The Journey Ends: Tired Cal Falls to Poor Officiating, Duke Defense And Size
by Avinash on Mar 21, 2010 4:36 PM PDT
in Basketball
239 comments
It's been a great season. But it had to end. And for 63 of the 64 teams in the tournament, the ending is always bittersweet.
For our California Golden Bears to beat the Duke Blue Devils, everything had to go their way, and the moment Patrick Christopher got knocked up in the face by Jon Scheyer and his flailing elbow and missed the first five minutes, it just felt like our bad luck against top 10 teams would progress. Pretty sure Montgomery did not have Nikola Knezevic in his long-term plans and expect him to play the first five minutes. Christopher was a non-factor the rest of the game with only 2 points (getting cut up there is painful), and we knew we needed big games from both him and Theo Robertson to move on. Robertson finished 3-9 with 10 points. No miracle for us.
Jamal Boykin ended up taking the majority of shots (5-14, 13 points, 11 rebounds, one final double-double), and Jerome Randle nailed two final 3s on his way to the last 12 points of his top Cal scorer career. Markhuri Sanders-Frison finished 3-3 with 7 points before the refs decided he needed to foul out for being too big.
More thoughts coming. For now, give us your final thoughts on our seniors in the comments.
1) Randle
2) Christopher
3) Robertson
4) Boykin
5) Knezevic
This reminded me a lot of the Cal-USC game when we got outscored 25-0. Duke's defense dominated. I don't recall us getting any good looks--even our layups were pretty well-contested, and it showed with all the missed buckets at the rim. When you can't finish from inside and outside...well, I don't need to spell it out for you.
The positions Singler, Smith, and Scheyer were at on the perimeter really frustrated our Bears and forced them away from the numbers. You'd see Randle at 28 feet out and Smith would be right up in his grill. Theo and Patrick didn't seem comfortable with the looks they got, they didn't want to drive against Duke's bigs, and ended up giving Gutierrez the ball too much...which is always a scary scary prospect. Jorge took more shots than Christopher, so Duke's strategy worked very well.
Kudos to Coach K. Technically, I've always thought he was an overrated Xs and Os coach (and personally, I've always thought he was a pretty smarmy douche, and still do), but he gets his guys to contest on defense, which is really really tough to do on the college level. Everyone played very well and took away our jump shots, which has been the identity of our team from day 1. If they can keep on playing that way defensively, they will go far and definitely can win a title.
Obviously, as in almost every Duke game I've ever watched (and the big reason other than the extreme douchebaggery of their team), the officiating was blatantly one-sided. The moment Jorge Gutierrez stared down that ref after one particularly bad call, every call went against him and the Bears. One sequence went something like this...
Jorge gets bumped from behind and misses the layup as a result. No call.
Sanders-Frison exists. Foul on MSF.
Randle drives between four defenders, no foul called on a bump.
Randle drives for a layup, MSF called for a ticky-tack screen.
If basketball detractors want to point at reasons why our sport sucks, this is a pretty good example. Bad officiating can destroy a game. Which is probably why everyone hates Duke--watching their games as an opponent can SUCK.
(Yeah yeah I know, to harp on this too much would be petty of me. But it's just too easy to do when it involves Duke.)
But ultimately, it was just size that killed us. Duke was the bigger team and it showed. Lots of easy offensive rebounds and putbacks, lots of good defense for 30 seconds that ended with a big man dunking or laying it in. Zoubek is not an impressive athlete, but he is tall, and none of our guys on the floor were taller. Sucks when that's the reason we lose, but that was pretty much what happened.
Despite his offensive non-game, Christopher along with Jorge bothered Scheyer pretty well (1 for 11), but Smith got the best of Randle (9-18, 20 points), as did Singler on Robertson (6-12, 17 points). Add in Zoubek's perfect 6 for 6 game and Plumlee's 3 for 4, and it's no surprise Duke eventually pulled away from Cal.
Ultimately, it's only a mildly disappointing finish to a historic season. Hey, when you lose four games against top FIVE competition, what can you do? We're still Pac-10 champions, and nothing can take that away from us.
You guys will be missed.
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:-(
Not to get into this too early, but is Monty bringing in some guys with size for next year?
Randy Hahn: "I’ve been referred to as a playa…"
Kamp will be back
As will MSF and Zhang. Size will not be our problem next year.
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Solomon is 6’9 200, and looks very active, like Amoke
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
by norcalnick on Mar 21, 2010 4:44 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
He is probably two years away from breaking the rotation. Bak Bak will have a better shot next year.
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by Avinash on Mar 21, 2010 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Praise be to Bak Bak!
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
by norcalnick on Mar 21, 2010 4:52 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I disagree
I think Solomon is going to back up Kamp at the power forward position, give 10-15 minutes a game non conference and 5-10 in conference. As Jay John said at one of the Cal Alumni Association Hoops parties, he is “bouncy” and (paraphrasing) “we really don’t have anyone like him on our team, who can go up and get a rebound”. Bak may have one extra year on him, but Bak is really raw, and solomon can contribute on the boards immediately.
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Should I read this as you thinking that Amoke will be playing small forward,
or as you thinking that he will not be playing for Cal at all anymore?
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I was counting on him starting at the three
after so much time playing out of position at the four, I was really looking forward to what he could do at the three. I mean, he was getting a ton of offensive boards against opposing power forwards…imagine what he could do against opposing threes.
That said, if the rumors are true, I doubt he’s on the team next year, which leaves a major hole at the three. Who do you start there? My guess is Jorge at the 1, Crabbe at 2, Kamp at 4, Markhuri at 5…no idea about the three. Maybe Smith at the one and bump the other two up positions.
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Jorge probably starts, which is too bad, because he’s more effective off the bench. I’d actually prefer Smith starts (even if he’s ineffective) and Jorge comes off the bench.
Smith (with Franklin and Jorge getting spot-time)
Crabbe (Jorge his main backup, unless Seeley develops big time)
Madness at the 3 spot (Seeley? Carter? Jorge?)
Kamp (Bak, Thurman, Solomon splitting time)
MSF (Zhang backup)
Very intriguing to see how Monty makes it all fit.
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Now that you mention Seeley, what’s going on there? He barely got minutes after the Arizona game and got none in the NCAA tournament.
I am a Vereenian.
it's because
he sucks.
No, not really, he’s very talented offensively. But he puts in approximately zero effort defensively. He actually was much better defensively (and put in some effort) towards the end of the season. But he has a long ways to go.
Without Christopher in front of him, I actually think he has a decent chance of stepping up and becoming a contributor – it all depends on his attitude and the amount of work he puts in in the off season.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
But he puts in approximately zero effort defensively. He actually was much better defensively (and put in some effort) towards the end of the season. But he has a long ways to go.
IIRC, the last time Seeley got significant minutes was the Arizona game at Haas. I thought he played well offensively in the game. But what you say above reminded me of a point in the game where Seeley looked to be getting back lackadaisically on defense. I noticed Monty getting animated on the sideline. I wondered at the time if he was yelling at Seeley to get back and play some D. I think Seeley was subbed out shortly thereafter.
I am a Vereenian.
agree on Jorge, but we need to remember, his role these past two years has been the sixth man/energy/defender, and he’s done it very well. If his role becomes starting point guard, I think there’s a decent chance he developes into it. He’s a much better shooter and ball handler than he was last year, and there’s no reason to think he won’t improve a lot before next year. Farudo think’s he’ll be all Pac-10 next year – he might get there.
You’re line up is mine – there is a huge hole at that three, assuming Amoke is gone. Really too bad.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
With Kamp’s intelligence and versatility, is there any chance Cal goes extra big with Kamp at the 3, MSF at the 4 and Max at the 5? Or is that too slow to defend guards and the perimeter?
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
no chance
Kamp is a legit 6’8 and way too slow to play the tree, both offensively and defensively. Plus, that completely eliminates our depth down low, with all of them playing at once.
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Kamp might be able to pull off the 3
But no way MSF can pull off the 4. 5 is his position.
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disagree – no way Kamp can play the three, and I think Markhuri could play some at the four, assuming he gets in shape.
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assuming he gets in shape
Big assumption. I think MSF has got some potential, especially on offense, but he needs to trade lose like 30 pounds of fat in the offseason. I think he got a LOT of completely bogus and unfair fouls, but he also got a lot of legit fouls because he’s too fat to move his legs enough on defense, so he ends up reaching.
"atomsareenough—cleaning up CGB one day at a time until we finally get that press pass." - Berkelium97
by atomsareenough on Mar 22, 2010 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions
trade
"atomsareenough—cleaning up CGB one day at a time until we finally get that press pass." - Berkelium97
by atomsareenough on Mar 22, 2010 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions
So, who do I believe? CBKWit or Avi? Or does it not matter since two different arguments still result in my proposal not working?
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Just dream of Bak Bak at the 3 (which would be hilarious) and all is well.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
Bak is faster and more athletic than Kamp
but very raw, so equally ridiculous. Really, there’s a huge hole at the three without Amoke and unless Rossi is way more ready than anyone has said, it’s going to be very interesting to see who plays here.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
Just go with a 3-guard lineup, like 90% of the other college teams out there...
It’s not that big a deal. Most college teams do not have a NBA-prototypical small forward— they’re either 3 guards and two posts, or 3 guards, a wing, and one post.
Reports on Rossi’s shooting stroke are extremely positive. Haven’t heard much else, so I assume he’s going to be used the way Stanford used Drew Shiller back when they had actual depth, as someone whose contribution to the offense is off screens or as a stationary target. That takes him out of the running as a starter. But I could really see any three of Seeley/Gutierrez/Crabbe/Franklin/Smith manning the spots as starters.
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Well, I don't know what "the rumors" are, so you're going to have to enlighten me on that one...
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
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Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
A search of this site can probably turn up the accusations, though I’d prefer if it didn’t. They might be true, they might not, but at this point they really are just rumors, and I hate propagating them without some semblance of evidence.
Suffice it to say that if all the rumors are true, I very much hope Amoke is kicked off the team.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
OK, whatever
Saying “there are rumors”, and then refusing to say what the rumors are, is asinine. I don’t really appreciate being unnecessarily forced to waste my time.
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10 to 15 minutes as a frosh?
From watching his film he still looks like he has a lot to develop.
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in non-conference, yeah
They are going to try to keep Kamp’s minutes down, and if Solomon is raw, then Bak certainly is too.
Kamp is going to be playing 32-35 in Pac-10 play, and I think Solomon will back him up…then again, maybe Markhuri will take some back up minutes at the four with Max at the five. That actually makes a lot of sense, assuming Markhuri can cut down on the fouls.
But I do think Solomon will get a fair amount of playing time. According to the coaches, he can board, and they’re excited to have that on their roster.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
Possibly
I’d like to think we can be versatile and go small when Kamp isn’t on the floor, but perhaps we’ll stick with a size lineup when we go to the bench.
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true
Heck, Kamp is such a good defender we could go four out with him as the defacto post. But which four guards? Who knows at this point.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
Am I the only one a little excited about this? I want to see who is going to step up.
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 10:12 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm not happy we lost
And I think you’ll find scant people here who are. But I am MORE upset about how we lost than the fact we lost. The officiating was crap. Our shots also weren’t falling, and that may or may not have been due to us getting mauled with impunity.
Yup
My prevailing feeling at the end of the game was not sadness but irritation. To have what was otherwise a historic season end in such a profoundly lame fashion was anticlimactic, to say the least.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
My Thoughts
I think everything starts with size. Duke opened with several offensive rebounds and pressuring the paint, Cal then had to send multiple defensive rebounders to offset Duke’s one. In these rebound battles, Duke’s committing big would lean and use size to challenge for every rebound. This wore out all of Cal’s players. Therefore, on offense, they had limited ball movement and missed jumpshots, a side effect of fatigue. In spite of the rebounding being about even for the game, Cal spent far more energy rebounding than duke, this discrepancy manifested itself in the other facets of the game. Not to mention, Duke had a huge advantage on the glass during their initial run.
Furthermore, Cal needed to start strong, instead they looked tense, excerbated when Christopher went out, and further excerbated when Gutierrez picked up his two quick fouls. Playing Nikola Knezevic meaningful minutes was not part of Cal’s game plan. Unforced errors lead to an early Duke lead, Cal countered with a nice run, but Duke ratcheted up their defense, and in spite of a nice 3 minute burst Cal never settled in.
In the second half, Cal had a window of opportunity as Duke missed some open shots, but the Bears countered with missed open shots and missed lay-ups. Then, Robertson was in foul trouble, and Gutierrez missed some time due to injury, but in all likelihood it was too late anyway. Duke had regained their shooting touch, and Cal completely ran out of energy. Credit Duke, they played to their strengths, size, and depth, therefore they won. Also credit them for never allowing Cal back into their comfort zone.
The Cal seniors faced a challenge, and thank them for their efforts.
by chowder on Mar 21, 2010 4:43 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
We played like ass. Forget the refs. The big three were invisible, while Jorge and Boykin were far too visible.
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
All in all a very frustrating end to a confusing season.
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions
Ah the impertinence of youth
Duke’s defense was very good. Let’s not kid ourselves. Our guys take good looks and there were very few available.
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And they still missed those few good looks, which went nicely with the stupid turnovers and contact seeking that led to blown layups.
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions
they missed more shots than you’ve missed days of school!
Remember, the enemy's end zone is DOWN!
by GoldBlooded on Mar 21, 2010 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Witty and accurate! Well done.
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 4:55 PM PDT up reply actions
You hit the nail on the head. Poor officiating, suffocating D, and size size size. Especially size. All those offensive rebounds, all the altered shots, and the size.
And the analysis makes sense rationally, and Duke was a better team, but I reserve the right to be depressed and sad, maybe even a little drunk for the rest of the night.
Thanks to the seniors for all their effort this year, and to coach Montgomery.
This was one of the more memorable season in Cal history. I’m disappointed now by the way things ended but I’ll have fond memories of these group of guys and this year.
Go Bears!
by LEastCoastBears on Mar 21, 2010 4:46 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Thank You Seniors!
I think everyone here can agree that we will miss PC, Jerome, Jamal, Theo, and Nikola greatly. They really helped bring respect back to the Cal basketball program. The groundwork has now been laid for a perennial Pac 10 and national contender IMO. Montgomery is a terrific recruiter, and we will get to see the CA High School Player of the Year, and three other great recruits, coming in next year. Montgomery is going to eventually lead us to Sweet 16s, and final fours, and hell maybe even a National Championship. But we should never forget the 2009-2010 season, when we rode our seniors to a feat that hadn’t been accomplished in 50 years, and now see ourselves a very respectable program once again.
Now looking forward to Football Season! GO BEARS!
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
by FrankCohen on Mar 21, 2010 4:46 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Again
Fuck Duke, fuck Duke, fuck Duke…
But thank you so much for everything you’ve given us, seniors… We won’t soon forget all the hapiness you’ve brought to this fanbase these past four years, and never forget, GOLDEN BEARS ARE FOREVER!
Just. Beat. Duke.
by Maisbikkja on Mar 21, 2010 4:48 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Duke was too big and ran their sets way too well. And even when we pressured them into missing a shot, they’d get an o-board (and convert! unlike us) or we’d negate that with a miss down at the other end. Just not enough horses.
Duke was the better team.
I do wish we could’ve gone out hitting our shots though.
While today was certainly disappointing I really like the direction Monty is taking our b-ball program. I see many more league championships in our future. Huge thanks to the seniors for taking us on such a memorable journey this season.
Not for a couple of years though. Let’s not have unrealistic expectations for next season. It will get worse before it gets better.
I disagree, I think next years team can compete
For another Pac 10 championship. Sure, we will be young, but we will be one of the more talented teams in the conference. I think the league will be worse as a whole next year, and we might be able to take advantage. If Kamp comes back healthy, a starting 5 of Franklin/Crabbe/Gutierrez/Amoke/Kamp could match up against any other starting 5 in the Pac 10 (assuming Amoke isn’t kicked off the team).
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
Franklin and Crabbe are good freshmen, but 1. they’re still freshmen and 2. they’re not program changing freshmen like Jason Kidd and cough Leon Powe.
If one or both turn into Ryan Anderson, I would LOVE to eat my words, but Gut, Amoke and Kamp + two frosh = no consistent offense.
Jorge is going to be our primary ballhandler next year. That is absolutely terrifying. Hopefully everyone here enjoys baked goods.
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions
I like him, but does he bring enough to the table to warrant a starting spot? I think he may get it, if only because it would be embarrassing if Jorge averaged 10 turnovers a game (which is horrifyingly possible).
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 5:01 PM PDT up reply actions
It's not horrifyingly possible
Jorge’s TO rate was about the same as Randle’s this year. He’s not that bad a ballhandler.
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Stats cannot demonstrate how terrifying a trip up the court with Jorge at the helm is. Hopefully Monty can work his PG magic on him.
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 5:13 PM PDT up reply actions
His handle is unconventional
But the results have been about the same with him holding the ball. I’m not worried about Jorge.
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Jorge is very very very loose with the ball.
I am not at all comfortable with him being our primary ball handler. Yeah he makes things happen, but turnovers make for the worst type of mistakes.
I’m guessing our style will be very different next year. I’ll talk about it more, but I doubt we’ll see as much dribble drive. Could be a more typical Monty team with size and only some shooters.
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If Max, Jorge and Harper are all starting it could be a very defensive minded team.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Fine by me. I think our games won’t be pretty to watch, but we’re going to get maximum effort again from our players. Could be big on the road if our defenders can frustrate Pac-10 playmakers.
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At the beginning of this year, I would have agreed with you. But Jorge has been handling the ball a lot better these last few weeks…I really think he’ll be at least adequate handling the ball 50% of the time or so.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
Jorge has a decent handle
and he’s a better passer than Randle. Plus, it’s not like Randle was that great of a ball handler – lots of sloppy turnovers. AND Jorge is a MUCH better defender than Randle, especially with his size.
The downside, of course, is that Randle is an unreal shooter, and Jorge is merely average. We’re going to need scoring – DJ Seeley and Allen Crabbe, we’re looking at you.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
Your optimism is appreciated. I still think we struggle to stay in the top half. UCLA can’t possibly be as bad next year, Oregon should improve with a better coach, Arizona will almost certainly be better, UW isn’t going to fall off that much (even losing Pondexter)…the league will be better next year, and Cal will be lucky to only take one step back.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
Even if some of the lesser teams improve
That doesn’t mean we can’t compete with them. I still see us as a step ahead of UCLA next year, and certainly Oregon as well. They will improve, but not to our level IMO. Arizona, Washington, and WSU are the only teams I see presenting much of a challenge to us, and they won’t be juggernauts by any means. I dont mean to be overly optimistic but Crabbe could be a Klay Thompson-esque scorer, and Franklin could end up better than guys like Lamont Jones. Given the lack of good big men in the conference, I think Kamp could show flashes of dominance in conference play. As long as Amoke is on the team next year, could you imagine the potential defensive trio of Kamp/Amoke/Gutierrez? Thats pretty damn impressive if you ask me, especially pairing them up with scorers like Crabbe and Franklin. Plus Solomon and MSF should provide good big man depth, and Rossi is apparently an impressive shooter. Dont write us off just yet
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
I wouldn’t count on Amoke being on the team next year
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
by norcalnick on Mar 21, 2010 5:15 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Flagged for how upsetting that statement is.
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions
If the rumors are true I don’t even want him on the team
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
by norcalnick on Mar 21, 2010 5:22 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I won’t write us off until December at least, after I’ve gotten a good look at the incoming freshmen and what they can do against college-level competition, but the odds are stacked against us. MSF will be our only senior next year. Where’s the scoring going to come from? Who’s going to handle the ball? Not only will we probably need strong performances from incoming freshmen (something I can see happening, but hate to depend on), but we’ll need significant improvement from some of our other role players who, so far, don’t look like Pac-10 caliber starting material (here I’m thinking specifically of Zhang, Smith and Bak, and I’m only cautiously optimistic about Seeley getting better with regular playing time).
If you’d like an example of what happens when you lose a bunch of talent and thrust role players into major starting roles, I’d like to point you in the direction of Dragovic, Nikola.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
I'm confident
That Monty wont start more experienced role players in favor of more talented freshmen. And although I wouldn’t bank on it, I do think Smith could become an above average Pac 10 starter. He hasn’t really exhibited any scoring ability in his limited playing time, but its undeniable that he can dish the ball out with the best of them.
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
Actually, I can’t say I’ve seen much from Smith this year that he has any special aptitude at delivering great passes to his teammates. Maybe he hasn’t been asked to, and maybe he’s been hampered by consistently running with the second team late in blowouts, but I haven’t seen too much from him besides a fairly decent handle this year.
I definitely think Monty will start the five players that will give Cal the best chance to win. Whether those are the most experienced or the most talented, that’s for him to decide.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
According to his Cal.com bio he shot 79% in high school. In any case, I don’t think he’s the type of guy who will be getting to the line much anyway.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
If friggin' Jarrett Mann can shoot 146 free throws in a season
then surely Smith can get to the line occasionally enough.
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Smith Passing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8SdQZVE-YY @ 3:25 only clip I can find from this year, but he’s had other moments like this
From High School:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAw6xmAsGDE
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
He looks good in those HS highlights. I just didn’t see that much of that from him this year…could have been all sorts of reasons for that, but until I see otherwise, I tend to fear that it might have been because college-level players closed up those passing lanes that were open in high school.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
North Carolina I don't know
About that the Tarheels lost Lawson and Hansbrough, but their best player this year was supposed to be Davis and who was only a freshman last year. Along with Deon Thompson who was a junior last year.
I think it's possible to compete at the top
If only because the PAC will still be down. But it’s really really unlikely. Only because Monty is a great coach do I even give contention a chance
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
by norcalnick on Mar 21, 2010 5:01 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
UCLA returns more talent and is probably bringing in more talent
I think Cal has a solid shot at returning to the Tournament next year, but asking for another title is a stretch. And I’m higher on Cal’s incoming recruits than most.
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Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
I don't think ucla will be that great
their guards are still middling, and who knows, maybe howland leaves, maybe honeycutt leaves. Nelson is good, but Kamp is a hell of a defender.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
And if there is one thing I have learned from the more seasoned Cal fans on this blog, it is to bury any inkling of expectations or hope WRT Cal sports.
I guess it was a defeatist attitude, but I expected Cal to lose and I didn’t want a loss today to diminish in any way how happy I was about this season and this team. I’m choosing to remember this team for what it did accomplish and not for what it didn’t. Go Bears.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
by norcalnick on Mar 21, 2010 4:51 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Avi, I gotta take issue with the headline
The officiating wasn’t great, but it wasn’t why Cal lost, and it wasn’t really even close. Moreover, it wasn’t even in the top 5 worst officiated games Cal has played in this year.
Cal couldn’t find ways to get enough open shots, and they couldn’t keep Duke off the offensive glass enough to hold the Blue Devils to empty possessions. If Cal does both those things, then we can complain about officiating. Right now, it looks petty.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
by ragnarok on Mar 21, 2010 4:53 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
even when we did get Duke to empty possessions, we didn’t take advantage. Duke was bigger and Duke ran their offense well, and chased us of our preferred shots. If the calls are even, we still lose.
This is probably true
The horrendous calls were worth probably 10 points to Duke. Mark off two or three of those for the fact that they gave up some meaningless points in garbage time and they would likely have reached the stretch run with a 2-3 possession lead.
Still, at least Cal would have had a CHANCE at a last-ditch comeback.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
Disagree
The officiating was very bad. Theo had to sit six minutes with four fouls. Jorge had to sit ten minutes with two fouls. MSF fouled out. Those are big factors.
It wasn’t the biggest factor, but it WAS a factor.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
I think the argument is just that it makes us look like bad losers, but I don’t disagree in this case.
The officiating was definitely poor and if anyone objects, I point to the foul on MSF that took him out of the game. Take that sequence of Zoubeck shoving MSF constantly, and a foul being issued on MSF after he pushed back, and repeat that over the entire game. That’s how the officiating was called all night.
by CaliforniaBone on Mar 21, 2010 5:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Please name 5 other games where officiating was this bad.
This was BY FAR the worst officiated game I’ve seen this year. (And I caught every single game).
Both Washington and Washington State at home were worse, but we didn’t complain as much because we won. Wazzu in particular was one of the worst officiated games I’ve seen in years — totally inconsistent. I’d have to go back to look at which Pac-10 games were this bad, but I’d say that this game was no worse than average for a Pac-10 contest.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
It's much worse for officiating to be grossly one-sided
If it’s just generically incompetent, it adds randomness to the result, but that’s better than making it impossible for one team to win.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
rec'd
"I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."- Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti
"What do I want you to do? What are you doing in the National League?"- John McGraw
"117 elements, and still no Stanfurdium"- carp (paraphrased)
by natteringnabob on Mar 21, 2010 11:25 PM PDT up reply actions
I didn’t really expect a win, but it was still frustrating the way we lost, as others have said here.
All in all though, this season was great. I’m so glad I got to see these seniors, even if it was just for one year (I’m a freshman). I’m going to miss them a ton. Here’s to the recruits, in both basketball and football. Go Bears!
Can someone please explain this 5th year senioor thing to me
If it doesn’t look like PC or Randle will get drafted, is there any chance they come back next year?? Can they do that?
Living for a magical 8th seed run
oh
this sux. I didn’t think we could win, but after the game i fad a kind of empty feeling inside. Well….GO BEARS!
Living for a magical 8th seed run
You only get a fifth year if you sat out one entire year without playing – a redshirt year. So you get four years of playing eligibility, spread over five year. But none of your seniors sat out a year.
Exit, Pursued By A Bear
Correction
Knezevic, Robertson and Boykin all sat out a year. Knezevic and Robertson were injured (both in 2006-07, when it seemed like 2/3 of the team was on crutches at times) and Boykin had to sit out a year when he transfered.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
Robertson sat out 07-08.
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 7:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Although you can be in school for 5 years, you only have 4 years of eligiblity. If you “redshirt” your freshman year (or junior year if you decide to steal laptops), you don’t lose a year of eligiblity. But you don’t get to play in games.
So, although the players might have been at Cal for 5 years, they only have 4 years to play.
CGB's Jimmy Carter
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Though I’m very frustrated and disappointed now, and for good reason (ticky tacky touch fouls called on the Bears vs. the same aggressiveness being allowed for Duke’s "defense, their obvious size advantage turning missed three’s into rebounds for points, and a cold shooting night from our big three), I’m sure I’ll be able to look back on this season fondly.
To further this step of rehab, let’s answer the questions:
1) Jerome Randle
What a fucking badass. Since he’s stepped onto the court as a freshman, the kid from Chicago has made HUGE strides in his game. There is no one else I’ve seen in my tenure as a Cal fan (6 years now) that has improved as much as he has in 4 years. Nothing but love for Randle, especially when he’s having one of his Bulldog games. Additionally, he really stepped it up in the second half of conference play this season, singlehandedly keeping us in games at times and assisting his teammates when he’s having a down game. I’m really going to miss having such a strong player at the point.
2) Patrick Christopher
Patrick! Every time we play, I check to see if Pat is on. When he’s on, I sit back, relax, and know we’ll be in good hands. When he’s off…well, at least Randle and Theo usually pick up the slack. But aside from basketball, Patrick just has so much character that it’s hard to be mad at him even when he’s not having a good game. I sure hope he gets a shot at the pros and develops his game to be more consistent. I’m going to miss checking his sneakers to see if he’s found a new pair to play in.
3) Theo Robertson
If Patrick is all potential, Theo is consistent. Gotta love the guy. All four years, he’s been our guy to make the clutch three. I still remember the first time he sealed a game against UCLA with a dagger from the corner. Ever since then, I can’t stop loving every single shot he decides to take. Hopefully we can find someone as consistent as Theo has been, but it might be too much to ask. The dude is ice cold clutch.
4) Jamal Boykin
Boykin has really grown on me this year. I always feel bad for him being left out of the “Big Three” but with his charisma, I’m sure he doesn’t mind it at all. After games at Haas, its always entertaining to watch him walk out of the team’s locker room, clad in Lettermans, high fiving Cal fans and stopping to talk to anyone who greets him. He truly stands out as one of the friendliest athletes I’ve ever met and I am going to miss his energy in our games.
5) Nikola Knezevic
Niko! I wish I could say more about Niko, since he does deserve credit for everything he’s done. His efforts freshman year was good, and I truly thought we’d see more of a two point guard system, but even when he were relegated to the bench, he maintained a composed presence on the bench. I’m really glad to see him get his playtime today, even if it was a moot point.
Go Bears. I’m really going to miss my favorite group of Bears to ever play together.
wow
didn’t realize how much bears are losing with senior class. Is Solomon the only big coming in so far?
size differential in the paint allowed Duke to create too much space. again, losing Christopher so early really put Cal out of sync. Theo got hammered with no calls, so much stacked against bears. some blatant over the back never called. did wonder why Zhang didn’t get more minutes, but didn’t see him play enough this year. played close to average of 10 min/game.
Zhang is a confidence player. If he makes mistakes early on, he’ll get down on himself and won’t be playing well. You’ll know if he makes an impact in his first few minutes.
In his best games of the year (home vs. Stanfurd, away against Oregon) his first 30 seconds he made a play – blocked shot or catch and dunk – and from then on he was rolling.
He was not going to do anything with Zoubek though. That dude is the same height + 30 pounds + years of experience.
We'll miss you, Nikola
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 5:07 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Nikola after the game.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash on Mar 21, 2010 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions 5 recs
I think our guys were worn down from all those minutes over the season and being in a physical game against bigger players didn’t help. A lot of our shots were short — a tell-tale sign of fatigue.
But there is no shame in losing to a #1 seed, even if that team is one of the most hateful in the nation.
We've lost to three of the #1 seeds this year
Duke, Kansas, Syracuse. Plus a #2 seed in Ohio State.
But yeah, we suck, right Dickie V???
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
Yeah, baby.
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 5:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Disagree
I don’t think the shots were short because of fatigue, I think they were short because Cal’s players had to shoot them at such high angles to get them over the defenders.
More experience playing very tall teams would have helped a lot, I think. As it was, the last time Cal had seen a team with a lot of height was basically Kansas.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
yeah
we missed so many bunnies, and a lot of that is just bad luck (PC and Jerome both missed open threes in the first half), but Duke’s height had an impact around the rim. We could have shot much, much better, but Duke’s height was certainly a factor.
Still…so many missed layups!
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
Well, damn. Having missed the game
upon turning on the tv to let the final result filter in….a momentary spurt of disappointment but all in all a very good basketball year really – satisfied fan.
alaska A residing in northern Idaho.
The officiating hurt, but even without that foul trouble, we had a very, very slim chance at beating Duke. To me, this game unfolded pretty much as I thought it would. Duke worked its ass off to get through screens and contest shots. Zoubek’s presence in the back also let their guards extend more. further frustrating our perimeter players. We got hammered on the boards, almost entirely due to size. If Scheyer shoots his normal percentage, this game gets even more out of hand.
But, enough negatives. These seniors have cemented their legacy in the Cal sports pantheon. I’m excited to see how Jorge, MSF, Max, Amondi, etc. develop for next year, and I think Crabbe has a real shot to contribute immediately. Harper’s return will help us a lot I’m sure. This has been a great year for our basketball team. Go Bears!!
Thoughts on the five seniors
1) Randle: Heart and soul of the team! Improved every year especially under Montgomery. Can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court, which was a good thing because of his lack of size.
2) Christopher: Up and down would describe him there were days where he looked like he could be a 20 point scorer and other nights where everything deserted him. I do believe he was underrated defensively and he’s a good rebounder for his height.
3) Robertson: Sweet jumper especially from beyond the arc, best perimeter defender the Bears had. Very good third option.
4) Boykin: Sold role player improved very much from last year. Good rebounder, has great footwork in the paint which gives him the ability to finish with either hand, and he did have a decent mid-ranger jumper.
5) Knezevic: Pesky defender but didn’t do much offensively.
One last thing on Boykin
Great teammate as well! Always the first to let a teammate know they made a good play.
Just want to say, not wild about the article headline. The refs aren’t what made us lose, and having it as the lead makes us look whiny and immature. Which we generally aren’t.
In my view, this team had a terrific season, represented Cal well, and I wish the seniors all the best with the rest of their education and whatever they choose to do next. Thanks for all the fun.
by Scootie on Mar 21, 2010 6:41 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs
And I’m the last person on Earth who likes to opine about the refs. But they were especially terrible today and ruined what could’ve been a competitive basketball game by calling things one-way. I could be wrong, but whatever, it’s just my stupid opinion.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
I think that what was so upsetting was not that there were lots of bad calls, but that all the bad calls (and non-calls) went in Duke’s favor. Cal could still have won, or at least made it close, if they had shot better. But it’s tough enough when you’re playing the #1 seed in their territory. The refs made it a lot tougher.
Exit, Pursued By A Bear
The Bears were whistled for three more fouls (18 to 15) than the Blue Devils.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
Well the multiple block-charge calls that went the wrong way each would swing that by two...
Also, one of the most grotesquely stupid ones (a ball that was obviously kicked out by Duke being given back to them on an inbounds) was not a foul call at all.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
I'm with you Avi
officiating in college bball is so inconsistent and can affect games so profoundly, it’s ok to call it out. This wasn’t the worst officiated game of the year in my opinion, but if you feel that way, I think you’re totally in the right to mention it.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
I liked the headline. We typically don’t whine about the refs, but sometimes you gotta call a spade a spade. They weren’t necessarily the difference, but they made a tough job damn near impossible.
"atomsareenough—cleaning up CGB one day at a time until we finally get that press pass." - Berkelium97
by atomsareenough on Mar 21, 2010 9:22 PM PDT up reply actions
rec'd too
"I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."- Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti
"What do I want you to do? What are you doing in the National League?"- John McGraw
"117 elements, and still no Stanfurdium"- carp (paraphrased)
by natteringnabob on Mar 21, 2010 11:26 PM PDT up reply actions
I think Theo and Jerome can have pro futures.
NBA teams are always looking for good defenders who can defend multiple positions – Theo could credibly defend the 2 & 3. Plus a defender who can hit the outside shot, he could be a poor man’s James Posey with a higher BBall IQ (I am really going to miss him.)
Jerome can play backup point guard with his already NBA range and with his quickness and the handcheck rules, he can provide instant offense – he’s got to learn to distribute better though and he’ll be a defensive liability like he showed tonight. If Darren Collison is better as a pro, Randle should at least have a shot.
I don’t think either gets drafted.
Kudos to Monty – Braun might have recruited them, but I’m pretty sure we’re not looking at a second round exit without Monty (maybe second round CBI). The guy owns the Pac-10 and did it with four guards and a 6’8’’ center. I’m not sure who is a better X and O coach in college. Got to love our future.
What a wondrous year to get the championship monkey off Cal’s back and advance in the tournament, what a classy group of seniors who played their hearts out.
Lottery balls land on DeMarcus Cousins baby.
by bringbackbuddytrees on Mar 21, 2010 6:50 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Jerome will play somewhere…just not sure if he’ll stick with an NBA team. I hope he finds the right situation, and I’ll be rooting for him.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
Randle can’t defend at the NBA level. Then again, point guards aren’t well known for their defense, so maybe he’ll prove me wrong. He certainly proved me wrong after watching him his sophmore year, when I thought he couldn’t handle point guard duties.
Getting to one of the foreign leagues is definitely within the realm of possibility, and I think he can prosper overseas.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
disagree mostly
Randle’s only real pro quality is his shooting range…and look how far back he had to shoot from to get his shot off against ncaa athletes. He’d have to be shooting from 28 feet against NBA players, and that’s not happening. The little guys that can succeed are guys like Earl Boykin or Isaiah Thomas – guys that can penetrate effectively and finish. Randle isn’t great at this, and he’d be a huge liability defensively. He’s going to have to play elsewhere.
Theo, he’s got a nice stroke and nice patience to his game, but I think he’s too short and too slow for an NBA three.
I think PC has the best chance. Yeah, he has no handle, but he can jump, he can hit a spot up three, and if he puts some effort in he’ll be ok defensively against an NBA two. He’s got the size and hops for an NBA two, so he has a chance.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
Both PC and Theo are on the fringe, but right now I give the edge to Theo. Robertson can finish at the rim and do a lot of unappreciated things (he broke Louisville’s press in the second half), Christopher has struggled with his finishing moves all year. Both are pretty good defenders though, so maybe they’ll both make it.
We can discuss this more this offseason though.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
I agree
really, Theo is more polished and a better player at this point…but he is too slow to defend an NBA two and I fear too small to defend an NBA three. That’s why I go with PC – he has an NBA body for his position, and that makes a huge difference.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
guys that can penetrate effectively and finish. Randle isn’t great at this
I disagree. Are you saying at the college level or NBA level?
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 10:15 PM PDT up reply actions
He has amazing college speed, but he can’t get to the rim in a halfcourt set. Unless he develops his floater/teardrop a la Tony Parker, teams will just force him off his 3 pointers, make him try to drive to score, and it won’t be pretty.
On the other hand, he does make free throws very well, so maybe he can get contact and get to the line.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
I've made this comparison before, so forgive me if I sound like a broken record
but if Kyle Korver can be a quality NBA player, then Theo Robertson, who is much stronger and more athletic than he is, can be a quality NBA player.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
Then there’s Jason Kapono, a stiff who’s also drawing a paycheck somewhere. I guess he’s also a little taller than Theo.
Best comparison might be Anthony Morrow – not a great defender, passer, driver, etc. at the NBA level, but clearly has value as a player because of his great outside shot. Heck, Steve Kerr played 10+ years? Theo has to luck into the right fit.
Randle’s problem isn’t so much on the defense, it’s that he has turnover issues. Aaron Brooks and Collison are two small guards who are doing well…Neither of them shoots as well as Randle, but both of them are better passers and take care of the ball. The only little guy with the same shooting range might have been Damon Stoudamire. But, Damon knew how to play at different speeds and would use a lot of herky-jerky hesitation moves to get himself open in the lane. Jerome is more of a one speed player. Still, he just needs one GM to fall in love with his shooting. If Keith Jennings can have a cup of coffee in the league, why not Jerome?
PC is the guy who I don’t think has a shot. He’s a good athlete, but not by NBA standards. He’s a little undersized for the two-guard, can’t play the point, and is inconsistent on both ends. He does a number of things well, but nothing great.
Don’t get me wrong – I wish all the guys well and hope they find success. It’s just more likely to be overseas.
Bloody heck…Kid played w/ the keyboard and posted this on the wrong thread. Here it goes again:
Really tough way for the guys to go out that way. Cold shooting against a well-coached team w/ superior size and an officiating bias = S.O.L. What a run, though. Quite honestly, they exceeded my expectations. Even though some publications called for us to win the Pac-10, they always felt like underdogs to me.
Randle: From out of control TO machine, to Pac-10 POY. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better shooter in a Cal uniform, especially from WTF range. Huge heart – he absolutely carried us at times this year. Not Monty’s type of PG, but they obviously figured out something that worked.
PC: Someone who really would have benefited from 4 years under Monty. Had all the tools to be a dominant player, yet only showed them occasionally. Almost too nice of a guy to be an elite-level athlete. This year felt more like he was starting to figure things out and would just kill it next year.
Theo: Mr. Consistency. My absolute favorite guy because he used hard work to make the most of modest athletic gifts. I always wanted to see a game where he said "F this. I’m the best player on this team, I’m bombin’." I really appreciated his team-first approach on both ends. If he doesn’t hold his own on the defensive glass this year, we’re in the NIT.
Jamal: He always had passion, but the game finally slowed down for him this year. Last year, he had the footwork and moves, but would blow the shot. Really a steadying influence on both ends. Considering that he was overmatched in the post every night, you could make an argument that he was the team MVP. If we had real big men, I wonder if he would have developed his game as an actual small forward instead of dedicating himself to being an undersized post.
Nikola: Had some accolades coming in, but got bypassed by more talented players. Didn’t complain and worked to fill his role as a bench guy. Played tough D and generally played within himself. Says something that he saw more important minutes than Seeley who is the better athlete and much more touted.
Monty: I apologize for hatting you for over a decade. Taking an undersized team with no depth, no clue on defense, little discipline on offense, and winning a Pac-10 championship is absolutely amazing. He clearly knows the game, knows how to teach the game, and will make us competitive in the years to come.
For the offseason, since my post-game consolation buzz is still going strong:
Jorge: Shoot. A lot. Floaters. Pull-up jumpers. Finish. And work on those handles.
MSF: Get yourself healthy and then get in the best shape of your life.
Seeley: Play Jorge one on one every day, loser gets something unpleasant and/or embarrassing done to them. Learn to play with urgency.
Smith: Get stronger. Work on your handles and outside shot. If the incoming frosh are as good as advertised, you’ll need to be solid.
Bak Bak: Go to People’s Park. Tell Eddie you want the good package and lock yourself in the weight room. Don’t be alarmed if your head gets bigger and you start getting really angry. Oh, getting eligible again would be good.
Kamp: Rehab. Work on your post moves and mid-range shot. Make us cry with despair that if you had only been healthy in ‘09-’10, we’d have had the best team evair.
Zhang: Hang out w/ Bak Bak and get really, really pumped. Eat lots of stuff. Work on your hands, footwork, and finishing.
In all likelihood, we’re middle of the pack next year. If one of the freshman can play, maybe we’re a bubble team. If more than one can play, game on. It’s been a great year. Go Bears!
We are middle of the pack if you don’t add in our recruiting class. But even if those guys aren’t as good as advertised, I have faith that everyone will significantly improve with Monty as the coach.
by Tedfordisgod on Mar 21, 2010 7:09 PM PDT up reply actions
Great Season Bears, thank you
There’s no shame in losing to a number 1 seeded Duke.
I am very happy with the way our season went. Of course, you want to end the season with a win (1 team gets to), but it’s simply unrealistic most of the time.
Let’s recap, and be mindful this is a guard heavy team that Mike Mont inherited, had injuries and other bad things happen to our big men and no legitimate 1st round draft pick.
1) Beat Arizona St. to clinch of a share of the Pac-10 Title for the first time in 50 years. Rushed the court and watched our players cut down the nets.
2) Beat Stanford the next game to click an outright Pac-10 Title (nobody likes to share).
3) Jerome Randle wins Pac-10 Player of the year and is CAL all-time leader scorer. Also holds CAL’s record for most free-throws without a miss (40+)
4) We win against Rick Pitino’s LV Cards (hiss) in an start to finish exciting and exhilarating NCAA tournament game.
This season has been an unqualified success and year 3 under Mike Mont looks extremely bright as begins to bring in his own recruits, especially Allen Crabbe, California HS player of the year.
GO BEARS!!!!
Of course, you want to end the season with a win (1 team gets to),
Ben Braun would like to have a quiet word with you!
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
what do you mean? like winning your last game and not going to the tourney?
by DavidsonBear on Mar 21, 2010 7:29 PM PDT up reply actions
wait is that even possible if your last games are the pac-10 tourney… hmm…
by DavidsonBear on Mar 21, 2010 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions
ah yes…so 2 teams get to? you get what I mean tho.
by DavidsonBear on Mar 21, 2010 7:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, I agree. CGB likes making jokes about Ben Braun's NIT championship
Also, there’s also the CBI and the CIT, so four teams get to finish the year with a win. Also, USC was one crazy double OT game and a horrible ref call away from finishing their season with a win, although we can all agree that was a special situation.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
Actually
there are several ways to end your season with a win:
Win the championship
Win the NIT, CBI, or CIT
Win your final game as an Independent or Ivy League school without being invited to postseason
Win your final game, yet fail to qualify for a conference tournament or postseason
- is pretty rare since only a handful of teams don’t qualify for conf. tourneys and they’re all horrible, but I’d expect that in any given year 10-15 teams out of 340-ish would close their seasons with wins.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
And that would be "number four is pretty rare"
Thank you, SBN autoformat…
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
we should be a bigger, more defensive minded team, with a deeper rotation next year
but I just don’t see where the scoring will come from with all of these seniors going. It may be a rebuilding year but with Montgomery at the helm I feel we have a good chance of having a third straight good season. Especially with the Pac10 conference likely being down again ( probably not as much as this year ) I think we can be pretty good still.
"Ridiculously early Pac-10 predictions for next season" time
1. UCLA: They’re adding the top JuCo point guard in the country, one of the top shooting guards in the country, and one of the top centers in the country. They won’t be a deep team, as plenty of their bench slots will be eaten up by the guys who couldn’t hack it this season, but those three plus Honeycutt, Nelson and Lee is a very good first six.
2. Arizona: Most of their players return, and they improved significantly as the season went on. Jones looks like a fine replacement for Wise at PG. They’re thin at forward.
3. ASU: Perpetually underrated. They lose a lot but return two veteran scoring threats as well as all-Freshman team member Trent Lockett and add much-hyped Keala King at PG. He’ll duel two different high school teammates at the guard spot (Gary Franklin and Tyler Lamb). Expect CSN announcers to mention this oddity 23923874 times during matchups between ASU, Cal and UCLA.
4. Washington: Pondexter is the only major loss, but he’s a pretty major loss.
5. Washington State: Klay Thompson plus some average-ish supporting talent is still a pretty good team. I wonder if Ken Bone will have the courage to play Marcus Capers, a power forward trapped in a guard’s body, at the 4 position.
6. Stanford: Returning backcourt is set (Mann/Green) and probably better than average for the league. The frontcourt is a melange of the very green (Anthony Brown, Dwight Powell, John Gage, Stefan Nastic), the medically challenged (Andy Brown, Josh Owens) and the undertalented (Jack Trotter, Andy Zimmerman).
7. Cal: Everything depends on the degree to which the incoming freshmen can score. The growth of Zhang and Bak into Pac-10 level talent is also crucial.
8. Oregon State: The Fighting Obamas are still weighed down with the millstone of Jay John’s last recruiting class and are losing more talent than they’re bringing in.
9. USC: Not sure what kind of immediate impact they can expect from their freshmen, and their guard spots are completely barren of upper-class talent.
10. Oregon: Ernie Kent’s successor has to cope not only with a roster that lacks impact talent outside of Michael Dunigan, but likely with some defections as well.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
The more I think about Cal next year the more fascinating it seems. For one thing, we may never see a more radical change in the style of a team without a coaching change. 2009 was all about offense, guards, getting great shooters open in any way possible, and playing just enough defense and rebounding to hold on for the win.
Next year Cal may be a plus defensive team with Gutierrez, Kamp and Zhang, and will probably be focused on inside play (Kamp, MSF, Zhang, Amoke if he actually comes back) unless the freshmen are really hot stuff.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
How can you...
say earlier that Cal “has a solid shot at returning to the Tournament next year”, yet rank them 7th in the Pac 10?
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
The Pac-10 will be better next year
Five to six teams can make it in.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
You really think the conference is gonna be that much better?
I actually think its going to be a little worse. Sure, some young talent is coming in, but a lot of talent is leaving at the same time. If you look at most teams, more than half of them are graduating their best player. UCLA loses Roll (he’s not very good but was probably their best player this season). Arizona loses Wise. ASU loses Glasser and Boateng. OSU loses Tarver, Schaftenaar. Oregon loses Porter. We lose our starting 4 seniors. Stanford loses Fields. USC loses Gerrity, Johnson, Lewis. Washington loses Pondexter. Washington State is really the only team not losing much talent. I don’t think that the incoming recruits and/or projected development of some of the younger players in the league will cancel out those loses and improve upon last year. I think the Pac 10 will be back in great shape in 2011-2012, but next year doesn’t look too much better (if better at all) than this year.
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
Really, how “good” a conference is depends on how well they perform in OOC play. The Pac-10 got a lot of shitty draws and ended up playing a lot of top 10-20 competition on the road and got eviscerated. Of course there were times were teams flat out embarrassed themselves, but I think it was a one-time deal. We should put up a much better showing next year.
Arizona is a young team and they’ll be in great shape next year. ASU is not going to be crying over the losses of Glasser and Boateng. UCLA should be fine. The Washingtons will be tournament bound. And the others will be fighting for the scraps. I don’t think five teams is out of the question for this league if they can hold their own outside the conference.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
agree on washingtons
UW won’t be as good as this year, unless Gady turns into the player everyone thought he would be. Pondexter is a big loss. But they’ll still be a top 35 team. WSU has plenty of talent, and will be a year older. If they don’t make the tourney, Bone should be on the hot seat.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
The best bets for next year should be
Arizona
Washingtons
ASU (could be a lot like Cal next year. Lots of scorers on that lineup.)
UCLA (no way they’re as bad as they were this year. They should be miles better.)
Cal might be able to get in there and steal a spot, but we’re not going to have any idea until we see these guys play.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
One big game in determining our tournament fate
is the Kansas game at Haas. Kansas will be good, yet vulnerable (with the loss of Collins), and Cal played fantastic at home this year. (I know it will be a very different team, but I would like to think the fans will come out for this game and increase our home court advantage). If we can pull that out, it should be a huge non conference win for the tourney resume. I wish we had the chance to play some of the elite teams at home this year.
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
Kansas will be a huge challenge. I think it’ll be much more important to beat New Mexico at home, and Iowa State on the road.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
Cal's stuck playing Iowa State AGAIN?
Jesus.
That win is going to be completely worthless. ISU is going to struggle to win a game in the Big 12 next year.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
If it's just Collins who leaves, we'll probably lose
Hopefully at least one of Aldrich or Henry goes pro too and we could have a good chance to spring the upset.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
Yeah
I meant Collins and Aldrich. Henry also has a good chance to go pro. If all three leave, the win should be up for grabs.
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
Aldrich does not have to turn pro, although he’d be foolish to not go. He’s a top ten pick right now. Henry’s at least top 15, so he might be more borderline.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
Well I know he doesnt have to...
But I’d put the chances at about 95% that he does
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
Yeah, Henry was always considered a one-and-done guy
Kansas could be very vulnerable next year, esp. early, so it’s a very winnable game.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
How long is the list of guys who’ve turned down the NBA lottery to stay another year in school? Can’t be too long, can it?
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
Those Gator guys came back for a repeat title too I think, although only Horford was drafted high (and I know Noah’s stock dropped off).
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
Noah is an EXCELLENT defender and rebounder. Don’t disparage him because his offensive game is ugly as sin.
That’s not the only thing about him that’s ugly.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
by ragnarok on Mar 22, 2010 12:05 AM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
This
"atomsareenough—cleaning up CGB one day at a time until we finally get that press pass." - Berkelium97
by atomsareenough on Mar 22, 2010 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions
The conference was not historically bad this season
It did put up a historically bad performance, but that was because it combined “bad” with “unlucky” in a toxic cocktail.
I think you’re underrating the amount of improvement players will make, but I also think you’re underrating the difference that normal luck will make.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
I don’t know about PaulThomas, but I don’t see a huge gradient in those rankings. I think Oregon or USC could challenge for the top half of the conference, and I could see WSU or Stanford finishing near last again. 7th place doesn’t get you in, but 4th or 5th should, and the Bears will certainly have a shot at it.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
Post Game Quotes
Quotes from Boykin, Randle, and Monty
Interesting one here from Monty:
Q. Talking about the seniors and maybe going beyond basketball, what’s been the most enjoyable part of coaching them for you over the past two years?
COACH MONTGOMERY: Well, watching them grow as people. You know, I mean, the job opened for a reason. There was issues that we had to deal with, and to watch them grow personally, all five of our seniors are on track to graduate. They are taking classes right now that if they do their work and pass, they’re going to graduate. And I think that’s spectacular.
You know, Cal is not an easy school, and they’re in a position to do so. So I think all of them in their own way is going to have an opportunity to play someplace — not all in the NBA, but someplace. They’re quality kids, and you know, it’s just fun. It’s a different type of group than I’ve probably ever had, and it’s fun to get to know kids like this and watch them develop personally. They have a very strong feeling for one another, and that’s good to see.
I am a Vereenian.
by Ohio Bear on Mar 21, 2010 9:13 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Monty on the Zoubek matchup
Q. Could you talk about Zoubek’s production today? He’s obviously become something more than just a body.
COACH MONTGOMERY: Well, a lot of what he got was on drop-offs from help. We knew they would try to post Singler. We had match-up problems kind of across the board.
We weren’t concerned about Zoubek individually on one-on-one moves, but when you try to get help with Singler posting at 6’8", then they do a great job of dropping off. They have a great awareness of where everybody is. He pushes a lot. I mean, he barges you and he’s a great position guy. He anticipates when the ball is going to be shot, and he gets you early underneath the basket. He’s very strong.
Most of what he got was drop-offs, just where we were trying to help on a drive or stepping up and that type thing, and then they would drop it down and he finished up. So it’s nice to have that luxury.
I am a Vereenian.
Go bears, Good luck seniors with your career!
Lets all jumps on the saint mary’s BandWagon for the tourney!
Let's look on the flipside, guys.
Only five months and thirteen days until football season!
"Today's weather, excessively violent with a chance of dismemberment. Tune in later for our 5-day forecast!"
~ Three Dog - Fallout 3
God I cant wait!
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
Man that sounds like an eternity
"atomsareenough—cleaning up CGB one day at a time until we finally get that press pass." - Berkelium97
by atomsareenough on Mar 21, 2010 9:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Boykin
he really struggled with his shot today, but against a much bigger team, he was a monster on the boards. Kamp is a better defender and passer, but we’re going to miss Boykin next year…and that’s the least of our problems.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
The midrange jumper is tough to nail consistently. Just picked the wrong time to have a bad game.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
He was trying to do a bit too much at times.
All aboard the Jerome Randle Smart Car!
by rollonubears on Mar 21, 2010 10:18 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm very optimistic about next year
I trust Monty ALOT. We will be a very different type of team next year, but that doesn’t necessarily doom us. Actually, if Kamp returns fully healthy, and Amoke continues to develop (and stays on the team), we will have one of the better, and deeper front courts in the Pac 10. I really think our freshmen class is special too- I think Crabbe and Franklin will make big impacts as freshmen, and Gutierrez will round out the starting 5. Though nobody blows you away there offensively (though, as I said, I think Crabbe and Franklin will surprise a lot next year), that is an absolutely nasty defensive team. Plus, Monty’s specialty in the past has been relying on post play…
Jack "The Must, Just has no Rust, ain't no Bust, after him the ladies Lust, turns pitchers into Dust, likes his pizza with no Crust" Cust
I was too hungover and somewhat drunk yesterday to really feel the loss
Guess it’s a good thing
In other words, Go Bears!
Who are the 90 people who voted that Duke doesn’t suck??
CGB's Jimmy Carter
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
if they sucked, then we would be what?…toejam?
by DavidsonBear on Mar 22, 2010 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Must be Duke fans from some other blog.
"atomsareenough—cleaning up CGB one day at a time until we finally get that press pass." - Berkelium97
by atomsareenough on Mar 22, 2010 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions
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