freshmen playing his second game at PG against a Pac12 team

35 minutes (didn't look tired)
7-for-12, including 3-for-5 from 3, 2-2 FTs = 19 pts
3 rebounds

2 assists vs 6 TOs - Yeah that's poor, but 1 of the TOs was after he got a rebound, he was grabbed on the arm, and ref called a walk. Two weak passes that were picked off, but this he's a freshmen playing a position that he hasn't played all year before last game.

Also like his confidence and aggressiveness

He's a baller

https://instagr.am/p/BscHYaegN3S

big upside. will he transfer out if wyking is fired ???

Only Jason Kidd comes to mind with regard to a Cal player having Matt's physical and mental toughness combined with offensive skills. Yes, I realize that Jason was in his own category.

Can not be a consideration.

oskidunker said:

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Can not be a consideration.

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Absolutely. Wyking may be a nice guy, but none of these kids came to Cal because of his coaching record!

And yes, Bradley did well. His biggest challenges seemed to be the refs (generally poorly officiated game IMHO, but he was also the victim of some freshman calls) and his teammates. I though McNeil did an OK job of getting open, but the other players are not moving properly in any form of offense. Sueing may be the biggest offender, since he players are looking for him, but he is not making effective cuts or making space. The bigs do not seem to be part of the offensive scheme, so not sure whose fault that is. Austin tosses a nice alley oop, but that takes practice with your bigs and I don't expect to see that from Bradley at this stage.

bearister said:

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Only Jason Kidd comes to mind with regard to a Cal player having Matt's physical and mental toughness combined with offensive skills. Yes, I realize that Jason was in his own category.

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Sorry my main man. No way that can be compared. Jason was special. NBA hall of fame special.

Matt is good esp. for a freshman. I do like him being a secondary PG. May be a better fit than Darius for that role.

I think all the freshmen and sophomores will be rewarded by senior year so long as they stick together.

I was in Berkeley for other reasons right before the Seattle game, so I decided to drop in. After 31 years of trying to watch every game (though not usually in person), I cut back during the first year of the Jones nightmare, and I stopped watching altogether this year. (Yet I still come here, go figure.) For me the one pleasant surprise from the game was Matt Bradley. He seemed like the only Cal player whose play exceeded their athletic ability. While he could not hit his shot that game, he was almost always in the right position and doing the right thing. I think he has a great feel for the game. He played like an upperclassmen rather than someone just getting started.

My onetime assessment of his game would be that at his height he will be limited by his lack of quickness, even considering his physical strength. But he will be helped by a very high basketball IQ and great effort.

Sluggo

KoreAmBear said:

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bearister said:

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Only Jason Kidd comes to mind with regard to a Cal player having Matt's physical and mental toughness combined with offensive skills. Yes, I realize that Jason was in his own category.

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Sorry my main man. No way that can be compared. Jason was special. NBA hall of fame special.

Matt is good esp. for a freshman. I do like him being a secondary PG. May be a better fit than Darius for that role.

I think all the freshmen and sophomores will be rewarded by senior year so long as they stick together.

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That's why I addded the qualifier so that no one would take the comparison the wrong way. Then you name a Cal player that Matt brings to mind. I guaranty that whoever you name is either lacking in the muscle department or the offensive skills department. Matt is the rare physical type that could have been groomed as a linebacker or heavyweight boxer and yet he still has offensive basketball skills. Come on, take up the challenge.

bearister said:

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KoreAmBear said:

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bearister said:

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Only Jason Kidd comes to mind with regard to a Cal player having Matt's physical and mental toughness combined with offensive skills. Yes, I realize that Jason was in his own category.

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Sorry my main man. No way that can be compared. Jason was special. NBA hall of fame special.

Matt is good esp. for a freshman. I do like him being a secondary PG. May be a better fit than Darius for that role.

I think all the freshmen and sophomores will be rewarded by senior year so long as they stick together.

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That's why I addded the qualifier so that no one would take the comparison the wrong way. Then you name a Cal player that Matt brings to mind. I guaranty that whoever you name is either lacking in the muscle department or the offensive skills department. Matt is the rare physical type that could have been groomed as a linebacker or heavyweight boxer and yet he still has offensive basketball skills. Come on, take up the challenge.

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He reminds me of a heftier Dennis Gates as freshman. But, as you say, Dennis comes short in muscles and offensive skills, but superior defensively IMO. Both have high bball IQ and a sense of tenaciousness.

bearister said:

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KoreAmBear said:

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bearister said:

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Only Jason Kidd comes to mind with regard to a Cal player having Matt's physical and mental toughness combined with offensive skills. Yes, I realize that Jason was in his own category.

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Sorry my main man. No way that can be compared. Jason was special. NBA hall of fame special.

Matt is good esp. for a freshman. I do like him being a secondary PG. May be a better fit than Darius for that role.

I think all the freshmen and sophomores will be rewarded by senior year so long as they stick together.

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That's why I addded the qualifier so that no one would take the comparison the wrong way. Then you name a Cal player that Matt brings to mind. I guaranty that whoever you name is either lacking in the muscle department or the offensive skills department. Matt is the rare physical type that could have been groomed as a linebacker or heavyweight boxer and yet he still has offensive basketball skills. Come on, take up the challenge.

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One difference is defense. Jason Kidd was an outstanding defender before he ever decided to become a Cal freshman, and he only improved that over the years. Best and strongest point guard defender I ever saw, except possibly another Hall of Famer, K.C, Jones. Jones was another player who was strong and tough on defense when he first played at USF. They both could control the offensive player, and they were always a step ahead of the offensive player, not allowing him to go where he wanted to go or do what he wanted to do. I never saw K.C. Jones play as a freshman (they were not eligible in those days, but I saw him play later at USF). However, I did see Jason Kidd play defense as a Cal freshman, and I will say that as a Cal freshman, Bradley is not the defender that Jason Kidd was as a Cal Freshman. Not even close. It is early in his career, and Bradley has the aggression and the physique and athleticism to be a good defender, but to get to Jason Kidd's level as a defender in his freshman year, you have to make steady progress in BB IQ, anticipation, and technique to that level during your high school years. Such defenders are really rare, IMO.

bearister said:

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KoreAmBear said:

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bearister said:

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Only Jason Kidd comes to mind with regard to a Cal player having Matt's physical and mental toughness combined with offensive skills. Yes, I realize that Jason was in his own category.

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Sorry my main man. No way that can be compared. Jason was special. NBA hall of fame special.

Matt is good esp. for a freshman. I do like him being a secondary PG. May be a better fit than Darius for that role.

I think all the freshmen and sophomores will be rewarded by senior year so long as they stick together.

---

That's why I addded the qualifier so that no one would take the comparison the wrong way. Then you name a Cal player that Matt brings to mind. I guaranty that whoever you name is either lacking in the muscle department or the offensive skills department. Matt is the rare physical type that could have been groomed as a linebacker or heavyweight boxer and yet he still has offensive basketball skills. Come on, take up the challenge.

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When I first saw his physique, I thought of former Oregon guard Ron Lee (this goes back a ways).

How about former Warrior Sarunas Marciulionis?

I agree with Sluggo that, at Bradley's current weight, it'd be nice if he was 1-2 inches taller (or, at his current height, which is probably permanent, maybe he should be 10 lbs lighter). Whatever, though: I'm a huge Bradley fan.

I get your Kidd comparison, but JK always had hoops IQ that was off the charts, whereas Bradley is still a little shaky on the asst/turnover ratio.

Jason Kidd is # 4 on the NBA Triple Double list which qualifies him as one of the best all around basketball players of all time.....which is why my comparison is sacrilegious and similar to poking a stick into a wasps' nest. It is like saying a guitar player reminds you of Jimi Hendrix, although Stevie Ray Vaughan kind of did.