It did not take long before Jalen Love transitioned from a talented, but inexperienced freshman guard into a major force on the court for the University of Denver men’s basketball team.

After spending November of last season coming off the bench, Love got his first start against Mercer in Magness Arena on December 5, 2013. From that point on there was not much looking back. Love would go on to start 24 games of the Pioneers’ 32 games and averaged 7.2 points, 1.5 assists and 23.5 minutes per game during his first-year campaign.

November 2012 now seems like a distant memory, and Love has since continued to improve upon his basketball acumen and to take on added responsibilities as a member of head coach Joe Scott’s young Pioneer team. As the 2013-14 season begins to gather steam, Love has transformed himself from an auxiliary piece of the DU squad into a key part of the success the team hopes to have this year.  

“Jalen has done well adjusting to a new role with the team, and as he grows this season and in the future he is going to have to continue to adjust,” Scott says. “Each new move brings with it new responsibilities, and a winning team is made up of players that can deal with them. I think Jalen’s success will continue to depend upon how he deals with those responsibilities.”

Thus far, Love has done well with the added duties and the pressure that comes with them. Through the first seven games, he was third on the team with a 10.4 points-per-game scoring average and is averaging 31.9 minutes-per-game for the Pioneers.

Love’s offseason training was integral to this improvement as well as his transition from a green freshman to an experienced sophomore. Of particular focus for Love was developing a more complete view of the court and adding to his strength.

“I tried to work on my knowledge as a whole and become a student of the game,” says Love. “This season I feel like I am able to see the floor better, which has helped my passing and my ability to put my teammates in a better position to score.”

It is a perfect mixture of swagger, talent and levelheadedness that has allowed Love to capitalize on these improvements and embrace the added responsibilities he now has for the Crimson and Gold.

“I was raised to never get too high or too low and to always remain even-keel when out on the court,” Love adds. “My father played a big part in teaching me that and I think it has helped me understand the game better.”

Love’s cool, calm and collected confidence has translated well to the court where his defense has also seen improvement.

“I spent a lot of time in the weight room over the summer and worked on getting stronger,” Love says. “My defense has improved because of the added strength, which is good because being a solid defender is contagious. If we can get more stops as a team, that can translate to more points.”

Love’s assist and turnover numbers are yet more signs of the sophomore’s improvement this year. Through the first seven games, Love tallied only five turnovers compared to 13 assists.

“I really worked on taking care of the ball,” Love states. “I was not a good passer last year so I wanted to work on that.”

It has been these little things – defense, passing and ball handling – that are the most impressive improvements. For Scott, these are the things that matter even though they are not always the ones that garner the most attention.

“Jalen continues to get stronger and any improvement in the future is going to depend upon that strength,” Scott says. “Great players are those willing to take on the little responsibilities and not just seek to score. Jalen’s growth will continue to depend on this.”

A tough December remains for the Pioneers prior to beginning Summit League play at South Dakota on Jan. 11. If Denver is to compete for a league title, tournament championship and trip to the postseason come March, Love must continue to apply the fruits of his mental and physical improvement on the court.

“It is important for me to play good defense, take good shots and get my teammates involved,” says Love. “Playing smart basketball is going to be very important as the season continues.”

As Love continues to grow as a basketball player and embrace the little things that come his way, the Crimson and Gold will continue to reap the benefits.