This could be a blessing in disguise. I doubt Mathews losing his starting spot.

Woah, generalizing from one game? How about letting it play out for a few more games...

Suddenly got a lot more interesting, didn't it?

If he starts doing every thing else better, look out.He is more agressive offensively than Kreklow, more athletic and has more potential. all that said, Kreklow is a very good player that we need back.

I remember Krecklow coming off the bench and Bird starting at the three with Cobbs and Wallace at the guards. Matthews was first off the bench

Matthews is here to stay, gents. Kid has raw talent. Just need to hone that raw talent, and what better coach to do that than Monty?? What Monty has done with guys like Tyrone Wallace and Brandon Smith is amazing.

Dare I say he's our answer for Cobbs graduating? The future is bright gents.

Don't forget that Jordan is the son of a long time hoops coach.... By virtue of that, I would expect him to have a high basketball IQ. I think the early part of this season has mostly been about him getting acclimated to the speed and fierceness of Division 1 college basketball. I am impressed with his development but given his background, I would kind of be disappointed if he didn't develop well

Great job Jordan .... Keep it going

cyrusthebear;842259249 said:

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Matthews is here to stay, gents. Kid has raw talent. Just need to hone that raw talent, and what better coach to do that than Monty?? What Monty has done with guys like Tyrone Wallace and Brandon Smith is amazing.

Dare I say he's our answer for Cobbs graduating? The future is bright gents.

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I agree with you about Mathews being here to stay - he's going to be a very good four year player for Cal! But using Smith as an example is not good. Allocco (hs coach) did as much good with Smith as anything. I realize Smith was up and down, and went thru the concussion injury, but by his senior year he wasn't getting many important minutes.

Wallace - he came in with all his athleticism built-in. What Monty has done to him is more like what Monty is GOING to do to him. Wallace is cleaning up his game, and once he straightens out his shooting form and percentage, THEN you can make that claim. He's not there yet.

I can't see Mathews as a PG. I'm looking at Rorie, though I haven't seen him run the floor in a game yet. Got any full game videos for my opinion here to mature?

oskidunker;842259194 said:

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This could be a blessing in disguise. I doubt Mathews losing his starting spot.

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What were your thoughts after the Stanford game?

Not trying to be snarky here, but I think we could really use both of them and I don't think one game means Matthews owns a starting role. I expect both of those guys and Bird to have very good games and some not so good before the season is over, and I just hope the bad ones come on different days.

bluesaxe;842259311 said:

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What were your thoughts after the Stanford game?

Not trying to be snarky here, but I think we could really use both of them and I don't think one game means Matthews owns a starting role. I expect both of those guys and Bird to have very good games and some not so good before the season is over, and I just hope the bad ones come on different days.

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I think Monty will mix and match according to matchups and injuries a needed

Other than Cobbs, Solo, and Kravish .... the rest of the starting lineup will change from game to game

:Monty

forgotten Jabari Bird already?

oskidunker;842259194 said:

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This could be a blessing in disguise. I doubt Mathews losing his starting spot.

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Mathews>Kreklow as a potential scoring threat

But in all other regards Ricky is the better player. Size, defensive prowess, mental decisions, assists, etc.

Glad we have both.

CalHoopFan;842259400 said:

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Mathews>Kreklow as a potential scoring threat

But in all other regards Ricky is the better player. Size, defensive prowess, mental decisions, assists, etc.

Glad we have both.

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agree we have both!!

the injuries to RK/Bird has enabled the bench to show...
not only more PT to Mathews.. but Behrans and Powers..

once RK/Bird return... the rotation will have a solid mix of players to call upon.

bluesaxe;842259311 said:

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What were your thoughts after the Stanford game?

Not trying to be snarky here, but I think we could really use both of them and I don't think one game means Matthews owns a starting role. I expect both of those guys and Bird to have very good games and some not so good before the season is over, and I just hope the bad ones come on different days.

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I honestly don't see what people like about Kreklow. He's slower than matthews, worse at shooting, worse at shot selection, slower feet, and is much more of a glue-guy than a starter. He also seems to get injured every 90 minutes he logs so he can't be counted on at this point.
We might as well invest in the ultra promising Matthews and rather than go with Kreklow. The exception to this might be when we face bigger teams.

Plenty of minutes to go around. If Matthews continues shooting well, he'll get minutes either starting or not. What I do like is the depth and ability to throw in different players at 1-3. The trick will be managing the minutes and finding the right combo.

Holmoephobic;842259503 said:

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I honestly don't see what people like about Kreklow. He's slower than matthews, worse at shooting, worse at shot selection, slower feet, and is much more of a glue-guy than a starter. He also seems to get injured every 90 minutes he logs so he can't be counted on at this point.

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Perhaps Kreklow is a bit slower, but he's a better defender.

As for shot selection I would call it a wash. Kreklow had reined it in some before he went down, while Mathews still has tunnel vision which is fine when it is going in and a problem when it is not. Plus the ball dies in Mathews hands at times while he thinks about shooting or driving before passing when a quick pass around the perimeter would be more appropriate. Kreklow has nearly twice the amount of assists with less minutes.

Who's the better shooter so far this year? Kreklow has a .435 FG% and is .389 and .729 from 3 and the free throw line, respectively. Even with Mathews' great game last night, he is shooting .370 .308, and .780. If anything is certain, the kid is streaky.

Holmoephobic;842259503 said:

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I honestly don't see what people like about Kreklow. He's slower than matthews, worse at shooting, worse at shot selection, slower feet, and is much more of a glue-guy than a starter. He also seems to get injured every 90 minutes he logs so he can't be counted on at this point.
We might as well invest in the ultra promising Matthews and rather than go with Kreklow. The exception to this might be when we face bigger teams.

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Mathews had his best game of his career at Cal yesterday. He had his worst game of his career last week. That is what freshmen do.. RK is a solid contributor to team and is part of core rotation..and his all around skills are such that I feel he should remain there.. (once healthy).. To discount RK's contributions is a bit shortsighted in my view.. RK's D against Oakland's Bader at end of game helped team win.. (as he was killing us with his 3's).. This is not to say Mathews should not be in the core rotation, as he should as well. The PT topic is not either/or (in my view).. they can co-exist..

gobears;842259561 said:

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Mathews had his best game of his career at Cal yesterday. He had his worst game of his career last week. That is what freshmen do.. RK is a solid contributor to team and is part of core rotation..and his all around skills are such that I feel he should remain there.. (once healthy).. To discount RK's contributions is a bit shortsighted in my view.. RK's D against Oakland's Bader at end of game helped team win.. (as he was killing us with his 3's).. This is not to say Mathews should not be in the core rotation, as he should as well. The PT topic is not either/or (in my view).. they can co-exist..

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Perhaps I am being shortsighted but my eyes just don't see what you see. When I go to the games, I see Kreklow losing his man off the ball, getting beat by his man to hole, taking poor shots early in the shot clock and exhibiting terrible handles.

Sure, Jordons stats aren't quite as good as Kreklows right now but we are also comparing A young freshman to a 21 year old junior. I believe one of these players has far more upside and will improve much more rapidly than the other. Matthews scored 32 points and Kreklow has never come close to doing anything as noteworthy on the basketball court.

I'm not saying Kreklow shouldn't get PT but I feel as if this board overvalued him. Perhaps it's because he's a glue guy and the average fan can relate more to players who show tremendous hustle.

Between a guy like JR Smith and Shane Battier, JR Smith is probably considered the better "shooter." Like in a game of HORSE, JR Smith probably wins.

However, Battier's 3pt% is much higher because he has better shot selection. So does that actually make him the better shooter?

Kreklow is money when he's open, so he's able to space the floor when he's in the game.

Wallace is able to shoot the 3 even with a hand in his face (like his crucial 3 last night), which is useful when the defense isn't giving a lot of open looks.

Really, I like both Kreklow and Matthews. And both types of shooters are needed.

Holmoephobic;842259572 said:

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Perhaps I am being shortsighted but my eyes just don't see what you see. When I go to the games, I see Kreklow losing his man off the ball, getting beat by his man to hole, taking poor shots early in the shot clock and exhibiting terrible handles.

Sure, Jordons stats aren't quite as good as Kreklows right now but we are also comparing A young freshman to a 21 year old junior. I believe one of these players has far more upside and will improve much more rapidly than the other. Matthews scored 32 points and Kreklow has never come close to doing anything as noteworthy on the basketball court.

I'm not saying Kreklow shouldn't get PT but I feel as if this board overvalued him. Perhaps it's because he's a glue guy and the average fan can relate more to players who show tremendous hustle.

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I wouldn't say it was shortsighted. Blind might be a better word. When I saw your first paragraph, I would have thought you were describing Mathews' performances prior to last night's game, not Kreklow's. It is Mathews who was making the mistakes, often losing his man, losing the ball, making dumb fouls, making poor decisions on when to drive into the paint, getting caught up in the air in the paint and throwing up wild shots, and exhibiting poor handles. We saw him in pre-season practice and he shot the lights out. Then the games came, and he clearly got very nervous, and he admitted it. Hopefully, the Oregon game will be a breakout game for him and he will steady down and play well consistently. The times I see Ricky losing his man on defense are when he is taking a lot of chances to get steals in a game where we are way behind, like Dayton, where he looked pretty bad. And he can get overly aggressive and get in foul trouble.

Kreklow is still the best man defender we have. He and Wallace are the two best hustle guys we have at the guard position. Mathews is improving, but he has a way to go. No way he shuts down Doug McDermott like Ricky did last year. Kreklow is a better passer, especially getting the ball in to the post. He's a better rebounder, and in my opinion has the better handles. Mathews is the much better scorer, especially when he gets hot. Whether he can do it consistently, nobody knows. He is a decent passer. Mathews does not look smooth out there yet, like Jabari. He looks a little uncoordinated like Solomon did as a freshman. He is still young with great potential.

Unless we go small, Kreklow is not going to be competing with Mathews for playing time, if everyone is healthy. Kreklow will be competing with Bird a the 3, and maybe with Behrens at the 4. Mathews will be competing with Wallace at the 2. Of course, if Bird does not regain form, it is possible that Mathews will compete with Kreklow and Bird at the 3.

Basketball is all about matchups, and if everyone is healthy, Montgomery will play matchup. He will use Mathews when he needs offense and spark, and he will use Kreklow when he needs defense, or needs someone to show aggressiveness and hustle, or just someone to settle the team down. I expect Mathews to continue to improve defensively, and even if he doesn't score consistently, he will help this team in a big way. And if Kreklow does not stop getting hurt, he will not help the team much at all.

:beer:

Kreklow is a much better defender and passer than Mathews, both are pretty good shooters but a bit limited as athletes (Kreklow more so). Mathews has a tremendous nose for scoring and doesn't mind scoring tough and ugly if needed (compare to Bird, who often seems like hes coasting by with sheer athleticism/talent).

If anything is certain, the kid is streaky.

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Maybe, maybe not. Insufficient sample size

One of these 2 guys scored 32 in a game.

How many Cal guys scored 32 in a game over the last........I don't know ....30 years?

Let him start.....AGAIN.......and AGAIN.....and..........AGAIN!!

The Ducks strategy was to stop Cal's bigs. They collapsed in the post. In the first half, that strategy worked to shut down Solo and David pretty well. However it left the perimeter more open, and Mathews made them pay in the first half.

In the second half, the Ducks changed their strategy and never left Mathews again. Besides his first 3 just into the second half (which was heavily contested), he rarely got a good look and his scoring in the second half was much lower (he still scored in other ways)

However that's when our Bigs went to work and scored.

My point is part of why Mathews had a amazing game was because of the Ducks defensive strategy. Mathews made that strategy backfire.

However the rest of the conference may not give him quite that opportunity again.

With that said, I think he is the best shooter on the team, and he's also a scorer. That versatility, confidence and aggressiveness will make him a top offensive threat for the Bears this season, and years to come

HoopDreams;842259764 said:

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The Ducks strategy was to stop Cal's bigs. They collapsed in the post. In the first half, that strategy worked to shut down Solo and David pretty well. However it left the perimeter more open, and Mathews made them pay in the first half.

In the second half, the Ducks changed their strategy and never left Mathews again. Besides his first 3 just into the second half (which was heavily contested), he rarely got a good look and his scoring in the second half was much lower (he still scored in other ways)

However that's when our Bigs went to work and scored.

My point is part of why Mathews had a amazing game was because of the Ducks defensive strategy. Mathews made that strategy backfire.

However the rest of the conference may not give him quite that opportunity again.

With that said, I think he is the best shooter on the team, and he's also a scorer. That versatility, confidence and aggressiveness will make him a top offensive threat for the Bears this season, and years to come

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Good to have another player who helps Cal spread the floor and open up the interior for our bigs.

Go Bears!

Agree with those who say the answer to Kreklow vs. Mathews is "both."

I have been happy with Kreklow this season once he stopped pressing on offense and let the game come to him. He has a nice stroke when his feet are set. I hope we get him (and Bird) back soon. And yes, he is longer and thus more a 3 or undersized 4 (for us) than Mathews who is almost the definition of a "shooting guard." People compare Kreklow to George (and last season that was too often the good/bad George as a freshman), but when he is playing within himself, as he has most of this year (before his latest injury), the player he reminds me most of is Theo--glue guy, tweener who, if forced to, can play the 4 in an undersized lineup, good defender (though less so when hampered by injury), good passer, great shooter from the baseline when left open...

I do think that in Kreklow's absence, Powers offers much the same, slower than Kreklow (before his foot injury), but taller/stronger (thus a better option as a small 4) and a better shooter. Interesting that Powers and Theo are both De La Salle products.

Mathews is going to be a great one for us. Ever since the scrimmages and early season I have been waiting for Mathews to have a break-out game like this one. He was the freshman I was most pleasantly surprised with, the player who most exceeded my [U]expectations[/U] (Singer next). He had a slump, perhaps pressing a bit himself, but this was just the first of many 30+ games he will have for us in his career.

Hope we get Kreklow and Bird back healthy soon.

Ricky is one of our best defenders and most versatile players
He also goes has an always on motor (scappy)

Ricky is an on the court coach on defense and can shoot it in a similar way that Theo could shoot it....meaning he can hit the 3 with reliability when he's open for a catch and shoot

That fact that we beat two Pac12 teams on the road without Ricky and Bird is impressive

calumnus;842259822 said:

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Agree with those who say the answer to Kreklow vs. Mathews is "both."

I have been happy with Kreklow this season once he stopped pressing on offense and let the game come to him. He has a nice stroke when his feet are set. I hope we get him (and Bird) back soon. And yes, he is longer and thus more a 3 or undersized 4 (for us) than Mathews who is almost the definition of a "shooting guard." People compare Kreklow to George (and last season that was too often the good/bad George as a freshman), but when he is playing within himself, as he has most of this year (before his latest injury), the player he reminds me most of is Theo--glue guy, tweener who, if forced to, can play the 4 in an undersized lineup, good defender (though less so when hampered by injury), good passer, great shooter from the baseline when left open...

I do think that in Kreklow's absence, Powers offers much the same, slower than Kreklow (before his foot injury), but taller/stronger (thus a better option as a small 4) and a better shooter. Interesting that Powers and Theo are both De La Salle products.

Mathews is going to be a great one for us. Ever since the scrimmages and early season I have been waiting for Mathews to have a break-out game like this one. He was the freshman I was most pleasantly surprised with, the player who most exceeded my [U]expectations[/U] (Singer next). He had a slump, perhaps pressing a bit himself, but this was just the first of many 30+ games he will have for us in his career.

Hope we get Kreklow and Bird back healthy soon.

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