Arizona guard Caleb Love declares for 2024 NBA Draft, maintains eligibility

Arizona guard Caleb Love has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility. He spent the first three seasons of his career at North Carolina before transferring to Arizona ahead of the 2023-24 season.

This past season, Love started all 36 games for the Wildcats. He averaged a career-high 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 41.3% from the field and 33.2% from beyond the arc. For his efforts, he was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy.

At North Carolina, Love appeared in 101 games over three seasons. He amassed 1,476 total points with the Tar Heels, earning honorable mention All-ACC honors in 2022 and 2023 while being selected to the ACC All-Freshman team in 2021.

Along with his decision to declare for the draft, Love wrote a heartfelt message to the Arizona program and fanbase.

“First and foremost, I’m filled with gratitude for such an amazing experience to play at the University of Arizona,” Love wrote in a post on X. “I thank God for allowing me to be in the position I’m in today. I want to thank my family for their unwavering support every step of the way. I would like to give a heartfelt thank you to Coach Tommy Lloyd and the entire U of A coaching staff for embracing me and giving me this remarkable opportunity to become a Wildcat. I’m forever grateful!

“To my teammates, I’m thankful we were on this journey together. You all are my brothers for life. I’ve taken some much-needed time with my family to think about what’s next for me and I’ve decided to enter the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining my eligibility. Thank you, Wildcat Nation and Arizona community, for showing me so much love. You all will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Caleb Love played high school basketball at Christian Brothers College (MO), where he was a five-star prospect. He was the No. 14 overall recruit in the 2020 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

In ESPN’s Jonathan Givony’s latest NBA draft rankings, Love was not included in his the top 25. However, with Love’s history of winning and ability to stretch the floor, it would be no surprise to see Love land a spot in the NBA. If not, he will have one year of eligibility remaining.