Tennessee is targeting several highly-rated prospects in the 2020 recruiting cycle in both football and men’s basketball. In basketball, the Vols already have a commitment from a borderline five-star recruit. Now, they’re reportedly checking in on another.
According to Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.com, Tennessee is one of many programs in to watch elite point guard Caleb Love as he competes during the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. Love is one of the top point guards in the 2020 class and is the No. 1 player in the state of Missouri.
Texas, Indiana, and Caleb Love’s newest interest, Tennessee, are also currently watching the five-star junior, a source told @Stockrisers.#LivePeriod https://t.co/NcfaemlvAz
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) April 26, 2019
Love plays for Christian Brothers College in St. Louis, Missouri and is considered one of the top prospects in the 2020 class. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Love is the No. 33 overall player, No. 5 point guard, and No. 1 player in the state of Missouri in the 2020 class. He has interest from schools like Texas, Indiana, Xavier, Virginia, Louisville, Butler, Illinois, Texas A&M, and many others.
The 6-foot-3 point guard has recently started to get attention from the Vols as UT looks to bring in more point guard help for the future. With Jordan Bone going through the NBA Draft process, Tennessee is in discussions with four-star point guard Jalen Cone about reclassifying from the 2020 class to the 2019 class. If that happens, the Vols have a good chance of adding Cone to their 2019 class, and Love will likely become the Vols’ top point guard target in the 2020 cycle.
Tennessee still has Lamonte Turner on the roster for the 2019-20 season, and he has experience as a point guard. But even if Jordan Bone returns for the upcoming season, the Vols will be without a true point guard for the 2020-21 season as of now. Five-star 2019 signee Josiah Jordan-James can play point guard, but he has the talent to be a one-and-done or two-and-done type player.
Expect Love to be a huge target for the Vols moving forward depending on what happens with their point guard position.
Love has a phenomenal offensive game, and it’s easy to see why he’s rated so highly. He can create his own shot just about anywhere on the floor, and he’s extremely athletic and can sky for dunks just as easily as he can pull up and nail a jumper. Not only that, but Love has some incredible vision and is a highly capable floor general. He’s a crisp and accurate passer who has a knack for finding the open man and can get the ball to his teammates in difficult situations.
Right now, Love is playing with the Brad Beal Elite team in Nike’s EYBL. That team was created by two-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Love was also named to the first team of the ALL-USA Missouri Boys Basketball Team by USA Today Sports. As a junior this season, Love averaged 18.9 points, four rebounds, just under three assists, and two steals per game while shooting over 200 free throw attempts on the season.
Tennessee currently has a commitment from borderline five-star small forward Corey Walker in their 2020 class. He’s rated as the No. 23 overall prospect and a five-star on 247Sports, and their composite rankings list him as the No. 31 overall player and a four-star. The Vols are also major players for five-star guard Jaden Springer, five-star center Walker Kessler, four-star guard and No. 1 in-state player Keon Johnson, four-star forward PJ Hall, and four-star guard Keon Ambrose among other prospects.
