Why Did Caleb Love Leave UNC? Is Ex-Teammate’s Girlfriend The Reason Behind This Move?

Published 11/11/2023, 9:57 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Speculation is rife that R.J. Davis and Caleb Love are at odds. Although the duo has denied any bad blood, the rumors of a possible love triangle are growing louder. The buzz is building at a time when Love is making a mark for the Arizona Wildcats with the 2023-24 season underway. His announcement of committing to Arizona surprised many and raised questions about the former North Carolina Tar Heel’s relocation decision.

During the 2021 season, the former five-star prospect from St. Louis was outstanding for the Tar Heels. Love made a significant contribution and led the team to the championship game. But his sudden decision to leave UNC has created a drama of sorts.

Is the Love triangle a reason behind the move?

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When he logged into the transfer portal, Caleb Love stated that he would play for Arizona next season. On the other hand, renowned guard R.J. Davis is returning to Chapel Hill along with Armando Bacot. According to insiders, Love and Davis may have had personal issues that influenced the former’s decision to leave and contribute to the team’s disappointing season.

The Cameron Crazies’ chant sheet for the Duke-UNC game in Durham on February 4 featured a letter suggesting that Love had hooked up with Davis’ girlfriend, although it used some less pleasant language, according to KentSports on TikTok.

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It went on to say that Davis would not sit next to Love in class and that the occurrence had caused friction between the two friends. The lady in question is reportedly a member of the North Carolina women’s basketball team. However, the two of them denied it publicly. Caleb Love first took to social media and posted, “laughing at the BS😂 we locked 4 🤞🏽@ariidavis_.” Davis reposted this confirming the news, “Nah fr tho saying anything😂. We good over here.”

According to Jack McGuire, a college sports analyst for Barstool Sports, the reports were untrue, and the two teammates got along just fine during the season. He tweeted, “SOURCE: RJ Davis and Caleb Love are not beefing and the story surrounding their love triangle with a UNC women’s basketball player is “major cap”.” But that won’t stop folks from guessing despite the duo tweeting that everything was well between them.

A non-obvious choice

The writing was on the wall after Armando Bacot and R.J. Davis declared their plans to return to UNC. It’s obvious that UNC’s backcourt did not click this year. Love felt that the choice was really clear-cut. “I’ve taken some time with my family to re-evaluate what’s best for me to continue to grow as a player, and I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal to continue my journey,” he wrote on Twitter.

Love deleted his social media accounts after the team missed the NCAA Tournament because of the anger from North Carolina supporters, who mostly held him responsible for the team’s troubles last season.

Despite the Tar Heels’ highs with Love, he has functioned as a sort of scapegoat. He’s smartly picking up the transfer at this moment to replenish his supplies.

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Caleb Love’s UNC legacy

In the 2020 recruiting class, Love was ranked as high as No. 14. The St. Louis native has two seasons of eligibility left since athletes were given an extra year of eligibility following the COVID-19 epidemic. Love had a fascinating career in North Carolina. In his rookie season, he didn’t affect the team’s performance greatly, but in his sophomore year, he emerged as a vital member of the squad.

USA Today via Reuters

Last season, Love averaged 16.7 points and 2.8 assists per game. Compared to his 2022 campaign when he averaged 15.9 points per game, it was a better show. The previous season, North Carolina’s journey to the national championship game was greatly aided by Love. During UNC’s victory over Duke in the 2022 Final Four, Love scored 28 points and averaged 18.8 points per game that year. This court dominance has now drifted in some other direction.

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Written by:

Nima Murugan

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“Basketball isn’t an act of jumping jacks, it’s a sport mirroring life through assists and rebounds”. Before becoming an NBA writer at EssentiallySports, I was drawn to the world of basketball when 'The Chosen One' first started locking horns with 'His Airness' over the GOAT debate. Some discourses shape your imagination and rightly so.
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Edited by:

Bilal Handoo