Former Tar Heel Caleb Love named Pac-12 Player of the Year

Former five-star UNC basketball recruit Caleb Love found a new home in the offseason, transferring out of Chapel Hill and to Tuscon to play for Arizona.

And it’s a move that paid off for him.

With the regular season in the books, Love was named the 2024 Pac-12 men’s basketball player of the year on Tuesday.

That decision to play basketball in the desert paid off, as Love was named Pac-12 Player of the Year.

This award is in addition to recently being named a finalist for the Wooden Award, given annually to the top player in college basketball.

He’s averaging 18.7 points per game, which is fourth in the Pac-12 and 62nd nationally. The guard shot 43 percent from the field and 35 percent from the three-point line this season.  Love has scored in double-digits 29 times this year, with a career-high 36 in a Jan. 27 victory over Oregon.

The former 5-star recruit from St. Louis, Mo. spent his first three seasons of college basketball as a Tar Heel. He provided plenty of huge moments, most notably his shot in the 2022 Final Four against Duke, that eventually sent UNC to the National Championship game.

Last season was disappointing – not just for Love, but for North Carolina as a whole. It missed the NCAA Tournament after being the Preseason Number One, while there was rumored drama between Love and RJ Davis, which both quickly denied.

Love was one of seven outgoing transfers last offseason. He originally committed to Michigan, but then de-committed and ended up at Arizona.

Wouldn’t it be cool if Arizona and UNC met in the Big Dance?

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Story originally appeared on Tarheels Wire