Caleb Love holds faith despite early-season slide with Arizona Wildcats

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Just a short stroll from the iconic pink towers of the Atlantis Resort is a Mayan Temple replica sliced by a near-vertical water slide in which giddy riders are funneled into a shark tank via a see-through (and ultimately protective) tube.

It’s called the Leap of Faith.

Caleb Love had a chance to take that plunge this week, to maybe even metaphorically break the spell of two straight performances that went underwater, but he and roommate Trey Townsend had better things to do.

“We were both asleep while everyone else was out there on the water slide,” Love said.

Sitting next to UA coach Tommy Lloyd and Townsend on the Battle 4 Atlantis interview podium Tuesday, before the Wildcats face Davidson in their tournament opener Wednesday, Love drew a quick response on that one.

“You guys didn’t do the slide?” Lloyd said, grinning. “I’ve failed as a coach.”

Love didn’t really need to, in one sense. He has already taken a leap of faith. Religious faith, that is. With a little extra help from mom.

No water slides, no beach, no sunset meditations. Just faith.

“I’ve had time to reflect over these past few days,” Love said. “I kind of get locked back in with my faith, and having talks with my mom. She’s been my backbone and my source of comfort, and she’s kind of helped me with that. I’m just ready to go out there and hoop.”

The Wildcats undoubtedly hope so. They are entering the Battle 4 Atlantis coming off two straight losses, at Wisconsin and against Duke at McKale Center, games when Love swam well behind his preseason all-American billing.

Averaging 10.3 points on 32.0% shooting over four games this season so far, Love averaged only 7.0 points and 6.0 rebounds against Wisconsin and Duke, while making just 1 of 15 3-pointers. He also shot only 36% from 2-point range and took just four combined free throws.

He wasn’t able to make an impact inside or outside, as Love had hoped entering the season, but said those around him stood strong.

“My teammates, my coaches, support me every day and that’s never wavered — good game, bad game, bad shot, good shot, turnover, assist,” Love said. “So I go out there and I’m gonna play with confidence, utmost confidence, and not put any pressure on myself.”

It would hardly be a surprise if there was self-imposed pressure. After all, Love was a preseason first-team All-American, and returning from an NBA Draft process last spring with the goal of helping his team and resume during a fifth season of college basketball.

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Also, Love was the only returning starter of a team ranked No. 10 to start the season.

All eyes were on him. But Love said he didn’t change.

“I didn’t put pressure on myself,” Love said. “I’ve played with pressure all my life. When you think about it, in the grand scheme of things, I’m playing basketball and that’s just all it is. Putting pressure on myself is only gonna hurt me or hinder me. So it’s just go out there and have fun, playing as hard as I can, doing whatever the team needs.”

It hasn’t been all the same on the court for Love, though. For one thing, defenses have been focusing on him more than ever this season, deploying a variety of tricks. Love says setting better screens and moving better off the ball would help solve that problem.

The other thing, Love said, has been his offseason focus on 3-point shooting off the catch. That was understandable, considering that Love shot just 29.9% from 3 at North Carolina in 2023-24 to 33.2% last season but needed even more efficiency to help his NBA stock.

But while he aimed for all those 3s, Love’s proven ability to drive to the basket grew rusty. His two-point shooting has dropped from 50.2% last season to 45.5% this season, while those four free throws he shot over the previous two games are actually the only four he’s shot all season.

“What you focus on more is what you’re probably gonna do more, and that’s been my focus, the 3-point shot,” Love said. “I think I shot probably too many instead of playing inside out. So it’s trying to get downhill more.

“I’ve done great in the past with doing that. So I’ve got to get back to that and work my way out. My shot’s gonna fall. I’m not worried about that.”

Neither is Lloyd. The UA expressed support for Love at Wisconsin, after the Duke game and again in Tuesday’s press conference.

Lloyd, it appears, has taken a leap of faith, too.

“I love Caleb,” Lloyd said. “Caleb’s teammates love Caleb, and I’m not worried. Caleb’s gonna come out and he could play out of his mind the next three days. If he doesn’t play out of his mind the next few days, we’re going to keep going forward.

“So there’s no concern on my end. If Caleb playing well is what’s going to stand between us and being a good team, I feel pretty good. Because ultimately he’s going to play great. I like that security of that feeling.”