UNC Basketball: This 2020 prospect is being recruited by Duke & UNC

This Midwest prospect is getting plenty of attention from East Coast schools, with Duke and North Carolina at the forefront

Top-40 class of 2020 prospect Caleb Love has been getting a lot of attention for a long time from schools in and around the St. Louis, Missouri area where he calls home. Programs such as Illinois, Indiana, Louisville and Missouri have all put an emphasis on landing Love. So, too, has Florida, Marquette, Purdue, Texas and, of course, his hometown Billikens.

It was only a matter of time, though, before Love, a 4-star prospect and No. 33 in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite, would start hearing from college basketball’s blue bloods. And that’s exactly what’s begun to happen in recent weeks.

According to Rivals recruiting analyst Eric Bossi, the top player in the state of Missouri has heard from Duke, North Carolina and Virginia, and all three programs are beginning to turn up the heat on Love’s recruitment.

"“For much of his recruitment, Love has been a primary Midwest target with programs like Indiana, Louisville, Illinois, Missouri, Saint Louis, Texas and others prioritizing him, Bossi said. But, ACC powers like Duke, North Carolina and National Champion Virginia have been getting more and more involved. He discussed the trio of ACC powers and pressure from fans of local programs.”"

For Love, it’s great getting attention from teams that have won a combined three of the past five national championships. For his other suitors, it’s not exactly the news they were hoping to hear. Chances are, Love will get offers from each of the aforementioned powerhouses. And while it doesn’t mean that he’ll definitely choose one of them, it absolutely makes it a more difficult task for the other schools recruiting him to reel him in.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound point guard recently sat down with Bossi to discuss his recruitment, and the looks that he’s been getting from three teams that nabbed a No. 1 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

"“They [UNC] just say that their process is different than any other school,” Love said. “They want to really get to know me. They want to get me on campus and they say that they usually offer late. They are telling me that they’ll be coming to watch during the EYBL season.Duke came around and came to my game when we played against Vashon to watch me and Cam’Ron Fletcher play. They’ve just been telling me the same kind of thing as North Carolina that their process is different and to be patient.The National Championship helps a lot,” Love said of Virginia. “You always want to go to a school that makes the Tournament but seeing them win it is a big plus for me. The coaches have been telling me that I could play in the same system and I see the same thing.”"

There’s no real feel for where Love will go to college, or if he’s leaning in any particular direction at this time. In fact, there isn’t a single Crystal Ball prediction from experts and analysts on 247Sports. We do know, though, that Love plans to cut his list down significantly sometime between mid to late summer, and hopes to make a commitment before his senior season begins this fall.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest news and information on the Caleb Love recruitment, and everything North Carolina basketball.