On the day that Caleb Love returned to Arizona for his Ring of Honor induction, Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats could have used his shot-making the most.

Love’s reputation as an uninhibited shooter with a knack for making baskets in clutch moments made him a polarizing college basketball figure. Like him or loathe him, Love’s game was well-suited for Arizona’s style of play.

Arizona’s style helped prepare Love for a career in the NBA, the Portland Trailblazers guard said Saturday upon visiting McKale Center at ALKEME Arena.

“I thank Tommy a lot because he kind of runs an NBA-style offense with how fast paced it is, heavy ball screens, things like that,” Love said. “I definitely give a lot of credit to him and the coaching staff with how they run things.”

Love is one of the NBA’s best surprises through the first half of the season. An undrafted free agent, Love signed on with the Trailblazers with the hope of making the opening night roster.

Love has since surpassed all expectations, becoming a core player in the Trailblazers’ rotation. He ranks ninth among all rookies in points per game (11.3). He’s made 93 three-points in 45 games, fourth-most among the rookie class.

Love has also adjusted to a different role than he was accustomed to in college.

“(My) welcome to the NBA moment is probably coming off the bench,” Love said. “I never came off the bench ever in my life. Let alone I’ve got DNPs.”

He’s getting used to not being the guy.

“You got to be a pro,” Love said. “You can’t be looking down or being sorry for yourself or saying ‘I deserve this or I deserve that’ because it’s a business at the end of the day and you got to come in and be a professional.”

Love was prepared for the mental side of a professional career well before he got to NBA, Lloyd said last week. The St. Louis native has been under the spotlight since he was a teenager. First as a McDonald’s All-American signed to North Carolina, then as a Tarheel, and followed by his time at Arizona.

Love experienced the highest of highs as a college basketball player, both at UNC and Arizona. His lows were just as well documented, from an infamous falling out at Chapel Hill to tough stretches in Tucson.

“A lot of times when a young player goes to the NBA, they haven’t yet experienced the lowest,” Lloyd said. “So I think in order for you to ultimately be successful at that level, we have to know how you’re going to respond to a struggle. And he had been through the struggle, and he had come out of it the other side. So I was really confident that he was going to earn his opportunity, and once he earned his opportunity, he was going to take advantage of it.”

Love’s induction into the McKale Center Ring of Honor marked the first time Arizona fans have seen him in Tucson since finishing his Wildcats. It won’t be the last.

“I’ve been watching every game,” Love said. “Even if we we sometimes have games on the same day. I’m in the locker room before the game because, you know, I’m so invested in it, and I’m so happy to see, you know, the start that we’ve had. Halftime, I’m checking my phone to see what the score is. So I’m definitely invested in it. When I left for Arizona, this is always gonna be home.“