Photo by Joshua A. Bickel, USA Today
Cal Basketball: Three Ex-Bears Adjusting to New Homes in Ohio, Arkansas and Texas
It seems a long time ago now, but three starters departed the Cal basketball program back in the spring of 2019 after the Bears made a coaching change.
Those three — Justice Sueing, Connor Vanover and Darius McNeill — would be welcome additions to the current Bears’ roster. All are thriving at their new addresses.
This was just an example of business as usual in college athletics. With any coaching change, players leave. It’s not a reflection on Mark Fox, who replaced Wyking Jones. It’s just what happens.
After sitting out as transfers last season, here’s an update on how Sueing, Vanover and McNeill are faring in their first season of eligibility at their new schools:
-- Justice Sueing, Ohio State: 6-7 junior forward
Sueing at Ohio State: Sueing had offseason surgery for a left foot injury he sustained in practice while redshirting last season. He’s past that now and through three games, Sueing is the Buckeyes’ leading scorer at 15.0 points per game. He is shooting 64% from the floor, has made 3-for-6 on threes and averages 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Sueing had 19 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes in his Buckeyes’ debut vs. Illinois State.
Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann on Sueing:
"He just has a variety of ways in which he can attack you, and he's pretty powerful. You combine his size with his ball skills and his athleticism, and he's a good player. He's that versatile wing/forward that is really valuable in today's game."
Sueing’s post-game reaction following his debut vs. Illinois State:
"As soon as I got out there being with my teammates, I feel like we all gel really well together. So playing off of them and then playing off of my energy, I felt like it's really easy for us to click. Once we were actually out there in uniform, even though there's no fans, we were able to feed off each other and get things going and really come out with a win tonight."
Brendan Gulick of Buckeyes Now on Sueing’s first game:
"Justice Sueing had a fabulous debut. A lot of Buckeye fans were anxious to see how he'd fare after having to sit out last season and he was sensational. Sueing finished the game with 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and eight rebounds. He finished at the rim, he played great defense, he played fast while under control. Really impressive debut for Sueing."
Sueing at Cal: Played two seasons for the Bears, starting 61 times and averaging 14.1 points and 5.7 rebounds. He had 11 games of at least 20 points, including 27 against Washington as a freshman and 27 vs. Arizona as a sophomore in 2018-19.
Next: The Buckeyes (3-0) play Tuesday at Notre Dame
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Photo courtesy of University of Arkansas
-- Connor Vanover, Arkansas: 7-3 sophomore forward
Vanover at Arkansas: The Little Rock native has started the past three of the Razorbacks’ four games, averaging 11.8 points and team bests of 8.8 rebounds and 3.75 blocked shots in his return home. He is shooting 62 percent from the field and has made 47 percent of his 3-point attempts. His eight 3-pointers are the most on the team. Vanover scored a season-high 23 points off the bench in Arkansas’ opening win over Mississippi Valley State. He had 16 rebounds and six blocked shots vs. North Texas.
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman explaining Vanover’s impact as the “goalie” in their “shadow” trapping defensive scheme after the North Texas win:
"Connor was great. He altered shots, six blocked shots, 16 rebounds, 14 defensive rebounds. Sometimes you can have a huge impact on a game (without scoring much) and it’s important for all of our guys to understand Connor contributed in so many ways. He only had six points and he only took four shots, but he did a great job impacting the win."
Vanover on his debut performance:
“It was surreal. It is amazing to be back in Arkansas in an Arkansas uniform where I grew up watching on my TV all the time. It was special to come back here and really put a good performance on for the state."
Vanover at Cal: Vanover averaged 7.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and had a team-best 35 blocked shots in his lone season at Cal in 2018-19. He played in 28 games, starting 15. He emerged late in the season, averaging 12.8 points over the final 10 games, including 24 vs. Stanford.
Next: Arkansas (4-0) returns to action Tuesday at Tulsa.
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Photo courtesy of SMU Athletics
-- Darius McNeil, SMU: 6-3 junior guard
McNeill at SMU: McNeill dealt with a left hand injury before the season and missed the Mustangs’ opener. He has played all three games since then off the bench, averaging 7.3 points and 3.0 rebounds. The Houston native is shooting 39 percent from the field, including just 3-for-10 on 3-point attempts. He scored 13 points in 15 minutes against Houston Baptist.
SMU coach Tim Jankovich on McNeill’s role with the Mustangs:
“He's a very important part of our team and we need him to have a good year. He’s very capable. He's very fast, very quick, very strong will, tough competitor. He shot the ball very well for two years at Cal, was a double-figure scorer there for two years and and so he should have a big role for us."
McNeill on a second-half flurry that helped him score 13 points vs. Houston Baptist in his second game:
“It kind of gave me my old self back, the Darius McNeill who was at Pac-12. A little flashback. It really helped me know I’m getting my groove back.”
McNeill at Cal: Started 58 of 63 games in two seasons with the Bears, averaging 11.0 points as a freshman, 11.3 as a sophomore. He broke Allen Crabbe’s freshman record by making 67 threes in 2017-18 and scored a career-high 30 points against Cal State Fullerton that season. McNeill was a 35-percent shooter from the 3-point arc during his time at Cal.
Next: SMU’s game against Vanderbilt scheduled for Tuesday was canceled. The Mustangs (4-0) will play next on Dec. 16 against East Carolina.
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