Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love recently returned to a gym he is familiar with, Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Love grew accustomed to the hostile environment when he visited Duke’s campus during his three-season stint with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Although Love is no longer wearing Carolina Blue, he had a matchup against the Blue Devils circled on his calendar.
“Obviously, it was on my mind for a little minute,” Love said. “As soon as I had seen they were on the schedule, my eyes got bigger.”
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The Wildcats held on for 78-73 win over Duke Friday. After the game, he started waving in an emphatic goodbye to the irate home team fans.
The Wildcats made a strong statement by dominating the glass and coming up with multiple key plays down the stretch.
But the win over second-ranked Duke likely meant just a little extra for Love considering he transferred from North Carolina to Arizona earlier this year.
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Love finished the game with 11 points, making all four of his shots from the free throw line. He was also responsible for the game-sealing steal in the game’s final seconds.
Love may have taken his talents to Arizona, but he is still connected to his former school.
“That’s what I am. Tar Heel for life. … I still have love for Tar Heel nation,” said Love.
Love’s dynamic shot-making ability helped lead the Tar Heels to a stunning victory over Duke in 2022 in legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski’s emotional final home game.
One month later, Love hit a dagger 3-pointer in the final minute among his game-high 28 points as UNC took down Duke in the Final Four and sent Coach K into retirement.
The win improved the Wildcats to 2-0 early in the college basketball season. Duke dropped to 1-1.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.