mikecohen;842334716 said:

---

OR: Can Cuonzo create a class of perhaps somewhat less than ALL 5 and 4 star talent, but with other qualities that could nevertheless capture the big prize (perhaps with a similar basketball idea as the Spurs). To me, Montgomery's tenure suggested this was possible, in that some of those teams in some of those times seemed capable, if pulling it all together, of beating anybody, and in creating a run that could improbably carry them all the way. I never thought of that possibility for a Cal team before Montgomery (except that one year when they went so far into the Tournament AFTER Ed Gray broke his leg at the end of a 50-point game at the end of the season); and the current team, as rag-tag in all its differing parts as it seems to be, looks to me to be only maybe one more player of Bird's caliber away (who could even possibly develop from within the current cast) from being that competitive if all remained healthy [although I felt that somewhat more before Rooks was lost for the season].

---

The classic case at Cal of winning a national championship with lesser talent is, of course, Pete Newell, and he did it with no recruits who would have been rated as 5-star, and only one or two who would have been rated at 4-star.

I'll take a wild guess at what the recruit rankings would have been for the '59 squad:

Imhoff unranked
Doughty unranked
McClintock 4 stars
Dalton 2 stars
Grout 3 stars
Buch 3 or 4 stars
Fitzpatrick 3 stars
Simpson 2 stars
Langley 2 stars

For the '60 squad:

Imhoff unranked
Doughty unranked
McClintock 4 stars
Schultz- 4 stars
Wendell 2 or 3 stars
Gillis - 2 or 3 stars
Stafford 3 stars
Morrison - 2 stars
Mann 2 or 3 stars

I can hear the critics already, with the usual "basketball has changed' and "now you need the horses" talk. Well, to that I would reply that the USF teams of Phil Woolpert also won national titles as underdogs, but they sure had the horses. Here is my wild guess on what the recruit rankings might have been for the USF teams of 1955 and 1956:

Bill Russell - 2 stars
KC Jones - 5 stars
Hal Perry 4 stars
Mike Farmer 5 stars
Carl Boldt 5 stars
Gene Brown 4 stars
Mike Preseau 3 stars

There were teams with great talent, comparatively, in the era in which Newell coached, but compared against the coaches of his era, Newell won with less talent than the other coaches had. No reason why a coach can't win with lesser recruits. It is harder now, because most players arrive at college without many basic fundamental skills. Still what makes the difference between two teams with great talent is the coach. Teams with all 5 - star players don't necessarily win without a good coach, and that is as true in now as it was from 1955-60. We need to face facts. We can improve recruiting, but we are never going to recruit at the Kentucky or Kansas level. We need a coach who is way better than average to get to the NCAA Finals. Let's hope Cuonzo is that guy.

:gobears:

yanni not in this foto because he was doing a sound check


this is cal basketball#

---

tajai, opio, a-plus, and cuonzo

"where i like the coaching staff and where the head coach is the main one talking to me so i know they really want me...if the head coach is calling, that means you're a priority"

-ivan rabb



"the schools that he has recruiting him are university of california-berkeley, ucla, usc, arizona, kansas, kentucky, georgetown and north carolina"

-lou richie, bod hc

early indications are that cuonzo & the new staff have made favorable 1st impressions

the former bears staff were fractured in their approach to the recruitment of the #1 player in the 2015 class...coaches told me there was "no chance" to "we should try harder"...my biggest divergence in opinion with the that staff (that led cal bb to the most successful era during the last half a century) centered around ivan's recruitment...only td attended bod's state championship game at sleepy train arena in sacramento after the bears season had already ended



mac dre agrees that not making every effort known to mankind to relentlessly recruit ivan rabb would be stoopid, gotta "growl like a bear"


the grind includes the hc#

****************************************************************

"the new cal coaches stopped by as well...i like them so far but i have not seen the way they coach yet or anything...i will watch them this year"

-ivan rabb

****************************************************************



****************************************************************

north carolina: ivan & his mom tami along with bod hc lou richie unofficially visited unc...rabb played in a pick up game & checked out the facilities...roy williams was unavailable during the visit (this trip was prior to the recent academic fraud allegations directed at williams)

duke: relatively brief unofficially visit with coach k who expressed an interest in recruiting rabb in the future

georgetown: visited with hc john thompson iii...ivan impressed with the urban (city) aspect of the campus vs the 2 north carolina schools & also the georgetown graduate school biz program

cal: "as soon as the new staff came in, they started contacted me regularly during the first week...they talk to me a lot and make sure that i know that i'm at the top of their list and that they really want me at cal...i have respect for all of their coaches and i'm looking forward to seeing what they can do next year"

***************************************************************

ivan unofficially visited with the cal bb staff in berkeley today

the cal coaches are successfully building relationships & "painting pictures" via unofficial visits (the bears also had another key prospect visit fri too)

"like @icecube said, "today was a good day""
-cuonzo martin

"what a great day in berkeley, ca! we are making moves. big ones. #gold standard"
-yanni hufnagel

***************************************************************

cuonzo martin personally watched ivan & his oakland soliders teammates at the peach jam in georgia

a decision will be most likely forthcoming during the spring of 2015 signing period

Vineyardview;842334706 said:

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The 2015 and 2016 recruit classes will provide a clear indication whether elite basketball talent will appreciate and sign on to that "Cal Family and upward trajectory and world class education" pitch.

Can & Will Cuonzo sign classes comprised of consensus 5 an 4 star talent with that pitch?

One can hope!

---

look viney, i'm not into predictions (life ain't linear) but one thing is for sure:

if ivan commits to cuonzo & jabari returns for his jr season & tyrone returns (t-wall needs a bit of counseling re: the 50 yr value of a cal degree) for his sr season & the rest of the team continues to progress, then the bears will have the necessary firepower to potentially compete for a national championship in 2015

this **** is getting live

gonna get my head checked, nothing is ever easy


this is cal basketball#

"cuonzo martin personally watched ivan & his oakland soliders teammates at the peach jam in Georgia" As did the other Head Coaches that have an interest in him

A lot of 'ifs' here: "if ivan commits to cuonzo & jabari returns for his jr season & tyrone returns (t-wall needs a bit of counseling re: the 50 yr value of a cal degree) for his sr season & the rest of the team continues to progress, then the bears will have the necessary firepower to potentially compete for a national championship in 2015"

Just in case the ifs don't happen the way you outline - Cuonzo's 2015 & 2016 needs to be stacked with elite talent if he aspires to achieve Pac 12 domination and a run in the March tourney.

the if , is Rabb. from there its a domino effect. My gut tells me that Bird will stay to play with Rabb....because he wants to make a run in the NCAA's

R.Hobbs;842334992 said:

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the if , is Rabb. from there its a domino effect. My gut tells me that Bird will stay to play with Rabb....because he wants to make a run in the NCAA's

---

The tricky part is that Rabb is likely the last domino as he's signing late and likely only staying in college for one season.

The 2015 and 2016 classes will have to be built without the benefit of Rabb's decision.

Cal probably needs to sign a couple top-100s in November to bolster their chances with Rabb, but maybe his relationship with Bird and the coaches, the academics, and proximity will be enough to convince him.

I would think Cal's 2015 recruiting class will be in the top 20 without Rabb ..... And the sky is the limit with him .

Have to sign those recruits before we can talk about class ranking.

Agreed. I'm as excited as the next guy, but lets land a recruit first.

"we are thrilled to welcome dwight to the cal family...dwight is a solid all around player and an exceptional student who joins our program with a great depth of experience playing at the division 1 level...dwight's undergraduate degree from a prestigious ivy league institution transitions well to his graduate studies here at the #1 public university in the world"

-cuonzo martin


cuonzo's starting to sound like the shockster

kinda wondering if coach called anybody this week a dumb azz

Vineyardview;842334975 said:

---

Cuonzo's 2015 & 2016 needs to be stacked with elite talent if he aspires to achieve Pac 12 domination and a run in the March tourney.

---

How easy it is to dream! And to put unrealistic hopes on Martin.

Miller and Arizona are not going away, UCLA will remain UCLA.

It will be a major achievement if we can, within a few years under Martin, compete at the top of the conference, winning it some times and becoming a legitimate factor in the NCAA tourney some times.

Domination is far beyond such a major achievement. Martin will be a smashing success if his teams accomplish what I have outlined, without expecting the pie-in-the-sky of "domination."

Go Bears!

SB - It appears that your aspirations and expectations are quite a bit lower that Cuonzo Martin, his staff, returning team and the elite prep players he is recruiting.

If he signs a representative group of the 5 & 4 star players that he has offered a scholarship it is likely California will indeed be fighting for the top spot in a very competitive and much improved Pac 12 conference.

True. But I'll believe it when I see it. Been burned before.

original monsters + cal's monster class + 2014 newly minted monsters=cal family

where the wild things are#



l to r, stephen "415" domingo, "sir" kingsley okoroh, brandon "chaka chaka boom" chauca, cole "surfer dude" welle & nick "no regrets" hamilton



l to r, brenden "cable car baller" glapion, dwight "the fight" tarwater & yanni

even rhianna loves monsters
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=rhianna+and+enimenem+monster+song&FORM=VIRE2#view=detail&mid=0D4FB569EF0D6849F9CD0D4FB569EF0D6849F9CD

this is cal basketball#



rhianna loves monsters



let the wild rumpus start!

Vineyardview;842335048 said:

---

SB - It appears that your aspirations and expectations are quite a bit lower that Cuonzo Martin, his staff, returning team and the elite prep players he is recruiting.

If he signs a representative group of the 5 & 4 star players that he has offered a scholarship it is likely California will indeed be fighting for the top spot in a very competitive and much improved Pac 12 conference.

---

That ain't dominating in the conference. My comment was in reaction to the prediction of our dominance in no time flat.

It is bizarre that if one does not see our easily moving on to national championships under Martin, he is seen as sort of a nega-Bear!

I am not from Missouri, but what is so bad about a "show me" attitude?

Go Bears!

hannif cheatham is an explosive utillity 6'5" 175 lbs 2015 top 60 player from pembroke pines charter in florida

"winning florida mr basketball, getting a state championship, and making the mcdonalds team, that would be a huge exclamation point on my high school career...just thinking about the mcdonalds' team gives me chills...i will be working 24/7 to achieve those goals"

-hannif cheatham



hannif has more than two dozen offers (including cal) from major programs & a longtime relationship with yanni...cheatham officially visited alabama in jan, is scheduled for an official visit to marquette aug 29th & also intends to officially visit berkeley in aug...florida state will likely be a finalist too



cheatham avg 16.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg & 2.5 apg for nike florida during the eybl regular season

the southpaw intends to declare his college intention at his hs on sept 5th, the day before his birthday

hannif knows sam singer...sam is gonna tell him that florida ain't sweater weather & about the cool cali summers


cheatham has narrowed his list of his 6 final schools (all with actionable offers) to cal, florida state, georgetown, georgia, marquette & baylor (replacing wichita state)

"i picked those six school because i think i can make an immediate impact at all of those places...i have a comfortable relationship with all of the head coaches...i'm going to look at what (head) coach stays most in touch with me...i'm also big on academics and looking at the overall fit"

-hannif cheatham (to rob harrington)


the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including florida)

Vineyardview;842334975 said:

---

"cuonzo martin personally watched ivan & his oakland soliders teammates at the peach jam in Georgia" As did the other Head Coaches that have an interest in him

A lot of 'ifs' here: "if ivan commits to cuonzo & jabari returns for his jr season & tyrone returns (t-wall needs a bit of counseling re: the 50 yr value of a cal degree) for his sr season & the rest of the team continues to progress, then the bears will have the necessary firepower to potentially compete for a national championship in 2015"

Just in case the ifs don't happen the way you outline - Cuonzo's 2015 & 2016 needs to be stacked with elite talent if he aspires to achieve Pac 12 domination and a run in the March tourney.

---

Rabb will come....or he won't.

But what is SO clear is that our new staff "gets" that College BB - at least the modern game - revolves around RECRUITING. Loved the way that Mr. Crank Pants coached/developed kids but if you can't see the difference between then and now in respect to RECRUITING than you are not paying attention.

When you manage sales guys you can be a lazy azz and focus just on this quarters results or, if you take the time, you can observe everything that is going on because, it just is the case, sometimes the prospect just ain't buying.

We will do fine whether or not Rabb comes. Long term, the future is so bright, one has to wear shades.

Shocky1;842335090 said:

---

cheatham has narrowed his list of his 6 final schools (all with actionable offers) to cal, florida state, georgetown, georgia, marquette & baylor (replacing wichita state)

"...i'm also big on academics..."

---

We'll see how serious he is about that. If he is, that would narrow his options to Cal and Georgetown, wouldn't it?

And if it really does come down to those two schools, Domingo would be able to provide Cheatham with some insights. Hopefully that's allowed under NCAA rules.

walker is a commit to stanford

from a cal scholly allocation, it is better that this decison happened now rather than later in the fall recuiting cyle

Shocky1;842335239 said:

---

walker is a commit to stanford

from a cal scholly allocation, it is better that this decison happened now rather than later in the fall recuiting cyle

---

My favorite recruit ever goes to Stanford. Why couldn't he go anywhere else? There is nothing better about it.

Sluggo

Sign Bennie Boatwright and it will be "Cameron who"

Hope Coach Martin is on No. 31

took my teenage music divas shay & taylor along with their friends kenley & shannon to the neighbourhood concert tonite at the marquee threatre in tempe across the river from asu...lead singer jesse rutherford is amazing with his limitless energy & connection with his audience

cal's key out of state 2015 targets hannif cheatham & brandon sampson gotta know that summertime ain't unbearably hot & humid in cali, in fact it is often sweater weather




what's your neighbourhood?



the nbhd#

bennie boatwright is a unique 2015 top 50 prospect as his style of play is very comparable to cal pac 12 mvp & current portland trailblazer alan crabbe

boatwright is a 6'8" 185 lbs elite shooter with a pure stroke from valley christian (sun valley, ca) after transferring from bishop alemany



bennie is a pretty good student (needs to work harder in the classroom) with a 3.0+ gpa & comes from a disciplined family background (dad bennie boatwright sr is a sergeant with the lapd)

boatwright has had offers from almost the entire pac 12 (including arizona & ucla) along with national champ uconn & other national powers

"i talk to the cal coaches a lot...coach hufnagel and coach martin, they are really good people...i really like their school...i went on an unofficial visit last year and really liked it...we walked around and saw the whole campus...it's a place where you can learn and get better as a player"

bennie & his family unofficially visited gonzaga, washington & washington state with the zags impressing the most...on the plus side for gonzaga, a so cal friend plays for the zags & they have a recent winning reputation despite playing in a mid major conference...on the other hand, spokane is freezing cold in the winter & gonzaga is considered an academically mediocre school

the boatwrights may unofficially visit berkeley again during the next several weeks...it would make sense for the bears staff to bring bennie & his family back for an official visit on the cal fb weekends of sept 6th or 27th

bennie intends to make a fall decision/commitment before his sr hs bb season begins



cal offers a world class academic reputation, the opportunity to play the 3 or as a stretch 4 (if bennie wants to exclusively play the 2, the bears might not be a good fit) while also facilitating & also a tight family atmosphere with other unselfish, high character teammates...yeah, it's like being in the bruno mars band (the hooligans)...bennie already got the bruno haircut



the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world

Shocky1;842335650..on the other hand, spokane is freezing cold in the winter & gonzaga is considered an academically mediocre school
[/QUOTE said:

---

Constructive criticism - no need to dis them. Zaga is pretty much like Santa Clara. OK for a lot of kids and pretty good for the part of the nation it is in. No, I have NO affiliation - just that I think that you could leave it at that Spokane is a cow town with really not much to do after 8 p.m. on a Friday night other than to go through the Wendy's drive through a bunch of times and then go out and look at what happens when wind comes down from the north pole with nothing but about 4,000 miles of Canadian Tundra to impede its path. ;-)

the zags accepted 66.5% of all applicants in 2014...when you consider that most gonzaga applicants don't even bother to apply to cal, stanford or the ivy leagues, that's not a very selective incoming class...hence gonzaga is regarded as an "academically mediocre school"

several notches below gonzaga are junior college caliber schools like oregon & arizona with 90%+ acceptance rates...such schools set you up in life for being a night shift supervisor at the medford truck stop & marrying a lot lizard (not that that's a bad thing, we're not here to judge)

but it should be pointed out that oregon & arizona are both stronger academically than a ged and/or prison

agreed that spokane weather is pretty crappy...no wonder mark few tries to lure potential recruits to town only during the summer

I'm not against recruiting good shooters, but I hope Cuonzo is targeting athletes at the wing spots. Guys that have some defensive upside. Boatright doesn't really fit that description. Some scouts project him as a face-up 4.

bennie boatwright is not a "good" shooter, he is considered one of the elite perimeter shooters in the 2015 class particularly for his size

the bears staff needs assurances from bennie & his dad that he's interested in playing the 3 & 4 in addition to his preferred 2...boatwright's potential nba aspirations will require him to be multiple in terms of positions & also improve his rebounding and aggressiveness on d, he's not quick enough to guard pro level 2s

with hard work & grinding, boatwright is potentially with the same development upside as cal's former pac 12 mvp & current portland trailblazer alan crabbe

Shocky1;842335770 said:

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bennie boatwright is not a "good" shooter, he is considered one of the elite perimeter shooters in the 2015 class particularly for his size

the bears staff needs assurances from bennie & his dad that he's interested in playing the 3 & 4 in addition to his preferred 2...boatwright's potential nba aspirations will require him to be multiple in terms of positions & also improve his rebounding and aggressiveness on d, he's not quick enough to guard pro level 2s

---

It's unlikely he plays the 2 at any level. College 2's are usually undersized and quicker than NBA 2's.

Cal has made the Top-10 for the 5-star PG/SG Tyler Dorsey along with SMU, Kansas, UConn, Louisville, Georgetown, AZ State, Oregon, St. John's, and Utah.

He wants to play PG, even though he's SG. His camp thinks he's 1 and done. Would Cuonzo welcome him with open arms at PG if he chooses Cal?

If he truly expects to be a 1 and done PG he will have to select based upon the depth chart. Following is each school's existing, incoming or potential 2015 incoming PG competition. Some have entrenched PGs, others not so much but are the locations and schools really desirable for a 5* of his repute?

This information seems to suggest that Georgetown & St John's are attractive but it also indicates that the PAC 12 teams Az State, Utah and California also are very attractive. The Pac 12 schools also are close to his SoCal turf and would give him a great platform to stick it to Sean Miller following his decommitment from Arizona. Of the 3 Pac 12 in his list Cal would likely have the best returning squad and incoming 2015 recruitment class.

Cal, Soph 3* Sam Singer, Freshman 2* Brandon Chauca

SMU, a Couple of hold over 2*, 2015 LOI - 4* 6'2" Sedrick Barfield

Kansas, 2 Sophs - 4* C. Frankamp & 3.3* Frank Mason, 1 Freshman 4* Devonte Graham, 2015 recruiting 5* Jalen Brunson

UConn, Senior 4* Ryan Boatright, 3 - 2015 recruiting 5* Jalen Brunson, 4* Bryant Carwford, 3 * Nych Smith

Louisville, Senior 3.3* Chris Jones, Soph. 4* Terry Rozier, Freshman 4* Quentin Snyder, 2015 no Known PG recruits

Georgetown, Freshman 3.3 Tre Campbell, 2015 recruiting 4* Bryant Crawford

AZ State, Junior 2* Juco LOI Gerry Blakes, 2 Freshman 3.3 Tra Holder, 3* Kodi Justice, 2015 recruiting 3* Noah Blackwell

Oregon, 4.7* Freshman JaQuan Lake, 2015 LOI 4* Kendall Small

St. John's, Senior 4* Jamal Branch, 2015 recruiting 2.5* Jonathon Jean, 2.5* Tyrone Taylor

Utah, Junior 2.5* Brandon Taylor, 2015 recruit LOI 2.3 Isaiah Wright

Another interesting aspect of his recruitment centers on the fact that there is a plethora of elite SG's in 2015. Each of Dorsey's Top 10 seem to be recruiting the same guys for their 2015 SG scholarship. As soon as some of the 5 & 4 *2015 prep Shooting Guards start committing Tyler Dorcey's top 10 will quickly shrink.

Elite 2015 SG list: Malik Newman, Isaiah Brisco, Tyler Dorcey, Allonzo Trier, Antonio Blakeney, Perry Dozier, Brandon Sampson, Nuwr'iyl Williams, Stephen Thompson Jr, Jimmy Whitt, Prince Ali, Malik Beasley

Notwithstanding that it has been posted that Tyler Dorsey won't end up at Cal, I think this information shows he very well could decide California offers him the best opportunity to achieve his 1 and done goal as a combo PG & SG.

It will be very interesting to see how it shakes out.

Cal may, after all, find themselves in the finals for 5* Tyler Dorcey.

Vineyardview;842335881 said:

---

Notwithstanding that it has been posted that Tyler Dorsey won't end up at Cal I think this information shows he very well could decide California offers him the best opportunity to achieve his 1 and done goal as a combo PG & SG.

It will be very interesting to see how it shakes out.

Cal may after all find themselves in the finals for 5* Tyler Dorcey.

---

It's apparent to me that in short order, this staff has found its way onto several elite players top 5 and top 10 lists. This is a great trend that has come so quickly and even months into the new staffs tenure, it is readily apparent that they are busting their asses on the recruiting trail. I can't wait to see what these guys can do with an entire season under their belts. Hopefully they can coach too but after watching Tennessee's rapid improvement within the same season, I am optimistic about this as well.

viney, several of the names on this list are not being actively recruited by the bears or have mutual interest in cal

due to their late hiring, cuonzo & co are hustling with a relatively few targeted 2015 prospects that will take official visits to berkeley...the search for talent is nationwide due to the existing relationships of the bears new coaches...ivan is a program changing local superstar like jason kidd

2016 is absolutely exploding with a probable another monster class with strong relationships being built with numerous top 100 players with more of a nor cal (oakland soliders & sacramento) & california focus

2017's foundation is also being built with keeping damari milstead home the #1 priority to help draw other players

cal family#

Shocky - I understood - perhaps you didn't understand my point that the players listed are competing with T Dorsey for the SG scholarship at the various universities on Dorsey's Top 10.

As the elite SG's systematically start to commit to the limited available SG scholarships at these 10 schools that particular university will be much less attractive to Dorsey.

Potentially, depending how and where the commits fall, by process of elimination Dorsey's choice may almost be made for him. If at that time one of Cal's SG targets hasn't already committed to Cal - Dorsey might commit to Cal.

It would be clear that Cal would offer a clear path to both PG and SG playing time.

Assuming the creek doesn't rise and Cuonzo agrees with this possibility - seems logical and possible.

hannif cheatham is an explosive utillity 6'5" 175 lbs 2015 top 60 player from pembroke pines charter in florida

"winning florida mr basketball, getting a state championship, and making the mcdonalds team, that would be a huge exclamation point on my high school career...just thinking about the mcdonalds' team gives me chills...i will be working 24/7 to achieve those goals"

-hannif cheatham



hannif has more than two dozen offers (including cal) from major programs & a longtime relationship with yanni...cheatham officially visited alabama in jan, is scheduled for an official visit to marquette aug 29th & also intends to officially visit berkeley in aug...florida state will likely be a finalist too



cheatham avg 16.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg & 2.5 apg for nike florida during the eybl regular season

the southpaw intends to declare his college intention at his hs on sept 5th, the day before his birthday

hannif knows sam singer...sam is gonna tell him that florida ain't sweater weather & about the cool cali summers


cheatham has narrowed his list of his 6 final schools (all with actionable offers) to cal, florida state, georgetown, georgia, marquette & baylor (replacing wichita state)

"i picked those six school because i think i can make an immediate impact at all of those places...i have a comfortable relationship with all of the head coaches...i'm going to look at what (head) coach stays most in touch with me...i'm also big on academics and looking at the overall fit"

-hannif cheatham (to rob harrington)

************************************************************

hannif will officially visit cal aug 22-24th before his sept 5th collegiate decision annoucement


the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including florida)