In a recent announcement on Wednesday, the rising fifth-year senior made it known that he will be removing his name from consideration for the NBA Draft and will be returning to Arizona for his final season of eligibility. This news immediately led to a decommitment from highly sought-after wing Joson Sanon, who promptly switched his commitment to rival Arizona State.
Speaking alongside a highlight reel from his impressive single season at Arizona, Love expressed his gratitude to the passionate “Wildcat nation” for their warm welcome and overwhelming support. He stated that it was impossible for him to walk away from such an incredible experience at this time.
Love’s decision came right on the Wednesday deadline to withdraw from the draft. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches, he is a scoring guard with a career field goal rate of 37.5%. However, he did not project as a first-round pick in the NBA Draft. Instead, he has chosen to return to a Wildcats team that has the potential to be ranked in the top 10 as the new season approaches.
After spending three years playing together at North Carolina, Love made the move to Arizona last season. As the team’s primary guard, Love had an impressive season, averaging 18 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 steals. He shot 41.3% from the field and 33.2% from beyond the arc, all of which were career highs for him.
His outstanding performance earned him the title of Pac-12 Player of the Year and a spot on the AP All-America third team. With Love returning for another season, Arizona’s hopes of contending for a national championship are high, especially after their disappointing exit in the Sweet 16 last March.
However, Love’s return does come at a price for Arizona. According to Rivals, Sanon, who is ranked 25th in his class and is the eighth-best small forward, would have been redundant with Love’s skillset. Sanon is known for his scoring ability, which overlaps with Love’s strengths on the court.
The question now is whether Sanon’s absence will come back to haunt the Wildcats.
Sanon has made the decision to play against the Wildcats twice a year instead of playing for them. He took to social media on Wednesday to announce his re-commitment, adding “STATE to it” along with a fiery image of Arizona’s logo.
Previously, Sanon was the top-ranked prospect in Arizona’s recruiting class. However, he will now join Arizona State’s class as the second top-25 prospect, alongside Rivals’ No. 8 prospect Jayden Quaintance.
With the dissolution of the Pac-12, Arizona and Arizona State will become Big 12 rivals starting from the next season.