Interim Utah coach Josh Eilert said he wished he would have been able to “lock” Caleb Love earlier in the game on Wednesday night but didn’t.
Well, more like couldn’t. Wednesday night’s version of Caleb Love was one of his better efforts – and performances – of the season in Arizona’s 83-66 win over the Utes.
“I’d (would have) liked to see him miss more shots,” Eilert said. “He played really good. He’s one of the best in the league and when he’s on he’s on.”
Love’s sometimes flicker was a flame on Wednesday.
From McKale with Love. He tied his career-high with six 3-pointers. He went 7 for 15 from the floor for a game-high 23 points. Efficient and effective Love.
It’s the 50th time in his career he had 20 points or more.
It helped Arizona (19-9, 13-4) win with ease albeit Utah. But it showed – again – how good Arizona can be when Love plays well.
“I feel like we’re unstoppable when you have an All-American playing the way he does at high level,” said Carter Bryant, when I asked him about how the team looks when Love plays well. “It’s very hard for us to be beat because we have so many weapons on the court.”
In an in-house interview with UA’s media, Love said he’s staying focused because of his faith in God and himself. It’s helped him survive through the good times and bad times.
“I think he’s just playing free,” said teammate Tobe Awaka. “He’s way harder on himself than any of the coaching staff.”
Wednesday was good Love. He added seven assists too. Arizona looked the part Wednesday, but again temper it knowing it was Utah, a team that just days earlier let go of its head coach.
“Caleb obviously gives us a higher ceiling,” UA coach Tommy Lloyd said. “If he plays with that energy and focus on both ends of the floor obviously, we’re a better team. You probably can say that for a bunch of other guys on our team too. When guys play well, we play well.”
But when Love plays well it just looks better, doesn’t it?
He got in the lanes, stopped and hit from distance. And the defense was back on point.
What’s Love got to do with it? Well, a lot.
“Caleb was great on both ends of the floor,” Lloyd said. “He really took that challenge to guard (Gabe) Madsen. Madsen is a heck of a player. We played against him for three years … I thought Caleb did a great job.”
Madsen went 2 for 10 from the floor, all 3s.
“… But here’s your reward. You get a chance to do it again on Saturday,” Lloyd added. “What you did today was great, but now it’s March basketball and it needs to be again Saturday.”
Is it a one off? Maybe, maybe not, but again when Love runs hot Arizona is different. Yet, when he’s not, Arizona – occasionally – has been able to win, still. Wednesday, Henri Veesaar, Tobe Awaka and Jaden Bradley each had 12 points. Arizona combined for 45 rebounds to Utah’s 39. It had just seven turnovers.
“It’s a team game, we can’t just be dependent on one guy,” Lloyd said. “And we’ve never tried to be dependent on one guy. We got to be able to – as we get to the conference tournaments and into March or even through the Big 12 season – survive games where a guy like Caleb doesn’t play well … we’ve done that.”
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