Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Bears down Bulldogs 8-5 behind three run 8th

This Cal team may not be NCAA Tourney bound, but they can sure provide some exciting moments. Today, an 8th inning rally led to a close 8-5 victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs.




Early on, the Bears rocked the young Fresno starter Charlie Robertson. Robertson had 2 passed balls in the first inning, allowing Brian Guinn to score easily on a single. Mark Canha would also score, giving Cal a 2 run first inning. The bleeding continued for Robertson, as Canha would come around to score again, with Chad Krist driving him in both times.



Cal starter Chris Petrini turned in a solid performance for the Bears. Other than an unfortunate double that gave up a run in the second, Petrini went 1-2-3 for the first 3 innings. He would only allow 2 hits in the next 3 innings, and going into the 7th he had ceded 1 run in 6 innings. In that time, Cal scored 4 runs, leading to a 4-1 Cal lead.



His run would blow in the 7th as Petrini would give up a run and be pulled shortly. That wouldn’t stop the bleeding, as Fresno would add another run to make it 4-3. Cal would respond with another run to make it 5-3, but the Bulldogs weren’t done yet. They tacked on 2 ore to make it 5-5. Led by Jimmy Bosco’s 2 run single and a Semien RBI, the Bears would score 3 in the 8th to bring the lead to 8-5. Matt Flemer would retire all the Bulldogs in the 9th to pick up the save.



The winning pitcher was Justin Jones (5-2). The losing pitcher was Josh Poytress (3-2). Flemer picked up the save (1).



Petrini deserved a victory in this one, giving up only 2 runs in 6.1 innings. He struck out 4 while giving up a mere 5 hits.



The Bears improve to 13-10, while the Bulldogs fall to 13-12.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Baseball Preview- What to look for in the week ahead

3/30/10: Cal Bears vs. Fresno State


While this isn’t the Fresno State club of old that won a national title, they are still a solid club that can beat the Bears. At 13-11, they’ve had their fair share of struggles. The starter we will likely see is Tom Harlan, a sophomore left hander. Harlan currently possesses an ugly 8.49 ERA. But pitching isn’t the strength of this club; it’s their hitting. They hit .310 as a team, including their star infielder Jordan Ribiera, who hits .362 and has hit 8 home runs on the season. Overall, they have 8 hitters hitting above .300. They’re leading power hitter is Ribiera, with 8. Dusty Robinson, an outfielder, leads the team with 23 RBI’s.

Prediction: 8-4 Fresno State.



4/1/10, 4/2/10, 4/3/10: Cal Bears vs. Arizona

At 20-5, Arizona looks to be a premier team in the Pac-10 this season. With no other games this week, the Wildcats will likely throw their best 3 at the Bears. Kyle Simon, Bryce Bandilla, and Kurt Heyer will likely be the 3 pitchers the Bears face. Heyer is currently a worthy 4-0 on the season, as he has posted a 2.01 ERA on the season. Heyer has struck out 48 batters this season, over 1 per inning. Simon is 4-2, and has posted a 3.45 ERA on the season. Simon pitches to contact more, and won’t record many strikeouts. Finally, Bryce Bandilla has posted a 3.55 ERA on the season. He averages a little under a K per inning. The Arizona offense is very potent; they have 5 players that are hitting over .400 on the season. They don’t hit for much power, but they still get on base at an astounding rate; they have 4 players with an OBP over .500.

Prediction: Arizona takes 2 out of 3.



Go out and watch the games. Go Bears!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Cal Links: Providing the most interesting Cal links that I could find

The newest feature here is the addition of Cal Links, a (insert time frame here) feature that I am starting now. It’s pretty much just a bunch of links that I’ve found on the internet relating to Cal.




http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/cal/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2010SpringMediaInformation.pdf

The Cal football media guide is up right there. Some nice information can be found there.



http://www.ibabuzz.com/beartalk/2010/03/24/basketball-a-very-early-glimpse-at-next-season-breaking-down-the-bears-by-position/

Jeff Faraudo takes a position by posting look at the 2010-2011 basketball squad.



http://www.ibabuzz.com/beartalk/2010/03/26/basketball-crabbe-solomon-power-price-to-win/

Cal recruits Crabbe and Solomon powered their high school team to a high school state championship.



http://www.ibabuzz.com/beartalk/2010/03/18/football-cattouse-out/

Safety Sean Cattouse broke his thumb and will miss the rest of spring practice.



http://www.calbears.com/sports/m-swim/recaps/032810aaa.html

Men’s swimming comes just short of a national title.



http://www.calbears.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/032710aaa.html

Women’s hoops moves to the semifinals of the WNIT in the likely final home game for Alexis Gray-Lawson.



http://www.calbears.com/sports/m-basebl/recaps/032810aag.html

#1 Arizona State takes out a win in the 9th inning. They’ve lost 2 straight to the Sun Devils.



http://www.hoopmasters.com/article.php?aid=1269798655

D.J. Seeley reportedly will leave Cal.

Bear Recruits: Allen Crabbe

With the season unfortunately over and 4 seniors graduating and leaving the program, many scholarships need to be filled. Also, several freshman need to step up in order for the team to have a successful season. Among those recruits? Allen Crabbe, a shooting guard out of Los Angeles, California, is the most prominent out of the incoming freshman.




Crabbe looks like, especially with the departure of D.J. Seeley, to be a starter right out of the gates. He’s a relatively polished product for a soon to be college freshman, so he should be able to make an impact. He may be polished, but he’s still not ready to be a star. If he’s called upon to do so, I don’t see him making that kind of impact as a freshman.



Crabbe is a complete offensive player, even though he does have some weaknesses. His strengths are his shooting. It’s been said he hits 3 point shots like free throws, and he is highly efficient on the offensive end. His lone weakness is a lack of ballhandling skills and a lack of driving skills to the bucket. He can do it at times, but it still is a weakness for him and he still can’t get to the bucket at will. His defense is a question mark; I don’t know if he’s a plus defender or a minus one.



Overall, Crabbe is the top recruit coming in next season and should be a starter right out of the gates. He is one of the top recruits in all of California and could be the best freshman in the Pac-10. Go Crabbe!

DJ Seeley to transfer?

According to Hoopmasters.com, Cal shooting guard D.J. Seeley will transfer away from Cal. Seeley averaged 2.4 points per game a season ago, and 2 the season before.




Seeley, a highly talented guard, was ranked in the Top 80 of recruits nationally and was expected to make an immediate impact. Apart from a few games, it hasn’t happened yet and now won’t ever happen in a Bear uniform. He was, however, expected to either start or be a sixth man on next year’s team. Seeley’s finest moment was in a victory over Washington when he was a freshman, as he made several clutch shots and scored 11 points in 16 minutes. He never cracked the rotation, which likely forced his transfer. Best of luck to him wherever he may go.



As for next season, this is a very tough blow to the club. With the seniors graduating and the up in the air status of Omondi Amoke, the Bears now return a mere 11.9 points per game of scoring from a year ago (excluding Nigel Carter and Bak Bak, both who rarely played). If Amoke returns, that number moves up to 16.7. What it does do is open up another scholarship, which Montgomery could use to land a replacement. For next year’s team, an added burden goes to Allen Crabbe and the other freshman to produce. The seasons rides on their shoulders now.



I wish D.J. the best of luck. Go Bears!

Monday, March 22, 2010

It’s all over; Duke eliminates Cal in hard-fought game 68-53

It’s a shame that it had to end this way. The final score of a loss of 15 is misleading; the Bears were close most of the way and were hurt by some poor officiating and a complete and utter lack of size. We went down hard, but we gave the #1 seed a game for a while. That is something to be proud of. I’d also like to give credit to Duke; they have a solid team that was the better team tonight.



The first half started poorly, with the Blue Devils starting out on a 6-0 run. The Bears would tie it at 6-6, and Cal would actually grab a 9-8 lead. All would not go well, with Duke extending the lead to 10 afterwards. The poor play would continue, and the Bears would trail 24-37 going into the half.



Early on in the second, Duke would come out strong but a Robertson 3 brought the Bears within single digits. Duke would not give up much more than that, and they would put away our Bears 53-68.



The Bears had an off night shooting, and it really cost them. Let’s face it; this is not the kind of team that can weather a poor shooting performance, especially against a team like Duke. A solid shooting night would have kept the game close; a game under 40% shooting and missing easy shots frequently. That, and 25% shooting from 3 point land.



The referees did the Bears no favors. While I’m not going to complain too much, I think it’s fair to consider their performance. They did not have an effect on the game; with the way Cal played, they weren’t winning unless Duke played terribly. The Bears had a 18 fouls, compared to 15 for Duke. However, 3 came in favor of the Bears late with the outcome in hand. Many calls came off the ball and/or on charge/block calls that I disagreed with. It also seemed like Zoubek got away with murder on the glass. But I digress.



Rebounding was another crucial part in sinking the Bears. While Duke was almost certainly going to have the rebounding advantage, they dominated the glass. The rebounding edge was 34 to 29, but it seemed a lot more. Zoubek and the Blue Devils got the offense boards when needed and kept Cal completely off the glass.



Nolan Smith did a great job for Duke, both defensively and offensively. Defensively, he held the scoring Jerome Randle to 12 points on 5-12 shooting. Offensively, he scored 20 on 50% scoring.



Notables for Duke: Brian Zoubek, who scored 14 and grabbed 13 boards. Zoubek dominated the glass and was (arguably) the MVP of the game. Singler added 17 points on 50% shooting and also nabbed 5 rebounds. Jon Scheyer was awful, only scoring 7 points. Scheyer shot a terrible 1-11 on the night. Lance Thomas grabbed 9 rebounds for Duke in helping the rebounding advantage.



Notables for Cal: Jamal Boykin, the leading scorer at 13. He did okay defensively, and did grab 11 rebounds. He just didn’t have help. Jerome Randle only scored 12, and never got in any sort of rhythm. He needed to play well, and he didn’t. Patrick Christopher never recovered from a stitched up eye injury early, only adding 2 points. A usually strong rebounder, he only had 4 on the night. Theo Robertson never really asserted himself and only scored 10 points. He didn’t seem comfortable and only shot 3-9 on the night.



The season’s over, but we have a great team to be proud of. The team just didn’t have it, but they still gave a solid effort and kept it close for a time. Go Bears!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Duke-Cal Preview

The #1 seed. The #1 most hated team in America. The Duke Blue Devils. Our Cal Bears have a chance to take on the vaunted Blue Devils on Sunday, a chance to advance to the Sweet 16.




Duke’s offense is incredibly efficient, ranking #2 in the country. They play at a rather slow tempo, ranking below average for the NCAA. This might bode well for our tired legs, and that we don’t go up-tempo all the time. They aren’t great at Effective Field Goal% (92nd in the country), but that is still above average. They also don’t get to the free throw line much, which could help us avoid foul trouble. What they do well is avoid turnovers (13th best in the country) and grab offensive boards (9th in the country). The offensive board could be a problem with us, as we don’t have the great rebounding bigs. The Blue Devils can shoot the 3 (38.4%), but they struggle from inside the arc (47.1%; 201st in the country). Now, onto the scorers. Duke relies on 3 players heavily; Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer, and Nolan Smith combine for 53 points per game. Now other player averages 5 per game. We start with Scheyer, Duke’s unconventional point guard. At 6-5 and not a great ballhandler, Scheyer doesn’t fit the mold. What he does is minimize turnovers, find open teammates, and score some points too. He shoots 40% on the season and 39% from 3. T hat combined with great free throw shooting leads him to average 18.4 points per game, and 4.9 assists. He’s ranked 16th in Offensive Efficiency. Nolan Smith is a far different player from Scheyer. Smith, a 6-2 junior guard, seems to be more of a traditional point. However, he plays shooting guard and is a very tough guard. Smith is great at penetrating to the lane and drawing fouls and/or getting lay-ups. He also can shoot from 3, making 38% of his attempts. Smith is also an efficient player that makes the most of his attempts and doesn’t turn it over much. Finally, Kyle Singler is the 3rd offensive threat, averaging 17.7 points, 7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. Singler is an inside-outside threat, able to knock down a mid-range jumper while still being able to post up. He’s ranked 166th in Offensive Efficiency. Finally, we move to Brian Zoubek, a 7-1 senior center. Zoubek is the best in the country at rebounding misses, according to KenPom. Despite that stat, he only averages 5.3 points, but he does get 7.2 rebounds a game. He could present problems on the inside. Other notables include: F/C Miles Plumlee (5.4 points, 5 rebounds), F Lance Thomas (4.9 points, 4.7 rebounds), G Andre Dawkins (4.9 points), and F/C Mason Plumlee (4 points, 3.3 rebounds).



Defensively, the Devils run a man to man. They like to pressure the ball and force turnovers (21.9 per game). While they do try to force turnovers, they still do a great job of preventing misses; they are 9th best in the country in Defensive Effective Field Goal % (43.6%). They are best in the country at defending the 3 (27.9%) but still keep solid defense on 2’s (44.2%, good for 39th in the nation). They don’t block many shots.



Next, we move on to how we match up. Here’s who will (likely) be guarding whom on the night.

Scheyer vs. Gutierrez

Smith vs. Randle

Thomas vs. Christopher

Singler vs. Robertson

Zoubek vs. Boykin



Now, we are far worse on the inside. Robertson can guard the post a little, but Singler will be able to get his points. Christopher, whether he’s guarded by Thomas or Scheyer, has the quickness advantage and needs to drive to the lane. Randle won’t be able to keep up with Smith; what he needs to do is rely on his help to stop him. Boykin will have a tough time with Zoubek; Zoubek has the height and weight advantage. The mismatches they can exploit are Zoubek, Singler, Smith, and maybe Thomas(even though he won’t do much with the mismatch). The ones we can exploit are Christopher, Robertson, and maybe Boykin (Zoubek doesn’t get out much on mid-range jumpshots).



What the Bears need to do to win:

1. Get out on the 3 point shooters, no matter what. Duke will nail any open 3 you give them, as they’ve shown. If we force them to drive and take 2’s, their effectiveness decreases rapidly.

2. Get Patrick Christopher to take 2’s. While Christopher can nail the open 3, he needs to focus on getting high-quality shots. He can get past his man, whoever that may be, and get to the lane. If he can do that, then it relieves the load on Randle’s shoulders.

3. Keep Brian Zoubek and the Plumlee’s from the offensive glass. We simply cannot afford to give them extra chances; they’re too efficient not to convert. The key is to hold them to 1 shot every possession.



Prediction: 74-68 Duke. The Bears give Duke a scare, but their lack of height and depth costs them in the end.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Bring on Duke: Bears beat Louisville in thrilling game of runs

Bring on the Blue Devils. Cal dominated for the most part in a 77-62 victory over Louisville, with a few Cardinals run making the game close at times.




The game started perfectly for the Bears. Patrick Christopher was stroking it from deep, starting us out on a 22-4 note. The Cardinals would battle back to single digits, but a Jerome Randle buzzer beating 3 would bring the lead to double digits going into the second half.



The second would go similarly, with the Bears going up 14 before the Cardinals brought it to 4. Cal would have one final run in them, as they would blow past the Cardinals 77-62.



The “Big 3” of Theo Robertson, Jerome Randle, and Patrick Christopher stepped it up when the team needed it. The 3 combined to score 59 of the team’s 77. The 3 also shot 20-35 on the night.



Rakeem Buckles kept the Cardinals in the game, scoring 20 points on 10-11 shooting. Samardo Samuels did work on the Cal defense as well, scoring 16 on 6-8 shooting. Post defense is the only complaint you could have.



On to Duke. We have a chance to replicate the success we had in 1993, where the Bears upset the 2 time defending champ Duke Blue Devils. Let’s do this. Go Bears!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Final Preview: How we match up, Prediction, how to beat the press

The final mega post! After two posts combining for more than 2,000 words, we are onto the final one. The 3 things we will take a look at our how we match up, my prediction, and how we can beat the Louisville press.




First, we start with how we match up with the Cardinals. Where we excel is almost completely on the perimeter: most of our points come from jumpers or from dribble drives. Looking at some stats I accumulated for the defensive preview, it seems that the Bears fit the mold for what can hurt the Cardinals. Pure shooters like Hansbrough from ND (Theo is way better), tough physical shooting guards like Austin Freeman, Scoop Jardine, or Scottie Reynolds hurt them (like Christopher), and even solid point guards can beat them (Randle should beat Tory Jackson’s 19; Randle is far better then Tory). On the big guy level, looking at the previous match-ups it appears Boykin should have some impact on the defensive end. Overall, it would seem that if we can beat the press consistently than we can beat the Louisville defense.



But how does Louisville match up with us? First, we start with the Bears defensive weaknesses. Our issues are a lack of forced turnovers, a lack of blocks and steals, and our so-so 2 point defense. We actually prevent offensive rebounds at a decent rate. Louisville’s weaknesses don’t stem from turnovers, so that’s good. Unfortunately, the Cardinals are great at making 2’s, so that’s a problem. Luckily, Louisville likes to jack up quite a few 3’s, and our solid defense there combined with their merely okay shooting should combine for poor shooting. A decent matchup, but the Cardinals appear to have an edge.



We move on to how the Bears match up with the press. I don’t believe we’ve played a press team all year (I could be mistaken), so it will be a new experience. For a press to succeed, a pressing team will try to accomplish 3 things: force bad shots, and force turnovers off passing or dribbling. Forcing bad shots is something Cal tends to avoid; while Jamal Boykin and others can take some ill-advised shots, they generally steer clear and get solid make able shots. Turnovers are something we typically avoid, but against a press who knows? We’ve all seen Jerome Randle struggle when being pressured by a good, stronger, and bigger defender. See the Washington games. In my opinion, Randle vs. Edgar Sosa will be the match-up that decides this one. If Randle can beat the press and avoid turnovers, then the press is all but for naught. But let’s assume Randle can only beat it occasionally by himself, and needs help. Who ball handles then? Christopher and Robertson generally have troubles handling it, and Gutierrez still is a bit of a bench guy that doesn’t have a great handle. The key will be ball movement then. Give and go’s, swinging the ball around, and the like will decide if Cal beats press. I think we should be able to keep our turnovers in a reasonable range and not cost us the game.



Prediction: 69-65 Cal. Cal does just enough to beat the press while Samuels gives us problems. The Big 3 in the backcourt does just enough to pull out the W.

A Look at the Louisville Defense

Earlier on in the week, we took a look at the Cardinals offense. Today, we take a look at the Louisville defense.




Louisville runs a full court press typically, trying to force turnovers and pressure the ball. In a half-court setting, they will sometimes run a man to man. They do, however, switch to the zone at times. Both can be effective against the Bears if run properly.



Onto the defensive stats. They hold opposing offenses to 95.3 efficiency (a “average” game is 100). Offense have an Effective FG % of 48.2% (pretty middle of the pack), give up 36.2% of rebounds to the offense (bad enough for 303rd in the nation), and give up 40.8 free throws per game. What they do incredibly well is force turnovers, to the tune of 22.4 per game (59th in the country). Cal does prevent turnovers, but the Louisville press is solid. In shooting stats, Louisville is right in the middle (140-190 range). They are excellent at both blocks and steals, at 11% for both. Those are in the 60-70 range for that. Louisville will give you free throws and offensive boards, but they do play solid defense and force a bunch of turnovers.



Let’s look at the best defenders on the Ville. We start with the big fellow, Samardo Samuels. Samuels isn’t the best defender, but he is 276th in the country in Block % and is solid on the defensive glass. They/he doesn’t do a great job against more athletic big guys; Da’Sean Butler and Wellington Smith, two solid athletes, combined for 39 points. While Boykin is no Butler, he has proven he can dribble and shoot with the best of big guys.



Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles are a pair of thieves on the defensive end. While they don’t contribute much on the offensive end, they both are Nationally Ranked in Steal %. Edgar Sosa doesn’t do much in the way of steals, but he’s solid in ball pressure and a decent defender. Notable guards they shut down: Dominque Jones scored a mere 5, Lance Stephenson 12, and Brandon Triche scored 0, Notable guards that lit them up: Kemba Walker with 15 and teammate Jerome Dyson with 18, Jon Wall with 17 (though that is near his average), Austin Freeman with 29, Oscar Bellfield with 17, Scottie Reynolds with 36, Tory Jackson with 19 and Ben Hansbrough with 21, Scoop Jardine scored 20, and Darius Johnson-Odom scored 22. A long list, but a large sample size is important. Who they shut down: more athletic drivers and a muscular shooting guard. Who they let them get lit up by: good point guards (Randle please) and even not so good ones (Tory Jackson?), shooting guards who can drive a bit and even the pure shooters. In other words, Randle, Christopher, and Robertson all fit the mold for a Cardinals killer.



On the big guy front, Terrance Jennings is a block artist; he’s leading the team in blocks despite little playing time. He’s isn’t a great rebounder, however; that’s where Jared Swopshire comes in. Swopshire is nationally ranked in the defensive rebounding category, and is the only Louisville player who really cleans up the defensive glass (remember, they are weak on the defensive glass). Now we take a look at who has done well or struggled in the big man category. Big guys who have struggled: Michael Washington scored a mere 9, Devin Ebanks scored 9, and Arinze Onuaku with 14 and 12. Big Guys who have played well: Nasir Robinson, who scored 26 despite the fact that I have no clue who he is, the athletic WVU duo, Kevin Jones with 16, Gavin Edwards with 13, and Mac Koshwhal with 26. Overall, they tend to hold big guys in the 10-16 range. Notable is the fact that the guys they shut down are mainly back to the basket post-up type guys, where Boykin is more of an athletic guy. As for the guys that beat them up, Robinson seems to be a bit of a shooter, the athletic WVU crew, and Edwards is big but quick. Koshwhal and Jones are big post-up guys. This bodes decently for Jamal Boykin, but not enough where you can guarantee.



The Cardinals are a good defensive team, forcing turnovers and forcing missed shots at times. They do give up too many boards, and they do let teams get to the free throw line too much. It should be interesting to see how we attack the press, as well as the Cardinals other strategies.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

A Look at Louisville’s Offense

As you all probably know, on Friday our Bears take on the Louisville Cardinals in an #8/#9 match-up. For our first preview, we’ll take a look at the Cardinals offense.




First, we take a look at their overall statistics. They are a strong offensive club, ranking in the Top 20 of Ken Pomeroy’s Efficiency Rankings. They hit the glass very strong, as they are in the Top 20 in that category. That could turn out poorly for the relatively poor rebounding Bears (though we do hold our own in that category, ranking in the Top 100). They shoot 51.5% in effective FG%, among the top 70 in the nation. They don’t get to the free throw line much (208th in the country). Louisville is poor at shooting 3’s (33.9%, good for 187th in the nation) but convert their 2’s (51.9%, 36th). 48.5% of their points come from 2 pointers. Despite their poor 3 shooting they rely on them for their scoring (31.6% of scoring, 64th in the country). Translation: Louisville is a good offensively, as in among the top 20 in the nation. They rebound their misses and shoot at an efficient rate. They won’t hurt you too much at the free throw line, and they will miss 3’s. They do take a lot of 3’s, but 2’s is where they are at their best.



Samardo Samuels is a big guy who can do a lot of damage to the Bears. Our big man troubles have been well chronicled; it’s no surprise that we struggle in the post. Samuels averages 15.3 points per game, 7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. Samuels shoots 52% on the season and 71% from the free throw line. He has nearly as many offensive boards as defensive (123 to 102). The sophomore is 32nd best in the country at drawing fouls at 6.9 per game. He is in the top 500 in tons of categories nationally (that’s a lot of players!), with them being Offensive Rating (422), Effective Field Goal % (458), True Shooting % (323), and Offensive Rebounding % (134). Watch out: Samuels doesn’t miss much, grabs boards, and gets to the free throw line. I am scared.



Edgar Sosa is a senior point guard for the Cardinals. I’m not as scared of him, but he still is a dangerous player. Sosa averages 13.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.5 rebounds. He turns it over 2.7 times a game, and shoots 45%. Sosa ranks in the top 500 of many categories (with Samuels), ranking 403rd in Offensive Rating, 211th in Effective Field Goal %, 318th in True Shooting %, and 38th (very high) in Assist Rate. Sosa does not turn the ball over much, and he’s very solid at finding open teammates. Sosa does take 25% of his team’s shots. Sosa, a 38% 3 point shooter, has scored 198 points from long range (or 46% of his total). Getting out on him when he is shooting will be key. He doesn’t drive too much (104 free throw attempts; Andy Rautins, a 3 shooter almost exclusively, has take 72) though he still is a bit of a threat. He can really hurt us in transition and from beyond the arc.



Four more guards provide contribution, with Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles playing major minutes while Reginald Delk and Peyton Siva come off the bench. We’ll start with the bench players. Delk is someone I worry about; again, the Bears sometimes have problems getting out on shooters. Delk may not do much else, but the senior sure can stroke it. Delk has the 20th best Offensive Rating in the country, despite a limited role. When shooting, he shoots 42% from beyond the arc and 48% from the field. Siva is a freshman from Seattle who has a reduced role lately, playing 8 minutes in the last 2 games. Siva is also dangerous from the outside, shooting 40% from 3 and 44% from the field. He averages 4 points per game. He can penetrate and get to the inside. On to the starters. Jerry Smith is very important; in games he has missed, they are 0-2 (including a loss to Charlotte and Cincy), and in games he scores 10 or more points the team is 9-1. Smith is currently nursing an injury, but will likely play. Smith on the year averages 8.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and shoots 40% from the field on year. He shoots 29% from 3. Smith is a lock-down defender, but we’ll get to that later. He’s good scoring off of turnovers. Smith isn’t much of a scorer, but he can do damage when hot. The other major guard is Preston Knowles, who averages 7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, shoots 37% from the field, and 29% from 3. Knowles is another guard lacking an offensive threat, though he can make steals and turn them into buckets.



The others big fellows for the Cardinals are Terrance Jennings (a starter), Jared Swopshire, Kyle Kuric, and Raheem Buckles. We’ll start with Swopshire, who plays more minutes but does not start, is a 6-8 220 forward who averages 7.6 points, 6 rebounds, and shoots 39% from the field. He occasionally shots the 3 (66 attempts), making 32% of his shots from that range. He doesn’t get to the free throw line much, and is another not so great scoring threat. That said, our size is a problem so he could hurt us. Rakeem Buckles doesn’t demand much attention, mainly because his minutes are slowly dropping off and he doesn’t play much anyway. Another freshman, Buckles has played 7.5 minutes in the last 2 games. He is 6-8 and averages 3.3 points and 3.3 rebounds. He shoots 47% on the year. Again, Buckles isn’t much of a threat but you never know with our big guys. Kyle Kuric is a bench guy that worries me. A 6-4 guard/forward, he’s a specialist in the shooting department. His 3 point shooting on the year is 35%, but he hit 4-6 against Syracuse and could do that to us. Kuric averages 4 points on the season. Considering our perimeter defense, Kuric’s shooting is a concern. Finally, we move to Terrance Jennings. Jennings, a 6-10 240 product of Sacramento, California, is a sophomore and a starter. Jennings scores 5.2 points per game and nabs 3.5 rebounds. He is very efficient, shooting 63% from the field. He is a poor free throw shooting, only making 55% of his attempts. Jennings actually has a higher offensive rating then both Samuels and Sosa. He, given the right opportunities, could wreak havoc on the Bears defense, especially sans Amoke.



If you didn’t feel like reading that giant wall of text, a brief synopsis. Samuels is an incredibly efficient player who doesn’t miss much and pulls down tons of boards. Sosa is a talented guard who can hurt us from beyond the arc or driving, and he does it efficiently as well. Watch out for him assisting teammates. In the backcourt, Reginald Delk and Peyton Siva come off the bench and provide two different things: Delk excellent 3 shooting, Siva dangerous attacker of the lane. The other starting guards are Preston Knowles and Jerry Smith, both limited scorers who play defense. In the frontcourt, there’s Kyle Kuric, a solid 3 point shooter who comes off the bench as well as Jared Swopshire and Rakeem Buckles, a pair of solid rebounding big men. Terrance Jennings, a guy who misses only 37% of the time, is very efficient and can hurt us. The overall Louisville offense is 3 relient, but they don’t hit them much other than Delk, Sosa, and Kuric (Siva can pop a few too). Terrance Jennings and Samardo Samuels both can post up solidly.



Hopefully this gives you a very long view of how Louisville’s offense functions and who it runs through. Go Bears!

Omondi Amoke suspended indefinitely, will not travel to Jacksonville

Omondi Amoke, Cal Bears starting forward, has been suspended indefinitely due to a violation of team rules. According to a Cal Bear student (on California Golden Blogs), he robbed multiple things (laptops, etc.). I wish him the best and obviously hope the article isn’t true, but it appears to be so. This presents big problems for the Friday game against Louisville, where their front line is very strong. 6-7 Markhuri Sanders-Frison or 7-2 Max Zhang will likely take his starting spot.




Link: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14692548. We will obviously present information when we get it, as well as preview the upcoming game on Friday.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Cal is going Dancing!

Cal was selected in today's NCAA Tournament. We were given the #8 seed, and will take on #9 Louisiville in Round 1. Assuming a victory, we would likely play Duke in Round 2. Memories of Jason Kidd anyone? Obviously, UL will be a difficult match-up. Hopefully the Bears can pull out a victory. In depth previews to come across the week. Go Bears!

Where all the bracketologists have Cal

Check out the previous post to see my argument for Cal in the tournament and a #7 seed. But onto the brackets (of others).




Jerry Palm has Cal as a #10 seed against Oklahoma State with Duke as a possible second round match

Joe Lunardi has Cal as a #7 seed against Old Dominion with WVU as possible second round match

Glockner has as one of the last 6 in

SB Nation’s bracket has us as an #11 seed

Bracketville has us as a #10

College Hoops Net has us a #9 seed

Bracket Project has us as a #7 seed

Fox Sports has us as a #7 seed

The case for Cal in the tournament- and what seed?

Cal should be in the tournament. In my mind there is no doubt. I’m not going to whine about the “snubs” from CBS and other sources- in my mind that’s useless. Instead, I’ll try and provide you several facts that (in my mind) prove that Cal belongs in the tournament.




1.We won a major BCS conference. No team that has pulled that off has ever been left out of the tournament.

2.We have the “Evan Turner” excuse. For a bunch of our key losses, we were missing Theo Robertson or Jorge Gutierrez. I’d argue that we would’ve beaten New Mexico with Robertson. I believe we lost to UCLA without Gutierrez, and the outcome could’ve been different had he been there.

3. We played some of the best teams in the country and held our own for awhile. We were close with Kansas for a half, Ohio State we were within 10 in the second half, and we were a few plays away from beating New Mexico.

4. It’s not our fault that the Pac-10 is horrible like it is. We took care of business, and won the conference. Again, we won a BCS/major conference, which is still of decent quality.

5. We’ve beaten some good teams, which people don’t give us credit for. We beat ASU and Washington. Both are either NCAA or NIT clubs.

6. We almost won the conference tournament. I don’t see how a 3 point loss bumps us from a 7 or 8 to out of the tourney altogether.

7. Look at our RPI. A top 20 team in the RPI does not, and should not be left out of the tournament.

8. Our two “bad” losses have a somewhat reasonable; UCLA we lost on a completely fluky shot and were missing a key contributor, and Oregon State was on the road and they always give us trouble. Try and find a team that doesn’t have a similar slip-up.



On to what seeding. In my opinion, we deserve a #7 seed. Remember, we’re the winner of a major conference, our strength of schedule is in the Top 10, and we have a top 20 RPI. I think that would qualify us as one of the 28 best teams in the country. Maybe I’m seeing this through homer glasses; but I see a team that’s held their own against some of the nation’s best and have only one healthy bad loss (OSU). I don’t think there is many teams that can say that. And if we do get that 7, it’s probably as the bottom one; I’m not going argue we’re a top 25 club.



Hopefully we’ll get my dream seed, and into the tournament. Go Bears!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Bears play very poorly, fall in title game 79-75

Is it disappointing? Sure. Am I frustrated? You bet. But things could be worse. We, Cal fans, have a team to be proud of. Despite the fact that we couldn’t shoot a 3 to save our life, had a much larger team to go against, and overall couldn’t shoot, we were in the game until the bitter end. Barring an epic jip job by the selection committee, we should be in the tournament. This team can do damage there.




The first half was an absolute see-saw, with neither team giving an inch. Cal would have several leads, but could never pull away. Neither could Washington. Cal would not make a field goal in the last 6:20 of the half, but free throws kept them in it. The Huskies would take the lead, 41-37, going into the half.



UW would start out well, extending the lead to 7. Theo and Boykin would cut the deficit to 2, with Robertson getting an And 1. A Robertson jumper would tie it up at 46. Isaiah Thomas would score 6 unanswered later on to bring the lead to 8 with 12 minutes left. A Robertson 3 made the lead 1 at 61-60. Randle and Boykin would combine to make it 64-61 Cal. A Pondexter 2 would make it 77-71, but Randle would respond with a 3 of his own to cut the deficit to 3. Randle would be set to the line for 2, down 3. He would make the first, then miss the second intentionally. He would commit a lane violation, and that was all she wrote. The Bears fell 79-75.



Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher did not play well on the biggest stage. Other then the big 3, he struggled offensively. His 12 points are deceiving; he shot 3-11 and turned it over as many times as he assisted. Christopher was similar; he went 3-11 and scored 11 points. He seemed to have a bit of knee injury.



Jamal Boykin and Theo Robertson were the only Bears to step up on the day. Robertson scored 16 in the first half, and 25 overall. He shot magnificently, going 8-13 and hitting 3 of the team’s 5 3’s. Boykin turned in just as good a performance. He scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, a solid double-double. He shot 9-13 on the night and also played okay defense on the Huskie big men.



The key was plain and simple: poor Bear shooting. The UW defense was fine, sure; but it’s no better than some teams they’ve played. We just couldn’t hit the jumpers we needed to.



Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas turned in solid performances. Pondexter scored 18 points, and shot 6-13. Thomas shot the same rate, and also scored 16. They were the two-man show, with cameos from other players.



There are no other notable scorers for Cal. Other notables for the Huskies are Bryan-Amaning with 9 (all in the second half) and Overton with 10.



Disappointing but not unexpected. We should still be headed to the tournament. Go Bears!

Washington-Cal Preview

Pac-10 conference title is on the line. Win, and our seeding greatly improves (to maybe a 6 ?). Win, and we’re undisputed Pac-10 champ. Lose, and Washington has a claim to the title. Lose, and we will likely have to play a #1 seed in Round 2 (if we win).




Washington is a very good offensive team, having been held under 70 points just 8 of 31 times out. They’ve scored over 100 points twice on the season, and they’ve score over 80 both times against the Bears. Don’t let the stats fool you either; this team has a multi-dimensional offense. Isaiah Thomas is excellent at penetration and can pass well. He’s aided by one of the three best players in the Pac-10 in Quincy Pondexter, who can hurt you in the post, driving, or shooting from mid-range. Thomas and Pondexter are (seemingly) the Huskie offense. However, Matthew Bryan-Amaning has really come along in the post and can hurt people, Abdul Gaddy still has the talent that made him a Top-20 type recruit, Venoy Overton can get steals and take it home, and Justin Holiday is a bear to guard. This Huskie offense is lethal. They are the #1 offensive team in the conference.



On the flipside, you have their defense. Not abysmal; they are in the middle of the pack in the conference. But their defense can be exploited. Venoy Overton is a great defensive guard, able to make steals and shut down tough guards. Matthew Bryan-Amaning is good for a block a game, and can make steals. So where can they be beat? The answer: everywhere but against Overton (and to a far lesser extent Amaning). Amaning is solid, but he and the Huskie big men did give up 20 to Jamal Boykin. They still are tough on the inside though. Isaiah Thomas’ height is a definite pain, as even Randle is taller then the freshman. Randle was able to put up 33 on the sophomore. What they did do was shut down Christopher and Robertson. Look for Boykin and Randle to carry the team.



Should be an exciting game with 2 great teams. It will be televised on CBS. Go Bears!



Prediction: 85-82 Washington

Friday, March 12, 2010

On to the finals: Resilient Bears slip by scrappy Bruins 85-72 behind second half run

Nobody thought it would be easy. UCLA certainly didn’t make it so. The Bruins held the lead at the half and for nearly the entire first half, but the Bears didn’t care. As they’ve shown all year, they have the ability to run right by teams. They did just that in the second, outscoring them by 17 in the second to pull out an impressive victory.




The first half started in UCLA’s favor, with them leading 14-7 6 minutes into the game. They would extend the lead to 10 at 20-10 with 12:30 left in the first. Theo Robertson would knock down a 3 later to bring the lead to a mere 2, 22-20. It was a 10-2 run for Cal. Off a Michael Roll 3, the Bruins would extend the lead to 39-30 with a minute to play in the first. Undeterred, the Bears would score the next 5 to close the gap to 4.



The Bears, continuing the momentum from the first, would rip off the next 5 as well, giving them the lead 40-39. A timeout would do nothing for UCLA, as Cal would continue the run to 52-44. From there, the Bruins could only muster sporadic challenges and never really threatened much. That led to a great second half comeback and a 85-72 victory for the Bears.



Jerome Randle did his thing, scoring 24 points and dishing out 6 assists. Perhaps most impressive is his 7-11 shooting on the night and the fact that Malcolm Lee, the opposing point, scored a mere 6 points. Randle put together a Pac-10 Player of the Year type performance in guiding the Bears over UCLA.



Theo Robertson and Patrick Christopher, the other 2 components of the “Big 3”, also stepped up their games. Robertson scored 20, and Christopher added 16 of his own. They both shot over 50% for the game, and Christopher contributed 6 rebounds.



Nikola Dragovic really dragged his Bruins down, putting together a dismal performance. Shooting 3-12 on the night, including 1-8 from 3, was horrendous and he only scored 8 on the night.



Jerime Anderson was a bright spot for the Bruins, as was Michael Roll. Roll, donning the UCLA uniform for the final time, scored 27 points and held his team in it for a half. Anderson, the only other Bruin in double figures, scored 15 points off the bench.



The home less has been sufficiently avenged. The hated Bruins season is now over on our watch. Now it’s time to finish as undisputed Pac-10 champion, tournament and regular season.

What else to watch for tonight in the Pac-10 tourney

Note: I know this game is at the half. I had this written before the Cal game, but didn’t want to post it. Got sidetracked so I’ll post it now. Recap to come later tonight.




With only 1 other game tonight, we should be watching to see who we play in the final. Washington versus Stanford is the match-up.



3 Washington (22-9)/7 Stanford (14-17)

Washington advanced last night by eeking out a win over the Oregon State Beavers. Stanford beat Arizona State in shocking fashion last night, with them likely ending at-large hopes for the Sun Devils. A definite mismatch. The deep Huskies have a strong frontcourt with Matthew Bryan Amaning and Quincy Pondexter, while the Cardinal big guys are nonexistent. UW has a strong backcourt too, as Venoy Overton, Isaiah Thomas, and Abdul Gaddy is no slouch. It’ll take more miracles from Landry Fields and Jeremy Green (as well as the rest of the team-they actually did something against ASU) to pull out a W

UCLA-Cal Preview

Who to Watch on UCLA


SG Michael Roll 13.6 PPG, 3.6 APG

PG Malcolm Lee 12.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.1 APG

F Nikola Dragovic 12.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG

PF/C Reeves Nelson 11.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG

F Tyler Honeycutt 7.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG



How we match up- Backcourt

Obviously, Jerome Randle has an edge over Malcolm Lee at the point. Lee only scored 7 in the last match-up, while Randle had 14 in a relatively off night. The key will be Michael Roll. The leading Bruin put up 22 on 9-14 shooting versus the Bears last time. If Jorge Gutierrez can do his usual defensive thing, then watch out. Roll could be shut down, and the UCLA offense takes a drop off after him. Patrick Christopher has a clear edge, with him putting up 20 on the youngster Honeycutt last time. Edge: Cal.



How we match up- Frontcourt

Reeves Nelson dominated Derrick Williams in their last game. However, Jamal Boykin gave him problems in the last game, holding him to 6 points on 2-5 shooting. Boykin didn’t do much better, putting up a mere 6 in more minutes. This match-up should go in favor of UCLA, with Boykin keeping it close. Robertson might draw Dragovic if Mike Montgomery goes with the 4 guard look. Dragovic should be an easy guard, as he rarely strays from the 3 point line. Drago went 1-8 last time. Edge: UCLA, by a hair.



Prediction: 76-67 Cal

Roll on you Bears- Cal defeats Oregon, moves into the semis

If we weren’t a lock before, we should be now. The Pac-10 champions took care of business, defeating the Oregon Ducks 90-74.




Jerome Randle hit several key 3’s early on, including a NBA range and then following it up with a sweet steal and then going behind the back before making a lay-up. That gave Cal an early 7-2 lead. The rest of the second half would follow a similar suit, with Randle and the rest of the Bears leaving no chance for the Ducks. They would lead 47-34 going into the second half. Randle had 22 and didn’t miss in the first half.



The second half was a snoozer, as Oregon never brought the game within single digits and never really threatened. It let the Bears put in some subs, and Cal moved into the semis 90-74.



Jerome Randle’s performance cannot be understated. “The Bulldog” scored 22 points overall on 8-10 shooting. He simply could not miss, no matter where he decided to shoot from. He got solid rest in the second half to help against the Bruins.



Patrick Christopher also chipped in, with 21 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds. He didn’t shoot as well as Jerome, but Patrick did pass and rebound very well. He too rested nicely in the second half.



Other notable Bears are Jamal Boykin (15 points), Omondi Amoke (12 points), and Max Zhang (3 blocks in return from injury). Notable Ducks were Tajuan Porter (22 points), LeKenderic Longmire (16), and Malcolm Armstead (10). The Bears held Oregon to 35.8% shooting while Cal shot a blistering 54.1%.



On to the semis, where UCLA awaits. Go Bears!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Pac-10 preview for the night

With Cal up 15 as I write this, I bring you a preview of the rest of the games tonight. UCLA defeated Arizona to earn the right to play Cal/Oregon in the next round. Here’s the remaining games tonight, both on the lower half of the bracket.




3 Washington (21-9)/6 Oregon State (14-16)

If Washington wants to have any shot at an at-large bid, they absolutely have to win this game. They are on Joe Lunardi’s Last 4 Out, so they definitely have chance to get in. OSU gives some teams fits (Cal) but others dominate them. The Huskies have dispatched them twice, with a 12 point win in their last game and a 6 point win in the conference opener. Other than Roeland Schaftenaar, the Beavers are weak on the inside. That should open up Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Quincy Pondexter for big points. UW should escape with a double-digit victory.



2 Arizona State (22-9)/7 Stanford (13-17)

Arizona State needs a win to be in. Sorry, but losing to Stanford isn’t good enough. Win, and they might be a lock. Simple gameplan for the Sun Devils: shut down Landry Fields and to a lesser extent Jeremy Green. That is the Cardinal team. If they even struggle a bit, game over. Sun Devils advance to face the Huskies in Round 2.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Pac-10 Tourney bracket; who’s on Cal’s side of the bracket?

Note that this is just a preliminary type post to inform you of the bracket, not a breakdown.




The link to the bracket is here: http://www.pac-10.org/championships/2010-mbb-tournament.html.

The Bears have the #1 seed in the bracket for winning the conference title. The winner between #8 Oregon and #9 Washington State will play the Bears in the first round. From there(if they win), the winner between UCLA and Arizona (The Bears split against both teams) will play Cal in the semis. The Bears (assuming another victory) will then play in the title game. The top 2 seeds in the other bracket are Washington (split) and Arizona State (sweep).

Cal Basketball receives Pac-10 honors-Does Randle take home the MVP?

Yes, Randle did take home MVP honors for the Pac-10 conference, presumably over Stanford’s Landry Fields. Overall, the Bears were well represented on the all-conference squads.


Honors for the Bears

MVP: Jerome Randle

First Team All-Conference: Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher

Second Team All-Conference: Theo Robertson and Jamal Boykin

All-Defensive Team: Jorge Gutierrez

Honorable Mention Defense: Patrick Christopher



I will likely have 2 more posts regarding this announcement, with the case for Jerome Randle and my own all-conference team.

4 Tournament Tickets to be punched tonight- who should Cal fans root for?

Colonial Basketball Championship- Old Dominion vs. William and Mary, 4 PM PT ESPN


Who to root for: Old Dominion

Why: Old Dominion by no means is a lock, they have a solid resume that could land them in the tourney easily. They’re likely in no matter what. William and Mary is a very fringe bubble team, but they have far less of a chance. Go Old Dominion!

Metro Atlantic Basketball Championship- Siena vs. Fairfield, 4 PM PT, ESPN2

Who to root for: Siena

Why: Similar to Old Dominion, Siena might receive an at-large bid if they lose here. Cal needs as many bids as possible available. Fairfield has no chance whatsoever of getting an at-large bid.

West Coast Conference Basketball Championship- St. Mary’s vs. Gonzaga, 6 PM PT, ESPN

Who to root for: Gonzaga

Why: Gonzaga had their bid sealed a long time ago. Despite the fact I don’t like the Zags, they have to be the pick. St. Mary’s looks impressive with their record, but they are no guarantee of a bid.

Southern Conference Basketball Championship- Wofford vs. Appalachian State, 6 PM PT, ESPN2

Who to root for: Take your pick!

Why: Neither team has a bubble shot. I’ll root for Wofford because its their first Southern Conference Championship game.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

I don’t believe in sharing- Cal agrees in victory over Stanford, clinches Pac-10 title

So many firsts for one day. Cal beat the hated rival Cardinal to clinch an outright Pac-10 title, 71-61. The firsts involved: Cal clinches a conference title in the 3 major sports (basketball, baseball, football) since 1960. The Bears sweeped Stanford in basketball for the first time in 17 years, or since 1993. Cal went undefeated against Stanford in the 2 largest sports for the first time since 1982-1983.




Early on, the Bears were down by 3. The Golden Bears would go up by 10 (23-13). Landry Fields and Jeremy Green would lead the Cardinal back, making it 34-30. The two made the game an up and down battle.



The second half would be even early on, with neither team extending the lead past 5 for a short time. Patrick Christopher would score 3 consecutive Cal baskets to bring the lead to 61-52, and giving Cal a rather commanding lead. Drew Shiller would hit a 3 to bring it back to 61-57. Christopher would knock down another 3, to bring the lead back to 8. They would carry that lead to a 71-61 victory over the hated Cardinal.



Christopher would hit countless clutch baskets. The senior scored 23 points on 8-18 shooting, but also nabbed 7 boards. Again, he made many crucial baskets to seal the deal late.



Landry Fields certainly did his job. On the night, the senior scored 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. The do it all guard/forward shot 10-21 on the night and blocked 2 shots. Fields was the only force keeping the Furd in the game.



Jeremy Green looked pretty on the point side, but he missed a lot more then he made. He scored 13 shots, but on 5-15 shooting and 3-9 from 3. Green really struggled all night long, and if he had performed better his team could’ve won.



Jerome Randle did not play well at all, making not much of a case for Pac-10 Player of the Year. He scored a mere 11 points on 2-10 shooting, and turned the ball over 4 times. He assisted his teammates 5 times.



California Golden Bears, your Pac-10 Basketball Champions! Go Bears!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Stanford-Cal Preview

The Big Game, basketball style. It’s time to prove to the pathetic Cardinal that we are the better sports school (we’ve already proven the academic part(:). A 3-0 in the major sports would prove that we’re still the dominant school. Oh yeah, and there is a outright conference title at stake. The game will be played at 3:00 PM Pacific Time on CSNCA.




Offensively, the Cardinal are lifted by 2 stars. Small Forward Landry Fields, the Pac-10’s leading scorer, averages 22.1 points per game. He practically is the team. The Bears stout defense (holding him to 9-24 shooting) was essential in the opening victory. If they can replicate that defense, Cal could crush Stanford. Their second scorer is Jeremy Green, a good little shooting guard who can do as much damage as Fields can. Green averages 17 a game in a secondary role. He’s a great shooter, shooting 46% from 3 and 43% from the field. He shot 50% in the previous match-up, scoring 24 points. He definitely needs help from Fields holding together a competent offense. After that, it’s a mumbo jumbo of scorers at 7.6 points per game and below. Drew Shiller is the point averaging 7.6, Jack Trotter averages 7 as the Furd’s only big guy, and Jarrett Mann is a decent guard.



Defensively, the Cardinal is a mess. They’ve given up over 80 6 times on the year, including 100 to Texas Tech. They give up major points to any semblance of a good big guy, with Max Zhang and Eric Boateng lighting up the Trees. They also gave up 24 to Arizona’s Derrick Williams, but he is a very good player. If Jamal Boykin or any other big fellow can play decently, he could put up 20+. Overall, this team is not anything to be afraid of on the defensive end.



On both sides of the ball, Cal has the edge. This is a rivalry game, and the Cardinal want revenge. Anything can happen. All I know is, I want an outright conference title. Go Bears!



Prediction: 84-74 Cal

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Cal Junior Day Recap

Here’s the list of recruits who attended Junior Day (All thanks to solarise from CGB)




Mustafa Jalil, DT Cathedral Catholic

Chance Early, WR Cathedral Catholic

Jonny Martin, RB Cathedral Catholic

Sheldon Richardson, DL College of the Sequoias

De’Anthony Thomas, ATH Crenshaw

Victor Blackwell, WR Mater Dei

Max Wittek, QB Mater Dei

Rob Hankins, LB Parish Episcopal Dallas, TX

Brandon Bigelow, RB Central HS (Verbal pledge to Washington)

Conor Loftus, LB Servite

Bryce McGovern, WR Monte Vista

Blake Renaud, LB De La Salle

Shaq Thompson, ATH Grant Union (Sophomore)

Nick Sherry, QB Casa Grande

George Atkinson, ATH Granada HS

Josh Atkinson, DB Granada HS

Robert Ash, OL Elk-Grove-Cosumes

Brian Farley, OL San Diego-Patrick Henry

Jordon Rigsbee, OL Pleasant Valley

Tony Popovich, DL Marin Catholic

Sam Atoe, LB Maria Carrillo

Lional Louis, LB El Cerrito

Jason Gibson, LB Serra



Lots of high quality prospects here. This class could be very good, maybe as good as last year’s. Go Future Golden Bears!

Pac-10 Preview- What to look forward to in the final week of conference play

Game of the Week: Thursday, Arizona State vs. USC- UCLA-ASU is a contender to the spot, but this one is the superior game. Arizona State still has a shot to share the conference title, but USC is a formidable opponent. Derek Glasser, coming off a poor season, will have his hands full with Mike Gerrity. Dwight Lewis and Ty Abbott should provide some entertaining fireworks.




Honorable Mention: Saturday, Cal at Stanford- Homer pick? Maybe. All I know is Cal has a chance to win the outright title, and Stanford wants to spoil that party. They also might want some revenge for the blowout in the previous game. Landry Fields is a star, but can he get help?



Matchup to Watch: Landry Fields vs. Patrick Christopher- Two great scorers duking it out. Christopher isn’t a leading man, but he can still contribute. He, Jorge Gutierrez, and Nikola Knezevic must team up to stop Fields to have a chance. Fields can light you up at any time.



Honorable Mention: Derek Glasser vs. Mike Gerrity- Two guys who don’t make their contribution through scoring. Glasser and Gerrity average 4.9 and 3.7 assists respectively, and get the offenses going for their team. If Gerrity if can play well, then the Trojans can pull an upset.



Let’s go out and win us an outright title. Go Bears!

Darren Ervin- The newest Golden Bear

Darren Ervin, a 5-9 175 product from Houston, Texas, has committed to the California Golden Bears after the Cal Junior Day. Ervin can play running back or receiver at the next level. A season ago, he ran for 716 yards and 10 TD.




Darren is more of a finesse runner then a power guy. While we don’t have a 40 time, he is quick (at least according to Scout.com) and can accelerate through running lanes. With his tiny frame, he’s elusive and can make cut backs on his runs.



His weaknesses relate to his size. He’s skinny (175 pounds!) and just does not have the frame to break tackles. Injuries might also be a concern. Hopefully he can overcome those flaws.



Ervin provides another talented tailback in a backfield full of them. He should redshirt for a season and sit out for a while, but he still could be a productive player in the future. Welcome to Cal Darren!