I would like to make this plea to temper expectations of our new hoopers.
There is a lot of excitement around our basketball program right now. I am more excited about Cal basketball than I've been in 7 years. It's clear a lot of you feel the same way. With the commitment of Aikmak and the hoped-for commitment of Cone, we all have watched the highlights and man...they look great. The numbers look good, too.
But they are still college basketball players. And they have flaws like every other college basketball player. They aren't at Duke (as an example), for a reason. But even players at Duke have flaws - and have bad games, weeks, and months.
In 2016, we had Jaylen Brown. He was a 5*, top 4 rated in his class, as I recall. He came with another highly recruited players in Ivan Rabb, who was ranked in the top 10. Brown and Rabb joined other accomplished guys like Tyrone Wallace, Jabari Bird, and Jordan Mathews. The team did well - our highest seed ever and went undefeated at home.
But that season there was a very vocal contingent of Cal fans on this board who ripped Brown - called his game ugly, said he was selfish, called him a bull in a china shop, said he couldn't shoot.
Brown was not a finished product and he worked hard on his game. He is very likely going to be named to the All-NBA First Team this season. His game is light years beyond what it was in college. But...he was still really good in college. Rabb had his own flaws, too. But again, he was also a really good player.
Brown and Rabb weren't saviors. Neither is Aimak. Neither is Cone. But the rhetoric around them (including a quote from Aimak) himself has be concerned that we could see similar backlash against them next season if we are not a Top 10 team.
Ignore my concerns if you wish. I just think we'd all be happier, and this board a more pleasant place, if we all temper our expectations and enjoy the ride.
There is a lot of excitement around our basketball program right now. I am more excited about Cal basketball than I've been in 7 years. It's clear a lot of you feel the same way. With the commitment of Aikmak and the hoped-for commitment of Cone, we all have watched the highlights and man...they look great. The numbers look good, too.
But they are still college basketball players. And they have flaws like every other college basketball player. They aren't at Duke (as an example), for a reason. But even players at Duke have flaws - and have bad games, weeks, and months.
In 2016, we had Jaylen Brown. He was a 5*, top 4 rated in his class, as I recall. He came with another highly recruited players in Ivan Rabb, who was ranked in the top 10. Brown and Rabb joined other accomplished guys like Tyrone Wallace, Jabari Bird, and Jordan Mathews. The team did well - our highest seed ever and went undefeated at home.
But that season there was a very vocal contingent of Cal fans on this board who ripped Brown - called his game ugly, said he was selfish, called him a bull in a china shop, said he couldn't shoot.
Brown was not a finished product and he worked hard on his game. He is very likely going to be named to the All-NBA First Team this season. His game is light years beyond what it was in college. But...he was still really good in college. Rabb had his own flaws, too. But again, he was also a really good player.
Brown and Rabb weren't saviors. Neither is Aimak. Neither is Cone. But the rhetoric around them (including a quote from Aimak) himself has be concerned that we could see similar backlash against them next season if we are not a Top 10 team.
Ignore my concerns if you wish. I just think we'd all be happier, and this board a more pleasant place, if we all temper our expectations and enjoy the ride.
