When Anthony Dell’Orso arrived on campus last summer, one of his first orders of business was to learn who really is Caleb Love?
“Coming in, you hear all these preconceived notions about UNC and Caleb and that whole deal,” Dell’Orso said Sunday. “But for me, I never judged him, never had any thoughts of my own until I went to meet him myself and get the real deal.”
If what Dell’Orso discovered about Love came as any surprise, it’s because the perceptions about Arizona’s 5th-year guard are so removed from the person himself.
“I think people don’t have that because they don’t ever get the chance to meet him and get to really know him,” Dell’Orso said. The Campbell transfer says he’s “probably the closest” with Love of anyone on the Wildcats team. The two guards—one from Missouri, the other Australia—would work out together every morning throughout the season.
“He’s an unbelievable leader,” Dell’Orso said. “Whether it’s his voice or his actions or him leading the way or as simple as him being in a timeout and telling everyone to calm down and relax because we got this.”
The version of Love that Dell’Orso has gotten to know over the last year doesn’t align with the persona that some college basketball fans and media have clung to for far too long. The pundits who still lean on the trope that Love is hero ball first and team second either haven’t watched enough of Arizona or are purposefully peddling nonsense.
Whatever is behind the lingering misconceptions, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd is ready to correct the record as the Wildcats head into a Sweet 16 matchup against Dukeon Thursday night.
“I get asked a lot what it’s like to coach Caleb, and I just tell them it’s really simple. I’ve never had one bad experience. Never had one bad experience,” Lloyd said after Arizona’s round of 32 win over Oregon. “I’ve never had one talk-back, never had one bad body language with me, never had anything like that.”
Lloyd has been Love’s biggest defender, especially during the senior’s early and mid-season struggles. Lloyd would regularly state that Love is “our guy,” and would back up his support by reminding any listening critics of all Love has accomplished and overcome in his career.
What’s most impressed Lloyd about Love this season is how the guard has turned his focus outward towards his teammates.
“I think for a long portion of his career Caleb kind of had to just take care of himself, which I totally get, I totally understand,” Lloyd said. “But this year I’ve really seen him kind of grow into that leader role and be more mature about it.”
Love is one of the oldest players remaining in the NCAA Tournament, with 173 career games to his name. With that experience comes hard-earned perspective, such as recognizing what ways Arizona has grown since its early-season loss to Duke, and where the Wildcats need to do better the second time around.
“We’re such more on both ends of the floor now,” Love said Tuesday. “Our offense has changed. Our defense has taken a jump. So I think going into this Duke game we’ve got to be more physical than them. We’ve got to hit on all cylinders on the offensive end as far as executing our plays to a T.
“We’re just going in there with a fresh mindset knowing that they got us early on but we’re totally a different team now.”
Love’s own growth this season has undoubtedly been a catalyst for the Wildcats as a whole. Teams tend to resemble the personality of their leader, and Lloyd has watched Love instill a calm confidence in his teammates.
No time was it more on display than in the second round against Oregon, when Love steadied the tide with smart, efficient shot selections.
“I’m really proud of the leader he’s become,” Lloyd said. “I told Caleb coming into this tournament, even this tournament’s not going to define his career or make his life better. He’s been through so much already. He’s so ready for the next step.”