ASU's Hurley Hints Arizona's Caleb Love Won't Get All Big-12 Vote After Altercation

Arizona's Caleb Love may have lost ASU head coach Bobby Hurley's All-Big 12 vote after Saturday's mid-game altercation with BJ Freeman.

"I do get a vote for all-conference, and I can tell you who's not getting the vote," Hurley said Saturday, per Arizona Sports.

Both players were assessed technical fouls and ejected from Saturday's rivalry game following a scuffle in the second half that involved Freeman head-butting Love.

Hurley responded by clearing the bench with 30 seconds remaining and forgoing handshakes after ASU's 81-72 loss.

When asked about the decision to not shake hands with Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd after the game, Hurley answered: "If you were right near our bench, it was relentless, constant chatter from a couple of the Arizona players that was not being policed properly."

"And of course, they're going to be happy with winning, but it was done with no class," Hurley said (h/t 247Sports' Chris Karpman.) "And words that were said, back and forth, led to the moment where Freeman lost it, and lost his cool, because of the constant talk that was allowed to go on.

"So, I had to make the tough decision to obviously, in the best interest of our team, to get them into the locker rooms so there would be no further incidents in the rest of the game."

Lloyd meanwhile said the clash at the end of the game was "disappointing, probably on all sides."

"We want to be a program that, when tough things happen, we want to respond with class, and I don't know if we did or didn't," Lloyd said (h/t Mark McClune.) "Just a tough moment in an emotional game."

Love, who is playing in his fifth college season and second with Arizona, was named Pac-12 Player of the Year last season. It looks like Hurley would like to push against him earning more honors in his new conference following the Wildcats' move to the Big 12 ahead of the 2023-25 season.

Saturday's loss marked the fourth straight game the Sun Devils have dropped to their in-state rivals. ASU is now 1-9 in their last ten matchups with Arizona, with their lone win over that streak coming in February 2023.

Hurley and Lloyd's teams will meet again on March 4, when Arizona hosts the rivalry matchup at McKale Center.