Updated bracketology still has us as an 8 seed. A win today would be an awesome surprise, but if we play the Irish tough either way I'm wondering if some other teams lose if there would still be a possibility to move up to a 7. Not sure.
michelle onyiah
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Last: 2 mo ago by Shocky1
Let's make some noise in the quarterfinals!
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notre dame fighting irish 73
california golden bears 64
real talk: this game wuz lost yesterday when charmin failed to play the starting 5 less than 25 minutes each in a blowout victory (leads as large as 25 points), the bears ran out of gas in the final 12 minutes with defenders a step slow & shooters with fatigued legs wildly inaccurate against a talented fresh irish squad
in 24 hours marta played an astonishing 67 minutes & today wuz 1-5 on 3 pointers
in 24 hours ionna played an unreal 74 minutes & today wuz 1-5 on field goals
the tired azz bears starting 5 had 24 turnovers (out of a team total of 28) this afternoon which can be attributed to mental & physical fatigue
and that's just poor coaching with respects to player minutes management in a tournament setting
It's too bad Jayda Noble wasn't able to play today. She contributes so much when she is on the floor. Her absence has to be a great loss to the rotation. I enjoy watching her play, and hope all is well with her very soon. Congratulations to the Cal WBB Program for a good showing in their first ACC Tournament. I 'm glad they had support from the Cheerleaders and the Straw Hat Band! There are good photos posted......
On to the NCAA Tournament Watch Gathering!!
On to the NCAA Tournament Watch Gathering!!
ashfield, agreed that a healthy jayda noble would've been a plus today for the clearly fatigued late in the 3rd quarter bears with high energy defensive minutes
it's been surprising (and disappointing) that smith has stubbornly stuck to her small line up which time & time again can't guard opposing posts without michelle or gabby (the team's 6th best player, her playing only 8 minutes today wuz roster minutes management malpractice, abigor is a SPECIAL talent)
charmin's early failures in her career wuz not due to the false narrative that gottlieb left her a depleted roster (smith wuz also on the coaching staff & key players opted to not remain in berkeley when she wuz announced as the head coach which is a reflection of her relationships with those players), it wuz due to her poor recruiting decisions to fill the roster with tiny under 5'5" guards (u can play one at the 1 but that's it) that could not play DEFENSE & bigs that literally couldn't from a conditioning standpoint run down the court without being winded
now she's mismanaged abigor this season who should've played 25+ minutes today playing both in relief of onyiah but also at the 5 with michelle sliding to the 4 (which is her natural position at any professional level) in relief of suarez
but smith never played michelle & gabby (who runs the floor as well as any 5 in the acc & intimidates on DEFENSE in the post and perhaps most importantly is less foul prone & more coachable than onyiah) together which reflects her rigid non adaptive coaching style (very linear, engineering degree background)
this season's decision to "play fast" & not try to reduce the 28 turnovers is just poor coaching particularly with the fatigued starting 5 & failure to teach basic passing fundamentals (more than half of lulu's, kayla's & marta's intercepted passes are one handed flings) reminiscent of montera middle school playground ball
this is a FUN & special team but the coaching is honestly mediocre at best, fans can personally like charmin but also recognize that her coaching (which includes staff retention & player development) is sub optimal...but kudos to coach for building a positive culture lockeroom which is no small feat in today's era of drama
https://instagr.am/p/DG3voU6SJHv
it's been surprising (and disappointing) that smith has stubbornly stuck to her small line up which time & time again can't guard opposing posts without michelle or gabby (the team's 6th best player, her playing only 8 minutes today wuz roster minutes management malpractice, abigor is a SPECIAL talent)
charmin's early failures in her career wuz not due to the false narrative that gottlieb left her a depleted roster (smith wuz also on the coaching staff & key players opted to not remain in berkeley when she wuz announced as the head coach which is a reflection of her relationships with those players), it wuz due to her poor recruiting decisions to fill the roster with tiny under 5'5" guards (u can play one at the 1 but that's it) that could not play DEFENSE & bigs that literally couldn't from a conditioning standpoint run down the court without being winded
now she's mismanaged abigor this season who should've played 25+ minutes today playing both in relief of onyiah but also at the 5 with michelle sliding to the 4 (which is her natural position at any professional level) in relief of suarez
but smith never played michelle & gabby (who runs the floor as well as any 5 in the acc & intimidates on DEFENSE in the post and perhaps most importantly is less foul prone & more coachable than onyiah) together which reflects her rigid non adaptive coaching style (very linear, engineering degree background)
this season's decision to "play fast" & not try to reduce the 28 turnovers is just poor coaching particularly with the fatigued starting 5 & failure to teach basic passing fundamentals (more than half of lulu's, kayla's & marta's intercepted passes are one handed flings) reminiscent of montera middle school playground ball
this is a FUN & special team but the coaching is honestly mediocre at best, fans can personally like charmin but also recognize that her coaching (which includes staff retention & player development) is sub optimal...but kudos to coach for building a positive culture lockeroom which is no small feat in today's era of drama
https://instagr.am/p/DG3voU6SJHv
Okay Shocky, it's kind of obvious that you're a bit obsessed with the Charmin criticism. Yes, I actually agree that Gabby should have seen more minutes on the floor both days. But come on, ease off a bit. Bottom line regardless of the Virginia minute allocation, the differences yesterday were the same basic differences when we play top tier teams. Not quite at the level of athleticism, and an ongoing turnover issue, which yesterday was 28 by Cal and 13 for ND. This has been the issue all year long, even in games when this team hadn't played for five days. It's not rocket science. The difference yesterday wasn't coaching, or minutes played the day before. The difference was turnovers, Hannah Hidalgo, and a ND defense minimizing Ioanna. Not having Jayda didn't help either. Let's be real.
redless, yesterday's loss wuz due to the staff not teaching passing fundamentals (one handed flip passes that get turned over), institutionalizing the culture of turnovers without consequences (or even discussions, players like marta run off the floor with 8 turnovers & they don't even make eye contact or discuss the mistakes but just fist bump her??) & the failure to manage minutes within a 2 game 24 hour cycle
ionna (74 minutes in 24 hours) wuz gassed & couldn't physically compete...marta (67 minutes in 24 hours) wuz gassed too which is when she becomes a turnover machine
kayla has been wore down thu the heavy minutes and dozens & dozens of violent collisions which result in her body being thrown to the floor like a rag doll, not protecting her with sub 30 minutes in most games wuz a mistake
the staff should've recognized the player fatigue & slowed down the tempo of the game to not allow the irish to boat race the bears in the final 14 minutes, this is not rocket science
gabby is the program's only other +1 athlete like michelle, she should've been playing 25+ minutes every game this season...jayda should've never been asked to guard opposing 5s, she should've only been assigned 4s & 3s to defend...those are player evaluation issues
ionna (74 minutes in 24 hours) wuz gassed & couldn't physically compete...marta (67 minutes in 24 hours) wuz gassed too which is when she becomes a turnover machine
kayla has been wore down thu the heavy minutes and dozens & dozens of violent collisions which result in her body being thrown to the floor like a rag doll, not protecting her with sub 30 minutes in most games wuz a mistake
the staff should've recognized the player fatigue & slowed down the tempo of the game to not allow the irish to boat race the bears in the final 14 minutes, this is not rocket science
gabby is the program's only other +1 athlete like michelle, she should've been playing 25+ minutes every game this season...jayda should've never been asked to guard opposing 5s, she should've only been assigned 4s & 3s to defend...those are player evaluation issues
The fundamentals criticism is understood. You have maintained that all season and there is some validity to it.Shocky1 said:
redless, yesterday's loss wuz due to the staff not teaching passing fundamentals (one handed flip passes that get turned over), institutionalizing the culture of turnovers without consequences (or even discussions, players like marta run off the floor with 8 turnovers & they don't even make eye contact or discuss the mistakes but just fist bump her??) & the failure to manage minutes within a 2 game 24 hour cycle
ionna (74 minutes in 24 hours) wuz gassed & couldn't physically compete...marta (67 minutes in 24 hours) wuz gassed too which is when she becomes a turnover machine
kayla has been wore down thu the heavy minutes and dozens & dozens of violent collisions which result in her body being thrown to the floor like a rag doll, not protecting her with sub 30 minutes in most games wuz a mistake
the staff should've recognized the player fatigue & slowed down the tempo of the game to not allow the irish to boat race the bears in the final 14 minutes, this is not rocket science
gabby is the program's only other +1 athlete like michelle, she should've been playing 25+ minutes every game this season...jayda should've never been asked to guard opposing 5s, she should've only been assigned 4s & 3s to defend...those are player evaluation issues
But the reality yesterday was that Notre Dame is still the better team. And regardless of how the minutes were allocated the day before the fact is our team had to play and their team did not. And you keep mentioning to "slow down." In basketball when the other team pressures you, if you try to slow down you ultimately get swallowed up. The only way we're going to keep up with Notre Dame is get some baskets in transition. Is our coaching perfect? Nope. Maybe even far from perfect. But it's interesting that you forbid anyone to ever use officiating as an excuse (even if its due to incompetence), but you give yourself free reign to bash Charmin anytime we lose. Again, let's keep it real.
with the season winding down it can be shared now that based upon several conversations with michelle prior to the season at football games that probably the biggest reason for onyiah's delusional paranoia that refs are unfairly targeting her during her career (which isn't even close to reality as documented by this game by game ugonne foul watch) is because charmin has emboldened that misconception in her impressionable mind which has signficantly hindered her developed/potential pro career
the 2 have a very close relationship & when shocky asked michelle if she's talked to charmin re: why the refs are unfairly targeting her she basically said that smith doesn't have any answers either for the way games are called
bizarro world in berkeley (if u think ur a victim or something)#
the 2 have a very close relationship & when shocky asked michelle if she's talked to charmin re: why the refs are unfairly targeting her she basically said that smith doesn't have any answers either for the way games are called
bizarro world in berkeley (if u think ur a victim or something)#
Fundamentally, winning basketball games is about talent.
I know I only coach in high school, but I did get 200+ wins, and I did assist on three state championship teams. I have coached good teams and bad teams, and the difference is almost always talent. This year, I had a JV team that shot 26% from three, which is very, very good for that level. Last year's team did not shoot as well; neither will next year's. That's talent, not coaching.
My system has always been consistent: Half-court man, screen on the ball. But if I had used a 2-3 zone and a motion offense, my record wouldn't have been that different. Good players make any system work.
As for the one-handed pass, you need to be able to do that. Two-handed passes are safer, but slower. They are very old school, and like the mid-range jumper, are generally referred to by people who want the game to be played it was when they were young.
Cal can turn the ball over make any kind of pass, but if you want to reverse the ball quickly and get an open three, you need velocity -- and velocity increases with one-hand passes, for the most part.
Cal has, in general, been about as good as its talent. Michelle Onyiah is a vastly improved player since she arrived at Cal, and others have gotten better too. Charmin Smith isn't Geno, but she's a competent college coach who has just led her team to 25 wins.
And she lost to a much more talented team by nine.
I know I only coach in high school, but I did get 200+ wins, and I did assist on three state championship teams. I have coached good teams and bad teams, and the difference is almost always talent. This year, I had a JV team that shot 26% from three, which is very, very good for that level. Last year's team did not shoot as well; neither will next year's. That's talent, not coaching.
My system has always been consistent: Half-court man, screen on the ball. But if I had used a 2-3 zone and a motion offense, my record wouldn't have been that different. Good players make any system work.
As for the one-handed pass, you need to be able to do that. Two-handed passes are safer, but slower. They are very old school, and like the mid-range jumper, are generally referred to by people who want the game to be played it was when they were young.
Cal can turn the ball over make any kind of pass, but if you want to reverse the ball quickly and get an open three, you need velocity -- and velocity increases with one-hand passes, for the most part.
Cal has, in general, been about as good as its talent. Michelle Onyiah is a vastly improved player since she arrived at Cal, and others have gotten better too. Charmin Smith isn't Geno, but she's a competent college coach who has just led her team to 25 wins.
And she lost to a much more talented team by nine.
clay, men college players have the strength to make 1 handed passes, none of the bears have that strength & it's a major factor in the frequent 20+ turnover games...so either the players are coached to make fundamentally sound passes or taught not to risk such passes, neither of those happened this season
the cal head coach is paid a half a million dollars a year (and the program is losing $4,500,000+ a year which is not financially sustainable) for a team that is not maximizing the talent level on this special team which may not occur again anytime in the near future
agreed that talent will mask a lotta coaching deficiencies, recruiting is under the purview of the head coach who has brought into multiple recruits outside of the starting 5 that got fundamentally broken crooked azz shooting strokes...hiring a shooting guru like theo robertson would go a long way to fix these strokes but my sense is that charmin wants to surround herself around people that are easily controllable
the cal head coach is paid a half a million dollars a year (and the program is losing $4,500,000+ a year which is not financially sustainable) for a team that is not maximizing the talent level on this special team which may not occur again anytime in the near future
agreed that talent will mask a lotta coaching deficiencies, recruiting is under the purview of the head coach who has brought into multiple recruits outside of the starting 5 that got fundamentally broken crooked azz shooting strokes...hiring a shooting guru like theo robertson would go a long way to fix these strokes but my sense is that charmin wants to surround herself around people that are easily controllable
^
Shocky/Clay - great comments. Enjoying it.
Shocky/Clay - great comments. Enjoying it.
The advantage of a two handed pass is accuracy
But two handed passes disadvantages is you need to be squared up with the receiver (if you don't believe me take a basketball and try throwing it at a target when your body is at an angle)
Therefore if you limit your passing to only two handed passes there are several problems including:
1. Much fewer situations you can make a pass
2. Much easier to defend ball handler
3. Much more likely to get stolen as the off ball defender knows in advance which direction the pass will be pointed to (lacks aspect of deception)
4. Limit your offense
There are many types of passes, two handed pass, one handed push pass, one handed sling pass, pocket pass, lob pass, bounce pass, jelly pass
I think the type of pass shocky doesn't like are sling passes which have a high degree of difficulty and therefore prone to accuracy problems
But it's just not practical to have a D1 or even HS team who only do 2 handed passes (it is the kind of pass you would want Michelle to use when she gets a rebound and passes to Yo coming directly at her on the perimeter, but that's what I see Michelle do)
The turnovers I see Cal makes too often are lob passes to Michelle in the post, or players who stop their dribble and stare down Michelle and then pass to her against a double or set defender, or lazy or careless passes that get jumped by an aggressive defender (Noble has this problem)
ND had a bunch of steals from doubles and just hitting the ball out of the hands of the ball handler. That happens when the defense is covering up the other players so the ball handler can't quickly find a open player to pass to (or because they are tentative because they don't want to throw a pass that would get intercepted or because they just aren't protecting the ball)
Therefore I think most of our turnovers are unrelated to the pass execution (except bad lob passes) and more to do with seeing the court, handling the speed of the game, and decision making)
But two handed passes disadvantages is you need to be squared up with the receiver (if you don't believe me take a basketball and try throwing it at a target when your body is at an angle)
Therefore if you limit your passing to only two handed passes there are several problems including:
1. Much fewer situations you can make a pass
2. Much easier to defend ball handler
3. Much more likely to get stolen as the off ball defender knows in advance which direction the pass will be pointed to (lacks aspect of deception)
4. Limit your offense
There are many types of passes, two handed pass, one handed push pass, one handed sling pass, pocket pass, lob pass, bounce pass, jelly pass
I think the type of pass shocky doesn't like are sling passes which have a high degree of difficulty and therefore prone to accuracy problems
But it's just not practical to have a D1 or even HS team who only do 2 handed passes (it is the kind of pass you would want Michelle to use when she gets a rebound and passes to Yo coming directly at her on the perimeter, but that's what I see Michelle do)
The turnovers I see Cal makes too often are lob passes to Michelle in the post, or players who stop their dribble and stare down Michelle and then pass to her against a double or set defender, or lazy or careless passes that get jumped by an aggressive defender (Noble has this problem)
ND had a bunch of steals from doubles and just hitting the ball out of the hands of the ball handler. That happens when the defense is covering up the other players so the ball handler can't quickly find a open player to pass to (or because they are tentative because they don't want to throw a pass that would get intercepted or because they just aren't protecting the ball)
Therefore I think most of our turnovers are unrelated to the pass execution (except bad lob passes) and more to do with seeing the court, handling the speed of the game, and decision making)
In the era of AI, it would be great to have a smart tech person do an extensive analysis of our turnover situation. What are the patterns and what are the key variables? Are there some situations that repeat so often that opponents know exactly how to force us into a TO in those circumstances.
How about Michelle's strength? And this thread is supposed to be about her.Shocky1 said:
clay, men college players have the strength to make 1 handed passes, none of the bears have that strength & it's a major factor in the frequent 20+ turnover games...
.
stu, the growth in michelle's strength this season has been 100% mental
the future of cal women's basketball necessitates the hiring of the 1st men's & women's basketball general manager that can function autonomously from the worthless cal athletic department bureaucrats that can fundraise nil dollars & construction dollars for the critically needed dedicated basketball practice facility
cal's 1st football general manager is just days away
https://bearinsider.com/forums/2/topics/110786/0
cal's 1st football general manager is just days away
https://bearinsider.com/forums/2/topics/110786/0
I'm not trying to be a wise ass. Maybe you should apply? I know you would give maximum effort.
redless, one of the primary perquisites of the 1st basketball gm is a strong relationship with jaylen brown who needs to become the face of all cal basketball with his 7juice clothing line becoming the apparel choice for both programs in exchange for nil dollars support
the gm also needs to have strong relationships with the haas & goldman families in addition to curating new tech wealth donors to build the dedicated practice facility in a timely manner
the 1st action take by the gm needs to be inclusively offer FREE tixs to all cal sporting events to all students at the #1 ranked public university in the world & then build reciprocal branding relationships with professional sports franchises like the wbna franchise that need a pipeline of younger fans
charmin needs to visit with 100+ student groups for 15 minute hype talks this offseason with a rotating player from the roster to grow the student fanbase...the new gm needs to visit with 100+ bay area youth basketball teams offering them FREE tixs to a wbb game with free pizza at halftime & a quick visit from a cal student athlete like oakland's jaivian thomas to take about academics
but just hoping fans are gonna show up at haas pavilion next season for lulu & her teammates next season with the status quo is NOT gonna happen
life is not linear (the future of cal athletics in berkeley is gonna require bold strokes of innovation)#
the gm also needs to have strong relationships with the haas & goldman families in addition to curating new tech wealth donors to build the dedicated practice facility in a timely manner
the 1st action take by the gm needs to be inclusively offer FREE tixs to all cal sporting events to all students at the #1 ranked public university in the world & then build reciprocal branding relationships with professional sports franchises like the wbna franchise that need a pipeline of younger fans
charmin needs to visit with 100+ student groups for 15 minute hype talks this offseason with a rotating player from the roster to grow the student fanbase...the new gm needs to visit with 100+ bay area youth basketball teams offering them FREE tixs to a wbb game with free pizza at halftime & a quick visit from a cal student athlete like oakland's jaivian thomas to take about academics
but just hoping fans are gonna show up at haas pavilion next season for lulu & her teammates next season with the status quo is NOT gonna happen
life is not linear (the future of cal athletics in berkeley is gonna require bold strokes of innovation)#
Just wanna say one time that I completely agree with your criticisms of the Cal AD and the marketing department. I'm not that familiar with how these changes are made, (my prefence is to talk sports.) Does the new chancellor have any influence/ability on these issues?Shocky1 said:
redless, one of the primary perquisites of the 1st basketball gm is a strong relationship with jaylen brown who needs to become the face of all cal basketball with his 7juice clothing line becoming the apparel choice for both programs in exchange for nil dollars support
the gm also needs to have strong relationships with the haas & goldman families in addition to curating new tech wealth donors to build the dedicated practice facility in a timely manner
the 1st action take by the gm needs to be inclusively offer FREE tixs to all cal sporting events to all students at the #1 ranked public university in the world & then build reciprocal branding relationships with professional sports franchises like the wbna franchise that need a pipeline of younger fans
but just hoping fans are gonna show up at haas pavilion next season for lulu & her teammates next season with the status quo is NOT gonna happen
life is not linear (the future of cal athletics in berkeley is gonna require bold strokes of innovation)#
chancellor lyons is the key, rich needs to authorize the 1st basketball gm position & then that individual would report directly to him instead of the worthless current athletic director & his evil as **** #2 jenny
yeah u can just follow cal sports on gamedays as a fan but ur gonna watch a lotta underperforming teams along the way until the necessary institutional support in terms of loud hostile crowd energy, nil dollars to attract top talent & a dedicated basketball practice facility for player development are in place in berkeley
yeah u can just follow cal sports on gamedays as a fan but ur gonna watch a lotta underperforming teams along the way until the necessary institutional support in terms of loud hostile crowd energy, nil dollars to attract top talent & a dedicated basketball practice facility for player development are in place in berkeley
As Shocky points out, college basketball is a big business and needs to be treated as such.
The lifeblood of any program (any business) is talent, and both Mark Madsen and Charmin Smith are severely hampered by the lack of a practice facility when it comes to attracting talent.
That said, some players do respond to the academic and cultural strengths of Cal, so there are some advantages.
And then there's money. Players want to be paid, and now correctly allocating available funds is a crucial skill. (And note that professional teams do a fairly poor job of this -- does the name "DeShaun Watson" ring a bell?)
I am not convinced marketing and/or winning will fill Haas for women's basketball. The winning is much more important, of course, but until female students decide to attend women's games as well as, or instead of, men's games, it's going to be a long road.
I hope I'm wrong, and if Cal wins 25 games again next year, maybe the tide will turn.
Still, a great season and a fun one. There should be lots of smiles everywhere no matter what happens in the tournament.
The lifeblood of any program (any business) is talent, and both Mark Madsen and Charmin Smith are severely hampered by the lack of a practice facility when it comes to attracting talent.
That said, some players do respond to the academic and cultural strengths of Cal, so there are some advantages.
And then there's money. Players want to be paid, and now correctly allocating available funds is a crucial skill. (And note that professional teams do a fairly poor job of this -- does the name "DeShaun Watson" ring a bell?)
I am not convinced marketing and/or winning will fill Haas for women's basketball. The winning is much more important, of course, but until female students decide to attend women's games as well as, or instead of, men's games, it's going to be a long road.
I hope I'm wrong, and if Cal wins 25 games again next year, maybe the tide will turn.
Still, a great season and a fun one. There should be lots of smiles everywhere no matter what happens in the tournament.
Agreed. Despite all the realities of our situation, this year's team has been a joy to watch and follow, and it's been great that we've been able to enjoy so much of it.
a few things ... attendance is definitely up this season. Hopefully we can continue to build on that and further grow the fan base
FYI - one idea above is to offer free tix to HS teams. I'm pretty sure that's not allowed under the recruiting rules, at least for kids over the age of 12 or something. That's why Cal can do School Haas Rock (the kids are younger and therefore not a recruiting violation)
However Cal has been seriously disadvantaged in NIL. We need to up our game there or it will be very difficult to retain our key players and attract good players/transfers. Having a Basketball GM for both MBB and WBB is also important, as is a practice facility.
That's a lot of needs, and hopefully we can make progress on all of them
FYI - one idea above is to offer free tix to HS teams. I'm pretty sure that's not allowed under the recruiting rules, at least for kids over the age of 12 or something. That's why Cal can do School Haas Rock (the kids are younger and therefore not a recruiting violation)
However Cal has been seriously disadvantaged in NIL. We need to up our game there or it will be very difficult to retain our key players and attract good players/transfers. Having a Basketball GM for both MBB and WBB is also important, as is a practice facility.
That's a lot of needs, and hopefully we can make progress on all of them
Looking at the complicated situation we are now facing in college sports, I think we also need a full-time international recruiter. Selling the Cal degree should be working better as a part of an overall package of what we have to offer to those players. It does not look like we currently have a strong enough network of contacts and follow-through.
Good point. Three of our starters are from other continents, we should make international recruiting a priority.annarborbear said:
Looking at the complicated situation we are now facing in college sports, I think we also need a full-time international recruiter. Selling the Cal degree should be working better as a part of an overall package of what we have to offer to those players. It does not look like we currently have a strong enough network of contacts and follow-through.
When Marta finishes up, she will no doubt play overseas for someone. Hire her to focus on international recruiting during her off-season.
brackeltology update: the bears still a #8 projected to play #9 mississippi state with the winner then playing #1 seed usc in los angeles at the galen center
https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2025-women-college-basketball-projections
https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2025-women-college-basketball-projections
High school players simply don't have the time to come to games. Six days a week of practice and games, plus school, plus social, leaves pretty much nothing.
For the sake of discussion I'm putting this out there one last time. If bama gets a 5 seed and we get an 8 it will not be justified. Both teams play in tough conferences, almost identical records with each team losing 5 games on the road. We beat them, yes I know it was at Haas, but even if the four point margin of victory is attributed to the home court advantage, that still leaves us EVEN with them. At the very least their seeding number should be no more than one higher than ours.Shocky1 said:
brackeltology update: the bears still a #8 projected to play #9 mississippi state with the winner then playing #1 seed usc in los angeles at the galen center
https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2025-women-college-basketball-projections
And there are international bench players right?stu said:Good point. Three of our starters are from other continents, we should make international recruiting a priority.annarborbear said:
Looking at the complicated situation we are now facing in college sports, I think we also need a full-time international recruiter. Selling the Cal degree should be working better as a part of an overall package of what we have to offer to those players. It does not look like we currently have a strong enough network of contacts and follow-through.
I mean, there might not be someone who is called the "international recruiter," but clearly the Bears have some knowledge in this area. Now, obviously someone like Marta, Tennessee did the initial heavy lifting, but we have had Australians and Chinese players who came directly to Cal...it would be an interesting background story.
I have said this before, but worth nothing again: the sports that Cal has really excelled at in recent years have had significant international representation. If memory serves me (always a scary proposition), when Cal won the rowing championship recently, the "8's" boat had more international athletes than Americans. The depth of the Men's swimming team has been supplemented by international guys, and Water Polo has had incredible international players...
March 7th, Cal WBB Twitter post: Kelly Gramlich, ACC Network said, "Cal can flat out play, I don't know why they aren't projected as a higher NCAA Tournament seed." She has voiced her positive observations of the BEARS during the ACC Tournament, she had them beating Virginia, the one voice out of 4!!!! The joke is, she has a Crush on Cal........Only two players receiving honors for Cal, Lo and Marta shows the depth of the competition in the ACC!RedlessWardrobe said:For the sake of discussion I'm putting this out there one last time. If bama gets a 5 seed and we get an 8 it will not be justified. Both teams play in tough conferences, almost identical records with each team losing 5 games on the road. We beat them, yes I know it was at Haas, but even if the four point margin of victory is attributed to the home court advantage, that still leaves us EVEN with them. At the very least their seeding number should be no more than one higher than ours.Shocky1 said:
brackeltology update: the bears still a #8 projected to play #9 mississippi state with the winner then playing #1 seed usc in los angeles at the galen center
https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/30423107/ncaa-women-bracketology-2025-women-college-basketball-projections
Congrats to @Martasuarezzz for receiving all-tournament honors at this year’s ACC Tournament!
— Cal Basketball (@CalWBBall) March 9, 2025
Over two games against Virginia and #6 Notre Dame, she posted back-to-back double-doubles averaging 15.0 points (on 50% shooting) and 10.5 rebounds along with 3.0 assists. pic.twitter.com/pPTRfRnIFb
marta, congrats on the numerous recent accolades, it's in ur best interests to listen to the very attractive upcoming nil offer to return next season as a california golden bear...u still need another year of working on ur body/conditioning so u can better stop on a dime (instead of charging/knocking the **** outta opposing defenders) & also continuing to exploit ur interior post nightmare matchup close to the bucket scoring skills...greater developed body control & improved passing decision making will also allow u to significantly reduce ur turnovers on the court which r a major red flag for pro teams rite now...and this will be ur opportunity along with lulu to be the team LEADERS to the young ones!!
señorita, playing/riding buses in europe against inferior competition for a minor league pro team (that lack s&c facilities) for lousy pay is NOT ur best option, tu no es a dumb azz, comprende??
the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including the beautiful people of spain)
"Due to US visa restrictions (specifically the F-1 visa for international students), foreign players generally cannot receive NIL money through their American College, as NIL deals are considered "work" and are not permitted under the visa guidelines." ....{There are some very limited exceptions....There are ongoing discussions and advocacy efforts to address the issue and potentially create pathways for International Student-Athletes to benefit from NIL opportunities.} This is all verbatim found online.....
agreed ashfield, finding workaround solutions for both lulu & marta is imperative
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