Christian Behrens Commits to the California Golden Bears

by Kodiak on Feb 28, 2011 5:08 PM PST in California Golden Bears Men's Basketball

Per Rivals, star forward Christian Behrens just committed to join Coach Mike Montgomery and the California Golden Bears. 6'8 and still growing, Behrens averaged 22 points and 10+ boards for his high school team, and could hopefully provide some good depth at the three/four spots. He will join David Kravish and De'End Parker in the 2011 Cal basketball recruiting class.

Jim McGill from Bear Insider has a review of Behrens official visit.

Sporting a 30+ inch vertical and 80" wingspan, Behrens was averaging 22 points and 12.8 boards as a junior before tearing his ACL. He missed some of his senior year rehabbing, but averaged over 24 points a game during his final six games.

Here's a look at his background story, which discusses Behrens coping with the loss of his father during his rehabilitation process. (Thanks, Ohio Bear!)

Rivals article here. More information and highlight videos after the jump. Welcome to Cal, Christian! GO BEARS!

After the jump, video.

Christian Behrens (Tahoma HS: Maple Valley, WA) Class of 2011 - vs. Kent-Meridian (01/05/2010) (via TahomaBearsBasketbal)

Christian Behrens (Tahoma HS: Maple Valley, WA) Class of 2011 - vs. Kelso (12/30/2009) (via TahomaBearsBasketbal)

AAAmazing Player: Christian Behrens 1-29-11 (via TheVarsityNews)

With MSF graduating and Harper Kamp entering his senior year, Behrens joins Kravish as Cal big men for the future. He has the frame to get bigger and stronger, but already has the hops and length you can't teach. Welcome to Cal, Mr. Behrens. We're glad to have you. Go Bears!

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Welcome to Cal Christian! Go Bears!!!

Do we know who else offered?

"Remember the Maine! TO HELL WITH STANFORD!"

by CruzinBears on Feb 28, 2011 5:13 PM PST reply actions

I think Washington was in the hunt…

California Golden Bears: 2nd place is nothing to sneeze at!

by atomsareenough on Feb 28, 2011 5:17 PM PST up reply actions

The definite offers that had been reported were from Eastern Washington, Portland State, and Seattle Univ. But, yes, Washington was also reportred to be in the hunt, though I don’t know if the Huskies offered.

Wonder if the knee injury from his junior year scared off some potential offerors?

Yes, I am an Old Blue. Now get off my lawn.

by Ohio Bear on Feb 28, 2011 5:29 PM PST up reply actions

Feed this kid!

6’8 190 lbs…he and Solomon better become eating buddies

by The Red Mamba on Feb 28, 2011 5:23 PM PST reply actions

Let’s hope nobody introduces this guy to Steve Nash.

by mrjpark on Feb 28, 2011 5:28 PM PST up reply actions

The FB team is playing at AT&T Park next year

maybe they can bring back the “Body by Sandoval” tapes from 2010.

Hector Sanchez: Underrated. Fighting body bias since the 2009 off season. I still love you, son, even if you're fat.

by tedfordfan on Feb 28, 2011 7:41 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

i like it

Drinking the Kool-Aid. Pumping the sunshine. Livin' the dream. Go Bears!

by dballisloose on Mar 1, 2011 6:54 AM PST up reply actions

I really like the concept of “eating buddies”

California Golden Bears: 2nd place is nothing to sneeze at!

by atomsareenough on Feb 28, 2011 10:55 PM PST up reply actions

Good thing he’s at that age where getting bigger is a pretty easy and natural thing to do….

by Missing Barry on Mar 1, 2011 10:27 AM PST up reply actions

Self reported to be up to 225 at the beginning of the season but currently 217 (per the BI commitment story).

Hector Sanchez: Underrated. Fighting body bias since the 2009 off season. I still love you, son, even if you're fat.

by tedfordfan on Mar 1, 2011 10:57 AM PST up reply actions

Looks like he’s playing a bunch of middle schoolers. Is he in a good division?

by mrjpark on Feb 28, 2011 5:28 PM PST reply actions

I know he played against

Josh Smith (who he was defending when he got injured) and is currently playing against Gary Bell.

*Insert something witty here*. Oh, and Stanfurd Sucks.

by FrankCohen on Feb 28, 2011 5:35 PM PST up reply actions

I smell revenge!

Drinking the Kool-Aid. Pumping the sunshine. Livin' the dream. Go Bears!

by dballisloose on Mar 1, 2011 6:55 AM PST up reply actions

Most good prospects spend a pretty big chunk of their summer playing against good competition. AAU and summer camps generally provide a lot better competition levels than high school does.

by Missing Barry on Mar 1, 2011 10:26 AM PST up reply actions

Welcome to Cal, Christian!!!

On that top video it looks like Monty got a Point Guard! :)

Go Bears!!!

Bring back the Pac-10!!!

by calas on Feb 28, 2011 6:03 PM PST reply actions

I noticed that the intro to both videos says G/F. At 6’8 and growing I would hope we’re talking F/C.

by dcblue on Feb 28, 2011 7:07 PM PST up reply actions

In Monty we trust!

by boomtho on Feb 28, 2011 6:30 PM PST reply actions

Indeed, Monty knows what he’s doing. Very excited when we get diamonds in the rough. Welcome to Cal, Go Bears!

Drinking the Kool-Aid. Pumping the sunshine. Livin' the dream. Go Bears!

by dballisloose on Mar 1, 2011 6:58 AM PST up reply actions

Well, there should be some upside there

It’s a risk given the injury history, but probably a risk that needs to be taken in order to have a chance at a high-quality late commit.

Noticing that he routinely passes up the available jumper to take the ball to the rim. He’s got nice skills off the dribble for a big, but you can’t be that one-dimensional in college ball. There will be guys who can guard you.

Random observations:

1. “Christian Behrens” is very possibly the whitest name for a black guy that I’ve ever heard.

2. Kelso High School? What is this, That 70s Show? Why can’t we have Mila Kunis High School?

Also, since no one got my trivia question from the other day: Both the CSA government and Cal hoops contain(ed) a “last child” reference in the name of a member. Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States, and De’End Parker, recent Cal basketball commit, were given names explicitly because their parents were sick of having more children (in each case, the tenth).

Parker’s name derivation is obvious, Davis’s slightly more subtle— his full name was Jefferson Finis Davis.

"We don't want our people to be preoccupied with seminude, crazy men jumping up and down who are chasing an inflated object," said Sheik Mohamed Osman Arus, head of operations for the Hizbul Islam insurgent group.

by PaulThomas on Feb 28, 2011 9:25 PM PST reply actions

I like a “go to the rim” mentality! Nothing more frustrating than players who settle for jump shots!

by Missing Barry on Mar 1, 2011 10:28 AM PST up reply actions

Maybe so, but if all you're doing is going to the rim, you're going to spend a lot of time on the bench with offensive fouls

not to mention turn the ball over an unacceptable amount of the time.

by PaulThomas on Mar 1, 2011 11:03 AM PST up reply actions

Well, I only saw his jumper one time in any of those videos, and it looked pretty ugly. Anyways, at the high school level, there’s really no reason for him to shoot jumpers. Any high schooler can take outside shots. He does that, and all of a sudden he’s pretty much the same as an ordinary 6’ HS player. Obviously no one can stop him from getting a good look near the rim, though, so it’s good that he’s using his biggest advantage at the HS level. We’ll see what kind of player he’ll be at the college leve. I don’t think the videos tell us much about it one way or another.

by Missing Barry on Mar 1, 2011 12:02 PM PST up reply actions

I think he’s half white (like Emerson Murray) so he gets a pass.

by ondal on Mar 1, 2011 12:16 PM PST up reply actions

Welcome to Cal Christian!

Vote #CGB for the best college football blog http://goo.gl/qhTFe #Cal #GoBears

by solarise on Feb 28, 2011 10:04 PM PST reply actions

Interesting that wingspan is phrased “80 inches” rather than “6’8”. 6’8 with a 6’8 wingspan isn’t long at all…

by Missing Barry on Mar 1, 2011 10:29 AM PST reply actions

Well it is still a very long wingspan, just not in comparison to his height, then its pretty much average

"Remember the Maine! TO HELL WITH STANFORD!"

by CruzinBears on Mar 1, 2011 10:55 AM PST up reply actions

Ha, right, but of course you always have to look at it in relationship to height in the game of basketball. 6’8 guys don’t get to go against “average height” people. ;)

by Missing Barry on Mar 1, 2011 11:57 AM PST up reply actions

Remains a Bear

Love it, his high school mascot is the Bears. He must have loved hearing Go Bears from the Haas/Harmon faithful during his visit. Also, seeing MSF turn into Reggie Miller vs. the Knicks in the closing minute was freaking exciting.

by mathghamhain on Mar 1, 2011 10:45 AM PST reply actions

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