SFCityBear said:

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eastcoastcal said:

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SFCityBear said:

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Big C said:

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wifeisafurd said:

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Big C said:

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Monty does know a bit about kids that got "C"s. See Jacobsen, Casey.

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Wait, Monty was talking about a C in high school. Casey graduated with a 3.93 GPA in high school, before grad inflation by AP courses. NO C's there.

I have met Casey several times, and he is bright guy. I think he would admit he may not have been the most diligent student at Stanford. But he returned to Stanford `14 years later (he left early for the NBA draft) and did graduate with this degree. It is real hard to get a C grade at Furd you have to work at it. (There is no "D" grade). Do you know that he got C's rather than the gentleman's B?

Casey can be utterly spellbinding talking about Pac basketball. While everyone views ASU the sleeping giant in all Pac sports with its utterly massive alumni base and easy admittance, you don't want to know who Casey thinks is the sleeping giant in men's basketball (hint, great basketball environment due to a certain nearby pro team, vibrant urban scene that is attractive to players, large NIL potential due to wealthy alum support, etc.). While Monty has some valid points, why does it takes an ex-Furd player to say we can be good, a guy we smack around. Tells you how far Cal has fallen.

---

Yeah, I was just taking a gratuitous shot at Jacobsen because
a) he starred for our arch rival (killing us on a regular basis, to boot)
b) I heard somewhere along the line that he was getting "gentlemen's C"s... dunno where

He was a really good college player. We sure coulda used a guy like that this season. So basically, I'm jealous. We are something of a sleeping giant: Get a good coach, competitive NIL and a decent practice facility and we would be off to the races.

---

That's not much to ask for. Where is Cal going to get all the money for that?

---

Seems that donors are willing to pitch in for NIL should Pasternack be hired. Practice facility is tough just because of crazy real estate costs here but there is no denying Cal of all places has a high potential. What other university has the blend of average wealth of alums (bay area incomes especially in tech, law, real estate) combined with such a large volume? I hope one of our billionaires is feeling particularly generous. Haas family, Milken, Goldman, anyone. I wonder from all cash in hand to grand opening, how long the process would take to construct?

On the grades note though, I am surprised to hear that we have such difficulty finding recruits that can pass the 3.0 GPA threshold. I understand that many of them do not have many resources for academic success, or are busy with basketball but... to be quite frank 3.0 in today's high school era is really, really easy. I went to a pretty academically rigorous high school and even then to have an overall GPA of below 3.0 was pretty rare. Really surprised to hear the GPA barrier is so tough for us. Grade inflation is nuts.

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I'm not so sure the Haas family would be interested in risking good money after what they gave not too long ago, especially after seeing how empty their Haas facility seems for games these days. Even some of the concession stands are closed.

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oskidunker said:

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And another fan friendly move is they wont accept cash at concession stands. I have a friend that now brings his own food. Cash is legal tender. While I don't care seems foolish.

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bearister said:

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Not sure, but when I was at Cal, it was my understanding that at Furd you could file for Pass/Not Pass AFTER you took the final.

At Cal, if memory serves, you had to make the Pass/Not Pass election 6 weeks into the 10 week quarter.

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SFCityBear said:

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Big C said:

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wifeisafurd said:

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Big C said:

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Monty does know a bit about kids that got "C"s. See Jacobsen, Casey.

---

Wait, Monty was talking about a C in high school. Casey graduated with a 3.93 GPA in high school, before grad inflation by AP courses. NO C's there.

I have met Casey several times, and he is bright guy. I think he would admit he may not have been the most diligent student at Stanford. But he returned to Stanford `14 years later (he left early for the NBA draft) and did graduate with this degree. It is real hard to get a C grade at Furd you have to work at it. (There is no "D" grade). Do you know that he got C's rather than the gentleman's B?

Casey can be utterly spellbinding talking about Pac basketball. While everyone views ASU the sleeping giant in all Pac sports with its utterly massive alumni base and easy admittance, you don't want to know who Casey thinks is the sleeping giant in men's basketball (hint, great basketball environment due to a certain nearby pro team, vibrant urban scene that is attractive to players, large NIL potential due to wealthy alum support, etc.). While Monty has some valid points, why does it takes an ex-Furd player to say we can be good, a guy we smack around. Tells you how far Cal has fallen.

---

Yeah, I was just taking a gratuitous shot at Jacobsen because
a) he starred for our arch rival (killing us on a regular basis, to boot)
b) I heard somewhere along the line that he was getting "gentlemen's C"s... dunno where

He was a really good college player. We sure coulda used a guy like that this season. So basically, I'm jealous. We are something of a sleeping giant: Get a good coach, competitive NIL and a decent practice facility and we would be off to the races.

---

That's not much to ask for. Where is Cal going to get all the money for that?

---

Big C said:

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SFCityBear said:

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Big C said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

Big C said:

---

Monty does know a bit about kids that got "C"s. See Jacobsen, Casey.

---

Wait, Monty was talking about a C in high school. Casey graduated with a 3.93 GPA in high school, before grad inflation by AP courses. NO C's there.

I have met Casey several times, and he is bright guy. I think he would admit he may not have been the most diligent student at Stanford. But he returned to Stanford `14 years later (he left early for the NBA draft) and did graduate with this degree. It is real hard to get a C grade at Furd you have to work at it. (There is no "D" grade). Do you know that he got C's rather than the gentleman's B?

Casey can be utterly spellbinding talking about Pac basketball. While everyone views ASU the sleeping giant in all Pac sports with its utterly massive alumni base and easy admittance, you don't want to know who Casey thinks is the sleeping giant in men's basketball (hint, great basketball environment due to a certain nearby pro team, vibrant urban scene that is attractive to players, large NIL potential due to wealthy alum support, etc.). While Monty has some valid points, why does it takes an ex-Furd player to say we can be good, a guy we smack around. Tells you how far Cal has fallen.

---

Yeah, I was just taking a gratuitous shot at Jacobsen because
a) he starred for our arch rival (killing us on a regular basis, to boot)
b) I heard somewhere along the line that he was getting "gentlemen's C"s... dunno where

He was a really good college player. We sure coulda used a guy like that this season. So basically, I'm jealous. We are something of a sleeping giant: Get a good coach, competitive NIL and a decent practice facility and we would be off to the races.

---

That's not much to ask for. Where is Cal going to get all the money for that?

---

Easy-peasy: I am a lowest-level subscriber to Cal Legends for men's basketball, so just clone a million of me (under the condition that both the clones and me couldn't post on Bear Insider)!

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bearister said:

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Not sure, but when I was at Cal, it was my understanding that at Furd you could file for Pass/Not Pass AFTER you took the final.

At Cal, if memory serves, you had to make the Pass/Not Pass election 6 weeks into the 10 week quarter.

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bearister said:

---

Not sure, but when I was at Cal, it was my understanding that at Furd you could file for Pass/Not Pass AFTER you took the final.

At Cal, if memory serves, you had to make the Pass/Not Pass election 6 weeks into the 10 week quarter.

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PtownBear1 said:

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Lost quite a bit of respect for Montgomery for making such an idiotic claim about Fox being a good coach. I don't expect him to badmouth a fellow coach, but that statement is just ridiculous.

Good coaches don't leave their staff intact after setting school losing records, they put efforts into recruiting, they attempt to engage the fan base, they don't consistently act like jackasses in games and throw their players under the bus, they don't make public excuses for their failures, and the list could go on.

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bearister said:

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joe amos yaks said:

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Insightful.

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….except for the one troll quote in his interview.

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BearGreg said:

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There are elements of insight and truth in what Montgomery shares in this article.

The administration has not supported Men's Basketball in a manner reflecting its value to the University and the Athletic Department. And IMO, admissions were too strict when Mark Fox arrived. And I believe Mark Fox is a capable coach in many ways.

However, the interview with Mike would never be one where he criticized Mark Fox. Under no circumstances do former coaches (especially HOF ones like Monty) criticize a sitting coach.

The bigger truth is that Mark failed to excite or galvanize the fans or donor community at Cal to create the type of support needed for the University to get behind the program. Justin Wilcox inherited a Football Program with no more support (relative to football programs) than what Fox had with Basketball. One figured it out and overcame it, the other did not. And no amount of improved admissions or additional financial support was going to solve Mark Fox's recruiting challenges.

Cal needs to hire a new basketball coach AND materially improve the support given to the program. And those are not disparate processes. The first is of overriding importance because it can solve the second.

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oskidunker said:

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SFCityBear said:

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eastcoastcal said:

---

SFCityBear said:

---

Big C said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

Big C said:

---

Monty does know a bit about kids that got "C"s. See Jacobsen, Casey.

---

Wait, Monty was talking about a C in high school. Casey graduated with a 3.93 GPA in high school, before grad inflation by AP courses. NO C's there.

I have met Casey several times, and he is bright guy. I think he would admit he may not have been the most diligent student at Stanford. But he returned to Stanford `14 years later (he left early for the NBA draft) and did graduate with this degree. It is real hard to get a C grade at Furd you have to work at it. (There is no "D" grade). Do you know that he got C's rather than the gentleman's B?

Casey can be utterly spellbinding talking about Pac basketball. While everyone views ASU the sleeping giant in all Pac sports with its utterly massive alumni base and easy admittance, you don't want to know who Casey thinks is the sleeping giant in men's basketball (hint, great basketball environment due to a certain nearby pro team, vibrant urban scene that is attractive to players, large NIL potential due to wealthy alum support, etc.). While Monty has some valid points, why does it takes an ex-Furd player to say we can be good, a guy we smack around. Tells you how far Cal has fallen.

---

Yeah, I was just taking a gratuitous shot at Jacobsen because
a) he starred for our arch rival (killing us on a regular basis, to boot)
b) I heard somewhere along the line that he was getting "gentlemen's C"s... dunno where

He was a really good college player. We sure coulda used a guy like that this season. So basically, I'm jealous. We are something of a sleeping giant: Get a good coach, competitive NIL and a decent practice facility and we would be off to the races.

---

That's not much to ask for. Where is Cal going to get all the money for that?

---

Seems that donors are willing to pitch in for NIL should Pasternack be hired. Practice facility is tough just because of crazy real estate costs here but there is no denying Cal of all places has a high potential. What other university has the blend of average wealth of alums (bay area incomes especially in tech, law, real estate) combined with such a large volume? I hope one of our billionaires is feeling particularly generous. Haas family, Milken, Goldman, anyone. I wonder from all cash in hand to grand opening, how long the process would take to construct?

On the grades note though, I am surprised to hear that we have such difficulty finding recruits that can pass the 3.0 GPA threshold. I understand that many of them do not have many resources for academic success, or are busy with basketball but... to be quite frank 3.0 in today's high school era is really, really easy. I went to a pretty academically rigorous high school and even then to have an overall GPA of below 3.0 was pretty rare. Really surprised to hear the GPA barrier is so tough for us. Grade inflation is nuts.

---

I'm not so sure the Haas family would be interested in risking good money after what they gave not too long ago, especially after seeing how empty their Haas facility seems for games these days. Even some of the concession stands are closed.

---

And another fan friendly move is they wont accept cash at concession stands. I have a friend that now brings his own food. Cash is legal tender. While I don't care seems foolish.

---

calumnus said:

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bearister said:

---

Not sure, but when I was at Cal, it was my understanding that at Furd you could file for Pass/Not Pass AFTER you took the final.

At Cal, if memory serves, you had to make the Pass/Not Pass election 6 weeks into the 10 week quarter.

---

You could write on the final "Please grade this for my benefit, but I am dropping the class."

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oskidunker said:

---

SFCityBear said:

---

eastcoastcal said:

---

SFCityBear said:

---

Big C said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

Big C said:

---

Monty does know a bit about kids that got "C"s. See Jacobsen, Casey.

---

Wait, Monty was talking about a C in high school. Casey graduated with a 3.93 GPA in high school, before grad inflation by AP courses. NO C's there.

I have met Casey several times, and he is bright guy. I think he would admit he may not have been the most diligent student at Stanford. But he returned to Stanford `14 years later (he left early for the NBA draft) and did graduate with this degree. It is real hard to get a C grade at Furd you have to work at it. (There is no "D" grade). Do you know that he got C's rather than the gentleman's B?

Casey can be utterly spellbinding talking about Pac basketball. While everyone views ASU the sleeping giant in all Pac sports with its utterly massive alumni base and easy admittance, you don't want to know who Casey thinks is the sleeping giant in men's basketball (hint, great basketball environment due to a certain nearby pro team, vibrant urban scene that is attractive to players, large NIL potential due to wealthy alum support, etc.). While Monty has some valid points, why does it takes an ex-Furd player to say we can be good, a guy we smack around. Tells you how far Cal has fallen.

---

Yeah, I was just taking a gratuitous shot at Jacobsen because
a) he starred for our arch rival (killing us on a regular basis, to boot)
b) I heard somewhere along the line that he was getting "gentlemen's C"s... dunno where

He was a really good college player. We sure coulda used a guy like that this season. So basically, I'm jealous. We are something of a sleeping giant: Get a good coach, competitive NIL and a decent practice facility and we would be off to the races.

---

That's not much to ask for. Where is Cal going to get all the money for that?

---

Seems that donors are willing to pitch in for NIL should Pasternack be hired. Practice facility is tough just because of crazy real estate costs here but there is no denying Cal of all places has a high potential. What other university has the blend of average wealth of alums (bay area incomes especially in tech, law, real estate) combined with such a large volume? I hope one of our billionaires is feeling particularly generous. Haas family, Milken, Goldman, anyone. I wonder from all cash in hand to grand opening, how long the process would take to construct?

On the grades note though, I am surprised to hear that we have such difficulty finding recruits that can pass the 3.0 GPA threshold. I understand that many of them do not have many resources for academic success, or are busy with basketball but... to be quite frank 3.0 in today's high school era is really, really easy. I went to a pretty academically rigorous high school and even then to have an overall GPA of below 3.0 was pretty rare. Really surprised to hear the GPA barrier is so tough for us. Grade inflation is nuts.

---

I'm not so sure the Haas family would be interested in risking good money after what they gave not too long ago, especially after seeing how empty their Haas facility seems for games these days. Even some of the concession stands are closed.

---

And another fan friendly move is they wont accept cash at concession stands. I have a friend that now brings his own food. Cash is legal tender. While I don't care seems foolish.

---

59bear said:

---

bearister said:

---

joe amos yaks said:

---

Insightful.

---

….except for the one troll quote in his interview.

---

Ignoring the fact that recruiting is a critical aspect of coaching. Fox showed at Nevada that, with his predecessor's talent, he can win. He has shown at Georgia and Cal that he can't/won't recruit adequate talent.

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Big C said:

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calumnus said:

---

oskidunker said:

---

SFCityBear said:

---

eastcoastcal said:

---

SFCityBear said:

---

Big C said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

Big C said:

---

Monty does know a bit about kids that got "C"s. See Jacobsen, Casey.

---

Wait, Monty was talking about a C in high school. Casey graduated with a 3.93 GPA in high school, before grad inflation by AP courses. NO C's there.

I have met Casey several times, and he is bright guy. I think he would admit he may not have been the most diligent student at Stanford. But he returned to Stanford `14 years later (he left early for the NBA draft) and did graduate with this degree. It is real hard to get a C grade at Furd you have to work at it. (There is no "D" grade). Do you know that he got C's rather than the gentleman's B?

Casey can be utterly spellbinding talking about Pac basketball. While everyone views ASU the sleeping giant in all Pac sports with its utterly massive alumni base and easy admittance, you don't want to know who Casey thinks is the sleeping giant in men's basketball (hint, great basketball environment due to a certain nearby pro team, vibrant urban scene that is attractive to players, large NIL potential due to wealthy alum support, etc.). While Monty has some valid points, why does it takes an ex-Furd player to say we can be good, a guy we smack around. Tells you how far Cal has fallen.

---

Yeah, I was just taking a gratuitous shot at Jacobsen because
a) he starred for our arch rival (killing us on a regular basis, to boot)
b) I heard somewhere along the line that he was getting "gentlemen's C"s... dunno where

He was a really good college player. We sure coulda used a guy like that this season. So basically, I'm jealous. We are something of a sleeping giant: Get a good coach, competitive NIL and a decent practice facility and we would be off to the races.

---

That's not much to ask for. Where is Cal going to get all the money for that?

---

Seems that donors are willing to pitch in for NIL should Pasternack be hired. Practice facility is tough just because of crazy real estate costs here but there is no denying Cal of all places has a high potential. What other university has the blend of average wealth of alums (bay area incomes especially in tech, law, real estate) combined with such a large volume? I hope one of our billionaires is feeling particularly generous. Haas family, Milken, Goldman, anyone. I wonder from all cash in hand to grand opening, how long the process would take to construct?

On the grades note though, I am surprised to hear that we have such difficulty finding recruits that can pass the 3.0 GPA threshold. I understand that many of them do not have many resources for academic success, or are busy with basketball but... to be quite frank 3.0 in today's high school era is really, really easy. I went to a pretty academically rigorous high school and even then to have an overall GPA of below 3.0 was pretty rare. Really surprised to hear the GPA barrier is so tough for us. Grade inflation is nuts.

---

I'm not so sure the Haas family would be interested in risking good money after what they gave not too long ago, especially after seeing how empty their Haas facility seems for games these days. Even some of the concession stands are closed.

---

And another fan friendly move is they wont accept cash at concession stands. I have a friend that now brings his own food. Cash is legal tender. While I don't care seems foolish.

---

Doesn't paying by card still take more time? Prices at concession stands in sports and theatres should be in dollar denominations so cashiers don't have to make change.

The only issue can be if the cashier handles the food too. Exchanging money and food is less hygienic, especially during a pandemic. The east answer is someone takes your money and another person hands you your food.

---

Speaking of cards/cash, here's an actual positive story from the Haas Experience this year: I took my kids to a game (they endured three this season) and they wanted to get something to eat. Not thinking, I sent them out there with cash. They came back with a drink, a popcorn... and the cash! The person at the counter took pity on them and just gave them the food. A very un-Cal game-day experience! Okay, my kids are not totally out of the cute stage (yet), so there's that...

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BearGreg said:

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There are elements of insight and truth in what Montgomery shares in this article.

The administration has not supported Men's Basketball in a manner reflecting its value to the University and the Athletic Department. And IMO, admissions were too strict when Mark Fox arrived. And I believe Mark Fox is a capable coach in many ways.

However, the interview with Mike would never be one where he criticized Mark Fox. Under no circumstances do former coaches (especially HOF ones like Monty) criticize a sitting coach.

The bigger truth is that Mark failed to excite or galvanize the fans or donor community at Cal to create the type of support needed for the University to get behind the program. Justin Wilcox inherited a Football Program with no more support (relative to football programs) than what Fox had with Basketball. One figured it out and overcame it, the other did not. And no amount of improved admissions or additional financial support was going to solve Mark Fox's recruiting challenges.

Cal needs to hire a new basketball coach AND materially improve the support given to the program. And those are not disparate processes. The first is of overriding importance because it can solve the second.

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bluehenbear said:

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Bill Walton is not (and AFAIK) and was never a head coach.

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socaltownie said:

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bluehenbear said:

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Bill Walton is not (and AFAIK) and was never a head coach.

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I was responding to the idea that color guys hold their tongue on criticizing teams they cover. Don McClain also ripped Alford frequently

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HoopDreams said:

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Easy problem to solve. I would volunteer to do it. Just need the green light, a connection to the athletics dept, and some info

BeachedBear said:

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socaltownie said:

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southseasbear said:

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socaltownie said:

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bluehenbear said:

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Bill Walton is not (and AFAIK) and was never a head coach.

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I was responding to the idea that color guys hold their tongue on criticizing teams they cover. Don McClain also ripped Alford frequently

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As Bruins perhaps they chose not to put on a front when it came to their alma mater.

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I think it is that Bruin NBA alumni refuse to accept anything than excellence from their alma mater.

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I don't know many, but the few I've spoken to in the past lament at how bad Cal has been keeping connected to Basketball Alumni since Monty retired. Biggest part of the problem seems to be that there aren't enough people in the Athletic Department who have a connection to Cal other than a paycheck. At Stanford, there is a person dedicated to keeping tabs on former student athletes. Probably so at almost every other school in the country.

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