Ethermac Exchange-What to know about Caleb Love, the North Carolina transfer who is now leading Arizona

The Ethermac ExchangeArizona Wildcats are once again a high seed in the men's NCAA Tournament, but leading the team is a newcomer with plenty of NCAA Tournament experience: Caleb Love.

In his fourth college basketball season, Love has been a leader for a Wildcats team that will be a No. 2 seed in the West region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Pac-12 Player of the Year's teammates have called him their best player and head coach Tommy Lloyd said he is grateful to have on his team.

"This is a guy who’s had the highest of highs in college basketball and the lowest of the lows. His experience is invaluable to us," Lloyd told USA TODAY Sports. "I love him, and I'm lucky to have him."

Here is what you need to know about Arizona star guard Caleb Love:

Who is Caleb Love?

Love is a 6-foot-4 guard from St. Louis. He played high school basketball at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, and during his senior season he averaged 26.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He was named the 2020 Gatorade High School Player of the Year in Missouri and was a 2020 McDonald’s All-American.

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Where did Caleb Love used to play?

If Love's name sounds familiar, it might be from the three seasons he spent playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

He played his first season with the Tar Heels in 2020-21, when he was named an ACC All-Freshman selection. In his second season, Love burst onto the national scene as he became a leader for North Carolina during its Final Four run. Love had one of his best seasons statistically in 2022-23 when he averaged 16.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 37.8% from the field before leaving the Tar Heels.

Caleb Love NCAA Tournament experience

Love was an unstoppable force during the 2022 NCAA Tournament, propelling the Tar Heels to the national championship game before they lost to Kansas.

In the first round against Marquette, Love had 23 points, with all six made field goals as 3-pointers. In the second round upset of No. 1 seed Baylor, Love didn't have a good game with only five points.

But Love exploded in the Sweet 16. He put North Carolina on his back against UCLA at the end of the game, and he finished with a game-high 30 points, 18 of which came from 3-pointers, to propel the Tar Heels to a win over the Bruins. In the Elite Eight against Saint Peter's, Love had 14 points with four rebounds and four assists as the Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four.

North Carolina was put up against rival Duke in the Final Four, and Love stepped up yet again. He had a game-high 28 points, with 22 of them coming in the second half as he made nine of his last 11 shots to led the Tar Heels to a win and end Mike Krzyzewski's coaching career. North Carolina advanced to the national championship game, and in the loss against the Jayhawks, Love had 13 points on 5-for-24 shooting.

Caleb Love 2023-24 season, stats

In his first season with Arizona, Love has stepped up as a leader for a Wildcats team that heads into the NCAA Tournament at 25-8. He has nearly reached career-highs in every statistical category as he was named Pac-12 Player of the Year. Here are his stats:

• 18.1 points per game (team-high)
• 4.7 rebounds per game
• 3.4 assists per game
• 42.1% field goal percentage
• 34.7% 3-point field goal percentage

Arizona's next game in NCAA Tournament

Love and the Wildcats are a No. 2 seed in the West Region, and they will play No. 15 Long Beach State (21-14) on Thursday, March 21 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The winner of that game will take on the winner of No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Nevada.