Interesting read on Cal BB

4,108 Views | 32 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by SFCityBear
diva1
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Canzano: Cal flying low in men's basketball (johncanzano.com)

To those that think the answer is simply a new coach
Makes me appreciate Ben Braun
HKBear97!
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diva1 said:

Canzano: Cal flying low in men's basketball (johncanzano.com)

To those that think the answer is simply a new coach
Makes me appreciate Ben Braun


The reality of college sports has passed Cal by. The university would be better served eliminating football and demoting MBB to a lower division to be more in line with other similarly placed academic institutions.
Chabbear
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The article reminds me of bottom dwellers in the MLB, NBA and NFL, they all make money because of the leagues they are in. By being in the Pac 12, Cal makes money being 12th. When or if it becomes the Pac 10, that philosophy may not work anymore.
parentswerebears
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Have to agree. Unfortunately.
eastcoastcal
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Really interesting article and it was eye opening to hear some of this stuff. You know what's really interesting though? I think NIL makes all of the detractors, all of the pitfalls, all of the obstacles- virtually nil

Our lack of dedicated practice facility, flights, etc. all don't mean anything to a recruit if he's handed a nice check
stu
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diva1 said:

Canzano: Cal flying low in men's basketball (johncanzano.com)

To those that think the answer is simply a new coach
Makes me appreciate Ben Braun
I think the answer begins with a new coach. And a new AD. Necessary but not sufficient.
Big C
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For all of us who just assume that we're going to make a change next month, his statement that the program was in the black last year was downright scary.
stu
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Big C said:


For all of us who just assume that we're going to make a change next month, his statement that the program was in the black last year was downright scary.
It would be much farther in the black with a cheaper head coach.
bluehenbear
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Quote:

But the men's basketball program posted one notable victory last year.
It turned a profit.
The haul: $954,846.
This is the only statistic JK cares about, not W/L or even attendance. If he doesn't think firing Fox will lead to an increase in this number, he won't be firing him.

stu
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Is $954,846 enough to start an ice hockey program?
Big C
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bluehenbear said:

Quote:

But the men's basketball program posted one notable victory last year.
It turned a profit.
The haul: $954,846.

This is the only statistic JK cares about, not W/L. If he doesn't think firing Fox will lead to an increase in this number, he won't be firing him.



I'm sure he's been touting this grand achievement, as proof that he's a good administrator (Hey, way to "administer" Olympic sports like women's swimming, btw!). Sadly, somebody upstairs may buy it.
SoFlaBear
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The problem with that concept is that we are in hock about $0.6B on the stadium and athletic training center. The only realistic hope for that income is the Pac 12 TV revenue.
SoFlaBear
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OK - if the end game is profit > wins, then let's find a hungry assistant or successful small school coach or literally any former Cal player and offer a miniscule base and a ton of incentives. Sure, s/he will be gone as soon as they get a better offer, but it might be more fun than what we have now and might actually fill seats.
calumnus
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SoFlaBear said:

OK - if the end game is profit > wins, then let's find a hungry assistant or successful small school coach or literally any former Cal player and offer a miniscule base and a ton of incentives. Sure, s/he will be gone as soon as they get a better offer, but it might be more fun than what we have now and might actually fill seats.


Exactly. It is the NIL era. The future is players make more and coaches and ADs make less. Cal should get out ahead of the curve. However at a minimum you need a coach that doesn't turn off good recruits, both in personality and style of play. You need to get rid of Fox or you are wasting NIL just to overcome him.
mdbear
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It is an interesting article, but I do not believe the hurdles are insurmountable. If Cal's facilities are so inadequate, how did Cuonzo Martin manage to recruit two of the top 10 high school prospects in the country in his first year on the job? Cal basketball has less money to spend because it has been terrible for five years in a row. With attendance and merchandising revenue way down, there is less money to go around. Schools like Indiana with huge attendance, great tradition, and high coaching salaries show that money is not the total solution. Indiana had a winning conference record only once in its last nine seasons. Virginia basketball struggled for decades until Tony Bennet came to town, and now he runs one of the top programs in the country, with only one McDonald's All-American in his entire career. Cal needs a dynamic coach who can sell recruits and help players reach their potential. If he shows marked improvement, the attendance will come, and we can afford to pay him more to retain him. The last two coaching hires have been a disaster, but Cal is a program that can be turned around.
movielover
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Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.
socaltownie
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Here is what I took out of that article and then thinking about the "big picture" of our revenue sports (as well as those non-revenues at which we are successful).

1) Sucessful coaches at Cal don't ***** they hustle. From Ben Braun to Tedford getting the SHPC to Monty laying the ground work for Masters program transfers you CAN get it done but you have to work it. Cal doesn't NEED revenue sports. So unlike other places where the coach gets things given to them at Cal you gotta hustle.

1.1) Coaches that don't want to do that fail. See Sonny. He is happier (and more successful) in a place where all he has to do is football. That ain't Cal.

2) It isn't about brainy basketball players. Rather when we have been successful it is about relentlessly (hat tip to Shocky) working things to find the kid that wants to be at Cal for a host of reasons. Maybe it is because his dad is an alumni (Jabari - hoping he is doing well and getting his life back on track), SAR for islmic studies, Jalen Brown for wanting his one year of college to be intellectually meaningful, Big Ivee to be close to his mom. Crabbe to show the *******s at UCLA that they were idiots. Jermone to escape from Southside and put his life on a new trajectory. Jorge to show the world and become a superstar from Mexico. You can find analogous stories among the students that thrive at Cal.

3) If a student wants to play BB to be on a charter jet that probably isn't going to be a good fit. Cal doesn't coddle ANY student. Its sink or swim attitude is hard baked into TONS of the campus culture - from weed out classes to the need to hustle for housing. Honestly I think this breeds FANTASTIC human beings and why I always laugh about the Farm and what sort of self entitled twits they turn out that have been told every day of their lives they are special. Cal students quickly find out they are not - that 40K of them are gifted and they are a cog in the machine. Better take responsibility for making your mark, it won't be given to you.

4) Depressingly JK is doing his job - manging costs. But lets find a hustler. THings can be good again.

PS. One of my pet peeves on #2 is that there are guys we have missed on which also would have fit into that narrative. Aaron Gordon who was interested in Venture and Tech and wasn't EVER going to get that at UoA. Gary Payton and GP 2 for their East Bay Roots. Damian Lillard who I always thought should have been a Bear. Indeed, one of the things that drives me Batty is how many GREAT players have come out of the East Bay - specifically Oakland - and whereas a place like Michigan State literally has built a dynasty out of owning Detroit Cal will not embrace its local next door to a hoop meca like O Town.
Take care of your Chicken
bluesaxe
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bluehenbear said:

Quote:

But the men's basketball program posted one notable victory last year.
It turned a profit.
The haul: $954,846.
This is the only statistic JK cares about, not W/L or even attendance. If he doesn't think firing Fox will lead to an increase in this number, he won't be firing him.


Reminds me of that idiot Bobby Rowell, formerly Warriors President and sidekick of Chris Cohan. The team made a profit by taking luxury tax payments from good teams and Rowell acted like that made him a genius. Truth was they were leaving megabucks on the table by not understanding that a better product made for WAY MORE profit. Thankfully someone came along who understood that and increase franchise value more than tenfold by building a winning team.
southseasbear
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bluesaxe said:

bluehenbear said:

Quote:

But the men's basketball program posted one notable victory last year.
It turned a profit.
The haul: $954,846.
This is the only statistic JK cares about, not W/L or even attendance. If he doesn't think firing Fox will lead to an increase in this number, he won't be firing him.


Reminds me of that idiot Bobby Rowell, formerly Warriors President and sidekick of Chris Cohan. The team made a profit by taking luxury tax payments from good teams and Rowell acted like that made him a genius. Truth was they were leaving megabucks on the table by not understanding that a better product made for WAY MORE profit. Thankfully someone came along who understood that and increase franchise value more than tenfold by building a winning team.
Is he related to our (possibly former) reserve QB?
Fire Knowlton!
Fire Fox!
Put Wilcox in a hot seat!
SFCityBear
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mdbear said:

It is an interesting article, but I do not believe the hurdles are insurmountable. If Cal's facilities are so inadequate, how did Cuonzo Martin manage to recruit two of the top 10 high school prospects in the country in his first year on the job? Cal basketball has less money to spend because it has been terrible for five years in a row. With attendance and merchandising revenue way down, there is less money to go around. Schools like Indiana with huge attendance, great tradition, and high coaching salaries show that money is not the total solution. Indiana had a winning conference record only once in its last nine seasons. Virginia basketball struggled for decades until Tony Bennet came to town, and now he runs one of the top programs in the country, with only one McDonald's All-American in his entire career. Cal needs a dynamic coach who can sell recruits and help players reach their potential. If he shows marked improvement, the attendance will come, and we can afford to pay him more to retain him. The last two coaching hires have been a disaster, but Cal is a program that can be turned around.
Excellent post. To answer your question about how Martin recruited two top 10 recruits, I think he was recruiting Brown (and his mother) for years before Brown arrived in high school. Building relationships is key, and Martin was lucky with Rabb, because when he did not appear to be paying enough attention to Rabb, Rabb's mother decided to hang out in Martin's office to lean on him to work harder to get Rabb. Tony Bennett's way is one of the best ways to rebuild a program. He has had very, very few 5-star players. He doesn't play up-tempo. He recruits for need, and gets the best players he can, and he gets good defensive players. And he has been consistently successful in the ACC, a league with Duke and North Carolina who are loaded with Mickey Ds on their rosters. Someone with the same philosophy is what I'd look for in the next coach. You have to recruit to your system. If your system is to play fast, then you must recruit players for that system. But when you have landed your roster, if you didn't get all the players you need who fit your system, you have to adjust your system to the players you have signed, or you probably won't have much success. It is all doable.
SFCityBear
SFCityBear
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movielover said:

Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.

Have you ever tried to get to the Caldecott Tunnel at rush hour? I'd don't think he'd like that drive. A few years ago, I commuted from San Francisco to and from work in Walnut Creek. Some days it took 30 minutes, some days much longer. On Fridays, no matter what time I left work, from 2PM to 7PM, it took two hours minimum. I think that commute might have been one of the reasons Jeff Tedford began sleeping in his office.
SFCityBear
Alkiadt
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movielover said:

Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.



Bennett is not interested in the Cal job. It's much easier for him
In Moraga. Cal hamstrings all coaches. And they know it. It's just too difficult to win at Cal compared to other jobs.
stu
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SFCityBear said:

movielover said:

Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.

Have you ever tried to get to the Caldecott Tunnel at rush hour? I'd don't think he'd like that drive. A few years ago, I commuted from San Francisco to and from work in Walnut Creek. Some days it took 30 minutes, some days much longer. On Fridays, no matter what time I left work, from 2PM to 7PM, it took two hours minimum. I think that commute might have been one of the reasons Jeff Tedford began sleeping in his office.
If it's really jammed you can take Camino Pablo to Wildcat Canyon to Spruce.
calumnus
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SFCityBear said:

movielover said:

Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.

Have you ever tried to get to the Caldecott Tunnel at rush hour? I'd don't think he'd like that drive. A few years ago, I commuted from San Francisco to and from work in Walnut Creek. Some days it took 30 minutes, some days much longer. On Fridays, no matter what time I left work, from 2PM to 7PM, it took two hours minimum. I think that commute might have been one of the reasons Jeff Tedford began sleeping in his office.


Coaches don't work 9 to 5
movielover
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calumnus said:

SFCityBear said:

movielover said:

Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.

Have you ever tried to get to the Caldecott Tunnel at rush hour? I'd don't think he'd like that drive. A few years ago, I commuted from San Francisco to and from work in Walnut Creek. Some days it took 30 minutes, some days much longer. On Fridays, no matter what time I left work, from 2PM to 7PM, it took two hours minimum. I think that commute might have been one of the reasons Jeff Tedford began sleeping in his office.


Coaches don't work 9 to 5


Thank you. And with the money involved, he could have a condo or flat near campus if needed. Would he like to coach in the Pac 12, and rebuild Cal?
BeachedBear
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movielover said:

Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.

Folks like to bring up Bennett, but that ship sailed a while ago. Randy really enjoys what he has at St Mary's and would like to retire there. Not saying that the right opportunity wouldn't drag him away, but its not Cal.

I think Cal's last opportunity was when Braun was let go. However, Barbour scooped up a semi retired Montgomery, so I don't think anyone would question that move. By the time Monty retired, Bennett was pretty secure in Moraga and Cuonzo sort of fell in our lap. That may not have worked out long term, but pretty much everyone thought the Cuonzo hire was a great one at the time. By the time Martin left, the entire department was a shambles and many coaches including Bennett stayed away until Williams was replaced with a legit AD.

calumnus
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BeachedBear said:

movielover said:

Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.

Folks like to bring up Bennett, but that ship sailed a while ago. Randy really enjoys what he has at St Mary's and would like to retire there. Not saying that the right opportunity wouldn't drag him away, but its not Cal.

I think Cal's last opportunity was when Braun was let go. However, Barbour scooped up a semi retired Montgomery, so I don't think anyone would question that move. By the time Monty retired, Bennett was pretty secure in Moraga and Cuonzo sort of fell in our lap. That may not have worked out long term, but pretty much everyone thought the Cuonzo hire was a great one at the time. By the time Martin left, the entire department was a shambles and many coaches including Bennett stayed away until Williams was replaced with a legit AD.




I disagree. Williams has not yet been replaced by a legit AD.
BeachedBear
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calumnus said:

BeachedBear said:

movielover said:

Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.

Folks like to bring up Bennett, but that ship sailed a while ago. Randy really enjoys what he has at St Mary's and would like to retire there. Not saying that the right opportunity wouldn't drag him away, but its not Cal.

I think Cal's last opportunity was when Braun was let go. However, Barbour scooped up a semi retired Montgomery, so I don't think anyone would question that move. By the time Monty retired, Bennett was pretty secure in Moraga and Cuonzo sort of fell in our lap. That may not have worked out long term, but pretty much everyone thought the Cuonzo hire was a great one at the time. By the time Martin left, the entire department was a shambles and many coaches including Bennett stayed away until Williams was replaced with a legit AD.




I disagree. Williams has not yet been replaced by a legit AD.
You did see what I did there - excellent!
SFCityBear
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stu said:

SFCityBear said:

movielover said:

Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.

Have you ever tried to get to the Caldecott Tunnel at rush hour? I'd don't think he'd like that drive. A few years ago, I commuted from San Francisco to and from work in Walnut Creek. Some days it took 30 minutes, some days much longer. On Fridays, no matter what time I left work, from 2PM to 7PM, it took two hours minimum. I think that commute might have been one of the reasons Jeff Tedford began sleeping in his office.
If it's really jammed you can take Camino Pablo to Wildcat Canyon to Spruce.
Thanks Stu. I still use the tunnel occasionally to visit friends and relatives who live East of it. I'll check out your suggestion.

SFCB
SFCityBear
stu
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You can also take Claremont to Fish Ranch to the east end of the tunnel. That doesn't work as well in really bad traffic because you get off and on Hwy 24 too close to the tunnel.

If you have a small car you can get from Montclair Village in Oakland to Moraga via Shepherd Canyon to Pinehurst to Canyon. Very twisty, better on 2 wheels.
SFCityBear
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stu said:

You can also take Claremont to Fish Ranch to the east end of the tunnel. That doesn't work as well in really bad traffic because you get off and on Hwy 24 too close to the tunnel.

If you have a small car you can get from Montclair Village in Oakland to Moraga via Shepherd Canyon to Pinehurst to Canyon. Very twisty, better on 2 wheels.

I've taken the Fish Ranch route before. I drive a 4Runner now, so the Shepherd Canyon route might be more exciting than I'd like. Sounds interesting though. Thanks again.
SFCityBear
bluesaxe
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BeachedBear said:

movielover said:

Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.

Folks like to bring up Bennett, but that ship sailed a while ago. Randy really enjoys what he has at St Mary's and would like to retire there. Not saying that the right opportunity wouldn't drag him away, but its not Cal.

I think Cal's last opportunity was when Braun was let go. However, Barbour scooped up a semi retired Montgomery, so I don't think anyone would question that move. By the time Monty retired, Bennett was pretty secure in Moraga and Cuonzo sort of fell in our lap. That may not have worked out long term, but pretty much everyone thought the Cuonzo hire was a great one at the time. By the time Martin left, the entire department was a shambles and many coaches including Bennett stayed away until Williams was replaced with a legit AD.


So, they're still staying away then?
SFCityBear
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calumnus said:

SFCityBear said:

movielover said:

Could Cal land Randy Bennett?

A bonus is Bennett wouldn't have to move.

Have you ever tried to get to the Caldecott Tunnel at rush hour? I'd don't think he'd like that drive. A few years ago, I commuted from San Francisco to and from work in Walnut Creek. Some days it took 30 minutes, some days much longer. On Fridays, no matter what time I left work, from 2PM to 7PM, it took two hours minimum. I think that commute might have been one of the reasons Jeff Tedford began sleeping in his office.


Coaches don't work 9 to 5
Only bartenders and cabbies work the graveyard shift, and the bartenders leave work at 2. So it must be the swing shift for coaches.
SFCityBear
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