Potential starting lineup next year

7,452 Views | 84 Replies | Last: 4 days ago by Big C
MiZery
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:40p, 1/27/25
Looks like we need to replace Backsher at guard and replace Sissoko at center.

Maybe

Petraitis
Dort
Stojakovich
Wilkinson
Campbell (or a true PG transfer)




Reply Quote
2 edits
oskidunker
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to MiZery • 8:52p, 1/27/25
MiZery said:
Looks like we need to replace Backsher at guard and replace Sissoko at center.

Maybe

Petraitis
Dort
Stojakovich
Wilkinson
Campbell (or a true PG transfer)

You are assuming Jerimiah will be here and not transfer to somewhere where he can start.



Bring back It’s It’s to Haas Pavillion!
Reply Quote
MiZery
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:53p, 1/27/25
I hope he stays. This team is going to be loaded next year if he returns

Can he play PG?
Reply Quote
1 edit
CNHTH
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to MiZery • 9:05p, 1/27/25
MiZery said:
Looks like we need to replace Backsher at guard and replace Sissoko at center.

Maybe

Petraitis
Dort
Stojakovich
Wilkinson
Campbell (or a true PG transfer)





Personally I'd be stoked if we saw
Wilkinson at the 1
Stoja and Ola Joseph at the wings
Omot at 4
And Dort or a transfer at the 5
With Jovani Ruff and Campbell and Petreitus rotating in
Reply Quote
1
Johnfox
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:20p, 1/27/25
Here's mine.

Jeremiah Wilkinson
Aidan Mahaney
Andrej Stojakovic
BJ Omot
Tavarius Vinson

Bench
JOJ
Campbell
Ruff
TT Carr
Mahoney
Dort
Curtis
Pavlovic
Reply Quote
bearister
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:35p, 1/27/25
Like the annual roster of the team formerly known as the Oakland A's, you may have a new one to re learn next season.
Cancel my subscription to the Resurrection
Send my credentials to the House of Detention
I got some friends inside
“98 yards with my boys” Yeah, sure.
Reply Quote
3
1 edit
barsad
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Johnfox • 9:56p, 1/27/25
Johnfox said:
Here's mine.

Jeremiah Wilkinson
Aidan Mahaney
Andrej Stojakovic
BJ Omot
Tavarius Vinson

Bench
JOJ
Campbell
Ruff
TT Carr
Mahoney
Dort
Curtis
Pavlovic

OK, I'll bite on Vinson, JohnFox, why exactly is a community college player who gets 5 points a game and shoots 53% from the line our center of the future? Or am I looking at the wrong Vinson?
Anyone who thinks we're only going to lose two players to eligibility and zero to the portal should get back in his time machine and return from 2022.
Reply Quote
2
Big C
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:40p, 1/27/25

I've always adhered to the "play your tallest guys" theory:

Curtis
Larson
Dort
Vanover (may take a lawsuit against the NCAA, but we know how those go)
Madsen
Reply Quote
3
RedlessWardrobe
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to CNHTH • 7:17a, 1/28/25
CNHTH said:
MiZery said:
Looks like we need to replace Backsher at guard and replace Sissoko at center.

Maybe

Petraitis
Dort
Stojakovich
Wilkinson
Campbell (or a true PG transfer)





Personally I'd be stoked if we saw
Wilkinson at the 1
Stoja and Ola Joseph at the wings
Omot at 4
And Dort or a transfer at the 5
With Jovani Ruff and Campbell and Petreitus rotating in
Based on following Madsen for a year and a half, I guarantee you that if D.J. stays next year he starts. And on this issue I would agree myself.
Reply Quote
RedlessWardrobe
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to MiZery • 7:22a, 1/28/25
MiZery said:
I hope he stays. This team is going to be loaded next year if he returns

Can he play PG?
YES. YES. YES.

Time for this question to be put to rest.
Reply Quote
1
Johnfox
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to barsad • 7:44a, 1/28/25
If you watched his film and heard about Madsen's plan, you'd think differently
Reply Quote
Harky4
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:00a, 1/28/25
Mahaney must have had straight A;s at U Conn and have scored 1600 on his recent SATs to become eligible academically Yes, I have heard the rumor about Aiden wanting to return to the Bay Area, but his academics make him not really a good candidate for Cal. Anyway, with his large bag of NIL money collected this season at Storrs, I am not sure how big of a pay cut he would be willing to accept.
Reply Quote
4
1 edit
concernedparent
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Harky4 • 10:41a, 1/28/25
Harky4 said:
Mahaney must have had straight A;s at U Conn and have scored 1600 on his recent SATs to become eligible academically Yes, I have heard the rumor about Aiden wanting to return to the Bay Area, but his academics make him not really a good candidate for Cal. Anyway, with his large bag of NIL money collected this season at Storrs, I am not sure how big of a pay cut he would be willing to accept.
Was he failing classes at St. Mary's or something? I have a hard time believing that with all the exceptions we make for athletes we can't squeeze him in if he wants to be here.
Reply Quote
Johnfox
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Harky4 • 10:44a, 1/28/25
100% agree. Was excited about coming to Cal until he chased a big nil bag at UCONN. Interesting comment about the academics. Was a good student at campolindo and had many ivy league offers - is he just not trying in college?
Reply Quote
Civil Bear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Johnfox • 11:02a, 1/28/25
Johnfox said:
100% agree. Was excited about coming to Cal until he chased a big nil bag at UCONN. Interesting comment about the academics. Was a good student at campolindo and had many ivy league offers - is he just not trying in college?

The reason we got that he passed on Cal was because he wasn't a good academic fit. Either that has changed or the reason was BS.
Reply Quote
Johnfox
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Civil Bear • 11:56a, 1/28/25
Madsen has debunked the academic fit myth. If you listened to his rodcast and my piecing together the fact from last portal, pretty obvious it was not the primary reason
Reply Quote
1
bearchamp
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
12:08p, 1/29/25
Will Mahaney be better than the new recruits?
Reply Quote
Civil Bear
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Johnfox • 12:44p, 1/29/25
Johnfox said:
Madsen has debunked the academic fit myth. If you listened to his rodcast and my piecing together the fact from last portal, pretty obvious it was not the primary reason
Good to hear. Can you point me to where Madsen debunked the myth? I didn't catch it or mention of Maheney in the Rodcast.
Reply Quote
Harky4
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
12:48p, 1/29/25
Forget Mahaney as a past wet dream with zero future at Cal

Our focus has to be in retaining Andrej and Jeremiah which is not going to be easy as many teams will be trying to poach those two studs with bags of NIL dollars dangled under their (and just as importantly their agents) noses
Reply Quote
8
Bobodeluxe
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:02p, 1/29/25
jc?
Reply Quote
BearGreg
User Profile
Private Message
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:49p, 1/30/25
Staff
I cannot imagine any HC talking about a recruit or potential recruits academics being a problem in a public forum.
Reply Quote
BC Calfan
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
11:28a, 1/31/25
For those that may have missed it, incoming frosh Jovani Ruff scored 51 in 3 quarters the other night. Highlight clip in the article---he looks taller, he's so springy and athletic. We got a good one.

Also, love this quote:

Ruff admitted that while he is not typically concerned with his own stats, he was excited to break 50 points and also to be closing in on the all-time city and school career scoring record.

"I'm a kid, obviously I do care about it," he said. "But I'd say it's like, 60%. I want to play the right way and keep maintaining that. But tonight was fun, it was really exciting, I'll never forget this my whole life. I'll be able to tell everybody, my kids my grandkids, I had 50 in my last regular season game at Poly."

https://www.the562.org/2025/01/30/long-beach-polys-jovani-ruff-scores-51-points-sets-single-game-school-record/
Reply Quote
3
Calbear73
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
12:51p, 1/31/25
I don't pretend to know who will be in the starting lineup next year, but assuming Stojakovic & Wilkinson are back I think it's pretty easy to assume they will start.

Beyond that it is difficult to predict what the starting lineup will look like and would not be surprised if the starting lineup is different by the end of the season from the beginning of the year. Not to mention, we do not know who will stay, who will leave and how NIL will impact next year's roster. There are a lot of areas that need to improve, but the most important to my mind is the need to improve outside shooting. Better shooting on Cal's part would open the floor for more inside-outside offense and make Cal a difficult team to defend.

It's going to be difficult to replace Sissoko in the middle. Dort is a player but he's foul prone & is limited offensively. Since Curtis hasn't played in his two years at Cal I'm not betting on his ability to step in and make a difference any time soon.

Ruff and Car are reputed to be good shooters but Madsen is likely to bring them off the bench until they learn the college game and demonstrate the ability to start against the level of play they will face in the ACC.

We didn't see enough of Omot to know how good he will be, but hoping he can use this year as a medical redshirt year & comeback ready to play. JOJ has had flashes and Mahoney displayed a 3 pt shot against SMU but the sample size was limited. Hope each of these guys becomes effective enough to provide valuable minutes for us next year. Petraits is a Swiss Army knife and his play has definitely improved as the season has progressed, but not convinced he's a great outside shooter or if he would be more valuable coming off the bench. Just glad that he is an important part of the Cal team.

Long story short my wish lists for recruiting through the Portal for next year are as follows:
1. A center capable of starting, good defender with offensive skills. Would love a taller version of Sissoko.
2. 6'3" or taller point guard with a good handle who can shoot from the outside.
3. 6'6" or taller shooting forward who is a good 3-pt shooter, thinking Jalon Tyson.

Go Bears!

Reply Quote
4
2 edits
Johnfox
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
4:08p, 2/16/25
As the days go on, Mahaney might be coming back
Reply Quote
Harky4
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to CNHTH • 4:56p, 2/16/25
CNHTH said:
MiZery said:
Looks like we need to replace Backsher at guard and replace Sissoko at center.

Maybe

Petraitis
Dort
Stojakovich
Wilkinson
Campbell (or a true PG transfer)





Personally I'd be stoked if we saw
Wilkinson at the 1
Stoja and Ola Joseph at the wings
Omot at 4
And Dort or a transfer at the 5
With Jovani Ruff and Campbell and Petreitus rotating in
I agree with you, but add frosh recruit TT to the mix as a PG who might even become a starter next season if we do not recruit a stud at PG to replace Jovan. Also, we need to hit the portal hard for a talented and experienced 5 to replace Mady, just in case Lee does not take his game to another-higher level.
Reply Quote
1
1 edit
HoopDreams
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
5:55p, 2/16/25
I always prefer a veteran at PG
Reply Quote
3
Big C
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
6:26p, 2/16/25

How do you guys think Wilkinson best "fits"?

+ as a scoring PG, complimented by a classic off-guard?
+ as an off guard, maybe paired with a taller PG?
+ as a third/combo guard -- but with major minutes! -- in a backcourt rotating with a classic PG and a classic off-guard?

And how do you project him at the next level?
Reply Quote
1 edit
HoopDreams
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:42p, 2/16/25
at his size, he needs to be a PG at the next level
Reply Quote
5
Harky4
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to HoopDreams • 8:31p, 2/16/25
HoopDreams said:
at his size, he needs to be a PG at the next level
And at his size he would be challenged to play in the NBA. Jerome Randle was a real stud (Cal's all time leading scorer), and he had to have his pro career overseas. The PGs in the NBA are really physical as well as exceptionally talented.
Reply Quote
2
1 edit
Johnfox
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to HoopDreams • 9:41p, 2/16/25
I think we have to use our money more wisely this season instead of just splitting half and half with a center and PG. There is so much talent with Wilkinson and Carr that is feels like it is not worth it to bring in a point guard along with a center.

I say you just pay the rim protector a huge bag and go from there.

Obviously we need a 3 point specialist and I bet we can find one from the JUCO level. But the bottom line is we have a lot of returning talent that we NEED to retain in order for it to be a productive and relaxing offseason for Mark Madsen
Reply Quote
4
HoopDreams
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Harky4 • 9:59p, 2/16/25
Harky4 said:
HoopDreams said:
at his size, he needs to be a PG at the next level
Abd at his size he would be challenged to play in the NBA. Jerome Randle was a real stud (Cal's all time leading scorer), and he had to have his pro career overseas. The PGs in the NBA are really physical as well as exceptionally talented.
I maybe wrong, but I think Wilkinson is taller than Randle. He certainly is more athletic.

Also, Wilkinson is a freshmen, while we are thinking of Randle as a senior.

Still, I agree Wilkinson has work to do before he gets a NBA look (e.g. improve his 3 point shooting)
Reply Quote
1
stu
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to HoopDreams • 10:01p, 2/16/25
HoopDreams said:
Harky4 said:
HoopDreams said:
at his size, he needs to be a PG at the next level
Abd at his size he would be challenged to play in the NBA. Jerome Randle was a real stud (Cal's all time leading scorer), and he had to have his pro career overseas. The PGs in the NBA are really physical as well as exceptionally talented.
I maybe wrong, but I think Wilkinson is taller than Randle. He certainly is more athletic.

Also, Wilkinson is a freshmen, while we are thinking of Randle as a senior.

Still, I agree Wilkinson has work to do before he gets a NBA look (e.g. improve his 3 point shooting)
Yes, Wilkinson already makes plays around the basket Randle couldn't.
Reply Quote
barsad
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Johnfox • 10:10p, 2/16/25
You're on target, JF. The success of the off-season will be directly related to:
1. Retention of 80-90% of today's roster.
2. Finding a large and talented center, either JUCO or NIL-draw.

Sorry, but as much as I like Dort's effort level he is not Cal's center for next year.
Reply Quote
2
calumnus
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Big C • 10:37p, 2/16/25
Big C said:

How do you guys think Wilkinson best "fits"?

+ as a scoring PG, complimented by a classic off-guard?
+ as an off guard, maybe paired with a taller PG?
+ as a third/combo guard -- but with major minutes! -- in a backcourt rotating with a classic PG and a classic off-guard?

And how do you project him at the next level?


I think the above is determined more by what other guard(s) you can bring in:
1. If we bring in an elite off guard
2. If we bring in an elite point guard
3. If we are lucky enough to get both.

I agree with others that his best shot at the NBA is at PG, but that should not be much of a consideration for Madsen. However, he will almost certainly be getting significant PG minutes the next 3 years.
Reply Quote
1
Big C
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to HoopDreams • 11:25p, 2/16/25
HoopDreams said:
at his size, he needs to be a PG at the next level

Sure, but do you see him being able to do that?
Reply Quote
Last Page
Page 1 of 3 ▼
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.