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Cal basketball: Cuonzo Martin end-of-season press notes, Tyrone Wallace future uncertain

What next?

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

For those wondering, here are the end-of-season comments from Cal basketball head coach Cuonzo Martin. Martin explains that the CBI had nothing to do with finances, but was just a judgment call by him. The season is a grind, and Cal missing the NCAA & NIT allows the Bears to refocus on academic study.


In the offseason, Martin's biggest focus is on improving the turnovers, ramping up the assists, and finding post scoring and defense (code for Caleb Swanigan and Ivan Rabb). David Kravish had to do the work of two men all season, so Martin definitely wants to bring in some big men. Free throw shooting does need to get better as well.

With regards to roster changes, everyone will get assessed, including scholarship athletes and their role on the future roster. So it's unclear how many recruits will eventually become Golden Bears--it could be as few as one or as many as four (although it's likely it will end up around two or three).

Martin's big focus this next month is recruiting, and trying to land players like Rabb and Swanigan to join Davon Dillard (scouting report). Martin keeps on making toughness.

The big question among our players is Tyrone Wallace. Will he stay or will he go? Martin doesn't really know. If he does, what Martin wants to see this offseason is seeing him get better at managing the point guard position.

Martin stated that Sam Singer has the tools to be an elite defender and showed plenty of growth near the end of the season, but has to get a bunch of rebounds a game. The team in general competed down the stretch after a brutal month of play right in the middle, so Martin was fairly satisfied with the team ramping their game up down the stretch. It definitely sounds like Martin wants Singer to be the primary point next season, stating the ball moved better.

Martin once to see Brandon Chauca get better at on-ball defense and shooting and learn how to lead as a point guard. Martin isn't fazed by Chauca's size issues, and he doesn't feel like Brandon is either.

With regards to Cal's splash brothers, Jordan Mathews and Jabari Bird have to get to the line more. The key will be to improve perimeter defense from both of them, and Martin says Bird has been improving over the season. Mathews is already a great shooter and Bird has the capability to be elite. Bird needs to put on a bit more weight.

With incoming Stephen Domingo, Cal will gain another shooter and sounds like he's going to be quite a player as well. Domingo has performed well at practice.

Christian Behrens might return or not. Martin does not know yet.

Martin says that Roger Moute a Bidias "has a ways to go" but his work ethic will go a long way towards getting him there.

Kameron Rooks and Kingsley Okoroh sound ready to go toe-to-toe. Rooks is fully healed and would be ready to participate in team activities.  Okoroh grew a lot this season, with Martin crediting David Kravish for his development.

There is the possibility that there are players here now, who will have eligibility next year, who may not be back. Martin will allow "the young men to make a decision about what's best for them," he says.