Cal Basketball: Seniors Grant Anticevich, Makale Foreman to Return in 2021-22
Grant Anticevich and Makale Foreman will become second-time seniors on the Cal basketball team next season.
The two announced Wednesday they will take advantage of an NCAA ruling that allows winter-sport athletes to play a fifth season within a span of six years, as a result of interruptions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anticevich, a fourth-year forward from Sydney, Australia and Foreman, a transfer guard from Stony Brook, both will utilize the additional year.
“These two guys have the ability to shoot the ball and will continue to get better as players," coach Mark Fox said. "They’re both great kids and they deserve to have a great experience. We’re excited for them and for us.”
*** SATURDAY TIME CHANGE: The Pac-12 announced Wednesday that that the Bears' regular-season finale against Oregon on Saturday at Haas Pavilion has been moved from 7 p.m. to 1 p.m. The game now will be aired on the Pac-12 Network.
Grad transfer Ryan Betley, formerly of Penn, has not made a decision about possibly returning in 2021-22. Betley is the only other senior on the roster. Fox said he doesn't expect Betley to make a decision until perhaps several weeks after the season ends, adding that Betley is welcome to take as much as time as he needs.
Anticevich is averaging a career-best 9.2 points this season despite missing several weeks after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in December. Anticevich has totaled 565 points and 371 rebounds in 103 career games.
“I’m extremely grateful and excited to have the opportunity to play under Coach Fox for another year, and can’t wait to improve individually and contribute to the success of this program, one of which I’m honored to be a part of,” Anticevich said in a statement.
"Grant, with the appendectomy and the amount of time he missed and the fight to recover to the level he was at before, I’m thankful he gets the chance for another year," Fox said.
Makale Foreman
Photo by Chris Brown, USA Today
Cal is Foreman’s third college stop and he decided he’d like to stay for one more year. Having played previously at Chattanooga and Stony Brook, Foreman is averaging 8.2 points and has made 43 3-point baskets as a part-time starter for the Bears.
“I have decided to come back to Cal so that I can finish my master’s degree and also to have another year of developing and improving my game,” Foreman said. “By returning, I feel like I can have an impact on winning and building this program back to where it needs to be.”
Fox believes Foreman, who had no history with the program, will benefit from a more normal offseason. "It will be interesting to see how Makale can develop when we do have an offseason and we can sit in an office and study film — do the things you normally do," he said.
Fox recalls there being mixed emotions with some people after the NCAA made its decision to grant all players the extra year. That means juniors, such as Matt Bradley and Andre Kelly, would return next season as juniors once again.
The NCAA is temporarily expanding rosters and scholarship limits in order to accommodate the change.
"At the time I think a lot of people scratched their heads about it," Fox said. "After enduring the pandemic season, I think it was a great move by the NCAA.”
The Bears (8-17, 3-15) close out the Pac-12 regular season with home games Thursday against Oregon State and Saturday against Oregon.
Cal announced it will not stage Senior Day ceremonies on Saturday, in part because fans are not permitted on game days at Haas Pavilion. If Betley decides this is his final season with the Bears, he would be invite to return for Senior Day in 2022.
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Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
