger in the closing minute to knock out Coach K in his final game. However, Caleb Love was still unhappy with his NBA Draft prospects, opting to return to North Carolina again. The Tar Heels missed the NCAA Tournament, with Love taking the most blame.

Love transferred to Arizona, where he had two successful seasons with the Wildcats. In his first season, he was named a third-team AP All-American. In his second season, he helped lead Arizona to the Sweet Sixteen and another battle with Duke. However, Love fell short in his 10th matchup against the Blue Devils, fittingly ending his college career. Love averaged 15.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists across 174 career games.

Strengths

Love is a shotmaker. He will shoot from anywhere on the court with anybody on him and knock down a shot. Love hit 390 threes across his 174 games, making him a viable three-point threat at the next level. He effortlessly creates space and improved his catch-and-shoot ability this past season. Love also displayed his athleticism throughout his college career. Some of his dunks will go down as some of the best highlights of his career. Love also operates at a higher level in the clutch, making him a desirable closer.

Love operates well in transition, having averaged 3.4 assists per game throughout his career. Most of those came in transition, as North Carolina and Arizona loved to push the ball forward. He makes smart decisions on whether to pass or keep the ball and usually avoids turnovers, decreasing his average to 1.9 per game this past season. His court vision and athleticism make him the perfect player to run the floor.

Weaknesses

The same thing that plagued Caleb Love as a freshman will plague him for the 2025 NBA Draft. Love makes smart decisions passing, but he often takes ill-advised shots. As I said above, he can hit from anywhere on the floor. However, he shot 38% for his entire career, leading his conference in shot attempts three separate times. He improved his shooting this season, but he still only shot 39.8% from the floor and 34% from three. If he wants to play in the NBA, he will need to make better decisions.

Along the same line is his inconsistency. Love scored 20+ points 14 times this season. He scored ten or fewer points 11 times. You could get a game-changer or role-player taking the same number of shots as a superstar. The same applies to his assists total. He had four or more assists 16 times but had nine games with one or fewer assists. Love needs to find some consistency on the offensive side of the ball to have any chance of being a regular NBA player. Love also needs to decide that playing defense is just as necessary. His career will likely be as a role player, so his defensive consistency and intensity need dramatic elevation.

NBA Comparison

Caleb Love’s NBA draft comparison is as volatile as Love himself: Jordan Poole. They have the same kind of energy: take a lot of ill-advised shots, hitting some, missing most; play defense in certain situations; hit some clutch shots when the moment requires it. Poole is likely playing at a higher level than Caleb Love ever will, which is a knock on Love’s draft profile. Poole has found himself playing strong basketball, and Love could find himself there someday. But Love appears to be a lesser version of Jordan Poole, which doesn’t give him much hope of meaningful minutes.

2025 NBA Draft Projection

Caleb Love will likely find himself selected in the latter part of the second round if he is drafted at all. His fate rests in team fits and how the draft falls.