Sharing while we have a lull in the schedule. My older son is a senior at LMU and recently ran into Jordan Mathews at a pickup game on the courts at the bottom of the bluff by Playa Vista. My son grew up an avid Cal sports fan and instantly recognized Matthews. When the games were over the two of them shot around and chatted for nearly an hour. And my son asked him all about his time at Cal and Gonzaga. Among the things they discussed:

Toughest team to play against: West Virginia, tightest defense and very physical; rely on refs not willing to call everything.

Toughest players to defend: McDermott (Creighton) and Marquel Folz (UW)

Said the 2015/16 team was confident they would make it to the Final Four.

About his experience at Cal and Gonzaga, JM said: At Gonzaga, the players get treated "like royalty" and life/school is much easier there. At Cal you get no special treatment and are treated like every other student. He also said he felt they played better in the second half of the season at Cal because the early season was disrupted by December finals. (Obviously quarter systems also have finals in December, but maybe they're not as demanding because shorter term of content? Or maybe this comment was in comparison to quarter system finals in March vs no in-season finals in Spring semester?)

Comparing Cuonzo to Few, he said Cuonzo got players to play really hard. He said Few got players to play hard, too, but that Cuonzo had the ability to get you to play at another level. For Few he said he was really good at coaching to each player's/team's strengths.

The highlight for my son was about a basketball detail regarding Cuonzo. My son said it always bothered him how Cuonzo's teams defended screens, with big man hanging back to defend the roll rather than hedging hard on the screen, while on-ball defender fights over the screen. This was a highlight of the convo for my son because Mathews agreed with him on this point. He said Few, like most coaches?, has their big men hedge hard on the screens. You can see why a guard might prefer that approach, and the connection to how hard Cuonzo got his players to play.

While I'm sure my son was trying to play it cool, I know he was thrilled with this opportunity to play and chat hoops with a hero of his youth.

Great for your son to have had this interaction with a player he knows and seemingly respects (so it seems) to some degree.

I also give your post some serious kudos for keeping it even and positive from all perspectives. Whether any negativities were shared, or not, your accounting of the discussion did well to avoid the natural inclination to focus on the negatives as often happens around here.

Thanks for sharing!

drizzlybear said:

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Sharing while we have a lull in the schedule. My older son is a senior at LMU and recently ran into Jordan Mathews at a pickup game on the courts at the bottom of the bluff by Playa Vista. My son grew up an avid Cal sports fan and instantly recognized Matthews. When the games were over the two of them shot around and chatted for nearly an hour. And my son asked him all about his time at Cal and Gonzaga. Among the things they discussed:

Toughest team to play against: West Virginia, tightest defense and very physical; rely on refs not willing to call everything.

Toughest players to defend: McDermott (Creighton) and Marquel Folz (UW)

Said the 2015/16 team was confident they would make it to the Final Four.

About his experience at Cal and Gonzaga, JM said: At Gonzaga, the players get treated "like royalty" and life/school is much easier there. At Cal you get no special treatment and are treated like every other student. He also said he felt they played better in the second half of the season at Cal because the early season was disrupted by December finals. (Obviously quarter systems also have finals in December, but maybe they're not as demanding because shorter term of content? Or maybe this comment was in comparison to quarter system finals in March vs no in-season finals in Spring semester?)

Comparing Cuonzo to Few, he said Cuonzo got players to play really hard. He said Few got players to play hard, too, but that Cuonzo had the ability to get you to play at another level. For Few he said he was really good at coaching to each player's/team's strengths.

The highlight for my son was about a basketball detail regarding Cuonzo. My son said it always bothered him how Cuonzo's teams defended screens, with big man hanging back to defend the roll rather than hedging hard on the screen, while on-ball defender fights over the screen. This was a highlight of the convo for my son because Mathews agreed with him on this point. He said Few, like most coaches?, has their big men hedge hard on the screens. You can see why a guard might prefer that approach, and the connection to how hard Cuonzo got his players to play.

While I'm sure my son was trying to play it cool, I know he was thrilled with this opportunity to play and chat hoops with a hero of his youth.

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I liked Martin's defensive intensity his team played with, and you're son's conversation with Matthews confirmed it was from coach. For all those who said Martin can't coach, I'd say he did a good defensive coaching. Interesting point about hedges, but it was probably one of Martin's defensive philosophies which obviously have pros and cons.

Agree with "For Few he said he was really good at coaching to each player's/team's strengths"
Monty was also good in this area, producing 3 POYs, and keeping Cal on average finishing 4th in the conference.

That team did have a shot at the Final Four... they would have easily advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, and then you never know. Cal had all the pieces, although offensively Martin did not do a good job with all that talent. For example, he didn't utilize his shooters well (Matthews and Bird), and couldn't design a scheme to use Rabb in the pick and roll, or even get the ball into him down low

I often think what Cal basketball could have been if that team had made a deep run in the NCAA. It could have provided the pop to get some elite recruits, like it has for many other teams before and since

Thanks for relaying your son's story. So was your son able to score on Matthews?

HoopDreams said:

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drizzlybear said:

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Sharing while we have a lull in the schedule. My older son is a senior at LMU and recently ran into Jordan Mathews at a pickup game on the courts at the bottom of the bluff by Playa Vista. My son grew up an avid Cal sports fan and instantly recognized Matthews. When the games were over the two of them shot around and chatted for nearly an hour. And my son asked him all about his time at Cal and Gonzaga. Among the things they discussed:

Toughest team to play against: West Virginia, tightest defense and very physical; rely on refs not willing to call everything.

Toughest players to defend: McDermott (Creighton) and Marquel Folz (UW)

Said the 2015/16 team was confident they would make it to the Final Four.

About his experience at Cal and Gonzaga, JM said: At Gonzaga, the players get treated "like royalty" and life/school is much easier there. At Cal you get no special treatment and are treated like every other student. He also said he felt they played better in the second half of the season at Cal because the early season was disrupted by December finals. (Obviously quarter systems also have finals in December, but maybe they're not as demanding because shorter term of content? Or maybe this comment was in comparison to quarter system finals in March vs no in-season finals in Spring semester?)

Comparing Cuonzo to Few, he said Cuonzo got players to play really hard. He said Few got players to play hard, too, but that Cuonzo had the ability to get you to play at another level. For Few he said he was really good at coaching to each player's/team's strengths.

The highlight for my son was about a basketball detail regarding Cuonzo. My son said it always bothered him how Cuonzo's teams defended screens, with big man hanging back to defend the roll rather than hedging hard on the screen, while on-ball defender fights over the screen. This was a highlight of the convo for my son because Mathews agreed with him on this point. He said Few, like most coaches?, has their big men hedge hard on the screens. You can see why a guard might prefer that approach, and the connection to how hard Cuonzo got his players to play.

While I'm sure my son was trying to play it cool, I know he was thrilled with this opportunity to play and chat hoops with a hero of his youth.

---

I liked Martin's defensive intensity his team played with, and you're son's conversation with Matthews confirmed it was from coach. For all those who said Martin can't coach, I'd say he did a good defensive coaching. Interesting point about hedges, but it was probably one of Martin's defensive philosophies which obviously have pros and cons.

Agree with "For Few he said he was really good at coaching to each player's/team's strengths"
Monty was also good in this area, producing 3 POYs, and keeping Cal on average finishing 4th in the conference.

That team did have a shot at the Final Four... they would have easily advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, and then you never know. Cal had all the pieces, although offensively Martin did not do a good job with all that talent. For example, he didn't utilize his shooters well (Matthews and Bird), and couldn't design a scheme to use Rabb in the pick and roll, or even get the ball into him down low

I often think what Cal basketball could have been if that team had made a deep run in the NCAA. It could have provided the pop to get some elite recruits, like it has for many other teams before and since

Thanks for relaying your son's story. So was your son able to score on Matthews?

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My son felt he could score on Mathews, some, but almost completely unable to guard him. (My son is 6'2" moderately athletic, 3-yr V PG, and moderately accomplished HS player. So he's maybe in the ballpark but not on the same level for a longer stretch of direct competition.)

drizzlybear said:

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CALiforniALUM said:

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Great for your son to have had this interaction with a player he knows and seemingly respects (so it seems) to some degree.

I also give your post some serious kudos for keeping it even and positive from all perspectives. Whether any negativities were shared, or not, your accounting of the discussion did well to avoid the natural inclination to focus on the negatives as often happens around here.

Thanks for sharing!

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Ha, that's insightful of you. There was one thing I deliberately did not include.

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I'd advise to keep it that way.

You gave plenty of golden nuggets of insight for us free board types to salivate over.

Thank you for sharing. Great insights.