"We'll be ready for them" - Arizona guard Caleb Love bullish on facing Cooper Flagg's Duke in Sweet 16 showdown

Arizona star Caleb Love led the No. 4-seeded Wildcats to a thrilling 87-83 win over the No. 5-seeded Oregon Ducks on Sunday. Love tallied 29 points on 55.6% shooting from the floor and 71.4% shooting from beyond the arc, nine rebounds and four assists in the game.

Next up for the Wildcats will be a familiar foe for Love, the Duke Blue Devils led by the talented Cooper Flagg who beat the No. 9-seeded Baylor Bears 89-66 on Sunday evening.

During his chat with the media after the win, Love was bullish about the prospect of facing the No. 1-seeded team and their superstar who is the favorite to win the National Player of the Year.

"We gotta go back, we gotta watch film, we gotta get ready for them and we gonna enjoy this win, but we'll be ready for them when it's time," Love said. "We'll be ready for them when it's time. I want to play Duke again, but it is crazy how many times I've seen them."

Caleb Love has experience beating Duke

Over his five-year college basketball career, Caleb Love has faced the Duke Blue Devils 10 times, including three with the Wildcats and seven times with his former team, the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are also Duke's arch-rivals.

During the 2022 Final Four matchup between the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils, Love produced a masterclass, scoring 28 points to beat them. Earlier last season, he also helped the Wildcats clinch a 78-73 win by scoring four free throws in the last 18 seconds of the game.

During his postgame news conference, Caleb Love was asked again about the upcoming game against the Duke Blue Devils.

"It’s a big matchup because it’s the next game,” he said. “It’s the only game that matters. Obviously, our mind was focused on Oregon, and we got it done, and now we’re going to get in the film room and lock in on Duke and what they do.

"Obviously, they’re a great team, they’re well coached, and we’ll be ready for ‘em when the time comes."

The last time that the Arizona Wildcats won the national championship was in 1997. The tip-off against the Blue Devils is scheduled for 9:39 p.m. EST on Thursday and will be broadcast live on CBS.