Yeo Jun-seok (21-Gonzaga) could be in the starting lineup in his first year of NCAA basketball competition.
“If Antawn Watson (23) does not return,스포츠토토 Ben Gregg (21) or Joon-seok Yeo (21) will likely start,” the official student newspaper Gonzaga Bulletin wrote in its 2023-24 basketball projections.
Watson declared for the NBA Draft after leading the 2022-23 NCAA Division I West Coast Conference (WCC) in offensive rating, second in steal percentage and third in true shooting percentage.
Playing just 11.9 minutes per game last season, Gregg showed his inside dominance by ranking 12th in the WCC in blocked shots and 18th in offensive rebounds. He also ranks 12th in the WCC in offensive rebounding and 14th in blocked shots.
Yeo enrolled at Gonzaga four months ago, but as a midseason roster addition, he only practiced with the basketball team as a freshman. He will make his American debut in 2023-24 in NCAA Division 1 as a sophomore.
While Gregg is known for his defensive presence, Yeo is expected to be an offensive force. He shined at the 2021 FIBA U-19 World Cup with Yongsan High School, averaging 25.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals and a 24.7 CPG as South Korea finished 15th in the tournament.
He became the first South Korean to win two individual titles at the U-19 Basketball World Cup by finishing first in scoring and contributions. He finished in the top five in four categories, including second in rebounds per game and tied for fifth in steals.
Gonzaga is the defending WCC champion, having won 28 regular-season titles and 21 playoff titles since 1966. In 2022-23, the team won the conference title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA round of 68 tournament.