socaltownie;842335679 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. ;-)

---

One thing (and this gets into the weeds of higher education policy) I would be shy about using acceptance rates for schools in rural areas. So, for example, Carleton comes in at 25% and Reed at 36%. Bates is 24%. All three are fine schools but don't get a huge applicant pool because...well...they are in BFE. BTW - for even more direct Santa Clara is at 51%. USF is at 70%

Is Gonzaga a "great" school. No. But is it ASU or Oregon? Also no. It is what it is, a private Jesuit university located in a pretty rural and remote part of the country. If you want to go to a private school and you are located in the interior mountain west (and are not a morman) there are not many options. Zaga would be a decent one.

socaltownie;842336043 said:

---

One thing (and this gets into the weeds of higher education policy) I would be shy about using acceptance rates for schools in rural areas. So, for example, Carleton comes in at 25% and Reed at 36%. Bates is 24%.

---

I think Reed is in Portland - not exactly New York but hardly rural. Even Spokane is a reasonably big town with over 200,000.

A little farther from the bright lights you'll find Amherst at 13%, Bowdoin at 16%, Williams at 17%, and Middlebury at 17% (2012 numbers from US News).

But I agree acceptance rates aren't everything - consider College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout MO at 10% and Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena MS at 16%.

stu;842336070 said:

---

I think Reed is in Portland - not exactly New York but hardly rural. Even Spokane is a reasonably big town with over 200,000.

A little farther from the bright lights you'll find Amherst at 13%, Bowdoin at 16%, Williams at 17%, and Middlebury at 17% (2012 numbers from US News).

But I agree acceptance rates aren't everything - consider College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout MO at 10% and Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena MS at 16%.

---

College of the Ozarks' Wikipedia page provides some interesting (and not bad) reasons why there is such a clamor to get accepted there.

And Mississippi Valley State (just because it's interesting) turns out to have been established in the 1950s by the Mississippi Legislature in the hope of promoting voluntary segregation, on the assumption that legal segregation was on its way out.

"it's been a good transition...the new coaches have been working hard making sure everything's going smooth with all of us...our workouts are good, they really push us hard...coach martin actually recruited me when he was at missouri state so i was kind of familiar with him before he came...coach martin's a really good guy...he's really focused and really passionate about the team and the game...the foundation that monty laid for the program, i think coach martin is the kind of energetic boost we need to get to the next level...i think during the course of his tenure here, cal's going to vastly improve because he's just passionate about making us better and he brings a new look or new edge to things that needed"

-david kravish (to jim mcgill)

david, this is your team, elevate (anybody else notice that dk looks like the lead singer of st lucia?)
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=st+lucia+elevate+video&qpvt=st+lucia+elevate+video&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=61FCB82D0D87683DFC9D61FCB82D0D87683DFC9D



congrats to cal's sr captain on getting engaged this summer & also working on gaining weight in the bears "really intense strength & conditioning program"

cal family#

south bender;842335017 said:

---

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!

---

It's no longer just Arizona and UCLA getting top classes. Stanford is bringing in a top 10-15 class, SC has a top class, Utah is bringing in a very good class etc. So, nobody will be dominating the league in the near future. Recruiting wise it's very strong and Martin will be doing well if he can move into the top half of the league. But if he can get Rabb look out.

david kravish's current weight

elevate#

Was he 215, 220 last year?

Go Bears!

south bender;842336220 said:

---

Was he 215, 220 last year?

Go Bears!

---

220 begining of yr, around 215 by the end of the season

the bears staff should be actively pursuing any academically qualifed international players like jakob poeltl

sean marks from auckland, new zealand graduated from cal with a ba in political sciences, played 11 yrs in the nba after being a 2nd round draft choice out of berkeley & a nba front office executive told me he's being groomed to be the next gm for the world champion san antonio spurs...note to t-wall, this gm opportunity doesn't happen without a cal degree


amit tamir from jerusalem, israel majored in american studies in cal, has been playing professionally overseas for over a decade & is remembered for his 6'11" frame draining 3 pters from hayward


the challenge with overseas players is that the vast majority of them do not have the necessary academic credentials (grades, test scores & correct core classes) to matriculate at cal

an academically mediocre school like gonzaga with no football team that relies upon its basketball revenues to fund their athletic dept can essentially admit whoever they want...a dumb azz international player can easily end up in spokane, that's not gonna happen in berkeley

cal's last incoming interntional recruit denmark's sami eleraky was denied admission into cal as a freshman & was required to earn a jc degree...his ccsf hc justin labagh (the winningiest hc in college basketball history) told me that sami is a really bright kid with good study habits...but it ain't that easy to get accepted into the #1 ranked public university in the world...where's waldo is now enrolling at uop this fall

cal's last enrolled interntional player max zhang unexpectedly left the program without a degree in order to sign a lucrative professional bb contract in his native china...plus he missed his mom & her home cooking

it's a mad, mad, mad world#
no easy shortcuts in berkeley#

when chancellor nicky d & his crew including h michael williams announce my appointment as the next athletic director of the university of california, berkeley, there are gonna be a lot of changes

i will engage a spectacular new recruitment of foreign born students at the #1 public university in the world



these students will be mentored by me & oski and a specifically designed curriculum/major will be offered focusing upon the important life skills of yoga, world travel, philosophy, story telling & paddle boarding



these future cal grads will be in demand as us embassy leaders around the globe, as yoga instructors in scottsdale & as fashion executives in milan and paris...employers will be starry eyed


shocky got vision#

took my fashionista daughters shay & taylor and their friends katie and carson (uncle jeff hornaceck played in the nba & is currently the phx suns head coach) to the antlers (indie band from brooklyn) concert tonite at the crescent ballroom in downtown phx

shaylor live music rules stipulate that i cannot stand by them unless they initiate such proximity to their dad

oh well

anyways, my favorite song was the hauntingly beautiful "palace" which is about a very personal & special place in your life that is filled with treasured memories, somewhere that is magical




as the song ended i realized that in many ways haas pavilion is my palace



what is your palace?

********************************************************
sounds like brandon chauca has also found his palace

[U]More Great Press on Cal Priority Recruit the very versatile Guard Haanif Cheatham from the AAU Nationals on 7/25[/U]

http://www.krossover.com/blog/2014/07/recruiting-roundup-072514/

Haanif Cheatham / 6-5 CG / Nike Team Florida / 2015

A versatile combo guard, Cheatham stood out with his savvy and lit it up with an barrage of threes and finishes around the basket in a morning blowout win. A smooth, assertive athlete, Cheatham boasts great size and the skill set to excel both on and off the ball and at either guard position. Also a capable defender, he's one of those players you can tell "gets it" just by watching him go for a minute or two. Playing with a confident, even keel, Cheatham was as impressive as any guard in the gym on Thursday and looked like one of the more underrated top-100 national prospects. He recently named California, Florida State, Georgetown, Georgia, Marquette and Baylor as his six finalists.

arrived this evening in manhattan, staying at the plaza's fitzgerald suite which is themed after the great gatsby



the bears will also be visiting nyc this nov 20-21st along with syracuse, texas & iowa for the 2k classic benefiting wounded warrior project at madison square garden



if you are under 30, this is your video


if you are over 70, this is your video


traveling bears#

David Kravish ain't the skinny (but skilled) freshmen anymore
he has been grinding every year to get better and stronger
the results are clear

Shocky1;842336291 said:

---

220 begining of yr, around 215 by the end of the season

---

"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

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

cal (may not take an official because it's so close): "it's only 15 minutes from my home...i like everything about cal-berkeley"

kentucky: "yeah, i think that's a good visit to go on...charles matthews has been really trying to get that visit with him, so we talk a lot...that's my guy"

kansas: "kansas, i'm really interested in that school so i think i might end up taking a look at them if not taking an official"

georgetown: "i liked the city, washington d.c....the campus was great...all the coaches...i met big coach, john thompson...i went to his house, we talked for a while...they took me to the big man gym, that's where all the battles happen and that's what i like about that school"

duke: "they recently offered me a scholarship during lebron camp, they offered me...the visit, we just kind of talked for about an hour with all the coaches in the room, just me and my mom...and just had a good conversation about things i can improve on, things like that"

north carolina: "i like the town, it's kind of like this town a little bit, it's kind of quiet...we went to the gym, the gym is enormous...i didn't realize how big it was, how many people can fit in there...i like the whole coaching staff...they made me feel like family...we joked around, we laughed a lot...that's what i'm looking forward to, a family atmosphere"

usc & ucla: "i haven't been there...i was supposed to go there and arizona in 3-4 days but plans fell through...we had a family emergency so i couldn't do it"

arizona: "i used to get irritated the last few years that people just always telling me since i'm playing for the soliders that i'm automatically going to arizona which is not true...but now i don't let it get to me...i'm just looking at them from a basketball player's standpoint...they have a good coach, they win a lot of games and they do some things i like in their program"

-ivan rabb (to adam zagoria)

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

Dream Vision of SoCal pulls out an exciting finish in their semi final matchup. Finals tomorrow AM - ESPN2

Cal recruit Bennie Boatwright's play was important in the victory; "... Bennie Buckets Boatwright tickling the twine with 27pts & 5 3s"

brandon sampson is an explosively smooth 6'4" 170 lbs top 50 2015 guard from baton rouge's madison prep that is blowing up this summer on the aau circuit

a pac 12 coach told me that sampson could potentially be 2 & done & that he projects as a strong nba prospect



brandon will officially visit both cal & steve lavin's st johns (whose administration just declined to accept dominic artis)

the biggest decision in this recruitment is whether or not he wants to play at lsu (which is 10 minutes from his house & a former hs teammate jarell martin plays for the tigers) or does he want to maybe get out of the south & experience something new & get a world class education?



pretty sure I know what snoop dogg's decision would be


brandon's 5 official visits will be to cal (yanni is his guy), lsu (hometown school), st johns (1st trip) and both ucla & usc (has never experienced high levels of air pollution before)

cal family#
50 yr decision#



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

[SIZE=4]Bears in the woods[/SIZE]

congratulations to s&c guru nicodemus christopher on his summertime wedding with his favorite latina broadcaster fallon smith



gonna be a very serious marriage with absolutely no laughing



cal family#

nice! fallon smith rockin' the Cal t-shirt! :bravo

fully expect greater coverage of cal basketball this fall



this is cal basketball#

tim harrison, a 6'8" 180 lbs 2016 combo 4 from francis parker in san diego, unofficially visited cal



harrison is an active defender with a solid mid range game playing for aau gamepoint...tim is an excellent student with also an interest in harvard & stanford (also unofficially visited) with offers from unlv, new mexico & washington

"great education and a program that i could fit in well and be very involved"

-tim harrison

Jordan Mathews' little bro sports the same deadly long range shooting
and now Jonah grabbed an offer from Coach Martin and the California Golden Bears

nothing is stronger than family

cuonzo martin has officially offered 2016 6'1" santa monica vikings man on fire sharpshooter jonah mathews

mathews is a huge cal recruiting priority and also has offers from asu & utah...like his older bro jordan he also excels academically in the classroom

jonah loved growing up in san francisco when his dad phil was the hc for the usf dons



dude already got the right gear

cal family#

played today the national golf links of america with my buddies jimmy, the rooster & slim wadie on a sunny & breezy morning...upon entering the clubhouse for a late lobster lunch/southsider in the bird cage, visited with jason kidd sitting at the next table wearing an ugly azz lime green outfit, gave him crap for holding us up several times playing in front of us also asked him if he was color blind when he got dressed...pointed out that my cal golf cap is the correct attire (he laughed & agreed)



j told me that he rents a house for his family almost every summer in the hamptons...after hitting a couple of telephone phone poles on long island a few years ago, he now wisely takes chauffeured rides rather than driving...interesting to note that kidd plays a brand of japanese manufactured golf clubs



forgot to ask j if he's gonna tell ivan to also stay home & sign with the bears...cal grads eventually get the girl & house they want
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lana+del+rey+off+to+the+races&FORM=VIRE3#view=detail&mid=44F6102AE773C549415744F6102AE773C5494157

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

oscar frayer met with the cal bb coaching staff & played with the bears on campus during an unofficial visit to berkeley last week

frayer is a 6'5" 175 lbs top 30 2016 wing with +1 athletic ability with his high flying defensive skills currently ahead of his offensive development at this time

oscar is a teammate of damari milstead at moreau catholic & also plays for the oakland soliders with strong interest from cal, arizona, ucla & usc



after a 2.7 gpa his freshmen yr, travis decuire emphasized to oscar the importance of working harder in the classroom...to frayer's credit, his improved school performance as a soph resulted in a cal offer from td & the prior staff after the state championship game in sacramento

"just got offered by university of california berkeley #go bears #blessed"

"good serious talk with ive (ivan rabb) that's real fam right there!"

-oscar frayer

oakland soliders#
frank knight's mariners#
bay area's finest#


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

rex pflueger is a 6'5" 185 2015 top 75 shooting guard from san juan capistrano (state champions mater dei) & compton magic

"my top 5 schools: notre dame, texas a&m, california berkley, washington state, and sdsu...in my last tweet the schools are ranked in no particular order"

-rex pflueger

rex ain't a spelling champion but he's one of the better shooters on the west coast

Shocky1;842337970 said:

---

rex pflueger is a 6'5" 185 2015 top 75 shooting guard from san juan capistrano (state champions mater dei) & compton magic

"my top 5 schools: notre dame, texas a&m, california berkley, washington state, and sdsu...in my last tweet the schools are ranked in no particular order"

-rex pflueger

rex ain't a spelling champion but he's one of the better shooters on the west coast

---

He can learn to spell in Berkeley. Go Bears!

I thought Rex Pflueger played for the Soldiers

canadian high flying 6'9" 230 lbs ray kosongo will be officially visiting cal next week



uo admission has a special committee that vets students that don't meet regular oregon academic standards...this committee has denied admission to kosongo (who is academically qualified) most likely because of his past relationship with shady street agent/runner brandon bender, a former louisville player...bender steered kosongo to multiple high schools including the non academic phase 1 academy in phx

kosongo will officially visit both cal & memphis and florida is also in the running for the 2014 talent who has a quick timeframe for his next collegiate destination...the dude has hops



the bears coaching & academic staff will be interacting with ray to see if the elite highly athletic young man is a good fit for the bears...cal fans should not hold his affiliation with brandon bender against him, like a lot of young men he's doing the best he can

but make no mistake about it, cuonzo martin would be a terrific mentor for ray kosongo

cal family#
50 year decision#

Shocky1;842338227 said:

---

canadian high flying 6'9" 230 lbs ray kosongo will be officially visiting cal next week



uo admission has a special committee that vets students that don't meet regular oregon academic standards...this committee has denied admission to kosongo (who is academically qualified) most likely because of his past relationship with shady street agent/runner brandon bender, a former louisville player...bender steered kosongo to multiple high schools including the non academic phase 1 academy in phx

kosongo will officially visit both cal & memphis and florida is also in the running for the 2014 talent who has a quick timeframe for his next collegiate destination...the dude has hops



the bears coaching & academic staff will be interacting with ray to see if the elite highly athletic young man is a good fit for the bears...cal fans should not hold his affiliation with brandon bender against him, like a lot of young men he's doing the best he can

but make no mistake about it, cuonzo martin would be a terrific mentor for ray kosongo

cal family#
50 year decision#

---

Bingo

Shocky...maybe you can make another call to Altman and explain this dilemma.

bearmanpg, love your handle.......................signed Al Gore, AKA: ManBearPig

bearmanpg;842338234 said:

---

Shocky...maybe you can make another call to Altman and explain this dilemma.

---