Caleb Love won't get an All-Big 12 vote from Bobby Hurley

Love is in the running for National Player of the Year
Arizona Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) and guard Caleb Love (1) celebrate during their Big 12 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena.
Arizona Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) and guard Caleb Love (1) celebrate during their Big 12 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. | Cheryl Evans/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It has been quite a week for Caleb Love.

After hitting the shot of a lifetime — a 60-footer at the buzzer — to lead Arizona to an overtime upset of Iowa State, Love had one of his best games of the season in the Wildcats' 81-72 win over rival Arizona State on Saturday.

Love finished with 27 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. He was 5-of-9 from the 3-point line and 6-of-6 from the free throw line.

"We all know Caleb's a good player," Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said after the game. "I know he's not going to probably play like that every single day, but when he does play like that it doesn't surprise me."

Bobby Hurley's Postgame Comments

His performance was overshadowed by the drama that took place over the final minute of the game — then spilled into Arizona State's postgame press conference.

Love and ASU guard BJ Freeman were ejected with 30 seconds left in the game after Freeman headbutted Love. Sun Devils coach Bobby Hurley then pulled his team off the floor with 0.5 seconds left and refused to shake hands with Arizona's players and coaches.

After the game, Hurley doubled down on his actions and said he would not vote for Love to be on the all-conference team.

"I can tell you this: I do get a vote for all-conference and I can tell you who's not getting a vote," Hurley said at the very end of his press conference. As he stood up and walked out of the room he said "if you can read into that, I'm sure you might know who I'm thinking of right now."

Love Named To Player Of The Year List

Love probably won't need Hurley's vote to make the All-Big 12 team, but he has his sights set on bigger things.

Love, a fifth-year senior, was one of 50 players named to the 2024-25 Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List on Monday.

The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given to the National Player of the Year and will be announced at the NCAA Men's Final Four in San Antonio. The award is voted on by the the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Eight Big 12 players made the watch list: Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Iowa State guard Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State guard Curtis Jones, Baylor forward Norchad Omier, Houston guard Emanuel Sharp, West Virginia guard Javon Small, Texas Tech guard Darrion Williams and Love.

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Ben Sherman
BEN SHERMAN

Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his 27-year journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. A basketball junkie, March Madness is his favorite time of the year.