Post by mhbruin on Apr 14, 2021 9:22:42 GMT -8
First up are the last place California Golden Bears. In the 2020 season, they managed 7 conference wins. In 2021, they only won 3 conference games. It wasn't easy being a worse team than the Washington Huskies, but the Bad Team Bears did it!
The good news is they get almost everyone back. The bad news is that they get almost everyone back from the worst team in the league. And that "almost"? They lose their best player.
GRADUATING
Ryan Betley will not return and is taking time off from basketball. He would have been a 5th-year senior.
As far as I know he is the only player in the Pac-12 who isn't turning pro who also won't be using his extra year of eligibility.
Could he take a year or two off and then use it? I don't know.
IN THE DRAFT
You have to be kidding.
TRANSFERRING OUT
Matt Bradley was their leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. Bradley did not seem to be happy for most of last season.
RETURNING
Cal's season really is hanging on one hope: That recruiting rankings out of don't mean anything. They have a ton of experience back, but on paper this team looks devoid of talent. They have no top 100 players and only one 4-star.
Their only 4-star, is Bowser. They had high hopes for him, but he was hurt much of his first freshman season. In limited play, he only shot 32% from the floor, but he did have a good 2.0 A/TO ratio. However, he wasn't exactly a hot commodity out of HS with offers from places like CSUN and Hoffstra.
The good news is they get almost everyone back. The bad news is that they get almost everyone back from the worst team in the league. And that "almost"? They lose their best player.
GRADUATING
Player | Minutes | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
Ryan Betley | 27 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
Ryan Betley will not return and is taking time off from basketball. He would have been a 5th-year senior.
As far as I know he is the only player in the Pac-12 who isn't turning pro who also won't be using his extra year of eligibility.
Could he take a year or two off and then use it? I don't know.
IN THE DRAFT
You have to be kidding.
TRANSFERRING OUT
Player | Minutes | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Destination |
Matt Bradley | 30 | 18 | 5 | 2 | San Diego State |
Matt Bradley was their leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. Bradley did not seem to be happy for most of last season.
RETURNING
Player | Minutes | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Class | Recruiting Stars | Recruiting Rank |
Grant Anticevich | 30 | 9 | 5 | 2 | Sr 5 | 3 | 320 |
Joel Brown | 26 | 5 | 3 | 3 | Jr | 3 | 191 |
Andre Kelly | 26 | 10 | 6 | 1 | Jr | 3 | 272 |
Makale Foreman | 21 | 7 | 1 | 2 | Sr 5 | Unranked | |
Jarred Hyder | 16 | 5 | 1 | 2 | Jr | Unranked | |
Lars Thiemann | 13 | 3 | 3 | 0 | Jr | Unranked | |
Jalen Celestine | 13 | 3 | 2 | 1 | So | 3 | 402 |
Kuany Kuany | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Jr | 3 | 354 |
Monty Bowser | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | So | 4 | 116 |
Their only 4-star, is Bowser. They had high hopes for him, but he was hurt much of his first freshman season. In limited play, he only shot 32% from the floor, but he did have a good 2.0 A/TO ratio. However, he wasn't exactly a hot commodity out of HS with offers from places like CSUN and Hoffstra.
Antecevich and Kelly made up for a lack of quickness with some solid fundamentals. They both played well last season, given their limitations.
Thiemann is a 7-footer, but not mobile.
Joel Brown isn't a bad PG. He is a decent shooter, but doesn't shoot much and has an OK 1.7 A/TO ratio.
Fresno State transfer Jarred Hyder showed some promise last season.
Thiemann is a 7-footer, but not mobile.
Joel Brown isn't a bad PG. He is a decent shooter, but doesn't shoot much and has an OK 1.7 A/TO ratio.
Fresno State transfer Jarred Hyder showed some promise last season.
Kuany Kuany has been compared to Chris Smith as a freshman. He has potential. Cal is still waiting for the light to come on.
It's hard to see much on this roster to get excited about. This seems more like the roster of a school like CSUN than a Pac-12 school.
It's hard to see much on this roster to get excited about. This seems more like the roster of a school like CSUN than a Pac-12 school.
RECRUITS
(#63 class, #8 in Pac-12)
(#63 class, #8 in Pac-12)
Player | Position | Recruiting Stars | Recruiting Rank | Offers |
Marsalis Roberson | SG | 3 | 157 | Cal Poly, CSUN, Illinois-Chicago |
Obinna Anyanwu | PF | 3 | 161 | Colorado, Georgia Tech, Miami, Oklahoma |
Sam Alajiki | SG | Unranked | Columbia, Howard, New Mexico |
By Cal's recent standards this is a pretty good recruiting class. Anyanwu seems like the best of the bunch, with some offers from good schools.
TRANSFERRING IN
- None -
CONCLUSION
Last season I predicted, "Bradley will keep them out of last place." He didn't. Now Coach Mark Fox has lost Bradley, and there doesn't seem to be much help on the way.
Coach Wooden said, "I'd rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent." Coach Fox has a lot of experience and a little talent on this roster. This is the formula for a bad season.
Unless he can find a way to upgrade the talent, Coach Fox's stay in Berkley may be a short and unhappy one.
The only good news is that Washington may be even worse. I am not sure that will be much consolation.
Last season I predicted, "Bradley will keep them out of last place." He didn't. Now Coach Mark Fox has lost Bradley, and there doesn't seem to be much help on the way.
Coach Wooden said, "I'd rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent." Coach Fox has a lot of experience and a little talent on this roster. This is the formula for a bad season.
Unless he can find a way to upgrade the talent, Coach Fox's stay in Berkley may be a short and unhappy one.
The only good news is that Washington may be even worse. I am not sure that will be much consolation.