I was asked to write an article about the senior men’s basketball players, a fairly easy task, but one that I struggled immensely with. To try and get through my writers block, I did what any good, potentially great writer would do, I Googled it. My results came back with 25+ sentimental quotes for graduating seniors (shout out Pinterest) and all kinds of collages saying goodbye. Goodbye wasn’t the theme I was looking for; that’s too sad and misses what this article should be about—the four young men who constitute our senior class.  

This year, our four senior male basketball players are Adam Juhl, David Jeffries, Grant Wright, and Thomas Wisecup. 

I tore both of my knees in high school and painfully remember the rehab process like it was yesterday. That’s why my heart hurt when I found out Adam Juhl had torn his ACL last year at the conclusion of the season. A torn ACL is one of the worst injuries that an athlete can suffer and, unless you’re Adrian Peterson, it is extremely difficult to come back better than before. I chose to focus on that injury in Adam’s story because you can see the true character of a person when they’re faced with the toughest of challenges. Adam has come back from his injury and truly excelled this year. His game winning 3 pointer at Simpson earlier this year may have been Adam’s shining moment for many fans, but for me, seeing him back on the court, healthy, is what I will cherish most.  

David Jeffries came to Buena Vista University (BVU) last year as a transfer and has spent the last two years making a significant impact on and off the court. David is one of the nicest people I have ever met, which is a complete 180 from how he plays on the court: fearless and attacking.  What I really like about David is that he is unequivocally himself: he’s comfortable and confident in who he is and that is a trait we should all strive for. The only negative thing I can say about David is that he took two years to get here, but I am glad he eventually made it to BVU! 

I recently asked Grant what his mindset is, with this being his last year of being a college athlete. Grant said he came into this year with the mindset of enjoying every day and truly appreciating everything. He said that this year has been his most enjoyable yet. Grant has played in every game this year but I don’t think I am saying anything too outrageous when I say he doesn’t play the lion’s share of the available minutes. What I respect most about Grant is that the lack of or diminished playing time has never affected who he is as a person. He still remains extremely positive and has been a great leader this year.  He has a lot to be proud of on and off the basketball (and tennis) courts. 

Last but not least is Thomas (Tom) Wisecup, who might be the most statistically accomplished of our four seniors. But I will have you know, I can still check him 1-on-1 and when it comes to 21, he stands no chance. Tom has started for three years, which is pretty impressive considering he came to BVU to play baseball and only went out for basketball to meet girls. Tom has taught me a lot these last four years, not really about chemistry (his major), but more about being a good person and caring about others. I’ve also learned that it is possible for a human to sleep 28 hours and I truly believe that his alarm has woken me up more times than himself. Tom is a great guy who I know will be successful in whatever he pursues post-BVU.  

We have four young men who have represented our university and community with class and we should be very proud of them. A common saying in athletics is to leave the jersey in a better place than you got it. No matter how their season concludes, our four seniors have absolutely raised the bar for what it means to represent Buena Vista University.