Arizona basketball HC Tommy Lloyd sends message to Caleb Love 'haters'
03/28/2025 11:14 AM
With Arizona’s loss to Duke in the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen, Caleb Love’s decorated college basketball career is now officially in the past. As Love prepares for the next step in his career, Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd sees a bright future ahead of his star pupil.
Despite the controversy that has surrounded Love’s eventful collegiate career, Lloyd pleaded for fans and scouts to give him “a chance.” Lloyd insisted that the 23-year-old has “been through it” in his five-year NCAA career and believes that experience will lead to a lot of success in the NBA.
“Caleb’s a great person, and he’s been through a lot,” Lloyd said in his post-game presser. “I hope everybody takes a step back [whose] been a hater or whatever. Give this guy a real chance because he’s special. This is what I know — when he gets [to the NBA], the right team is going to wrap their arms around him, and they’re going to see they’ve got a guy who’s been through it. He’s been through it, and he’s come out the other end better.”
"When he gets there, the right team will wrap their arms around him. They're gonna see they've got a guy who's been through it… His experiences are going to give him an advantage.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd on Caleb Love
(via @MarchMadnessMBB)pic.twitter.com/sr9xOaWyG5
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 28, 2025
Lloyd has no doubt Love will succeed in his professional career, but he also sees the All-American thriving in his personal life. The head coach sees Love becoming a great spouse, father and “heck of a basketball coach someday.”
“The most important thing I always tell Caleb is I just want him to have a great life,” Lloyd said. “Eventually, this basketball thing is going to run out, and I don’t want him to define himself by what people thought about him in college, good or bad. He’s just such a great dude. I’m sure he’s going to be a great husband someday. I know he’s going to be a great dad. Probably could be a heck of a basketball coach someday.”
Caleb Love’s tumultuous UNC, Arizona college basketball career
From the moment Love stepped onto the court as a freshman at North Carolina, few fans doubted his natural talent. However, the biggest knock on his early career was his potential character issues due to wild social media rumors that have since been continuously denied by all parties involved.
After three successful years in Chapel Hill, Love surprisingly entered the transfer portal, committing to Juwan Howard and Michigan. Yet, the drama followed him once again, with transfer credit issues preventing him from going to Ann Arbor. Love instead decided to continue his college basketball career at Arizona.
Through all the ups and downs, Love will likely officially enter the 2025 NBA Draft. He teased the move a year ago before returning to Arizona for a fifth season. Love is projected to be a mid-to-late second-round pick.
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