https://instagr.am/p/C4iPEE5u1KH
coach madsen & the staff are actively recruiting 6'8" 220 lbs power forward brown transfer #31 nana owusu-anae from burlington (halfway between toronto & niagara falls) canada

this is a physical team leader/captain that battled for 14.7 ppg, 8.8 rebounds per game & a facilitating 2.1 assists per game this season that is respected by his teammates for his unselfish style of play

nana is an ivy leaguer & not a dumb azz, he got a near 4.0 gpa in high school & wuz #1 in his graduating class for the highest gpa (called the class of 1892 award)

owusu-anae might be tired of cold azz weather, now the whole team is here on the west coast in cali



the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including freezing azz ontario)
https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

Shocky1 said:

---

San Jose State transfer Myron Amey (@AmeyMyron) has received interest from the following programs:

LMU
Butler
Arkansas
Cal
Nevada
New Mexico
ECU
Utah State
Montana
UTEP
NAU
UC Davis
Robert Morris
Weber State pic.twitter.com/cyMgFBclvV

— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) March 23, 2024

does myron amey jr a 6'2" 185 lbs 15.2 ppg & felony defender (51 steals) from vacaville know the way to berkeley?

the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (for those who wanna play at home in front of moms)
https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

---

Less than two years ago, @SanJoseStateMBB star @AmeyMyron wrote goodbye letters to his friends explaining his intent to kill himself. Now, he is sharing his story in hopes of helping others who wrestle with the same dark thoughts that once plagued him: https://t.co/5czypy5p4N

— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) March 14, 2024

rooting for the underdog in life#

Shocky1 said:

---

https://instagr.am/p/C4iPEE5u1KH
coach madsen & the staff are actively recruiting 6'8" 220 lbs power forward brown transfer #31 nana owusu-anae from burlington (halfway between toronto & niagara falls) canada

this is a physical team leader/captain that battled for 14.7 ppg, 8.8 rebounds per game & a facilitating 2.1 assists per game this season that is respected by his teammates for his unselfish style of play

nana is an ivy leaguer & not a dumb azz, he got a near 4.0 gpa in high school & wuz #1 in his graduating class for the highest gpa (called the class of 1892 award)

owusu-anae might be tired of cold azz weather, now the whole team is here on the west coast in cali



the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including freezing azz ontario)
https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

---

Going after top Ivy upper classmen and grad transfers is a smart strategy for both revenue sports.

Shocky1 said:

---

MONSTER 👿 https://t.co/zJ2hYZfiMw pic.twitter.com/xqkDXbVjgs

— Charlotte Men’s Basketball (@CharlotteMBB) February 22, 2024

A ton of high-majors have reached out to Dishon Jackson (@NoLimitDO) since he entered the transfer portal. The 6’11 center averaged 11.4PTS and 6.1REB last season.

He tells us the following schools have reached out:
LSU
Xavier
Iowa St
UCF
Indiana
Arkansas
NM State
Ga Tech
GTown pic.twitter.com/BbTjy6bZkG

— GREENLIGHT MEDIA (@atlgreenlight) March 21, 2024

the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including oaktown)
https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

---

So Cal (Madsen) is not on the list of those who have reached out to Dishon,I see.

He signed with Iowa State

Shocky1 said:

---

oakland's dishon jackson commits to iowa state

---

thx dunker, good to know

UCSD Sr. G Bryce Pope has entered the transfer portal after leading the Tritons to a second place finish in the Big West. Pope was a First Team All Conference selection this past season averaging 18.3ppg. #GP @bpopesd1 @AntBolt_3 https://t.co/xCndNx6BTd

— Gamepoint Basketball (@GamepointNation) March 25, 2024

coach madsen is actively recruiting day 1 impact starter/high calibre leader bryce pope from uc san diego & legoland high school after averaging an unselfish 18.3 ppg & an ice in his veins moneyball winning dagger against them california golden bears

UCSD IS 2-0 AGAINST CAL IN ITS D-1 ERA!pic.twitter.com/4gkjmnHhDv

— Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) November 16, 2022

after this year's bears roster of the most unlikeable lazy azz self entitled selfish guys in the history of cal athletics for any sport, is this the kinda student athlete u wanna root for?

Really proud of this guy & the career he has put together so far at UCSD, helping build a championship caliber D1 program

A true self made player. One of the hardest workers I’ve ever been blessed to play with, Coach, and be around. @bpopesd1 @TPHS_Basketball @GamepointNation https://t.co/jcsoi0JgXZ

— Jake Gilliam (@TPCoachGilliam) March 10, 2024

bryce, it's kinda doubtful ur family would be able to catch every one of your games at somewhere like arkansas in the deep south but they could celebrate ur final season of collegiate basketball with gameday hour plus flights on southwest to oakland

WHAT A SHOT! Bryce Pope (@bpopesd1) drains the contested triple with 0.7 left to force OT for UC San Diego (UCSD) 81-81 with UC Irvine where the Tritons would win 92-88 pic.twitter.com/XooqRclkLZ

— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters) February 25, 2024

the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (for those that wanna build generational wealth thru nba development with coach madsen in the acc & hard work in the classrooms of berkeley)
https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

San Diego junior Deuce Turner has entered the transfer portal @On3sports has learned

The 6-2 guard earned 2nd-Team All-WCC honors & WCC Sixth Man of the Year averaging 15.5 points this season.

From Coatesville, Pennsylvania, started career at Bucknell.https://t.co/oOVRcwKf06 pic.twitter.com/4wDhiaKWYL

— Jamie Shaw (@JamieShaw5) March 24, 2024

6'2" 185 lbs deuce turner from the university of san diego is a key california golden bears recruiting target as an impact starter, we're done with crooked azz shooting strokes in berkeley

it's gonna take a "village" to stop the deuce & his 15.5 ppg average

Lorenzo Romar on trying to stop San Diego G Deuce Turner, who is an absolute flamethrower “a bucket” pic.twitter.com/VBQeImFh6l

— Thomas Dunn (@THOD_24) March 8, 2024

yeah the deuce stroke is pure

Dangerous from any distance.@deuce_turner | #GoToreros pic.twitter.com/s9TPsSjgqA

— San Diego Men's Basketball (@usdmbb) March 3, 2024

the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including coatesville pennsylvania)
https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

this is wut cal basketball looked like during the cal's monster class era when there wuz 11,000 attendance games creating a hostile homecourt advantage & when everybody within the program (including shocky) from the mcdonalds all americans to the walk ons like my boys cole welle & brenden glapion celebrated together the magic of cal basketball



this can happen again but it's gonna start with coach madsen constructing a roster of likable hard working high character true student athletes that place a premium emphasis upon a degree from the #1 ranked public university in the world

yeah nil money is part of the deal but signing guys with overbearing little league dads or immature guys that wanna buy luxury watches (which just pisses off the have nots) & other dumb azz **** is not the solution



also critical is growing the fanbase of new fans that will become future season tix holders & mega donors, this pipeline will not happen without FREE tixs for all students...and adding an asian hooper to the fall roster would make a lotta sense too

building a successful program requires positive ENERGY & involving the right people

https://instagr.am/p/CbqvEPNtWU9
the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (simple earrings is the best fashionista look)

The best pics of @JIBrown21 & the @Woodcreek_HS hoop squad from last night's win

MUST SEE GALLERY: https://t.co/uLqsz1rDoW pic.twitter.com/5Z7ZxRmwN8

— Roseville Press Tribune (@RosevillePT) December 14, 2016

jordan brown: a cautionary tale of a little league dad

as the director of recruiting for cal's monster class i attended multiple woodcreek high school (roseville) games to scout 5 star mcdonalds all american/team usa jordan brown

Burger Boy🍔🍟〽️ True Blessing!🤟🏽 pic.twitter.com/VWWPowCMx4

— Jordan Brown (@JIBrown21) January 17, 2018

his little league dad dion (a former hoop dreams baller who never achieved his own dreams of stardom) wuz afraid of flying in airplanes which should've made cal a slam dunk commitment

long story short, dion got involved in his son's basketball career every step of the way & alienated every coaching staff with his demands & this is how this sad story played out:

nevada (2018): 3.0 ppg
arizona (2020): 9.4 ppg
louisiana (2021): 15.3 ppg
louisiana (2022): 19.3 ppg
memphis (2023): 4.0 ppg

jordan (a likable young man) got a 3.6 gpa in high school, it's not clear how he ever earned a college degree as his dad chased the next big deal

note: louisiana is dad's alma mater

Following careful consideration and discussion with my family, I've chosen to enter the transfer portal. However, this decision doesn't signify my departure from Vanderbilt; I may still remain part of the program next year. Appreciate everyone who has been part of my journey. 💫 https://t.co/TwQHVJ4R28

— Jason Rivera-Torres (@jasonriv23) March 17, 2024

associate head coach adam mazarei is the lead recruiter for 6'7" 180 wing jason rivera-torres from vanderbilt who is testing the portal waters to see if there's a better opportunity out there for him

cal wuz candy azz soft on defense last season (grant newell wuz arguably the worst/lowest energy defender in the pac 12, shocky would rather eat 30 day old deep fried barracuda at sexy fish in miami than ever watch him play basketball again), rivera-torres would bring a much needed eastcoastie physical knock u on ur azz mentality to berkeley on d plus a legit scoring punch

First-ever SEC game 👉 20 points@jasonriv23 made a statement ⚓️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0BDo7pXFfF

— Vanderbilt Men's Basketball (@VandyMBB) January 8, 2024

rivera-torres is not a dumb azz, he wuz a member of the national honor society and spanish national honor society throughout high school

jason, earning a berkeley degree while living in the beautifully diverse san francisco bay area in cali like becky g while building generational wealth thru nba development with coach madsen in the acc & hard work in the classrooms es muy bueno, comprende?

Quote:

---

https://instagr.am/p/BK1PpkdD858
https://instagr.am/p/CrQzWZ4LD5g

---

https://instagr.am/p/CrtFCHYLFuu
the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including the bronx)
https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

no seas tonto amigo (don't be a dumb azz)#

https://instagr.am/p/Ck9nEVWOwz5
coach madsen is utilizing his nba connections to actively recruit 6'7" 190 lbs stanford portal transfer andrej stojakovic from nearby carmichael (short drive on gamedays for the fam to haas pavilion)

the freshman doing the most on both ends! 🙌💪@kanaancarlyle15 x @AndrejSto2

📺: @ESPN2#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/xGJ9ZMmd2T

— Stanford Men's Basketball (@StanfordMBB) March 8, 2024

andrej wuz a mcdonalds all american as a senior at the academically rigorous jesuit high school & averaged 7.8 ppg as a true freshman with a advanced court awareness & fluid ball movement...his dad peja wuz a 3 time nba all star so nil dollars won't be a key issue for the affluent family in this recruitment as much as nba skills development, a clear pathway to a starting position at the wing & earning a world class education...the california golden bears basketball program checks all those boxes

https://instagr.am/p/Cnz97I2yFU0
as a stanford transfer, berkeley admissions will not be a problem, andrej is not a dumb azz

the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including greece & serbia)
https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

the best landing for grant newell is back home at depaul where his dad can oversee the head coach on a daily basis

Shocky1 said:

---

https://instagr.am/p/Ck9nEVWOwz5
coach madsen is utilizing his nba connections to actively recruit 6'7" 190 lbs stanford portal transfer andrej stojakovic from nearby carmichael (short drive on gamedays for the fam to haas pavilion)

the freshman doing the most on both ends! 🙌💪@kanaancarlyle15 x @AndrejSto2

📺: @ESPN2#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/xGJ9ZMmd2T

— Stanford Men's Basketball (@StanfordMBB) March 8, 2024

andrej wuz a mcdonalds all american as a senior at the academically rigorous jesuit high school & averaged 7.8 ppg as a true freshman with a advanced court awareness & fluid ball movement...his dad peja wuz a 3 time nba all star so nil dollars won't be a key issue for the affluent family in this recruitment as much as nba skills development, a clear pathway to a starting position at the wing & earning a world class education...the california golden bears basketball program checks all those boxes

https://instagr.am/p/Cnz97I2yFU0
as a stanford transfer, berkeley admissions will not be a problem, andrej is not a dumb azz

the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including greece & serbia)
https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

---

The point regarding NIL $$ is a key one. Cal needing 8 or 9 players to fill out their roster needs to be able to secure a couple of players that will decide to join for reasons other than a big bag. Cal does check a lot of the boxes that Stojakovic likely finds important.

Needing so many players this cycle even with a fairly robust hoops collective the staff will need to find players that can play and find the other elements Cal provides attractive. If the numbers being thrown around are even close to accurate for starting caliber transfers it would like cost Cal around $1.5M to secure a starting five.

If Stojakovic were to come aboard for a smaller NIL offer that clears some money to bring in others.

Any updates on Cal Basketball visitors??

Source: Wayne Hunter, Steve Frankoski, and Derrick Wrobel will all be a part of Kyle Smith's staff at Stanford.

All three worked for Smith at Washington State.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 29, 2024

Johnfox said:

---

Any updates on Cal Basketball visitors??

---

https://instagr.am/p/CgNJnEuvtpf
foxy, a lotta basketball portal transfer communications/recruiting is on zoom rite now, it's a relatively quick 2 way evaluation screening process in this era of speed dating on hinge, swipe rite

official visits are romantic marriage proposals with vows & rings and stuff

surprisingly the most knowledgable person in berkeley re: the complexities of relationships is noted human behavior sociologist dr jaydn ott

Coming to CMS soon pic.twitter.com/iVbZ1EvBs6

— Don Grizzell, Ph.D. ⁴⁴ (@golDonbear) December 15, 2023

the upcoming football portal transfer recruiting narrow window of april 15th to april 30 is gonna be crazy as ****



r u sick of me (r u gonna slash my tires)?

https://instagr.am/p/Cx24Cs7O7A-
good luck to roberta & cuonzo at missouri state, tracy webster still got moves

some of my favorite people on planet earth, ordinary people doing something special together, we all shared the magic of cal basketball



one love (from further afar)#

https://instagr.am/p/C12-ELivDPY
coach madsen is leading the recruitment of stretch power forward 6'8" 240 lbs brandon angel from legoland high school who got 1 year of remaining eligibility

angel averaged 13.0 ppg on a highly efficient 56.7% field goal percentage along with 4.7 rebounds per game & physical dialed in defense (unlike the candy azz soft bears d this season)

we're done with crooked azz shooters in berkeley, angel shot a nba level 44.7% on 3 pointers, no that's not a typo

BA for 👌

📺 @Pac12Network#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/6NjIoyoglg

— Stanford Men's Basketball (@StanfordMBB) March 14, 2024

like andrej berkeley admissions will not be a problem for the stanford grad with a degree in economics (the farm don't got an undergraduate biz ad program), brandon is NOT a dumb azz

https://instagr.am/p/Ce2QdCyrHBM
the university of calford=#1 ranked public university in the world (and a short flight on southwest for the gf & the fam on gamedays at haas pavilion)#
https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/

Shocky, just saw that Vyctorious Miller just decommitted from Oregon. I believe he took a visit to Cal earlier in the year. Do we have a shot here?

https://instagr.am/p/CzKSWqHsrBS
cheezers, while doing the hang with my modern yoga buddy/basketball skills development coach padraig o'brien (multiple phx suns & nba lottery picks cody & jalen williams as clients) at compass prep (with got almost no academic component, just a basketball factory) in chandler saw vj play a game during his junior year...vyctorius (who dad & uncle are rappers) reminds me of tyrone wallace in that like t-wall he absolutely breaks down defenders with his +1 athleticism & elite length and can defend with his long levers & intensity, he got tremendous upside & would be a huge portal victory if he commits to coach madsen

and so with that being said, cal's odds of closing on guys that don't got academic ambition are not good, the bears sweet spot is high schoolers with high gpas and stanford, ivy league & uc system portal transfers that are making 50 year generational wealth decisions not 15 minute basketball decisions

yeah academic ambition is something in ur veins, does vy got it?

Brandon Angel has entered the portal. The Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year reportedly did not opt to apply for a graduate program at Stanford, and will instead play his fifth year elsewhere https://t.co/7trxVtkynC

— Channel Tree Sports 🌲 (@channeltree) March 29, 2024

fun fact: comparing the nba level 44.7% shooter on 3 pointers last season to anyone on cal's roster last season shows a scary azz lack of basketball knowledge

30% 3 point shooters with bad attitudes/don't play d no es bueno (don't be a dumb azz)#

The rumor is he wants to be on a top 25 team and wants 450 k Not sure we check all the boxes. We can only hope…

oskidunker said:

---

The rumor is he wants to be on a top 25 team and wants 450 k Not sure we check all the boxes. We can only hope…

---

I think he was expecting Stanford to break through and be an NCAA team during his time there. That did not happen, so it makes some sense he would seek a program that is a near certain NCAA tourney team. The $450K NIL seems very unlikely IMO.

Right now Cal is not looking like a likely NCAA tourney team and almsot certainly could not pay a good but far from great player that kinda cash.

FWIW some UCLA folks seem to think he may be headed there. If it is simply about the hoops and academics matter little he is not very likley to come to Cal IMO. He would be a great fit if he wanted to though.

He would start immediately. I wonder if the Tyson money can go there and to others?

^^^ not surprisingly (considering the source), this is a good assessment of where we're at right now ^^^

I hope the major donors are pledging a large amount of guaranteed cash if Madsen can deliver. They don't have to send the cash up front. If we can't even get donors to promise a few million total for a rockstar class, we're a lost cause. I get not wanting to pony up without seeing what's on the table, however. Just hoping there are a few that have told Madsen they have a blank check if he can seal the deal, and MM is assembling a monster class to announce all at once. Everyone's happy in that scenario.

prediction: former bear shantay legans will be the next fresno state head coach

bearsandgiants said:

---

I hope the major donors are pledging a large amount of guaranteed cash if Madsen can deliver. They don't have to send the cash up front. If we can't even get donors to promise a few million total for a rockstar class, we're a lost cause. I get not wanting to pony up without seeing what's on the table, however. Just hoping there are a few that have told Madsen they have a blank check if he can seal the deal, and MM is assembling a monster class to announce all at once. Everyone's happy in that scenario.

---

I can see some folks saying this. I would certainly like a very good idea of what a large check might bring in return if I were writing one. But pledges are not donations.

This new world relies on donors. But they must trust the staff. I see this as a matter of trust. There are no guarantees, but if Madsen is to attract the players needed to win he has to know that what he is offering will be met.

https://instagr.am/p/CcdRzUZsJmZ


panopticism: r u a frog or a t-rex???

the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university on planet earth (that celebrates creative individuality & the innovation of self expression without internal or external censorship)

Leilani's farewell and thank you message:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5HezdSvAQe/

Heart of the team
Five year starter in every game
Leader on the court
Lockdown dawg defender
Warrior who played huge minutes
Amazing teammate and student-athlete

Lei defines what's good about Cal sports


Updated stat: 131 threes (7th all-time)


Updated stat: 547 assists (3rd all-time)


Updated stat: 228 steals (7th all-time)



You will be missed, but not forgotten

Thanks for being a true Golden Bear!

6956bear said:

---

Shocky1 said:

---

https://instagr.am/p/CzKSWqHsrBS
cheezers, while doing the hang with my modern yoga buddy/basketball skills development coach padraig o'brien (multiple phx suns & nba lottery picks cody & jalen williams as clients) at compass prep (with got almost no academic component, just a basketball factory) in chandler saw vj play a game during his junior year...vyctorius (who dad & uncle are rappers) reminds me of tyrone wallace in that like t-wall he absolutely breaks down defenders with his +1 athleticism & elite length and can defend with his long levers & intensity

and so with that being said, cal's odds of closing on guys that don't got academic ambition are not good, the bears sweet spot is high schoolers with high gpas and stanford, ivy league & uc system portal transfers that are making 50 year generational wealth decisions not 15 minute basketball decisions

yeah academic ambition is something in ur veins

---

Agree that is the sweet spot. But if that is the only pool they swim in the program will almost certainly be a bottom of the league program in the ACC. I understand the emphasis you place on the Cal degree. I agree with that. But that is not what the players are gravitating towards. Stanford is losing guys that can do the work to programs that make the tourney and have NIL $$.

There are a few programs that outplay their recruiting. Like Virginia, but even they are having trouble these days. Did you watch them in the first 4? Wow they were horrible.

Cal will need to decide just what level of success they desire. Trying to be a competitive (upper half) program in the ACC will likely mean they need to be willing to take some chances on some guys. Miller may not be that guy. Not sure he is the sort of player that lifts a program as a frosh. More than likely he comes in, is dissatisfied with his role and enters the portal.

JMO but Fox drove the program so far down that the climb back is very steep. The portal gives you a chance to rebuild quickly but you need $$$$. Every year. The ACC has programs with tradition and hoops NIL $$. They fill the arenas in the ACC. They take hoops very seriously. This league has 3 of the final 8 and 1 final 4 team guaranteed with Duke playing NC St.

IMO there will need to be a mix of the high GPA kids with some game and a few guys that can flat play. Tyson was the only Bear this season that could flat out play. And he is leaving. The team went 13-19 with him. Aimaq, Cone and Kennedy were one trick ponies. All had major flaws that held the team back. And yes some bench players that did not accept their roles.

Cal will need to decide what level of revolving door they can live with in the portal. By Cal I mean not just the administration, but also the donors and fans in general. Cal is not winning taking UC Davis grad students and suburban 3 pt shooting HS guys with good GPAs. They will need some "dogs".

---

What you describe is exactly why Cal should have used the Pac-12 implosion to re-evaluate its place in college sports rather than just jump to whatever major conference they could get no matter how bad the deal and if the thinking at the administration level as reported (I don't know how accurately) was it is either major conference or end sports, that was a mistake.

I agree with Shocky that is probably Cal's optimal business model. And I agree with you that it is a business model that doesn't work in major college sports anymore. I guarantee you that if on the academic side, University of Nondescript state started offering full scholarships + $1M a year to top students against Harvard, Stanford, Cal, etc., we'd all start losing out on the top academic candidates and those are among prospects that actually care about academics.

As of the the 2022-3 fiscal year, Cal was negative $45M and was in the red in every category including football and basketball. And it is mostly because expenses have exploded trying to keep up with a pool of competitors that don't tie three hands behind their backs, and revenues have not increased. Cal cannot lose money in football and remotely hope to support the athletic department in its current form. Going to the ACC may have been the right decision, but all indications are that it was a maintain the status quo as much as possible decision rather than really looking at what we needed to do to go forward. Cal needed to decide whether it was going to commit to changing its way of doing things in a way that can succeed at this level, and if it couldn't, maybe it needed to consider other options. There was a lot of lip service to new commitments, etc., but to date I see no indication that anything has changed.

BearlyCareAnymore said:

---

6956bear said:

---

Shocky1 said:

---

https://instagr.am/p/CzKSWqHsrBS
cheezers, while doing the hang with my modern yoga buddy/basketball skills development coach padraig o'brien (multiple phx suns & nba lottery picks cody & jalen williams as clients) at compass prep (with got almost no academic component, just a basketball factory) in chandler saw vj play a game during his junior year...vyctorius (who dad & uncle are rappers) reminds me of tyrone wallace in that like t-wall he absolutely breaks down defenders with his +1 athleticism & elite length and can defend with his long levers & intensity

and so with that being said, cal's odds of closing on guys that don't got academic ambition are not good, the bears sweet spot is high schoolers with high gpas and stanford, ivy league & uc system portal transfers that are making 50 year generational wealth decisions not 15 minute basketball decisions

yeah academic ambition is something in ur veins

---

Agree that is the sweet spot. But if that is the only pool they swim in the program will almost certainly be a bottom of the league program in the ACC. I understand the emphasis you place on the Cal degree. I agree with that. But that is not what the players are gravitating towards. Stanford is losing guys that can do the work to programs that make the tourney and have NIL $$.

There are a few programs that outplay their recruiting. Like Virginia, but even they are having trouble these days. Did you watch them in the first 4? Wow they were horrible.

Cal will need to decide just what level of success they desire. Trying to be a competitive (upper half) program in the ACC will likely mean they need to be willing to take some chances on some guys. Miller may not be that guy. Not sure he is the sort of player that lifts a program as a frosh. More than likely he comes in, is dissatisfied with his role and enters the portal.

JMO but Fox drove the program so far down that the climb back is very steep. The portal gives you a chance to rebuild quickly but you need $$$$. Every year. The ACC has programs with tradition and hoops NIL $$. They fill the arenas in the ACC. They take hoops very seriously. This league has 3 of the final 8 and 1 final 4 team guaranteed with Duke playing NC St.

IMO there will need to be a mix of the high GPA kids with some game and a few guys that can flat play. Tyson was the only Bear this season that could flat out play. And he is leaving. The team went 13-19 with him. Aimaq, Cone and Kennedy were one trick ponies. All had major flaws that held the team back. And yes some bench players that did not accept their roles.

Cal will need to decide what level of revolving door they can live with in the portal. By Cal I mean not just the administration, but also the donors and fans in general. Cal is not winning taking UC Davis grad students and suburban 3 pt shooting HS guys with good GPAs. They will need some "dogs".

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What you describe is exactly why Cal should have used the Pac-12 implosion to re-evaluate its place in college sports rather than just jump to whatever major conference they could get no matter how bad the deal and if the thinking at the administration level as reported (I don't know how accurately) was it is either major conference or end sports, that was a mistake.

I agree with Shocky that is probably Cal's optimal business model. And I agree with you that it is a business model that doesn't work in major college sports anymore. I guarantee you that if on the academic side, University of Nondescript state started offering full scholarships + $1M a year to top students against Harvard, Stanford, Cal, etc., we'd all start losing out on the top academic candidates and those are among prospects that actually care about academics.

As of the the 2022-3 fiscal year, Cal was negative $45M and was in the red in every category including football and basketball. And it is mostly because expenses have exploded trying to keep up with a pool of competitors that don't tie three hands behind their backs, and revenues have not increased. Cal cannot lose money in football and remotely hope to support the athletic department in its current form. Going to the ACC may have been the right decision, but all indications are that it was a maintain the status quo as much as possible decision rather than really looking at what we needed to do to go forward. Cal needed to decide whether it was going to commit to changing its way of doing things in a way that can succeed at this level, and if it couldn't, maybe it needed to consider other options. There was a lot of lip service to new commitments, etc., but to date I see no indication that anything has changed.

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There was zero planning. Christ was ride or die with Kliavkoff even as the rest of the conference saw the writing on the wall and negotiated plan Bs. I still think we are lucky to be in the ACC.

Carol Christ retires in a few months. With a new chancellor will come an opportunity to rethink things. The impending budget crisis with the huge revenue reduction as we enter the ACC will be a kick in the butt to do so. Hopefully the dragged out investigation of Knowlton will give us another reason to fire him and it finally will happen.

My hope is that the new chancellor realizes the revenue sports are a business and the non-revenue sports are charities and sets up a structure that allows each to thrive as such. It may mean only competing in the ACC in football, men's and women's basketball and women's soccer (ie the minimum for ACC membership). My thought is to have those sports outsourced to an alumni run not for profit organization that can pay the players as employees. Donations to the organization might be tax deductible. They would be marketed and run like a profession team representing the East Bay and California at large. Net proceeds would be donated to the non/revenue sport foundation.

The other sports would be run by the university almost as club sports, supported by donors. They would all compete in West Coast conferences like the Big West. Like the Ivies, they would offer admission slots but any scholarship would be based on financial need or would be endowed by donors. They of course coukd get NIL deals. The AD would only oversee the non-revenue sports and would be paid accordingly, like less than the chancellor.

I would seek a deal with the Giants to make Cal baseball a sort of farm team for them. Players they draft with decent academics could opt to play for Cal as students with a scholarship and stipend. Maybe take over the Coliseum or just use the Giant's facilities and play Spring baseball in SF freeing up prime university land? Attract casual fans to see Cal / future Giants play college baseball at family friendly prices in a great stadium?

"Sherman Smith Signs Contract Extension"
https://bearinsider.com/s/4037/sherman-smith-signs-contract-extension/4

incompetent bureaucrats led by jim knolwton that want u to donate money to pay for their salaries, good luck to sherman

https://instagr.am/p/C5UECbfvBXv
markeisha gotta get PAID#