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LeonPowe: I don't know if I have any specific memories of Kravish - partially as a result of my viewing circumstances (often via a spotty illeagal stream, or listening via TuneIn over the last four year) - but much more of a general overview of growth. There was no way I'd ever think this skinny kid from Missouri, who didn't look like much physically would walk out of Cal as the all time blocks leader and number 5 all time in rebounds. I think that's a testament to his hard work and his study of the game. His physical transformation from a guy who didn't weigh much more than I do to a 240 pound centerpiece has really been the sort of journey that I enjoy about college hoops. Plus the fact that he's graduating with a degree in IB with an eye towards eventually going to med school - he's one of the guys I'd point to as a real success story from the Montgomery/Martin years of Cal hoops.
He played out of position all year, got new offense responsibilities this year and soldiered through it because it was for the good of the team.
Nick Kranz: Here are some choices for best indivdual game performances by David (only Cal wins considered):
2015 vs. Washington: 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists in an 81-75 win.
2014 vs. Arkansas: 19 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks in an 85-77 win.
2014 vs. #1 Arizona: 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks in a 60-58 win.
2013 vs. UCLA: 18 points, 13 rebounds in a 76-63 win.
2014 vs. Arkansas: 19 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks in an 85-77 win.
2014 vs. #1 Arizona: 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks in a 60-58 win.
2013 vs. UCLA: 18 points, 13 rebounds in a 76-63 win.
Considering quality of opponent and meaningfulness of the win, David's underrated performance against Arizona has to be the best game of his career, right? It's just kinda overshadowed by what Justin Cobbs did to end the game at the buzzer. It was fun watching him control an undersized Arkansas in Hawaii, and that UCLA win was fun for a variety of reasons.
It's funny, David's entire career at Cal didn't stand out for his individual moments - it stood out for his constantcy and consistency. He was never the primary option on the floor offensively, and was usually option 3 or 4. But he was always on the floor, always contributing, blocking shots and setting screens for four years. His legacy is as a team-first guy. Oddly, my strongest memories of him will likely be watching his reactions to what other Cal players did - his joy when Justin Cobbs beat Arizona, his ecstatic relief when Tyrone Wallace saved the day against USC, his celebrations from the bench when big shots went in. And that's a legacy anybody could be proud of.
boomtho: I agree with Nick and LeonPowe. There weren't a ton of singular memories about Kravish. Rather, I loved his Golden Bear career for his steady, continued development.
He came in as a skinny kid with a questionable jumper, and I remember wondering how much he'd be able to contribute. It became obvious that he would do more than contribute his freshman year itself - he immdiately was a good rebounder, overcoming his lack of strength with timing and positioning, as well as a surprisingly excellent shot blocker.
He also had an awesome ability (like Jorge, but a lesser degree) to "fill the cracks" around the talents around him. He fit perfectly with Cobbs and Solomon, content to rebound, defend, move the ball, and hit open jumpers, all with great consistency. This year's struggles have really bummed me out precisely because he has been such an awesome Bear for his entire career. He's been forced to play out of position, to shoulder more load on offense than he'd probably like, but he's stayed grinding and working hard because that's the type of player he is.
Thank you David Kravish for all your contributions - best of luck in whatever you attack next!
Ruey Yen: One of the biggest moment in recent Cal Basketball history has got to be the home win over Arizona in 2014. David Kravish was a big part of that game (although the highlight will always be that Justin Cobbs shot) and those euphoric moments when the fans got to celebrate with the team.
Like everyone else has said, it's hard to pinpoint one specific moment in Kravish's long and mostly consistent career. I will remember Kravish for making all those open jumpers (even if he wasn't able to do that for a long stretch this year). Even if his place in Cal's all time rebounding and perhaps even his shot blocking record are largely compiled thanks to the longevity of his Cal career (which is a testament of both health and effectiveness), he has been an awesome complementary player for the Bears.
Certainly, many of us were hoping for him to take that next step and be an even more dominant force this year. Even without that, he's have had a great collegiate career.
Since I got to attend the press conference at the 2K Classic at Madison Square Garden this past December, I got to see first hand how poised David answered the questions from the New York media that didn't know much about him at all and how he represented our University well in talking about his pre-med study, etc.
Best of luck in your future endeavors, David.
TwistNHook: I agree with Nick about the UW game. It was probably Kravish's largest offensive role in his career and at the time, UW seemed like an extremely challenging opponent. It will be a Kravish memory for sure.
Vincent S: I'd also like to call everyone's attention back to when David was a freshman (remember how he used to be 200 lbs, or even under that?) and Monty assigned him to guard UCLA's Josh Smith (as in, Josh Smith who'd been battling weight problems and is currently listed at 350 lbs). I recall Monty saying that he apologized to David as he handed him the assignment, but David played wonderfully against someone with 150 lbs on him. Amazing.
Trace Travers: Honestly, Kravish's best game may have been the one that just happened, against Oregon State. He controlled the glass and the paint throughout, playing excellent defense on Jarmal Reid, and scoring whenever the opportunity presented itself. In the past, David's best games have come in losses, owing to the fact that the first or second option got shut down, and usually David couldn't entirely fill those holes. That wasn't his role, and in his role he has done an excellent job in becoming Cal's all-time blocks leader. He's been a hell of a player, is an excellent student, and will have an excellent life ahead of him, no matter the field he chooses.