I don't remember what happened to Kenyon Jones.
Were they talking about the sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament?

Basketball Bear said:

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I don't remember what happened to Kenyon Jones.

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gone..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenyon_Jones_(basketball)
> Jones died on August 18, 2005, at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. The basketball website eurobasket.com reported that he died of a heart attack

smh said:

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Basketball Bear said:

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I don't remember what happened to Kenyon Jones.

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gone..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenyon_Jones_(basketball)
> Jones died on August 18, 2005, at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. The basketball website eurobasket.com reported that he died of a heart attack

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Died at age 27?!

I didn't know that. How tragic!

KoreAmBear said:

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HoopDreams said:

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This came up on my feed
Forgot Braun won conference COY

Has some good shots of Haas before they ruined it
You can see the student section in one continuous section and deeper rows, and how the baseline seats went all the way to the court and closer to the court

Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas

At least they put the banners back

---

Crazy it's going on 27 years since we've been to a Sweet 16. It's almost as sad as our last Rose Bowl being in 1959. But I do think Mad Dog will get us back to the second week of the tournament ... some day.

---

Let's start with a winning record.

dimitrig said:

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KoreAmBear said:

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HoopDreams said:

---

This came up on my feed
Forgot Braun won conference COY

Has some good shots of Haas before they ruined it
You can see the student section in one continuous section and deeper rows, and how the baseline seats went all the way to the court and closer to the court

Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas

At least they put the banners back

---

Crazy it's going on 27 years since we've been to a Sweet 16. It's almost as sad as our last Rose Bowl being in 1959. But I do think Mad Dog will get us back to the second week of the tournament ... some day.

---

Let's start with a winning record.

---

Can a man dream?

dimitrig said:

---

KoreAmBear said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

KoreAmBear said:

---

HoopDreams said:

---

This came up on my feed
Forgot Braun won conference COY

Has some good shots of Haas before they ruined it
You can see the student section in one continuous section and deeper rows, and how the baseline seats went all the way to the court and closer to the court

Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas

At least they put the banners back

---

Crazy it's going on 27 years since we've been to a Sweet 16. It's almost as sad as our last Rose Bowl being in 1959. But I do think Mad Dog will get us back to the second week of the tournament ... some day.

---

Let's start with a winning record.

---

Can a man dream?

---

I'm dreaming about a winning record.

---

BEAT ASU!

dimitrig said:

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KoreAmBear said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

KoreAmBear said:

---

HoopDreams said:

---

This came up on my feed
Forgot Braun won conference COY

Has some good shots of Haas before they ruined it
You can see the student section in one continuous section and deeper rows, and how the baseline seats went all the way to the court and closer to the court

Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas

At least they put the banners back

---

Crazy it's going on 27 years since we've been to a Sweet 16. It's almost as sad as our last Rose Bowl being in 1959. But I do think Mad Dog will get us back to the second week of the tournament ... some day.

---

Let's start with a winning record.

---

Can a man dream?

---

I'm dreaming about a winning record.

---

Well that will happen. I'm pretty sure of it. Fox has been like fentanyl to you.

That's cool. Thanks for sharing. I was hoping to see highlights. I loved that team so much. Probably a tie with Kidd's freshman year and the 1990(?) team that beat Indiana in the tournament for my all-time favorite Cal team. And not just because they went to the sweet16, but because of the way that team played, with fantastic defense, ferocious rebounding, a lot of spunk (especially Randy Duck), and the irrepressible Ed Gray. And I loved Prentice McGruder, the original Rajan Davis.

dimitrig said:

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KoreAmBear said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

KoreAmBear said:

---

HoopDreams said:

---

This came up on my feed
Forgot Braun won conference COY

Has some good shots of Haas before they ruined it
You can see the student section in one continuous section and deeper rows, and how the baseline seats went all the way to the court and closer to the court

Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas

At least they put the banners back

---

Crazy it's going on 27 years since we've been to a Sweet 16. It's almost as sad as our last Rose Bowl being in 1959. But I do think Mad Dog will get us back to the second week of the tournament ... some day.

---

Let's start with a winning record.

---

Can a man dream?

---

I'm dreaming about a winning record.

---

I'm dreaming of winning one more game. When will that happen?

SFCityBear said:

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dimitrig said:

---

KoreAmBear said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

KoreAmBear said:

---

HoopDreams said:

---

This came up on my feed
Forgot Braun won conference COY

Has some good shots of Haas before they ruined it
You can see the student section in one continuous section and deeper rows, and how the baseline seats went all the way to the court and closer to the court

Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas

At least they put the banners back

---

Crazy it's going on 27 years since we've been to a Sweet 16. It's almost as sad as our last Rose Bowl being in 1959. But I do think Mad Dog will get us back to the second week of the tournament ... some day.

---

Let's start with a winning record.

---

Can a man dream?

---

I'm dreaming about a winning record.

---

I'm dreaming of winning one more game. When will that happen?

---

I don't see any wins .

bearister said:

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"Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas.."

True….but with regard to the Basketball Program as a whole, Cuonzo Martin p@issed on it; Wyking Jones set it on fire; and Mark Fox administered the kill shot.

It really is amazing how quickly Madsen was able to assemble a team of guys that can play ball after how the prior two 16 losses in a row numbnuts were clueless.

---

These guys can play some offense. Mostly individual, but it works. In terms of points scored per game, they are ranked 165th out of 362 teams. That is about average. That is the best offensive team at Cal since Cuonzo's 2016, ranked 142nd in the country in points scored per game.

Defense is another story. This year's team has played abominable defense, ranked 316th in the country, in points allowed per game. You have to go back to Wyking's 2019 team, ranked 307th in the country to find a Cal defense as bad as the current one.

It is generally true for me, at least, that incoming recruits seem to be farther ahead in offensive skills than in defensive ones, and need to learn more defense than offense during their college years. However, it does seem that Madsen might have recruited more for offensive pizzazz and splash to attract more butts to the seats in a hurry, than to have recruited for defense. Our perimeter defense is very poor, and Aimaq, while he is, in my opinion, one of the best centers in Cal history, "can't guard his grandmother in a telephone booth", as my old high school coach used to say.

oskidunker said:

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SFCityBear said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

KoreAmBear said:

---

dimitrig said:

---

KoreAmBear said:

---

HoopDreams said:

---

This came up on my feed
Forgot Braun won conference COY

Has some good shots of Haas before they ruined it
You can see the student section in one continuous section and deeper rows, and how the baseline seats went all the way to the court and closer to the court

Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas

At least they put the banners back

---

Crazy it's going on 27 years since we've been to a Sweet 16. It's almost as sad as our last Rose Bowl being in 1959. But I do think Mad Dog will get us back to the second week of the tournament ... some day.

---

Let's start with a winning record.

---

Can a man dream?

---

I'm dreaming about a winning record.

---

I'm dreaming of winning one more game. When will that happen?

---

I don't see any wins .

---

Ouch! Maybe you are right. I didn't sleep hardly a wink last night.

SFCityBear said:

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bearister said:

---

"Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas.."

True….but with regard to the Basketball Program as a whole, Cuonzo Martin p@issed on it; Wyking Jones set it on fire; and Mark Fox administered the kill shot.

It really is amazing how quickly Madsen was able to assemble a team of guys that can play ball after how the prior two 16 losses in a row numbnuts were clueless.

---

These guys can play some offense. Mostly individual, but it works. In terms of points scored per game, they are ranked 165th out of 362 teams. That is about average. That is the best offensive team at Cal since Cuonzo's 2016, ranked 142nd in the country in points scored per game.

Defense is another story. This year's team has played abominable defense, ranked 316th in the country, in points allowed per game. You have to go back to Wyking's 2019 team, ranked 307th in the country to find a Cal defense as bad as the current one.

It is generally true for me, at least, that incoming recruits seem to be farther ahead in offensive skills than in defensive ones, and need to learn more defense than offense during their college years. However, it does seem that Madsen might have recruited more for offensive pizzazz and splash to attract more butts to the seats in a hurry, than to have recruited for defense. Our perimeter defense is very poor, and Aimaq, while he is, in my opinion, one of the best centers in Cal history, "can't guard his grandmother in a telephone booth", as my old high school coach used to say.

---

Ken Pomeroy has a good analysis based on offensive and defensive efficiency per possession (adjusts for tempo, which he also quantifies.

https://kenpom.com/

In Kenpom we are the #117 offense and the #237 defense running at an average tempo. Importantly we are #357 in "Luck" ie, we have lost more games that we should have won, than almost any other team in the country. A big part of that was early losses to teams that we would <theoretically> beat now. An improving team vs a schedule increasing in difficulty, always coming up short or finding a way to lose. There is a danger losing becomes an expectation and squandering our big lead against ASU seems to fit that.

On paper we should beat OSU. But tgst is not guaranteed. Even our win over Santa Clara is not that impressive in Ken Pom. However, I do believe this team is capable of playing at a much higher level and upsetting some top teams, but that is probably our best role going forward: spoiler, giving some bubble teams "bad" loses. At worst we are what we appear to be now: a bottom dwelling wanker.

Randy duck is NOT from Houston, Texas. I'm offended

southseasbear said:

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calumnus said:

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Big C said:

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bearister said:

---

"Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas.."

True….but with regard to the Basketball Program as a whole, Cuonzo Martin p@issed on it; Wyking Jones set it on fire; and Mark Fox administered the kill shot.

It really is amazing how quickly Madsen was able to assemble a team of guys that can play ball after how the prior two 16 losses in a row numbnuts were clueless.

---

Maybe you're being a little hard on Cuonzo Martin, especially when comparing him to Madsen's "team of guys that can play ball" that is currently 4-9.

It seems bizarre to me to group Martin with Jones and Fox. I hope Madsen's teams get as good as Martin's were... and then even better.

---

A little? I don't understand the vitriol toward Martin on this board. We were lucky to land him in the first place coming off of a Sweet 16 at Tennessee he could go anywhere. Brought in 3 McDonald's All Americans. Undefeated at home and our highest seed in our history. Cal undermined him going into the tournament, launching an investigation into him the day before that made national headlines, and got overwhelming criticism on these boards. Peopke who thought he was a bad coach initially liked Fox? Like Snyder, he left for more money, but that was as much an indication of his success here as anything.

---

The vitriol toward Martin is not a reaction to his coaching but his departure, as it seemed he mailed it in, as if the car was running in the parking lot during the home NIT game against Bakersfield while leaving a bare cupboard (bench) for his yet unnamed successor.

---

So a final season with 21 wins and a top half finish in the PAC-12 but a loss to the 25 win WAC Champion who won 3 games before losing to Georgia Tech in the NIT gets vitriol? Got it. Can't wait to see what people say about Madsen.

calumnus said:

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southseasbear said:

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calumnus said:

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Big C said:

---

bearister said:

---

"Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas.."

True….but with regard to the Basketball Program as a whole, Cuonzo Martin p@issed on it; Wyking Jones set it on fire; and Mark Fox administered the kill shot.

It really is amazing how quickly Madsen was able to assemble a team of guys that can play ball after how the prior two 16 losses in a row numbnuts were clueless.

---

Maybe you're being a little hard on Cuonzo Martin, especially when comparing him to Madsen's "team of guys that can play ball" that is currently 4-9.

It seems bizarre to me to group Martin with Jones and Fox. I hope Madsen's teams get as good as Martin's were... and then even better.

---

A little? I don't understand the vitriol toward Martin on this board. We were lucky to land him in the first place coming off of a Sweet 16 at Tennessee he could go anywhere. Brought in 3 McDonald's All Americans. Undefeated at home and our highest seed in our history. Cal undermined him going into the tournament, launching an investigation into him the day before that made national headlines, and got overwhelming criticism on these boards. Peopke who thought he was a bad coach initially liked Fox? Like Snyder, he left for more money, but that was as much an indication of his success here as anything.

---

The vitriol toward Martin is not a reaction to his coaching but his departure, as it seemed he mailed it in, as if the car was running in the parking lot during the home NIT game against Bakersfield while leaving a bare cupboard (bench) for his yet unnamed successor.

---

So a final season with 21 wins and a top half finish in the PAC-12 but a loss to the 25 win WAC Champion who won 3 games before losing to Georgia Tech in the NIT gets vitriol? Got it. Can't wait to see what people say about Madsen.

---

Accurately or not, many felt he had abandoned the program in his haste to move on.

southseasbear said:

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calumnus said:

---

southseasbear said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

bearister said:

---

"Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas.."

True….but with regard to the Basketball Program as a whole, Cuonzo Martin p@issed on it; Wyking Jones set it on fire; and Mark Fox administered the kill shot.

It really is amazing how quickly Madsen was able to assemble a team of guys that can play ball after how the prior two 16 losses in a row numbnuts were clueless.

---

Maybe you're being a little hard on Cuonzo Martin, especially when comparing him to Madsen's "team of guys that can play ball" that is currently 4-9.

It seems bizarre to me to group Martin with Jones and Fox. I hope Madsen's teams get as good as Martin's were... and then even better.

---

A little? I don't understand the vitriol toward Martin on this board. We were lucky to land him in the first place coming off of a Sweet 16 at Tennessee he could go anywhere. Brought in 3 McDonald's All Americans. Undefeated at home and our highest seed in our history. Cal undermined him going into the tournament, launching an investigation into him the day before that made national headlines, and got overwhelming criticism on these boards. Peopke who thought he was a bad coach initially liked Fox? Like Snyder, he left for more money, but that was as much an indication of his success here as anything.

---

The vitriol toward Martin is not a reaction to his coaching but his departure, as it seemed he mailed it in, as if the car was running in the parking lot during the home NIT game against Bakersfield while leaving a bare cupboard (bench) for his yet unnamed successor.

---

So a final season with 21 wins and a top half finish in the PAC-12 but a loss to the 25 win WAC Champion who won 3 games before losing to Georgia Tech in the NIT gets vitriol? Got it. Can't wait to see what people say about Madsen.

---

Accurately or not, many felt he had abandoned the program in his haste to move on.

---

As we are all in this for fun, I totally respect the right each of us has to go with their heart and like/hate other teams, our coaches and other coaches and various games and experiences, without needing to back up our passions with statistics or evidence.

That said, I never understood the vitriol surrounding Cuonzo Martin and the NIT game against Bakersfield. And by the way, I was at that game, something that not many others can say.

It was a piss ant game in a piss ant tournament. WGAF?!? Seriously, I believe there was talk that week that maybe we shouldn't even accept the bid. Martin seemed like he had one foot out the door... because he did. And I don't blame him. He did his post-game interview on the radio show that night and the last thing he said was "Go Bears". Some may say that was a disingenuous move, but I thought it was a pro move.

There are certainly things that he could be criticized for during his tenure here -- nobody's perfect -- but I just don't think that game was one of them, particularly.

Were you at that game? (asking the group) Again, I was. A nothing game that got all the attention it deserved.

Big C said:

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southseasbear said:

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calumnus said:

---

southseasbear said:

---

calumnus said:

---

Big C said:

---

bearister said:

---

"Cal lost a lot of our home court advantage and student energy when they made these changes. I'm sure it's also impacted students attendance too as it's just not as fun and exciting in the current haas.."

True….but with regard to the Basketball Program as a whole, Cuonzo Martin p@issed on it; Wyking Jones set it on fire; and Mark Fox administered the kill shot.

It really is amazing how quickly Madsen was able to assemble a team of guys that can play ball after how the prior two 16 losses in a row numbnuts were clueless.

---

Maybe you're being a little hard on Cuonzo Martin, especially when comparing him to Madsen's "team of guys that can play ball" that is currently 4-9.

It seems bizarre to me to group Martin with Jones and Fox. I hope Madsen's teams get as good as Martin's were... and then even better.

---

A little? I don't understand the vitriol toward Martin on this board. We were lucky to land him in the first place coming off of a Sweet 16 at Tennessee he could go anywhere. Brought in 3 McDonald's All Americans. Undefeated at home and our highest seed in our history. Cal undermined him going into the tournament, launching an investigation into him the day before that made national headlines, and got overwhelming criticism on these boards. Peopke who thought he was a bad coach initially liked Fox? Like Snyder, he left for more money, but that was as much an indication of his success here as anything.

---

The vitriol toward Martin is not a reaction to his coaching but his departure, as it seemed he mailed it in, as if the car was running in the parking lot during the home NIT game against Bakersfield while leaving a bare cupboard (bench) for his yet unnamed successor.

---

So a final season with 21 wins and a top half finish in the PAC-12 but a loss to the 25 win WAC Champion who won 3 games before losing to Georgia Tech in the NIT gets vitriol? Got it. Can't wait to see what people say about Madsen.

---

Accurately or not, many felt he had abandoned the program in his haste to move on.

---

As we are all in this for fun, I totally respect the right each of us has to go with their heart and like/hate other teams, our coaches and other coaches and various games and experiences, without needing to back up our passions with statistics or evidence.

That said, I never understood the vitriol surrounding Cuonzo Martin and the NIT game against Bakersfield. And by the way, I was at that game, something that not many others can say.

It was a piss ant game in a piss ant tournament. WGAF?!? Seriously, I believe there was talk that week that maybe we shouldn't even accept the bid. Martin seemed like he had one foot out the door... because he did. And I don't blame him. He did his post-game interview on the radio show that night and the last thing he said was "Go Bears". Some may say that was a disingenuous move, but I thought it was a pro move.

There are certainly things that he could be criticized for during his tenure here -- nobody's perfect -- but I just don't think that game was one of them, particularly.

Were you at that game? (asking the group) Again, I was. A nothing game that got all the attention it deserved.

---

I was there. It was awful.

Quote:

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Were you at that game? (asking the group) Again, I was. A nothing game that got all the attention it deserved.

---

I was. Not a pleasant experience.

stu said:

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Quote:

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nm

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Big C said:

---

As we are all in this for fun, I totally respect the right each of us has to go with their heart and like/hate other teams, our coaches and other coaches and various games and experiences, without needing to back up our passions with statistics or evidence.

That said, I never understood the vitriol surrounding Cuonzo Martin and the NIT game against Bakersfield. And by the way, I was at that game, something that not many others can say.

It was a piss ant game in a piss ant tournament. WGAF?!? Seriously, I believe there was talk that week that maybe we shouldn't even accept the bid. Martin seemed like he had one foot out the door... because he did. And I don't blame him. He did his post-game interview on the radio show that night and the last thing he said was "Go Bears". Some may say that was a disingenuous move, but I thought it was a pro move.

There are certainly things that he could be criticized for during his tenure here -- nobody's perfect -- but I just don't think that game was one of them, particularly.

Were you at that game? (asking the group) Again, I was. A nothing game that got all the attention it deserved.

---

Yeah, I was there, and I hardly considered it a piss-ant-nothing game. Curious why you were there if you felt that way. It's not like it came with your season tickets. I actually dropped some extra $$ for floor seats. Not a good experience.

That said, I have no vitriol for Martin. I just think he is WAY over-rated by some on this board. That team was going nowhere with Coleman as its best player had he returned. His one-time recruiting coupe was clearly a fluke. The rest of his career proves that.

Civil Bear said:

---

Big C said:

---

As we are all in this for fun, I totally respect the right each of us has to go with their heart and like/hate other teams, our coaches and other coaches and various games and experiences, without needing to back up our passions with statistics or evidence.

That said, I never understood the vitriol surrounding Cuonzo Martin and the NIT game against Bakersfield. And by the way, I was at that game, something that not many others can say.

It was a piss ant game in a piss ant tournament. WGAF?!? Seriously, I believe there was talk that week that maybe we shouldn't even accept the bid. Martin seemed like he had one foot out the door... because he did. And I don't blame him. He did his post-game interview on the radio show that night and the last thing he said was "Go Bears". Some may say that was a disingenuous move, but I thought it was a pro move.

There are certainly things that he could be criticized for during his tenure here -- nobody's perfect -- but I just don't think that game was one of them, particularly.

Were you at that game? (asking the group) Again, I was. A nothing game that got all the attention it deserved.

---

Yeah, I was there, and I hardly considered it a piss-ant-nothing game. Curious why you were there if you felt that way. It's not like it came with your season tickets. I actually dropped some extra $$ for floor seats. Not a good experience.

That said, I have no vitriol for Martin. I just think he is WAY over-rated by some on this board. That team was going nowhere with Coleman as its best player had he returned. His one-time recruiting coupe was clearly a fluke. The rest of his career proves that.

---

I go to most all the games, even the piss ant ones, of which there are several every season. Describing that NIY game as "nothing" was inaccurate on my part... "not much" would've been a better descriptor.

Martin is a guy with a great personal story and a willingness to go into controversial situations (replacing Bruce Pearl at Tennessee, going to Missouri in the wake of the racial protests there), that allowed him to make a lot more money as a head coach than his skills merited. He recruited some good players at Cal, but didn't really figure out how to use them, other than just rolling out the ball and hoping they would out-athletic the other team.

I just view his hiring as a tangent that didn't do anything in the long term to move the basketball program forward, and his sudden departure begat Jones, who begat Fox, which resulted in the hole Madsen has to dig out of now. I will repeat what I've said in the past, which is that in the long run, the program would have been better off with Decuire. Other than his one Sweet 16 season with Pearl's players, I don't think Martin has been successful anyplace he's coached, and the fact that Dennis Gates took Martin's players and won with them, where Martin could not, illustrates Martin's shortfalls as a coach.

Big C said:

---

Civil Bear said:

---

Big C said:

---

As we are all in this for fun, I totally respect the right each of us has to go with their heart and like/hate other teams, our coaches and other coaches and various games and experiences, without needing to back up our passions with statistics or evidence.

That said, I never understood the vitriol surrounding Cuonzo Martin and the NIT game against Bakersfield. And by the way, I was at that game, something that not many others can say.

It was a piss ant game in a piss ant tournament. WGAF?!? Seriously, I believe there was talk that week that maybe we shouldn't even accept the bid. Martin seemed like he had one foot out the door... because he did. And I don't blame him. He did his post-game interview on the radio show that night and the last thing he said was "Go Bears". Some may say that was a disingenuous move, but I thought it was a pro move.

There are certainly things that he could be criticized for during his tenure here -- nobody's perfect -- but I just don't think that game was one of them, particularly.

Were you at that game? (asking the group) Again, I was. A nothing game that got all the attention it deserved.

---

Yeah, I was there, and I hardly considered it a piss-ant-nothing game. Curious why you were there if you felt that way. It's not like it came with your season tickets. I actually dropped some extra $$ for floor seats. Not a good experience.

That said, I have no vitriol for Martin. I just think he is WAY over-rated by some on this board. That team was going nowhere with Coleman as its best player had he returned. His one-time recruiting coupe was clearly a fluke. The rest of his career proves that.

---

I go to most all the games, even the piss ant ones, of which there are several every season. Describing it as "nothing" was inaccurate on my part... "not much at all"?

---

Too each his own, I guess.

Jeff82 said:

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Martin is a guy with a great personal story and a willingness to go into controversial situations (replacing Bruce Pearl at Tennessee, going to Missouri in the wake of the racial protests there), that allowed him to make a lot more money as a head coach than his skills merited. He recruited some good players at Cal, but didn't really figure out how to use them, other than just rolling out the ball and hoping they would out-athletic the other team.

I just view his hiring as a tangent that didn't do anything in the long term to move the basketball program forward, and his sudden departure begat Jones, who begat Fox, which resulted in the hole Madsen has to dig out of now. I will repeat what I've said in the past, which is that in the long run, the program would have been better off with Decuire. Other than his one Sweet 16 season with Pearl's players, I don't think Martin has been successful anyplace he's coached, and the fact that Dennis Gates took Martin's players and won with them, where Martin could not, illustrates Martin's shortfalls as a coach.

---

A bit like Mooch in football. Would have been fine if we followed up with a good hire or at least didn't stubbornly hang on to a really bad hire.