Justin Love Joins Phoenix Suns' Camp

ST. LOUIS - Former Saint Louis Billikens guard Justin Love (San Francisco, Calif. / Sacred Heart HS) today joined the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns' rookie/free agent camp in Phoenix. Love will work out with the Suns' other summer league players at America West Arena for the next three days before playing with the Phoenix entry in the Rocky Mountain Revue Summer League.

Love was excited by the opportunity. "It's been a stressful few months, so it's a relief in a sense to get started," he said. "Wherever I've had the opportunity to play, I've produced. So, this is another opportunity to produce and another chance to prove people wrong."

Love was selected first-team All-Conference by Conference USA coaches and media following the 1999-2000 season. He was named MVP of the C-USA Tournament and to the All-Tournament team while averaging 21 points per game and setting tournament records for total points (84) and three-point goals (11). He led the Bills to the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional in Cleveland.

Love was named team MVP and Offensive Player of the Year at the Billikens' annual awards banquet. He was C-USA's second-leading scorer at 18.2 ppg and led the Bills in scoring, threes made (71), free throw percentage (.821), assists (83) and steals (49).

Billikens head coach Lorenzo Romar is pulling for Love to make the Suns' regular-season roster. "You have to pull for guys like Justin who do it the right way-be a hard worker, have a great attitude, be extremely coachable, go to class and be a great citizen," Romar said. "He's been blessed with this opportunity, and I'm sure that he'll make the most of it."

Love stands as one of the Billikens' premier pure shooters. On the Billikens' all-time lists, his 16.3 ppg career scoring average ranks eighth; his 80.6 free throw percentage ranks seventh; his 40.6 three-point percentage ranks fourth; and his 113 threes-made list ranks sixth.

Love stood out at all three NBA pre-draft camps. He was named to the All-Tournament teams at both Portsmouth, where he averaged 16.7 ppg, and Phoenix. He was the seventh leading scorer at 13 ppg at the Chicago camp in June.

The Rocky Mountain Revue League plays a six-game schedule at Salt Lake City's Delta Center July 22-29. The Suns' game against Dallas on Thu., July 27, will be televised by ESPN at 6 p.m. (CT).