So women's basketball has changed, and is changing, and Cal now must compete in the arguably the toughest conference in the country. The question, then, in this new landscape, is what kind of program can Cal build that will be successful in the 2020s?
But first, I think it's important to set aside any notion that Cal's academic reputation is going to help recruit elite talent. In very rare cases, it might be that an elite basketball player has a focused interest in a particular academic area in which Cal can claim clear superiority, and thus tilt the scales, but for the most part, elite basketball players are expecting a career in women's basketball that begins with professional play in the WNBA and/or overseas, followed by coaching or athletic administration. Those plans, of course, are as likely to be fulfilled as the plans of any incoming freshman in any field, but the issue is what players are looking for at age 17, not the reality of the world at age 22.
That said, though, here's one path:
Create a program and system that is designed to attract a group of players who appreciate Cal's academic excellence and its location in Northern California. Reality suggests that those players are not going to be top-shelf athletes who can press, outrun and outjump opponents (the elite athletes referenced above) -- more likely, they will be suburban girls who are looking for a city experience and arrive on campus with more than a passing interest in their education.
If a program/system is put in place that can attract a group of complementary players, whose basketball IQ and academic IQ are both high, reasonable success is possible. And then, perhaps, a player like Kristine Anigwe can be recruited who will elevate the game of those around her.
So what kind of system would work with those kinds of players? The Princeton offense springs to mind, but regardless, it must rely on three-point shooting and patience (think Villanova in the old days) and strive to avoid getting into games where size and athleticism are the determining factors.
What kind of program? One that structures itself so that players can take care of their academic business without too much basketball interference and one, perhaps, that doesn't require a student with 3.0 to go to mandatory study hall (maybe they do that now). A program that is open to a diverse group of individuals, all of whom feel comfortable and welcomed. A program that is more cerebral than emotional, perhaps.
There are other paths, certainly, but I think it is clear that Cal cannot just be like every other P5 program in the way it operates. It must choose a path and follow it, creating a strong identity that can attract a certain kind of player to play in a certain kind of system, a system that must, given Cal's unique circumstances, be clearly different than its competitors.
But first, I think it's important to set aside any notion that Cal's academic reputation is going to help recruit elite talent. In very rare cases, it might be that an elite basketball player has a focused interest in a particular academic area in which Cal can claim clear superiority, and thus tilt the scales, but for the most part, elite basketball players are expecting a career in women's basketball that begins with professional play in the WNBA and/or overseas, followed by coaching or athletic administration. Those plans, of course, are as likely to be fulfilled as the plans of any incoming freshman in any field, but the issue is what players are looking for at age 17, not the reality of the world at age 22.
That said, though, here's one path:
Create a program and system that is designed to attract a group of players who appreciate Cal's academic excellence and its location in Northern California. Reality suggests that those players are not going to be top-shelf athletes who can press, outrun and outjump opponents (the elite athletes referenced above) -- more likely, they will be suburban girls who are looking for a city experience and arrive on campus with more than a passing interest in their education.
If a program/system is put in place that can attract a group of complementary players, whose basketball IQ and academic IQ are both high, reasonable success is possible. And then, perhaps, a player like Kristine Anigwe can be recruited who will elevate the game of those around her.
So what kind of system would work with those kinds of players? The Princeton offense springs to mind, but regardless, it must rely on three-point shooting and patience (think Villanova in the old days) and strive to avoid getting into games where size and athleticism are the determining factors.
What kind of program? One that structures itself so that players can take care of their academic business without too much basketball interference and one, perhaps, that doesn't require a student with 3.0 to go to mandatory study hall (maybe they do that now). A program that is open to a diverse group of individuals, all of whom feel comfortable and welcomed. A program that is more cerebral than emotional, perhaps.
There are other paths, certainly, but I think it is clear that Cal cannot just be like every other P5 program in the way it operates. It must choose a path and follow it, creating a strong identity that can attract a certain kind of player to play in a certain kind of system, a system that must, given Cal's unique circumstances, be clearly different than its competitors.