ARIZONA WILDCATS BASKETBALL

Arizona’s Caleb Love, GCU’s Tyon Grant-Foster make Jay Bilas’ preseason All-America team

Oct 24, 2024, 2:05 PM

Arizona guard Caleb Love...

Arizona guard Caleb Love (2) points to a teammate during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love and Grand Canyon Antelopes wing Tyon Grant-Foster were picked by ESPN analyst Jay Bilas as All-America Second Team members ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Love, who is a preseason AP All-American First Team selection, collected NBA Draft information before returning for his fifth college season and second with Arizona.

He said Wednesday at Big 12 Media Day that he’s attempting to evolve off the ball as a spacer to help his teammates and become more efficient as a scorer himself. Love averaged 18.0 points per game last year.

Writes Bilas:

The Pac-12 Player of the Year (the very last one, too), Love is in attack mode all game long. His efficiency improved last season and should continue to do so in 2024-25.

Grant-Foster likewise turned down an opportunity to go pro. The 24-year-old fought back from serious heart issues in his college career that includes stops at Indian Hills Community College, Kansas and DePaul before he landed at GCU.

He helped Grand Canyon to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and averaged 20.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game last season.

And Bilas has a bold prediction about Grant-Foster’s impact this year.

The Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year who started his career at Kansas, Grant-Foster is a natural scorer who hung 29 points on Alabama in the NCAA tournament. Don’t be surprised if he leads the nation in scoring.

Bilas picked North Carolina guard RJ Davis, Alabama point guard Mark Sears, Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner, Kansas center Hunter Dickinson and Duke freshman and likely No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg as his All-American First Team members this preseason.

The second team includes Love, Grant-Foster, Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV, UConn forward Alex Karaban and Auburn forward Johni Broome.

2024-25 AP All-American Team for men’s basketball

Mark Sears, Alabama, 6-1, 190 pounds, senior, 54 of 55 votes (17.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.3 apg, 50.8 fg pct, 85.7 FT pct)

RJ Davis, North Carolina, 6-0, 180, senior, 51 (21.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 47 steals, 86.7 FT pct)

Hunter Dickinson, Kansas, 7-2, 265, senior, 42 (17.9 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.3 apg, 54.8 fg pct, 47 blocks)

Johni Broome, Auburn, 6-10, 240, junior, 34 (16.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 54.8 fg pct, 78 blocks)

Caleb Love, Arizona, 6-4, 205, senior, 24 (18 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.5 apg, 93 3-pointers, 44 steals)

Cooper Flagg, Duke, 6-9, 205, freshman, 24 (16.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.8 spg, 2.7 bpg at Monteverde Academy in Florida)

Others receiving votes: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton (15 votes); Alex Karaban, UConn (10); LJ Cryer, Houston (5); Braden Smith, Purdue (5); Kam Jones, Marquette (2); Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State (2); Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M; Johnell Davis, Arkansas; Norchard Omier, Baylor; Ace Bailey, Rutgers; Robbie Avila, Saint Louis; Tucker DeVries, West Virginia; Tre Johnson, Texas

Arizona Wildcats basketball

Arizona...

Associated Press

Arizona goes cold from deep as 6-game win streak snapped with loss at red-hot Kansas State

Arizona missed a desperation heave at the buzzer, and Dug McDaniel scored a season-high 24 points to lead Kansas State past No. 13 Arizona, ending its six-game win streak.

29 minutes ago

Tobe Awaka won the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Monday...

Brandon Cadiz

Arizona Wildcats’ Tobe Awaka named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week

Arizona Wildcats' junior forward Tobe Awaka was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week after averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

9 hours ago

Arizona jumped up seven spots in Monday's AP poll...

Associated Press

College basketball rankings: Arizona jumps up 7 spots in AP poll

The Arizona Wildcats again saw positive movement up The Associated Press' top 25 men's basketball rankings on Monday.

1 day ago

Arizona...

Damon Allred

No. 20 Arizona dominant inside, gets revenge against No. 13 Texas Tech for lone conference loss

No. 20 Arizona men's basketball hit the paint hard in a show of physicality to beat No. 13 Texas Tech, avenging its lone loss in Big 12 play.

3 days ago

BYU guard Egor Demin (3) drives between Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5) and forward Trey Townsend during...

Lance Hartzler

No. 20 Arizona clamps down late to seal win over BYU

The No. 20 Arizona and BYU men's basketball teams were in a fun one in Provo, Utah, Tuesday night.

7 days ago

The Arizona Wildcats and UConn Huskies are finalizing a home-and-home series...

Tyler Drake

Arizona and UConn finalizing home-and-home men’s basketball series

The Arizona Wildcats are reportedly finalizing an agreement with the UConn Huskies for a home-and-home series beginning in the 2025-26 season.

8 days ago

Arizona’s Caleb Love, GCU’s Tyon Grant-Foster make Jay Bilas’ preseason All-America team