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Time to get you up to date on basketball recruiting, where the fun will take us into the spring.
Other than Oakland (Ca.) Bishop O'Dowd forward Ivan Rabb, the other big target for the Bears is Fort Wayne (In.) Homestead 5-star center Caleb Swanigan. If Rabb is the surest of sure things in terms of potential NBA talent, Swanigan isn't far off either. He is dominating at the high school level, averaging 27 points and 15 rebounds through FIVE high school games.
Swanigan has plenty of bluebloods on his trail, including Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State and Purdue. But Berkeley might be getting a visit too.
Spoke to Ivan Rabb earlier -- one of top recruits in country. Said he and Caleb Swanigan will both visit California together at some point.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) November 21, 2014
Cal has had a big man issue ever since Leon Powe; the Bears just never have been able to recruit an elite center to patrol the paint and allow the Bears to bang with the big boys. Landing Swanigan and Rabb would give Cal their best frontline since .... when? I can't even remember. It's too tantalizing to think about too seriously at the moment. We'll just have to wait for the visit, since a decision won't come until the spring.
As for Rabb, he does have inclinations but wants to take his visit first. Here's Josh Gershon of Scout.
Making a decision still hasn’t necessarily been easy, but Rabb feels he’s headed in the right direction. "I think I’m making progress," Rabb said. "I’m not really ready to say which schools I’m leaning towards, but I’m definitely leaning in a certain direction right now. There’s not necessarily one leader, but there are a few schools I like more than others."
One promising sign? Cal is not at the bottom of the pecking order. They're in the top.
Top 10 player Ivan Rabb told ESPN earlier today that Cal is definitely in his top three right now.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) November 22, 2014
The Cal coaches are keeping tabs.
Bishop O'Dowd (Ivan Rabb's team) vs Bishop Gorman game. Some @cal coaches in attendance... pic.twitter.com/08Md39iY7F
— Lindsay Brauner (@lindzcatharine) November 30, 2014
.@lindzcatharine was there to see @YoungIvee's 28pt, 20reb night Saturday, talked to him post-game about #Cal ($) https://t.co/v0RaKIfiyq
— Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) November 30, 2014
Here's footage of Rabb in action against Bishop Gorman, featuring a number of stud recruits, some of whom will be playing in the Pac-12.
Tyler Dorsey is the other big mystery on the board. Kansas is fighting hard for him. Cal will definitely get a visit though.
And wouldn't you know it, @lindzcatharine already has the scoop on 5-star SG Tyler Dorsey's #Cal visit... ($) https://t.co/IKEC9P7S7X
— Cal Rivals (@CalRivals) October 31, 2014
Dorsey has visited once and has a final five of ASU, Cal, Colorado, Kansas and Oregon, according to ZagsBlog. But they'll take their time.
Dorsey plans to sign in the spring, after he and his family have watched a season’s worth of college hoops and determined who’s "going and coming," his father said.
Based on that last comment, if he does cut his list and Cal features prominently, don't be surprised if Dorsey's decision about Cal is tied into whether Tyrone Wallace decides to turn pro or come back for his senior season. Dorsey and Wallace share similar skillsets and I imagine Dorsey would like the chance to start and run with it.
Baton Rouge (La.) Madison shooting guard Brandon Sampson has Cal in his top 5 along with LSU, St. John's, Texas A&M and USC. No updates on his recruitment at the moment, and he appears to be taking his time. His visits will likely come in 2015 and no school is standing out yet.
Those are the four main targets. After that, the staff has backup plans, but I don't think any offers will be made until they know the status of their recruitment with these four primary players.
We leave you with 2016 commit Oscar Frayer rocking a Cal bowtie I'm pretty sure TwistNHook is now going to track down.