Saturday, February 27, 2010

Once in every 50 years- Bears clinch first Pac-10 title since 1960

Jason Kidd. Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Ed Gray. Kevin Johnson. Many others. All have been tremendous players for Cal, and all of them have one thing in common: they never won a Pac-10 regular season title. Now, Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher, Theo Robertson, Jamal Boykin, Omondi Amoke, Jorge Gutierrez, and many others combined for just that. They defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils 62-46 to clinch the title, led by the 4 graduating senior starters.




The first half was incredibly even, as neither team could create separation from the other. Jerren Shipp gave his team a huge boost in the first, nailing several jumpers and scoring 10 in the first. Still, the Bears were able to weather his unexpected contribution and hang in there. Jerome Randle made some huge shots in the end, scoring 5 in the last minute and 11 seconds to bring his team within 1 at the half. The halftime score would be 30-29 ASU.



The second half would start the right way, opening up on a 6-0 run to take the lead. Amoke scored 4 of those 6. The Devils would close it to 38-35 after the timeout. They would even come to 44-42. Then Gutierrez would come on and give his club a spark. First, he would cut across the lane and dunk. Then, he would receive a pass and would be hacked. The high arcing shot would be good, and a foul would be called. He would nail the free throw to make it 47-42. From that point, they went on a 5-0 run to extend the lead to 52-42. They would show no mercy from that point on, with Theo Robertson planting a dagger late to make it 62-42. They would close it out 62-46, with Nigel Carter and senior Nikolai Knezevic being on the court to celebrate.



Looking at the stats, you would think that Jerome Randle played a poor game. By most accounts, he did. He couldn’t get his jumper going, and was caught trying to do too many fancy moves. He did minimize his mistakes, only turning it over 2 turnovers, and did have 4 assists on the day. He may have played a poor game on his Senior Day, but he still got his team a W.



Jamal Boykin played one of the best games of his season, showing some great energy and doing a great defensive job. But first, his defense. Eric Boateng, coming off a perfect day against Stanford, was held to 4 points. 2 of those came on a hook shot early, and Boateng went 0-4 from the free throw line.



Jerren Shipp was the only Sun Devil to step up. He hit some shots that kept his team in the game early, and shot 66% from the field. He led his team in scoring off the bench.



Gutierrez’s contribution cannot be underestimated. Looking at his 6 points and 2 assists, you might think he played only a minor role. However, he completely kickstarted the late run, finding Boykin underneath and coming up with the And 1. He also did a great job defensively.



The defense for Cal was terrific. The Sun Devils, usually a solid offensive team, were held to the mere 46 points and shot 39% from the field. The 3 happy Arizona State team shot 13% from long range. Derek Glasser, the Sun Devil’s catalyst, only scored 2 points on 1-8 shooting. Boateng, as mentioned previously, did nothing. Ty Abbott, the leading ASU scorer, was held to 8 points on 4-13 shooting. The defense could not have been better.



Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson both helped lead the team in this one. Christopher scored 14 on 6-13 shooting and did a solid job all around rebounding, with 5. He didn’t make many mistakes, only turning it over once. Robertson scored 13, on 5-9 shooting. His dagger 3 and great defense on Rihard Kuksiks and the ASU forwards was terrific, holding Kuksiks to 2 points.



I attended this game at the beautiful Haas Pavilion. The crowd was loud, the players were emotional, and we won. The rushing of the floor was awesome, and seeing the cutting of the net was great. Mike Montgomery thanking the fans at the end of the game was a nice touch. I will add pictures when I get them on my computer



Cal Bears, conference champions. We haven’t been able to say that in 50 years. Enjoy it folks.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Arizona State-Cal preview

Image via here
All the cookies in the cookie jar. All the marbles. No matter how you slice it, this is it. Cal and Arizona State are tied at the top of the Pac-10, each with 5 losses. With a victory, Cal clinches a share of the Pac-10 title. It’s Senior Day. It’s time to send the seniors out the right way. Of course, Arizona State has the same things on their mind.




Arizona State is a balanced team on offense, not relying on any one player too heavily. Their leading scorer is SG Ty Abbott (12.4 PPG), and he is joined in double figures by PG Derek Glasser (10.5 PPG) and F Rihard Kuksiks (11.7 PPG). Eric Boateng (8.7 PPG and 6.6 RPG) is definitely a threat, as he single handedly carried his Sun Devils to a win against Stanford. He shot 11-11 and scored 24 points. The Sun Devils love to shoot from 3; if you thought that we were a perimeter-oriented club, then you’ll be in for a surprise: Arizona State has taken over 100 more then we have over the season. If they’re cold (like they were against Stanford), the game should be relatively easy. If they’re hot, then look out. Of course, Boateng has the potential to lift this team when they’re cold (see the Furd game).



Defensively, the Sun Devils don’t really stand out. They don’t get blown out (they’ve only allowed over 80 points once on the season), but they aren’t a great team defensively. They usually keep their opponents in the high 60s to the 70s. Cal scored 78 on them in the first matchup. Cal’s not going to score 95 like they did against Arizona, that’s for sure.



Overall, it’s an even match-up. We’re a better offensive team, they’re probably the better defensive team. It should be a close one in a game that decides the conference title. Go Bears!



Prediction: 76-72 Cal

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Cal demolishes Arizona, makes a statement on Pac-10 supremacy

Obviously, Arizona is reeling and they were struggling coming into this one. Cal didn’t make matters better for them, blowing them out of the gym 95-71.




The first half started even, as it would be 11-8 with 15 minutes left, Cal up. From the 14:09 mark on (score 16-9 after a Robertson 3) the Bears dominated. They would close the half on a 27-22 run from that mark, making the score 43-31 at the half. They were down by 20 at one point, but came back.



The Bears would have the game under control in the second. Even though Arizona threatened, they never came within single digits. It would be easy going, and the only loss was not breaking 100 in the 95-71 win.



Nic Wise was the difference-maker in the first game, guiding the Wildcats to the W with 30 points. He would do no such thing tonight, as Jorge Gutierrez and Jerome Randle would shut down the senior stud. He was held to 7 points on 2-8 shooting, and he never got his offense going. He only had a single assist on the night, and turned the ball over 3 times. He was 1-5 from the 3 point line.



Jamal Boykin, with all apologies to Jerome Randle, may be the MVP of this game. He simply outplayed the more highly touted Derrick Williams, as he scored 20 points and he nabbed 10 rebounds. He shot 7-13 from the field and made all 6 of his free throw attempts. Williams scored an impressive 17 points, but on worse shooting (exactly 50%), but he did miss 3 free throws and turned the ball over 5 times. For tonight, Boykin was the far better player.



We almost expect it every night, but again Jerome Randle was excellent. It’s no shock he scored 24 points, had 7 assists, and shot above 50% on the night. Randle, by far, outperformed Wise and got his revenge.



Theo Robertson and Christopher also made plays when the Bears needed them. Theo, who had a career game against Arizona last time, notched 18 points on 66% shooting. He also sparked several key runs with his shooting. Christopher scored 14 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.



Keys to the game were rebounding and defense. They outshot Arizona 56.7% to 48.1%, and made 7 more free throws. They also outrebounded the Wildcats 31-22.



Two games remain in the season. Beat Arizona State, and at least a share of the conference title is guaranteed. Lose, and we still might have a chance, but it’s unlikely. Win both against ASU and Stanford, and we have our first conference title to ourselves in 50 years. Go Bears!

Time for Revenge- Bears take on Wildcats to reach regular-season championship games

The Cal Bears will take on the Arizona Wildcats tonight at Haas Pavilion (6 PM, ESPN). The Wildcats, 7-7 in the conference, and the Bears, 10-5, have battled once before, a 76-72 loss in Arizona. The loss was a heartbreaking, with the team having a chance to tie late but turning the ball over. Tonight, Cal can get revenge.




Offensively, Arizona is anchored by 2 guys in Derrick Williams and Nic Wise. Wise, a highly talented senior, scored 30 in the first matchup and anchors the team. Derrick Williams is highly talented freshman at 6-8. He and Wise average 15 a game. Kyle Fogg and Jamelle Horne are the other main scorers at 10 a game. This team will rely heavily on Wise driving and finding Williams in the post or Fogg from deep. As Wise goes, so goes the Wildcats.



On defense, Arizona runs a standard man to man. They aren’t anything really special, though they did do a solid job on us in the first matchup. Theo Robertson was the only one that could do much, and we shot 37%. Obviously, that needs to improve.



Prediction: Cal 68-Arizona 62

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Cal-Oregon Recap: Bears win, but struggle in the first half

Well, nobody said it had to be pretty. The Bears struggled all day long, but they still were able to take out the Ducks 64-49. It wasn’t a spectacular show of shooting, but it was good enough.




Cal opened up strong, taking an early 10-4 lead before Ernie Kent took a timeout. The Bears would try and keep their distance, but Oregon would close to 17-16 on an Armstead jumper. The Bears would hold a 24-23 lead going into the second half, playing very sloppily but still having the lead.



Patrick Christopher scored 4 in a row to start to make it 28-23 and the Ducks would take another timeout. That didn’t help, as the Bears extended the lead to 33-23. The Ducks would close the gap to 6, but the Bears would keep their distance. Oregon would never come closer then 5, and the final was 64-49. The Bears outscored the Ducks 40-26 in the second half.



Jerome Randle played merely okay in the winning effort. He picked up 16 points but turned the ball over 4 times. He only had 2 assists on the day. Randle did hit 4-7 of his 3 point attempts, but he shot 2-6 from 2 point range. He did hold his counterpart Malcolm Armstead to 7 points.



Theo Robertson led the team in scoring yet again, with 16. He was the only Bear who shot at or above 50% (minimum 3 shot attempts), going 4-8 and 3-6 from the 3 point line. He did other things then score too, pulling down 5 rebounds and distributing 3 assists.



Patrick Christopher played one of his worst games of the season. Christopher did have 10 points, but 4 of them came from the free throw line. He shot 3-14 from the field for 21% and went 0-5 from 3. He did make up for it in other categories, recording 3 steals, 7 rebounds, and doing a solid defensive job on the Ducks.



The Bear defense did a terrific job of shutting down the Ducks. In a game where the offense wasn’t hitting on all cylinders, but the defense was. Leading scorer (on the year) Malcolm Armstead scored only 7, and he shot 27% from the field. Tajuan Porter, the second leading scorer (again on the season), only scored 7 on 40% shooting. Oregon as a team shot a mere 34% on field goals and 9% on 3 point attempts.



Max Zhang may have only played 5 minutes, but he made an impact. He scored 8 points, and blocked a shot. He played with new confidence and the way he played he could see some more time.



E.J. Singler was the only Duck who really played well. The 6-6 forward scored 10 points and nabbed 7 rebounds. He was the only Oregon player who shot over 50% (other then Jamil Wilson, who only took 3 shots on the day) and helped his team stay close.



All in all, this road trip produced two of the worst games we played all year. To go 1-1 is something not to be excited about, but it’s not something to be ashamed of either. With USC falling to Washington State, we control our own destiny. Win out, and Cal will have its first outright conference title since 1960.



Go Bears!

Cal defeats Oregon 64-49

The Bears pull out a tough win on the road 64-49. Oregon tried a zone, but the Bears were able to get the buckets they couldn't against the Beavers. The Cal defense stepped up, holding Oregon to 34% shooting. Theo Robertson and Jerome Randle led the team with 16 points apiece.

A more formal recap to come later. Washington State defeated USC today, so the Sun Devils of Arizona State are the only other team tied in first. They play Arizona tomorrow. Go Bears, and to a lesser extent go Wildcats!

Friday, February 19, 2010

Clancy Pendergast to be the next Cal defensive coordinator?

Links: Roto World and National Football Post

Clancy Pendergast, who was the Raiders defensive back coach, is reportedely going to be the next Cal defensive coordinator. Pendergast has previously been a defensive coordinator in Kansas City. He was also the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals when they made the Super Bowl. Those Cardinal teams ran a 3-4, so expect the scheme to stay the same.

His last season as a defensive coordinator (with the Chiefs) was not very pretty. Hide your eyes, kiddies. His defense allowed 2504 yards on the ground. That's ugly. Like, 156 yards per game ugly. His pass defense was not much better. His pass defense also was poor, giving up 3707 yards on the season. That is 231 yards per game, which isn't horrendous but it wasn't poor either. That should present an upgrade from Gregory in the pass game.

I'm not exactly pleased with the hire, but I'm not disappointed. He didn't have much in Kansas City, but still gave up 388 yards a game and 26 points. Maybe his experience as a DB coach will help him out. Maybe his shortcomings at handling rush games will hurt him. We will have to see if Clancy can be the answer we've all been looking for at defensive coordinator.

Go Bears!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Disappointment- Bears fall into Beaver trap 80-64

It’s been a good season for the Bears. They’ve won quite a few games and are looking at the first conference title since the 1960, and they controlled their own destiny to just that. Now they will need help.




The first half started out okay, with the score 6-7 Beavs. However, OSU would go on an 8-0 run to make it 15-6. They would close the gap to 15-13, and the Bears would hold close for most of the half. OSU would have a 6 point lead, and the halftime score would be 39-36.



Early on in the second, it would be 40-43 OSU. However, they would make their run and rush to a 42-52 lead. Somehow, the Bears just never recovered from that run. They would never recover and would lose 80-64. The offense really seemed to sputter in the second half. All in all, an abysmal performance in the second.



As mentioned in the pre-game preview, the Beavers are great at shutting down guards. This game was no different. Jerome Randle, normally an unstoppable force on the offensive end, was held to 6 points. He shot 2-9 from the field and 0-5 from 3. His lack of scoring was probably one of the most important things in the loss. Patrick Christopher was shut down similarly, scoring a mere 12 on 4-9 shooting.



The Beavers didn’t only do a great job on the guards, but they did a great job on all around defense. The Bears, who shot 50% or above in both games against the Washington schools, was held to 45% shooting and 25% from 3.



Roeland Schaftenaar, who I mentioned in the pre game as a key, proved to be just that. The big man scored 22 points. He got to the free throw line 15 times (!) and sunk 12 of them. If Boykin and Sanders-Frison cannot step up the defense against Oregon, I can easily see the Bears falling. Schaftennar was able to put up the best game of his season tonight.



Obviously, this loss is disappointing. But we still have a chance to win an outright conference title and make the NCAA Tournament. It was an obvious trap game and we fell right in. Now we just have to win out and hope the chips fall in our favor.



Go Bears!

Oregon State-Cal Preview

The Bears have a crucial road game coming up tonight (7:30 PT, CSNBA) against the Oregon State Beavers. The Beavers have beaten Cal 2 of the last 3 times they’ve met, but Cal did take the meeting this season.




In that game, the Bears won 65-61 in a hard-fought game. Cal has a lead over 10, but OSU would come back strong to make it a single digit game.



OSU always gives Cal trouble in all sports. Of course, they upset us twice a year ago despite being among the worst in conference. I expect this matchup to be no different.



The Beavers run a very slow pace offensively, running a Princeton offense. If it’s their style of game, then the game will be somewhere in the 40’s or the 50’s. They lean heavily on their guard play, with Seth Tarver and Calvin Haynes being the leading scorers. Haynes scored 25 in the first game. While he hasn’t produced much this season, it’s still hard to overlook Roeland Schaftenaar. He’s OSU’s only big guy really (maybe Omari Johnson?), and he does average 8 points and 4 rebounds. If he can get back last year’s “mojo” (10 points and 47% shooting) then we’ll be in trouble.



OSU also has a stout zone defense that traditionally gives us problems. 65 points is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but it is a bit low for us. Last year they held the Bears to 54 and 65. One of their strong suits is shutting down guards. Jerome Randle only scored 14 in the first game and Patrick Christopher was held to 8. They also held prolific point guard Nic Wise to 5 points on 1-11 shooting when they played Arizona. Jamal Boykin will have to exploit the fact that he will be given opportunities. The 1-3-1 zone will certainly give him some chances.



This is the ultimate trap game for the Bears. If they can escape, then a road sweep seems easy. If they lose, then winning out is basically the only way to take the conference. Go Bears!



Prediction: 59-56 OSU

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

LaMichael James arrested

Link: http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2010/02/oregon_football_lamichael_jame.html

LaMichael James, the star Oregon tailback, is accused today of 5 misdemeanor charges. One charge of strangling, two of fourth degree assault, and two of physical harrassment. His bail is set at 100,000, and he will be released either today or tomorrow with an ankle bracelet. His girlfriend is reportedely accusing him of these crimes, saying he left her with neck pain and abrasions. He has also been accused of fighting in the past.

While it's easy to rejoice, I strongly discourage it. While it does definitely bolster our hopes in the 2010 campaign, it is a 20 year old's life we have at stake here. I hope these allegations aren't true and that LaMichael James is truly an upstanding young man who would not commit this crime. But if it happens that he did the crime, then we should hope he is not that type of man and that this was some kind of fluke. I hope that he can (if he did commit the crime) stop these violent activities and become a better person. Best of luck to LaMichael

Pac-10 Preview-What to look forward in the coming week

Here we are, previewing the week ahead in the best one bid conference in the nation!

Game of the Week: Arizona State at Arizona, Sunday. ASU is second in the conference at 8-5. A loss likely drops them from Pac-10 title contention. Meanwhile, Arizona is 7-6. A win puts them back in the hunt, as they would need Cal to lose twice and for them to win out to take the conference. It’ll be a matchup of two of the best point guards in the conference in Nic Wise and Derek Glasser, as well as a matchup of two of the conference’s 3 best teams.




Honorable Mention: USC at Washington, Thursday. USC is only a game back of Cal in the loss column, but they have one of the toughest road trips of the year coming up. Washington is dominating at home, rarely dropping a game there. USC needs this win to keep hopes of a regular season title alive.



Matchup to Watch: Derek Glasser vs. Nic Wise, Sunday. Wise is averaging a solid 15 points a game, with 3.5 assists. He’s likely the second best PG in the conference. Glasser is no slouch either, but he does his damage with passing, averaging 5 assists a game. Both of them can make a case for the second best point guard in the Pac-10.



Honorable Mention: Calvin Haynes vs. Landry Fields. While Haynes seems to have a low scoring average, it mainly is because he plays in a slow offense. He’s a top shooting guard. Landry Fields is the conference’s leading scorer, so look out for him to go off.



Team In Most Need of a Sweep: USC. USC takes on two very good teams in Washington and Washington State. While they can’t make the tournament, they still can achieve their goal of a regular season title. In order to do so, they need to take down the Washington schools.



Honorable Mention: Arizona State. While it’s not a “sweep”, they definitely do need to win to bring a challenger to Cal. They take on a pretty good team in Arizona, so it should be a close one.

Bob Gregory has left Cal to join the coaching staff at Boise State

Link: http://www.calbears.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/021710aab.html

Definitely a shocker. He came under a lot of heat, but after Tedford kept him I thought he was safe. He was much maligned, so some Cal fans will be happy. We shall see who will be his replacement.

I will have a more in depth breakdown of his departure later on

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Bears fight out a W over Washington State

If you’re one of the faint heart, these Cal Bears are not for you. After trailing throughout the first half, the scrappy Bears came all the way back to win 86-70.



The game was even at 10-10 with 16:02 in the first, then the Cougars came way back. They would go on a 12-2 run to make it 22-12, before Cal brought it to 21-24. WSU would dominate the rest of the half, extending the lead to 45-34 at the end of the half.



Cal would not be denied in the second half. They made to 42-45 before WSU could even score, and would proceed to take a 58-57 lead with 10:35 left in the game on a Jerome Randle 3 pointer. WSU would take leads of 64-65, 66-65 and 68-67, before Cal took the lead for good. From the 5:17 mark on, Cal would hold and keep the lead. They closed on a 15-2 run.



Klay Thompson dominated the first half of the game, scoring 23 of his 28 in the first half. He was the primary reason WSU could take the lead in the first. Whence Cal shifted more defensive attention to him, the Bears came roaring back.



The Cougars defense also cooled down a bit in the second half. After 10 blocks in the first half, they had 2 in the second half. Cal also shot around 40% in the first half, but would up it to 50% for the game.



The Cal bench was again nonexistent. They scored a combined 3 points on the day. While they were given limited minutes, it’s still unacceptable.



Jamal Boykin again played well for the Bears. He scored 18 points, and grabbed 11 boards. After a meek first half, he stepped it up in the second half. He held the Cougars inside game a lot more in the second half.



As usual, Jerome Randle stepped it up. He scored 24 points and only turned the ball over twice. Randle is a deserving candidate for Pac-10 player of the year.



With Arizona’s loss, Cal has a 2 game lead over every team in the conference other then Arizona State.



Go Bears!

Washington State-California Game Thread

Another game where Cal needs a victory in order to stay in the head of the Pac-10. Klay Thompson and the Cougs look to pull the upset, while Jerome Randle and the Bears look to stay in the front. Game Preview should be below this post.

I still have not heard word if Omondi Amoke will play for the Bears

Friday, February 12, 2010

Cougars-Golden Bears Preview

The Bears are coming off one of their most impressive games of the season, with a rather large victory over Washington on Thursday. Washington State was near the top of the conference, but they choked against Stanford and lost. These two teams play on Saturday, two teams in different shapes in terms of NCAA play.




Key Matchup: Patrick Christopher vs. Klay Thompson. Thompson is a prolific scorer, averaging 21 points a game. Christopher isn’t as prolific a scorer, but he still averages 16 points despite a more team oriented attack. If these two can play even all night, I look for the Bears to win this one rather easily.



Where can Cal dominate?: The Post. While Jerome Randle should outplay Reggie Moore, Moore is a solid player who should hold his own. The Cougars are small in the post, with DeAngelo Casto being their leading tall man. Jamal Boykin, coming off a 20 point performance, should be able to expose the Cougars.



Where can WSU dominate?: Shooting Guard. There’s a reason it’s the key matchup; if Klay Thompson can light up the Bears, this game should be close. Thompson is the type of player who can carry a team on his back, and Christopher, a fine player himself, is not that.



Who needs to step up for a Cal win? Jamal Boykin. Christopher does too, but Boykin needs to establish himself as a threat in the post in order for a Cal victory. If Jamal disappears, Washington State can keep it close with guard play. But if he and Max Zhang can step up in the post, Cal can win big.



Prediction: 77-70 Cal.

Huskies-Bears Recap

Cal needed a win to stay on top of the conference. If they had lost, then they would have slid into the masses of second place teams. Instead, they impressively defeated the Huskies 93-81.




The Huskies kept it even early on, as they led 15-14 with 13:45 left in the first half. Cal would proceed to go on a 8-0 run to take a 22-15 lead, and they would extend it all the way to 29-17. The Huskies would close to 29-25, before the Bears blitzed them to take a 48-34 halftime lead.



In the second half, the Huskies would never come from within 9. As a matter of fact, they didn’t come that close from the 5:02 mark on. But the most encouraging sign was the fact that Cal held a lead for the whole second half and never blew it. The Golden Bears were not willing to lose this game.



Jerome Randle did it all for the Bears. He scored 33 points, shot 63% and only had 2 turnovers despite playing 39 minutes. Jerome scored 21 of his 33 in the first half. He also did an admirable job defensively on Huskie star Isaiah Thomas, holding the talented sophomore to 43% shooting and not letting him bring his team back into the game.



Jamal Boykin turned in the game the Bears need if they are to go deep in the tourney. Boykin scored 20 points and nabbed 11 rebounds in one of his best games on the year. While Randle may be Player of the Game, Boykin definitely deserves an honorable mention.



For the Bears, 86 of their 93 points came from the starting lineups. And this was with Theo Robertson shooting 2-7 from the field. The bench didn’t play too well, but we still pulled out a W.



Defensive intensity was the key to the win. The Bears were able to shoot 51.7% from the field, and 37.5 from 3. While it wasn’t a great defensive performance, they still held UW to 43.3% shooting and 25% from 3.



Go Bears!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Cal Defeats Washington 93-81 to take conference driver's seat

The Golden Bears defeated the Huskies 93-81 in Haas Pavilion on ESPN2. Jerome Randle scored 33 points to guide Cal to win. Fellow senior Jamal Boykin chipped in 20, and the Huskies could not keep up with the conference leading Cal.

The starting lineup scored 86 of the team's 93 points. Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter led UW with 24 and 18 respectively.

More formal recap to come tomorrow. Go Bears!

Washington-Cal Update

While I didn't have a game thread up, it's not because I don't care about basketball. I just figured that we didn't have any people to have a game thread(:. Anyway, the current score is 39-27 in favor of our beloved Golden Bear. Jerome Randle is playing extremely well, as is the rest of the team. Washington took some early leads, but a 10-2 current run by the Bears has in the lead. I will have a game recap tomorrow.

Go Bears!

A more civil response to Jon Doss’ article regarding recruiting

Let me start out with this: I’m no football expert. I am not a scout for a big recruiting website. I’m not a legit blogger cited by ESPN. I’m just a dude with a computer and a love for football. But I think I can chip on the issue at hand, with Jon Doss’ article and CGB’s reply.



Here is the link to the original post by Doss: http://california.scout.com/2/944081.html. CGB posted a rebuttal here: http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2010/2/10/1301782/jon-doss-knows-more-than-the. Apparently, CGB was threatened with a lawsuit. They took down their post, but would later repost it with some removed content. While I disagree with both the article and the threat, I’m just going to try and break Doss’ article down civilly.





“The rather large hole on the left side of the offensive line, vacated by departing senior Mike Tepper, doesn’t look any different than it did three days ago.

Senior Donovan Edwards, who was the second option at both tackle spots last season, looks to be the likely candidate to protect presumed starter Kevin Riley’s backside next year.

But then what?

Chris Adcock is too small (Tedford said at his press conference Wednesday that he could see the Mesquite, TX native playing center) and Alex Crosthwaite and Geoff Gibson don’t have the footwork that made Tepper a decent left tackle.”

While I’m certainly not a football expert, I disagree with this completely. First of all, freshman don’t make any impact (typically) on the offensive line. So, these incoming freshman will likely red-shirt and play. And while I am trying to not attack credibility here, it leads me to this question: who is Jon Doss to judge these players futures? I understand that Mr. Doss may have seen these guys play, and he may be an accredited writer, but I don’t see how he can judge this. Judging offensive linemen is one of the toughest things, especially footwork. I’m just not seeing how Doss can undeniable say, as a fact, that they don’t have the footwork to do such. And even if they don’t now, who says they can’t develop it later on?

“In a year where Tedford and Co. made more strides in national recruiting than ever, they lost a Central Cali JUCO in Roszell Gayden, who appears to be a perfect fit on the blindside, to a team that’s over half way across the country. Not to mention, his twin brother, Rashad, signed to play his college ball at San Jose State.”

Every team misses recruits. I’m not saying we should have or should not have gotten Gayden, but missing out on one recruit and criticizing them for it is highly questionable. The twin in this manner seems highly irrelevant, as they are different people and have different interests.

“What seemed like a promising group of wideouts to start (I don’t have to remind anyone that that’s been a weak spot for Cal over the last couple of years), turned downright ugly with the departure of prospects Josh Harper and Davon Dunn, both of whom left for “greener pastures” in the heart of some of the world’s most fertile grounds.

Yes, the Bears’ got a big lift with the late addition of Allen, but—with all due respect to Pat Hill and the Bulldogs—Cal should never (NEVER) lose recruits to Fresno State.”

Where to begin? Alright, so I will start this out with the first paragraph. What do recruits want most? Other then coeds, it’s playing time. While we do have a “weak spot” at WR, it’s not a spot where a freshman (and a *** one at that) can come in and play right away. As for the Fresno State comment, that made me nearly throw up in my mouth. It’s not all about what conference a team is in or the winning tradition. It’s all about feel and how you get along in the coaching staff. The last comment is one I find to be quite stupid.

“Not only was the Harper/Dunn saga embarrassing, but it put the Bears behind a pair of eight-balls as they attempted to scrounge up a couple of pass catchers.

And scrounge is what they did.

Here’s a quote from Tedford’s presser, when he was asked as to how accurate he felt recruiting sites were in ranking players like Kaelin Clay and Terrance Montgomery (two receivers that Scout has as two-star prospects)”

Scrounge is a highly-how should I put this- strong word. The connotation is that Tedford lost out on 2 receivers, and the best he could do was come up with these two “bums.” As for the 2 star deal, I’m fairly certain that a 2 star grade is not really a grade at all, but a statement that the player has not been watched in person by a website-affiliated scout but is believed to be a D-I prospect.

“Did Paul Wulff, Mike Riley, Steve Sarkisian (insert EVERY other Pac-10 coach’s name here) completely neglect such wide receiving talent? Or is this simply a case of the Bears reaching for a couple of guys that nobody else believed to be Pac-10 talents?”

Sigh. Maybe they didn’t need receivers? Or maybe they didn’t watch the tape as closely as Tedford? To be honest, every evaluator is different. That’s why each recruiting ranking is different. Tedford may have seen something others hadn’t. The fact of the matter is Tedford saw this guy as a Pac-10 talent and I trust him. And this guy isn’t a scrub; according to the recruiting sources, he’s not too far behind the “vaunted” group of Harper and Dunn. They aren’t really that far about, and it certainly isn’t scrounging.



“Very few people are pulling for these two kids as much as I am. After the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Justin Forsett over the years, I love the under-the-radar recruit more than anything.

But if Forsett, who drew interest from Notre Dame and Texas Tech, and offers from UConn and Utah, was a diamond in the rough, then Montgomery and Clay are diamonds well outside the out-of-bounds markers at TPC Sawgrass.”

Forsett never got a schollie from either of those “big” schools. UConn wasn’t even a decent program at the time of his recruitment, and Utah is still a MWC school. I’m sorry, but in recruit terms they aren’t far apart. Similar grades, and they both have offers from a Pac-10 school.

“With first-year starters/contributors Derek Carr, Tate Forcier, Jeff Tuel, Richard Brehaut and even Jordan Wynn (you may remember him from his carving up of Cal in the Poinsettia Bowl) all in the Golden State, the Bears went with Bridgford who, unfortunately, may never see the field.”

Tuel? Carr? Forcier? Brehaut? Wynn? Even if he could land these guys, they wouldn’t have made an immediate impact. Forcier and Wynn are spread guys; they don’t fit the offense. Brehaut might not have came anyway, and Carr is a Fresno guy; he’s not going to start here. Bridgford still might pan out, and was highly regarded.

“At Berkeley’s regional Elite 11 quarterback camp, I fell in love with two athletes; neither was Austin Hinder and, interestingly enough, neither would ever have Cal offers.

The Bears passed on Stockton product Marcus McDade, a late-bloomer whose arm strength is unparalleled amongst 18-year-olds in America, and Brett Nottingham, a UCLA decommit and Stanford signee who had more of a total package than any other QB in the West, BYU’s Jake Heaps and USC’s Jesse Scroggins included.”

McDade? You mean the same McDade who had no Pac-10 offers? I mean, if a guy gets no Pac-10 school offers the guy, he must be a scrub. Even you say so: “Did Paul Wulff, Mike Riley, Steve Sarkisian (insert EVERY other Pac-10 coach’s name here) completely neglect such wide receiving talent? Or is this simply a case of the Bears reaching for a couple of guys that nobody else believed to be Pac-10 talents?” But wait, you say he’s good. As you said, I’ll take advice of 10 coaches (yes all 10, unlike in your case) and say McDade is not better then Hinder. As for Nottingham, he may yet be a solid player, but putting him ahead of the best QB in the country is ridiculous.

“Instead, Cal took Hinder, a 6-foot-5, 180-lb project, who has fallen from as high as the No. 2 rated passer in the class to Scout’s No. 34.

While he is the nicest kid I’ve come across in a while, it was overwhelming to me that, at one of the more prestigious camps for some of the most elite quarterbacks in the country, Hinder had to be taught a five-step drop.

He’d never done that before.

His mobility and accuracy are admirable, but I’m afraid that Hinder, who has run out of the shotgun mostly, may be a bit out of his comfort zone.

And even if he’s not, even if he’s on point, when is he going to play?”

He was still, at the point when Tedford was recruiting, the #2 QB in the country. He still has that potential. McDade nor Nottingham have reached that point. As for a 5 stop, so what? He has time to develop. He can learn that. It’s not a big deal. McDade, as far as I know, ran a similar offense in high school and likely has similar deficiencies. A bit out of his comfort zone? McDade would be too. Hinder’s a smart kid, he has time to learn, and he has accuracy and mobility. Then you ask, when’s he going to play? Um…this might be the dumbest statement yet. You advocated for both McDade and Nottingham, but this question seems to apply to both of them. Hmm…hypocritical much?

Well, I hope I reached my goal. This has been a rather major issue in the recent days, and I felt I should address it. Hopefully I gave you a more civil and reasoned out response to Doss’ article.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Pac-10 Preview-What to look forward in the coming week

Game of the Week: Cal vs. Washington, Thursday. Two of the six teams clumped within the first two spots, Cal and Washington were the conference favorites coming into the year. The Huskies struggle on the road, and they are playing in Haas Pavilion. UW blew out the Bears in Seattle, and Cal wants revenge. Cal can take another step to a title with a win.




Honorable Mention: USC vs. UCLA, Sunday. Two 6-5 clubs looking to stay within a game back of Cal. UCLA has been in a constant state of flux, winning games and then dropping them left and right. USC has won 2 in a row, with a victory over Cal. Malcolm Lee will need to shut down Mike Gerrity in order for the Bruins to have a chance.



Matchup to watch: Isaiah Thomas vs. Jerome Randle, Thurday. These might be the best two guards in the conference. Randle is the early favorite for Pac-10 POY, while Thomas has posted similar stats (worse). Look for the matchup to be the key to the game.



Honorable Mention: Klay Thompson vs. Landry Fields, Thursday. Sure, it is an game that doesn’t mean anything. But both Fields and Thompson average over 20 points per game, and they should be matched up against each other. They both are lights out shooter, and this matchup should decide the game.



Team in most need of a sweep: Arizona. At 6-5, they are a game back in the standings. And they have (likely) the easiest week they’ll have for the rest of the year in Oregon and Oregon State. If they don’t win both of them, then the Wildcats aren’t likely to win a conference title.



Honorable Mention: Cal. While Washington did warrant consideration, they don’t have much of a shot at an at-large. If Cal’s going to get that bid, then they need to win these two. It would be two big quality wins, and a step closer to a conference title.



Cal’s Matchups: Thursday, February 11: Washington. Saturday, February 13: Washington State.

Bracketology 2/8

You thought I was done for the day? Nope, I have already made the newest article for you. Here is my bracketology for today, Monday February 8th. Cal is in the bracket as the lone Pac-10 squad, and carrys a #11 seed. They are still for all intents and purposes the Pac-10 favorite. Here it is:

Midwest


1. Kansas

16. Robert Morris

8. Georgia Tech

9. Xavier



5. Butler

12. Old Dominion

4. Michigan State

13. Murray State



6. Ohio State

11. Richmond

3. Northern Iowa

14. Kent State



7. Cornell

10. Charlotte

2. Purdue

15. Weber State



West

1. Villanova

16. Arkansas State

8. Wake Forest

9. UAB



5. UNLV

12. Clemson

4. New Mexico

13. Northeastern



6. Rhode Island

11. Cal

3. Kansas State

14. Coastal Carolina



7. Baylor

10. Maryland

2. Texas

15. Oakland



South

1. Syracuse

16. Lipscomb/Jackson State

8. Missouri

9. Florida State



5. Vanderbilt

12. Oklahoma State

4. Wisconsin

13. Dayton



6. Temple

11. UTEP

3. Tennessee

14. Morgan State



7. St. Mary’s

10. Ole Miss

2. Duke

15. Pacific



East

1. Kentucky

16. Lehigh

8. Siena

9. Richmond



5. Gonzaga

12. Illinois

4. Georgetown

13. Virginia Tech



6. Pitt

11. Utah State

3. BYU

14. College of Charleston



7. Texas A&M

10. Florida

2. West Virginia

15. Sam Houston State

Welcome to Since 59!

Hi there! Welcome to my new blog, Since 59. This title is an obvious reference to the fact that Cal hasn't visited the Rose Bowl since January of 1959. No, it's not because I've been a Cal fan since 1959. I'm not that old.

But this blog will not only cover football and the quest for a Rose Bowl. We (I) will cover pretty much anything Cal athletics. We will take a peek at other sports, including the pros, and the Pac-10 as a whole as well. Look out for Around the Pac-10 updates sometime.

Where did I get my inspiration for this? Well, it's pretty simple. Sure, I did receive inspiration from great blogs such as McCovey Chronicles and the California Golden Blogs, but it's more then that. I'd love to reach that level of blog, but I love writing about my beloved Golden Bears and sports in general.

You lasted this long? Congratulations. You've reach the end of my rambling introduction to this blog. Enjoy!