No opposing player in this NCAA men’s tournament has known Duke quite like Arizona guard Caleb Love.
Before joining the Wildcats as a transfer before last season, Love spent three years as a high-value stater at North Carolina, playing against the Blue Devils twice every regular season and again in one of the most marquee matchups in tournament history.
“I think it’s definitely been a journey. My journey has been a lot of adversity, a lot of ups and downs, and everything in between,” Love said. “But I think it’s made me who I am as a person and a player. I’ve grown so much over the course of my college career, not only on the court but off the court. I’ve learned so much, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Former UNC forward Tyler Hansbrough is one of the most revered players in program history not only for some prolific production, including a school-record 2,872 points and 1,219 rebounds, but for his performance against the Tar Heels’ do-or-die rival: Hansbrough went 6-2 overall against Duke, including 4-0 in games played at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
In terms of total appearances, at least, Love has already done Hansbrough one better. The senior will be in the starting lineup for his 10th career meeting against the Blue Devils when No. 4 Arizona meets No. 1 Duke on Thursday night in the Sweet 16 of the East region. Across these nine previous meetings, including two since joining the Wildcats, Love has averaged 15.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, with three 20-point performances.
“It’s a big matchup because it’s the next game. It’s the only game that matters,” he said after the Wildcats’ 87-83 win against No. 5 Oregon in the second round. “Obviously, our mind was focused on Oregon and we got it done and now we’re going to get in the film room and lock in on Duke and what they do. Obviously, they’re a great team, they’re well coached, and we’ll be ready for them when the time comes.”
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Love is 5-4 in games against the Blue Devils, including a 1-1 mark at Arizona. The two teams met at the McKale Memorial Center this past November, with Love scoring 8 points on 3 of 13 shooting in a 69-55 loss.
“Obviously, we’re a different team than when we played them, and we didn’t play good that game,” said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd. “I’m sure they would say they’re a different team, and I don’t think Duke played that great that game. It’s going to be interesting to see how it looks when we get out there (Thursday).”
As a freshman, he scored 25 points in a 98-87 win against Duke on Feb. 6, 2021, and then had another 18 points in a 91-73 win exactly one month later. As a junior, he scored a combined 23 points with seven rebounds and seven assists in 63-57 and 62-57 losses on Feb. 4 and Mar. 4, 2023. But it was as a sophomore that Love etched his place in the rivalry’s history.
After being held to just eight points in an 87-67 loss on Feb. 5, 2022, Love dropped 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a 94-81 win the following month. Then, on Apr. 2, Love was the shining star of the one and only tournament meeting between the Tar Heels and Blue Devils — an 81-77 win by UNC in the Final Four that served as the final game of coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career.
After missing his first four attempts, he finished with a game-high 28 points on 11 of 20 shooting, including a key 3-pointer to push the lead to 78-74 with 25 seconds to play, and then made three free throws down the stretch to ice the win.
“I just think that me not being afraid of the moment and me trying to impose my will, kind of like St. Louis swagger to the game,” he said. “Me being from St. Louis, I’m not afraid of anything, anybody. I think that’s just me channeling that, my inner St. Louis in me.”
Asked what he remembers about that key make from deep three years ago, Love said, “I made the shot,” and smiled.
“I mean, it really has no relevance to this game coming up. I just want to focus on the game plan that we have set. I want my focus to be with this group.”
Win or lose on Thursday, Love has already secured an unforgettable place in one of the great rivalries in college sports. And as he said, what he achieved against the Blue Devils across three years with the Tar Heels has no real bearing on what happens in the regional semifinals. But this experience could also be one of the factors that lifts the Wildcats to the upset.
“I think just his game has grown,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “He’s the same player in terms of how he scores and all that. He’s just better at everything. I think that’s a credit to his growth and the job that him and his teammates, coaching staff, everybody that’s helped him.”
The names on the backs of the jerseys are different: Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel were in high school when Love last faced off against Duke, and rotational contributors Maliq Brown, Mason Gillis and Sion James had yet to join the program. The only Duke player with any hands-on experience with Love’s game is junior guard Tyrese Proctor.
Matchups against Love carry an “intensity,” said Proctor. “It’s always a high-level matchup. It’s always a great game, and that’s really it.”
And while the Blue Devils’ roster has been flipped and flipped again since Love left for Arizona, his institutional knowledge of Duke’s system is an obvious asset heading into Thursday night.
“They’re physical,” Love said. “They’re long. They’re athletic and things like that. We’ve got to play kind of mind games and things like that to create advantages for ourselves on both ends of the floor.”