Former Tar Heel: How Caleb Love Landed in the NBA

Former head coach Roy Williams recruited Caleb Love out of high school and eventually started the six-foot-four guard. Love, known for hitting "The Shot" against the Duke Blue Devils during the Final Four matchup of current head coach Hubert Davis' first season, gave Mike Krzyzewski a loss in his final game ever as a collegiate coach.

That was the first game ever where UNC and Duke met in the NCAA Tournament. And for more on that note, North Carolina defeated the Blue Devils in Krzyzewski's last home game inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.

In simple terms, Love has contributed a ton to the UNC-Duke rivalry. However, he continued his career playing for the Arizona Wildcats, hitting the transfer portal after the conclusion of the 2023-2024 year.

As a junior, in his final season in Chapel Hill, Love totaled 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He shot 38% from the field goal range and 30% from three (in comparison to his 36% the previous season). Love was unable to connect on similar outside shots he did as a sophomore, appearing to struggle and find a rhythm at times.

Fortunately, a change of scenery was what Love needed, as he became a Wildcat for head coach Tommy Lloyd. Love won the PAC-12 Player of the Year at the same time as his former backcourt mate, RJ Davis, won ACC Player of the Year, respectively. In the end, the separation for both parties had successful seasons, to some extent at least.

Out of high school, Love was anticipated to be a first-rounder in the NBA Draft, but his career played out far differently than that. Nonetheless, those expectations became a reality after the Portland Trail Blazers offered him a two-way contract, one where he will be splitting time between the G League and the NBA.

His final season of college basketball saw him have outputs of 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. And across his five seasons, Love reached numbers of 15.9, 3.8, and 3.4 in those same statistical categories.

It has a been a long time coming for Love and his family. Once a Tar Heel, then a Wildcat, and now a Trail Blazer. The journey showed major ups, and some downs, but the path to the NBA paved itself.

Love has his place in North Carolina history, even receiving a memorable token inside the Carolina Basketball Museum for his dagger in the Final Four against Duke.

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