2019-2020 MBB: Juniors

With the departures of Justice Sueing and Darius McNeill, the junior class is very thin. However, out of the three returners, there is a glimpse of hope with Grant Anticevich and Juhwan Harris-Dyson returning. I’ll elaborate on them below, but in a nutshell, they both have much to offer.

Jules Erving - Forward

Jules has not seen very much action as a Golden Bear. He is the son of NBA great Julius Erving but has not played a significant role with the Bears. Going into this season, I do not see his role changing, and I expect him to continue on in the role he has always had.

Grant Anticevich - Forward

Grant did not have eye-opening statistics last season, but as the season went on, one could see the progress he was making as a player. Over time, he looked more confident -- his growth was visible. Though Grant only averaged 11 minutes per game last season, he was a burst of energy off the bench for the Bears. In 25 games played, he shot 44% from the field. Looking at his statistics from his first and second years, he made a big jump in nearly every category. I think as time goes on, Grant will continue to grow and become a better player.

I expect Grant to play a larger role this upcoming season, playing more minutes and being a bit more productive. I hope to see him shoot the ball more, I like his shot. Progressively over the course of the season, you could see he gained more confidence in his jump shot. I think the way he plays as a big is ideal considering the way in which basketball is going. He’s a big who can dribble decently and can shoot, which helps spread the floor out.

Juhwan Harris-Dyson - Guard

As a freshman, I liked watching him play. He was a young player who had a ton of energy and generally had many good games. He scored in double digits many times his first season, and showed a great deal of promise, but plateaued in his second year. He began his second season with a hand injury, but played in every game he suited up for. His role changed after the first season, as he moved to the bench unit after starting over half the games his freshman season. He did not look like the same player in the second season, and though he had some great moments in his second season, he did not improve in year two. Juhwan was often in foul trouble, and just played a bit ungrounded. As one of the best on-ball defenders, he could not figure out in year two how to prevent a few of the fouls from being called.

I think he is the biggest mystery among all returning players on the team because his career from this point on could go either way. He could either improve or digress in this upcoming season. I think when healthy and focused, he can be a great player on both sides of the floor. I still think his skill-set is special, and that he could be a big part of the production for this team this upcoming season. It is difficult for me to make a prediction for him because I think when he’s at his best, he could make a push for a starting wing position. Looking at the losses this team has had this off-season, he could possibly be a starter. At the least, I see him being top-seven in the rotation, bringing great defense and energy to the floor nightly.