Q. Given where you guys were at the start of the season, the expectations, do you feel like this is an opportunity lost because like you alluded to, that there could be some personnel changes going forward. Are you going to lament that this was something that you guys couldn't turn into something bigger?

COACH MARTIN: Personnel changes? I'm not sure what you mean there. But, you mean in players?

Q. Right.

COACH MARTIN: Well, you always recruit. I like the guys we have returning. Obviously, you want to add pieces, but you always recruit. That's part of your job as a coach. Just kind of move from there. Just got to plug the right pieces in and make the right decision.

Please recruit a center! I am begging you Cuonzo! Ah hell Kansas gets all of them, i guess they have good dive bars there in Lawrence and a tornado can always kill you. Prob all Self has to say.

I provide updates on Cal targets, recruits, and commits in the monster thread and outside of it.

Right on BearBacker Thanks for the hard work. Any word on the North Carolina kid the first 48 I think they call him.

with focus on SoCal coverage.

BearBackerinLA;842668103 said:

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I provide updates on Cal targets, recruits, and commits in the monster thread and outside of it.

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BearBackerinLA;842668108 said:

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with focus on SoCal coverage.

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How is the staff doing there? Has always seemed to me that if Cal is going to be a great PROGRAM it has to be able to get into SoCal and consistently get good players.

socaltownie;842668110 said:

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How is the staff doing there? Has always seemed to me that if Cal is going to be a great PROGRAM it has to be able to get into SoCal and consistently get good players.

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And what about Bay Area/Sacramento recruiting? For the last few years, if we had just kept all the top players at home, we could have been a top ten talent team. I mean Ashley, Gordon, Lee, Pope, Bird, Rabb, etc. With Coach Martin, we might have gotten all of them, or at least most of them. Is Bay Area/Sac basketball in a down cycle?

There are two guys who are going to be good or really good centers on the team now. Their progress this year was far better than I expected. What they need are shooters at forward and guard if Brown and Rabb leave. The outside threats are needed to free up the paint.

BearBackerinLA;842668103 said:

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I provide updates on Cal targets, recruits, and commits in the monster thread and outside of it.

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Can we have a thread called "BearBackerinLA"

concordtom;842668136 said:

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Can we have a thread called "BearBackerinLA"

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Or an actual recruiting thread would be nice. You could call it "2016 Recruiting Thread".

I am sorry Cal6371, I just don't see it happening. Both are projects at best. Maybe one should be a backup center like I said it is a damn shame Cuonzo couldn't poach Azubuike. He is probably a Mcdonald's all american.

CAL6371;842668134 said:

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There are two guys who are going to be good or really good centers on the team now. Their progress this year was far better than I expected. What they need are shooters at forward and guard if Brown and Rabb leave. The outside threats are needed to free up the paint.

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so you're saying we need to get outside shooters so we can ultimately free up the post for offensive moves by K2?

By the time K2 do an offensive move in the key it is a 3 second call. Too bad Pete Newell has passed away these guys need that big man camp like Bear fans need amnesia to forget the past week.

dates to keep in mind ...

Basketball (Regular Period) First Day to Sign: April 13, 2016 Last Day to Sign: May 18, 2016
http://www.nationalletter.org/signingDates/index.html

RABBOLUTION;842668656 said:

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By the time K2 do an offensive move in the key it is a 3 second call. Too bad Pete Newell has passed away these guys need that big man camp like Bear fans need amnesia to forget the past week.

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Not exactly fair!
Rooks made that basket very quickly at the end of the first half after Chauca dribbled out the clock.

BearBackerinLA;842668672 said:

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dates to keep in mind ...

Basketball (Regular Period) First Day to Sign: April 13, 2016 Last Day to Sign: May 18, 2016
http://www.nationalletter.org/signingDates/index.html

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Understood, but Jolly (for one) is already signed.

yes during early period.

BearBackerinLA;842668676 said:

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yes during early period.

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I'm not saying I like the rule, but what is the rule if Cal does not release him? He loses one of his five years of eligibility? And he cannot play next season where he goes? I think it is treated like a transfer year and he must set on the bench.

some NorCal prospects to keep an eye on. I believe Elijah Hardy was previously mentioned as a Cal target ...
http://prep2prep.com/feature.aspx?ArticleID=9877

concordtom;842668714 said:

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I'm not saying I like the rule, but what is the rule if Cal does not release him? He loses one of his five years of eligibility? And he cannot play next season where he goes? I think it is treated like a transfer year and he must set on the bench.

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Okay, so I read elsewhere that jolly was granted his release - so that means that coach Martin agrees that the rule does NO good for the player and is only an NCAA rule designed to provide retrition after the breakup, and he's not into that.

Good for you, coach, for taking them better path. Sounds like a players' coach to me.
He's in it for the kids, not himself.

concordtom;842670259 said:

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Okay, so I read elsewhere that jolly was granted his release - so that means that coach Martin agrees that the rule does NO good for the player and is only an NCAA rule designed to provide retrition after the breakup, and he's not into that.

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The rule gives the coach a chance to talk with the recruit before granting the release, otherwise recruits could just change there minds whenever. Not a bad rule, IMO.

RABBOLUTION;842668656 said:

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By the time K2 do an offensive move in the key it is a 3 second call. Too bad Pete Newell has passed away these guys need that big man camp like Bear fans need amnesia to forget the past week.

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Well, there is the slower development to consider. Even Solomon Hughes, iirc, took until his jr year to start to have an impact and it wasn't until his senior year that he really shined. I've still got high hopes for both of K2.

There won't be three scholarship Centers on the team. Higher priority after PG is a second big and skilled PF, either as a back-up to Ivan, and/or as his replacement when he goes to the NBA. Neither Kam or Kingsley can spell Rabb at PF, when the Bears go big. What is Roman Davis (6'7") capable of doing?

You must recognize that Okoroh was a soccer player through to HS, where he was introduced to basketball. He's learning the game while trying to acquire the skills to play it at a high level. Big challenge. Kam has size, which he's learning to use more effectively, but his slow feet and limited lateral movement hampers what he can do.

Civil Bear;842670288 said:

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The rule gives the coach a chance to talk with the recruit before granting the release, otherwise recruits could just change there minds whenever. Not a bad rule, IMO.

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Agree that it is good when used in the way Martin used it.

puget sound cal fan;842671494 said:

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You must recognize that Okoroh was a soccer player through to HS, where he was introduced to basketball. He's learning the game while trying to acquire the skills to play it at a high level. Big challenge. Kam has size, which he's learning to use more effectively, but his slow feet and limited lateral movement hampers what he can do.

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Kingsley played soccer?!? That must have been a crazy sight to behold - a 7 footer roaming the pitch.

75bear;842671577 said:

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Kingsley played soccer?!? That must have been a crazy sight to behold - a 7 footer roaming the pitch.

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Bet he did ok on set pieces.

several cal recruits/commits mentioned ...

http://www.fullctpress.net/16-best-of-socal.html

MinotStateBeav;842671579 said:

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Bet he did ok on set pieces.

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True, but he got called for lots of fouls - every attempt to shoulder an opponent off the ball was interpreted as a hip check by the ref.

You're still seeing those guys early this past season and not noticing the development or projecting additional development after another off-season of work. They will be fine. They were a big reason for our defensive improvement and Rooks is developing offensively. They will surprise people next year. Not a position of need at the moment compared to other positions.

RABBOLUTION;842668656 said:

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By the time K2 do an offensive move in the key it is a 3 second call. Too bad Pete Newell has passed away these guys need that big man camp like Bear fans need amnesia to forget the past week.

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BearBackerinLA;842672383 said:

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several cal recruits/commits mentioned ...

http://www.fullctpress.net/16-best-of-socal.html

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So, Cal whiffed on Southern California for 2016? It's too bad, and a little surprising, that Jonah Matthews wouldn't come to play w/ his brother for a year.

drewstapes;842672480 said:

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So, Cal whiffed on Southern California for 2016? It's too bad, and a little surprising, that Jonah Matthews wouldn't come to play w/ his brother for a year.

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One of the challenges with OADs at CAL is that recruiting is a little tougher when you can only make 'conditional' offers (and the only senior scholly was already signed). Other places may have more of a track record of players going pro (rhymes with Kerplucky).

As for Matthews, I think the brother dynamic varies from family to family. Having a few older brothers, I can appreciate both the desire to go the same route as well as finding your own path. Not surprising at all IMHO.

:gobears:

BeachedBear;842672483 said:

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One of the challenges with OADs at CAL is that recruiting is a little tougher when you can only make 'conditional' offers (and the only senior scholly was already signed). Other places may have more of a track record of players going pro (rhymes with Kerplucky).

As for Matthews, I think the brother dynamic varies from family to family. Having a few older brothers, I can appreciate both the desire to go the same route as well as finding your own path. Not surprising at all IMHO.

:gobears:

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Then wouldn't it behoove the Mathews family to make a statement that he wants to carve his own path, and the reasons for choosing USC? Otherwise, it either speaks to:
A) Cal staff didn't rate Jonah as high
B) Mathews family doesn't have faith in CM and/or Cal.

They could even lie, as most do in these types of situations (not that I like or approve), and make everyone happy.

concordtom;842672487 said:

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Then wouldn't it behoove the Mathews family to make a statement that he wants to carve his own path, and the reasons for choosing USC? Otherwise, it either speaks to:
A) Cal staff didn't rate Jonah as high
B) Mathews family doesn't have faith in CM and/or Cal.

They could even lie, as most do in these types of situations (not that I like or approve), and make everyone happy.

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Mathews had a Cal offer and is a Top 100 player. IMO, he's ahead of where Jordan was at the same stage and his shot is actually smoother. He can also legitimately play some PG, and USC probably sold him on that possibility. If we're taking guys like Coleman, you can't tell me we didn't want Jonah or even the Aussie kid that we were on.

tsubamoto2001;842672492 said:

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Mathews had a Cal offer and is a Top 100 player. IMO, he's ahead of where Jordan was at the same stage and his shot is actually smoother. He can also legitimately play some PG, and USC probably sold him on that possibility. If we're taking guys like Coleman, you can't tell me we didn't want Jonah or even the Aussie kid that we were on.

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In this case, the staff may have made a mistake. Coleman can slide over and play the PG and while you and I often view player evaluations similarly, I don't see Mathews playing PG at this level at least not for a year or two. The mistake was in prioritizing Jolly over Mathews. I agreed with that decision based on basketball where the mistake may have occurred was when factoring in academic risk. Right now, I'd far rather have Mathews than not.