Golden Nuggets: The Cal Men's Basketball Season Comes to an End

After losing what seems like half the team in the offseason, Gary Franklin Jr in January, and MSF last week, it seemed like a fitting end that we played most of the second half without the leader of the team--Jorge Gutierrez.  Colorado coach Tad Boyle had nothing but positive things to say about Jorge and company after the game.  He'll undoubtedly have his hands full when the Bears play Colorado next year.

Colorado coach Tad Boyle:

On the significance of Cal losing Jorge Gutierrez in the second half:  "It was a big blow. He is the heart and soul of that team. When he went down – you never want to see a great player go down obviously, but it was advantage Colorado at that point because he is very important to them. He scored 16 points in the first half, and he ended up with 16 so we kind of shut him down. In the early part of the second half when he went down, they were in trouble."

On playing Gutierrez and other young Cal players next year in the Pac-12:  "They are going to be good. They have the freshman of the year in the Crabbe kid. They have Harper Kamp, who is one of the better low post players around, and they have Jorge, who I think is the best player in college basketball that no one has heard of or talked about because he can really play and I have a lot of respect for him."

After the jump a Cal media rep clarifies some details on Jorge's injury and women's swimming and diving takes home another NCAA championship!

Basketball

• The Bears kept pace with Colorado until a 16-3 run early in the second half (coupled with Jorge's injury) sealed the game for the Buffs.
• Faraudo has postgame quotes from Monty and Colorado's Tad Boyle.
• BearTerritory.net recaps the loss.
• A Cal media rep clarifies Jorge's injury: a Colorado player's knee hit the back of Jorge's knee and as Jorge fell, he was accidentally kicked in the head by Emerson Murray.