Caleb Love averaged double-digit points in all five of his college campaigns, drawing 169 starting nods across 174 games between his three years as a UNC basketball backcourt centerpiece and the past two seasons as a star at Arizona. And now, as a 23-year-old entering his first year as a pro, he’s popped up in the second round on some mock drafts.
ALSO READ: 2025-26 Tar Heels Now Firmly Outside Projected Top 25
But as ESPN’s Jonathan Givony pointed out following Friday’s release of the 75-deep list of invites to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, May 11-18, Love is the third-highest ranked player to not appear on the list. In light of the news, the former five-star 2020 recruit from St. Louis will likely head to the G League Elite Camp and hope to earn a late invite that way.
Givony has Love, the 2023-24 Pac-12 Player of the Year and 2024-25 All-Big 12 First Team selection, sitting at No. 71 on his latest big board ahead of the NBA Draft in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, June 25-26.
One UNC basketball name does show up on the NBA Draft Combine list in 2024-25 Tar Heel one-and-done forward Drake Powell. NBA Draft On SI projects the Pittsboro, N.C., native to hear his name in the second round, but the invite gives the explosive athlete a shot to improve his stock considerably over the next few weeks.
Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC basketball news.
