the #1 guy (as recommended to coach webster) on my 2015 preferred walk on recruiting board 6'1" 175 lbs jeff wu playing for richard midgley's modesto christian's crusaders with a 3.5 gpa has made a commitment to sacramento state [URLhttp://norcalbasketball.blogspot.com/2014/10/wu-to-hornets.html[/URL]
"believe me when i tell you that i'm totally tired of that shocky calling me a criminal, don't think i'm not gonna run across the court when we play in berkeley and kick his ******* azz"
when a basketball recruit commits to oregon they get a sparkling brand new practice court but the trade off is that the head coach is a criminal...bigger problem is that the oregon academic community (i.e. professors) are circulating my "dana altman is a criminal" post & there is growing pressure to academically restrict the basketball program's ability to continue bringing in non qualified student athletes with shady pasts with the ultimate likely outcome moving towards dana altman being terminated as the head coach of the university of oregon basketball team
the california golden bears are actively targeting 2015 top 25 6'4" 180s lbs scoring machine tyler dorsey
dorsey made a decommitment to arizona after he was cut from the usa basketball under 18 basketball team by assistant coach sean miller...the wildcats staff envisioned tyler playing strictly the 2 despite his interest & ability to be multiple
last season at st john bosco (he knows the charismatic bryce treggs) tyler averaged 21.4 ppg, 6 rpg & 4.7 apg with a solid 3.3 gpa
a native of pasadena, dorsey will transfer back home to marantha for his sr season
tyler has offers (with a list that continues to grow) from national powerhouses but in terms of staying on the west coast (and playing against arizona in the pac 12, do you wanna clownpunk sean miller 2-3 times a year?) & playing for a hc who develops combo guard talent at the #1 ranked public university in the world, the bears will be a serious player particularly if ivan decides to join him in berkeley...cal's 2015 recruiting class is already off to an excellent start with former top 30 player stephen domingo already shining in practices during his blueshirt season, who's gonna be the 2nd top 40 commitment for the 2015 class?
cuonzo & co had dorsey's first in home visit with coaches on september 9th
tyler's mentors thru the recruiting process are his dad jerrid & dinos trignos, a longtime respected aau coach for belmont shore...his official visits schedule is as follows: oregon-september 5th colorado-september 19th kansas-october 10th arizona state-october 17th cal-october 24th
these refs ain't gonna take a lot of crap from the bears
together we attack (and don't complain about every little call that doesn't go our way like last season's silly azz whiny bears)# no more drama queens# 2014/2015 california golden bears=mentally unbreakable#
cal has announced that tomorrow nite's 7:00 pm exhibition game vs cal state east bay on october 31st is gonna be totally free
that means you won't have to wait around in the hallways of haas for a sidedoor to open so you can sneak in for free
i dunno, seems like if you dress like this for halloween, you're probably gonna get in for free anyways
you gotta bring everybody you know for this 1st look at the 2014 california golden bears...everybody should definitely storm the floor after the game too
don't even think about lifting jabari's cal blue & gold warm up jacket from the bears bench unless you wanna be detained, felt up, strip searched, tongue kissed, handcuffed with chicago model 1000 nickel plated cuffs & showered against the wall with a flexible ease...on the other hand, it kinda sounds like just a date nite with the shockster
went to nooner yoga & congratulated my very cute brunette yoga teacher in the parking lot re: her pregnancy to some random dude (ok, maybe he's her husband, whatever)
so then i innocently asked her "so is the kid mine or what?"
ruh roh
what, isn't that what most guys say to pregnant women when they congratulate them?
i dunno, maybe me & oski gotta go to charm/etiquette/finishing school or maybe a trap house together or something
shut up, shocky#
so today i ask my allegedly pregnant flat bellied yoga muse (my yoga practice is helping me become a calmer & kinder person, probably gonna be a slow & arduous process trying to quiet the relentlessly singing monkey voices inside my head) if for halloween if she's gonna dress up as an aspiring beer drinker
ruh roh
then a little bit later i ask her if some lame azz john mellow poopercamp song about settling for mediocrity/not pursuing your dreams & setting low expectations in life isn't kinda depressing?
word, do not question the musical selections of the princess
like virtually all organized athletic teams, there are chemistry & leadership challenges with this year's california golden bears
while our players, coaches & staff are all hard working high character individuals with a desire to excel, they are also very reserved (like moffitt library quiet) & stoic during games...other than matt "the human eraserboard" scherbenske who is the 1st guy to energize guys coming off the floor, our players, coaches & staff seem constipated, frustrated & not having much fun (sort of like a lot of the uptight fans on message boards)...the cal bench should not be as quiet as the cal chess club, it should be as ******* loud as a bunch of on the loose bank robbers driving in a stolen van to lake havasu city for a desperado spring break
smile a little bit, get a piece here & there...i have never met anyone who had lots of sex, an active yoga practice & a good short game that wasn't totally happy in life
the 2013/2014 california golden bears need to remember that bb is a game, a celebration played with friends, this ain't life & death...relax a little bit, channel your inner little kid, remember the good times & fun you had when you were a little kid playing basketball without a care in the world
sure hope td help the california golden little kids pour their milk into their cereals so they don't make a mess at breakfast this morning & that gregg makes sure everyone's shoelaces are safety tied & that johnny makes sure nobody gets left behind in those cool mgm elevators
what time is the game?...can we get snow cones after the game?...how come k(rooks) always gets to change the channel to sponge bob square pants?
tonite's game at haas marked a significant moment in a fundamental change to the cal basketball program & its future upward trajectory
really, you ask, an exhibition game vs the cal state east bay bridge pioneers?
the california golden bears bench roared tonite for their teammates, nobody's azz was glued to the bench with deathly silence like last season...there were games last year that literally the only sounds from anywhere near the cal bench particularly road games were the enthusiastic voices of myself & my partner in noise crime, annie montgomery
great teams stay together, they care about each other & they express that love in the loudest ******* way possible during games, howlin at the moon is an expression of that passion
if tyler dorsey, brandon sampson, caleb swanigan & ivan rabb wanna play in a tight program with great human beings as teammates & coaches, then the #1 ranked (#3 ranked overall) university in the world would be a pretty good collegiate choice for them
welcome 7'1" 260 lbs "sir" kingsley okoroh, coach martin's 1st commitment to the california golden bears
spoke with okoroh's hc jai steadman at westwind prep (i'm an acquaintance/not a drinking buddy of former suns tom chambers whose twins sons also attend westwind) in phx who emphasized several times that kingsley is an outstanding young man
okoroh has a 3.0+ gpa & his dad michael is a professor of facilities mgmt at the university of derby's school of engineering & technology...his dad has a family policy of mandatory good grades in order to play sports & is harder on his sons re: academics than athletics...kingsley bro is a bodybuilder back in england
westwind's academic tutor hannah has told steadman that kingsely is very polite & actively engaged in his schoolwork...apparently hannah doesn't say this about all of jai's players
okoroh season stats: 18 ppg, 12 rpg, 6 bpg & 4 apg
steadman thinks that okoroh like most young bigs has significant development potential on offense & has a nice soft touch...he shot 79% on fts & did not attempt any 3 pters, apparently kingsley does not think of himself as a stretch 4 like some former players & recruits
defensively steadman compared him to dikembe mutombo in terms of his ability to be a monster shot blocker & rebounder but still needs more strength to reach his potential
jai also told me he has known cuonzo for yrs & that he knows kingsley is in "very good hands" with coach martin
most rating services have not seen okoroh play but tom chambers thinks okoroh with hard work could have nba potential
kingsley, welcome to the #1 ranked public university in the world (including waterford, england)
kingsley's loi has been signed & received by the bears staff
okoroh should be academically good to go between his education in england (low achievement students are funneled into trade schools), findlay prep classes, westwind prep coursework & additional credits at grand canyon university (15 minutes from westwind prep)
okoroh is ranked as the 5th best prospect in europe by espn's bb recruitiing services
"i like kinglsey's ability to block shots and protect the rim...he continues to make great strides with his offense...kingsley has great size at 7'1" 260 pounds and has the chance to get bigger and stronger in our strength and conditioning program...i think he has a bright future in front of him and has a chance to be really good" -cuonzo martin
before nooner yoga today i spoke with classmate padraig o'brien, a trainer/body developer for hs, college & nba (including 5 lottery picks) ballers...padraig has known westwind prep hc jai steadman for yrs & worked with this season's squad
padraig told me that kingsley is a very well mannered & polite young man who looks like a nba player when he walks in the door...his "strength is his ability to run & get up & down the floor"...he has not developed any reliable post interior moves at this time (which is typical for a young big)
i'm not gonna repeat padraig's funny comment but basically kingsley biggest challenge is that he hasn't quite developed his inner bad azz yet
when i mentioned the impressive okoroh video clip of blocking shots like mutombo, he laughed & said "when you play 70 games like westwind did this season, you can put together an impressive film package on anyone"
bottom line, padraig thinks kingsley has a significant upside but that the cal coaches are gonna have light a fuse or two with our english gentleman to spark his motor...king has gotta lose the polite gentleman afternoon tea at the dorchester mentality & become a relentless attacker like london's burning
"when we signed king, we knew he was a guy who could be good in the future...i think he will play early...he's still growing offensively...he's done a great job with his body...he's always been a shot blocker, he can rebound, outlet the ball...he has a defensive mindset first...he's really improved since he got here" -cuonzo martin
"kinglsey's so big and long...he's really come a long ways since he's gotten here...he really blocks shots and he's really starting to understand his body and strength...defensively he can have an impact...on defense he's got the length and size to be a very good shot blocker...he's also got the timing for it...he'll even block my hook shot ever once in a while...his offense is developing...he's actually got a pretty good left handed hook for a right handed player -david kravish
"kinglsey's really the x-factor...if he gets better by pac 12 play, he can get some minutes because he can really block shots...you just need him to block shots and do the things that he can do...he's getting better every day...he has some toughness to him too...he'll throw elbows in practice when he has too...he comes from an environment where he has to be a gentleman...i'm trying to get him away from that" -cuonzo martin
never mind the bollocks#
game ball for the bears 94-50 express lane victory over the cal state east bay bridge pioneers goes to the king
kingsley powered his way to a game high for both teams 9 rebounds & a punishing 5 blocks in 25 minutes...okoroh scored 5 points on 1-2 fgs & 3-5 fts with a nice touch (he shot 79% on fts at westwind prep)
while still developing offensively, the king is already an energized defensive presence in both blocking & altering shots...he has got the best body of any center in the pac 12 other than zeus at arizona...no wonder tom chambers thinks kingsley might have nba potential down the road
the king played like a mobsman at the lump hotel against the nickey pioneers...cheers
Excited for this team and staff. The boys look hungry and well conditioned. Can't wait to travel up for games! (I ain't a passive dumbazz and want to roar)
t-wall brought upper classmen leadership with 21 points on an efficient 8-12 shooting (using his superior height & athletic skills to attack the basket, settling for just 1 three pointer attempt), 3 assists, 3 boards 2 steals & most importantly, zero turnovers
cal's man on fire jordan mathews lit it up for 21 points including an en fuego 3-5 from the vip 3 point roped off section & also showed an improved handle with zero turnovers...last year's pac 12 leader in running over people in the lane & getting a charge called against him seemed to show a slightly improved ball awareness (dude has gotta keep his eyes up while dribbling with better body control when attacking the rim)...pretty sure jordan's secret goal in life is to carry the rock like the beast mode for the cal football team & hurt somebody
"it was pretty intense...i feel like it's going to be intense all year...he's (coach martin) is very similar to how he is in practice...he's very intense in practice and that intensity carries over to us...he tells us 'if you aren't going 100 percent the whole game you are coming right out'" -jordan mathews
but that's not gonna ever be a problem for one of the team's hardest workers, getting after it in the nicodemus s&c program and knocking down squared up shoulders 3 point shots while everyone is sleeping ain't fancy for jordan
cuonzo martin has extended an actionable offer to 2016 6'2" 175 lbs santa monica vikings man on fire sharpshooter jonah mathews
mathews is a huge cal recruiting priority target and also has offers from asu, usc & utah...like his older bro jordan he also excels academically in the classroom, he ain't a dumb azz
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#
update: jonah grew up a ucla fan & his dad was later an assistant coach with the bruins for ben hovland...if ucla offers as expected the best 2 on the west coast, then the bears are gonna be in fierce recruiting battle for the future ocean league mvp
visiting with jonah a couple of time ain't gonna get it done...cuonzo & tracy need to grabbing that quick hour+ flight down to lax during every open recruiting window to show jonah the bears staff love for him, they gotta be southwest a-list preferred members
sometimes in life you gotta listen to people that are wiser than you...recent conversation with my good friend & longtime business mentor johnny:
me: what up?
johnny: yeah, i have a request for you regarding arika's wedding saturday at the montelucia (his oldest daughter is getting married this weekend)
me: sure, no problem
johnny: ok, good, i want you to get a haircut this week for the wedding, ok?
me: why?
johnny: because you look like a cal hippie yoga teacher
me: thank you
johnny: can you do that for me?
me: sure, anything else?
johnny: well, actually there is one more thing
me: really?
johnny: i don't want you to wear one of your suits
me: are you serious, why?
johnny: because rhonda (his wife) thinks you look like the joker in batman
me: (reminding myself that johnny is gonna invite me again to augusta national next spring, i've played golf there 4 separate times on 63 hole trips, twice with johnny who's tight with a member): so, what should i wear then, should i show up naked?
johnny: let's go down to my car now then, i got one of my suits that you can borrow
me: wow, you got this all planned out, don't you?...you're pretty organized for a dumb azz
johnny: relax
me: ok, anything else, is there a script i need to follow too?
johnny: well, we've put you at the "fun" table but don't do anything stupid, ok?
me: like what, maybe palm the azz of one of arika's bridesmaids while the band plays?
johnny: that's exactly what i'm talking about!
me: you're a dumb azz
johnny: thank you
i have mentors for just about everything in life...mentors are people who have your best interests at heart (even if you don't always understand their advice)...if you think you don't need mentors for the various aspects of your life, you're not gonna become self-actualized (the best possible you) & maximize your unlimited opportunities in life...don't be a know it all dumb azz (like me sometimes)
it's been my experience that almost everybody that you ever ask to mentor you will be honored by your request & will help you if you ask sincerely
remember, keep your eye on the ball
ok, so maybe i organized a 1:30 am golf cart rally race around the resort & a group headstand/handstand photo (underwear optional)
brandon sampson is an explosively smooth 6'4" 170 lbs top 40 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
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
mark poyser, dad of onetime cal scouted guard jalen poyser, commented that "jalen's official visit to unlv this past weekend was very good...their academics are on par with what we want"
gotta give dad points for his honesty re: unlv's highly popular gaming machine repair degree program or the more academically challenging (reading skills are required) stripper std health degree program
update: "i am happy to let everyone know that i'm committing to the unlv running rebels...i think its the best decision for me and my family" -jalen poyser
i dunno, maybe jalen & noah blackwell could start a study group or something
brandon, if the nba doesn't mint you, then you're gonna have to utilize your educational opportunities to achieve your dreams in life & build a better life for you & your family (mom matters)...a lsu education is gonna best prepare you for being the night shift supervisor at the chicken shack on the north acadian thruway, right?...so click the link below & research the academic reputations of cal & lsu, ok?
"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, bishop o'dowd head coach
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 basketball to the most successful era during the last half a century) centered around ivan's recruitment...only travis decuire 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 california golden bears are no strangers to adversity & being hurt...consider:
***beloved parents die from cancer ***major injuries that require long & painful rehabs ***parents divorced ***unfavorably compared by scouts to aaron gordon & his non stop motor ***characterized by critics as a "classic overachiever" ***snickered by cynics as too jewish to keep up with pac 12 pgs ***regarded by most d1 colleges as too inexperienced playing bb coming from cameroon ***told by wildcat coaches to be too fat to play as a freshman ***regarded as too skinny to be an effective rebounder/shot blocker in the pac 12 ***disrespected by other coaches by not guarding his outside shot ***compared to cee lo green for failing to hustle back on d ***rejected by hometown ucla for other local guys ***spurned by johnny dawkins for the allen twins ***blasted by fans for sleepwalking in losing to usc ***recognized for leading the pac 12 in charges in recklessly running people over ***defeated by dagger to the heart 3 pointer in dallas to end season ***turned away by nicky d & his crew ***saddened by farewells to beloved coaches ***compared to the pillsbury dough boy for eating at the shoneys all you can eat buffet ***mislabeled by coaches as too much of an english gentleman ***dismissed as too short, too filipino, too peruvian to play high d1 basketball ***regarded as not athletic enough to walk on at cal & play pac 12 bb ***steamrolled by opponents during a nightmare 2-26 season in the ivy league ***ignored by beyonce, rihanna & shakira for sr prom dates
it's true you know, what doesn't kill you truly makes you stronger
so the question remains, will the bears take these life experiences & use them to strengthen themselves into wiser & unbreakable individuals?
ryan anderson is healthy again & will continue his role this season at one of the elite stretch 4s in the nba for the new oreleans pelicans
rhino's career shooting stats: .427 fgs, .386 3 pointers & .856 fts...he can authentically shoot the rock, ryan is not a fake model and is compensated as such (current 4 year contract is all guaranteed money):
who's got the best name in california high school basketball?
that would be paris austin, the 5'11" 155 lbs 2015 pg from bod who is blowing up this summer playing for dream vision on the aau circuit with strong performances at the pagnos tnt
austin is quick & aggressive although his hard charging style does lend itself to turnovers...an above average passer with a consistent mid range shot, he is not a true pg but more of a combo shooting guard with a pg's size
paris is picking up mid major offers (including one from travis decuire at montana) & is on the radar for several high major programs including cal & tennessee
paris has been friends with bod teammate ivan rabb since 4th grade..."we are like brothers, we can talk about anything...we definitely want to go to the same college if we can"
paris in berkeley is definitely a possibility
bonsoir, monsieur austin
update: congrats to paris on his commitment to the boise state broncos...monsieur austin est magnifique!
*****what are your expectations for the 2014/2015 season?
my hope is that the california golden bears play together with a consistent and relentless passion, intensity, discipline & most importantly, like little kids playing basketball on the playground without a care in the world & having lots of fun with their best friends ...if the bears can play with those characteristics, the wins will pile up & maybe coach martin will take everyone out for grape snow cones (although nicodemus is frowning at that idea)
*****what is the best golf course in asia?
that would be coore & crenshaw's fabulous & tightly routed walkable seaside shanqin bay on hainan island in china...hirono in japan would be a distant 2nd with kawana's fuji a close 3rd
*****what's your take on ivan rabb's recruitment?
the entire cal staff with cuonzo taking a lead position is working tirelessly to share with ivan their vision of him becoming the foundation of the cal basketall program on a go forward basis...they are painting a picture of his educational & real estate development opportunities at the #1 ranked (#3 overall) university in the world for life after basketball (playing ball can be taken away from you in a split second injury, boom, your playing days are over forever) and asking him "what do you want your legacy to be?"...does rabb want to be part of the storied championship basketball programs at kentucky, kansas, arizona & ucla or does he want to build something special at home?...does he want his family at his games at haas & then afterwards telling his mom tami how much he loves her while she's cooking fried chicken along with mac & cheese for him & his younger bro tamarik?
*****why is adopting rescue pets so important?
grown ups make choices in life, if you wanna be a dumb azz that's nobody's biz...but little children & rescue pets don't get to make those choices...we need to open our hearts & protect them to the end of the earth
*****what is the important invention of the last 1000 years on planet earth?
yoga pants
*****will the cal basketball program ever win another national championship?
if ivan decides that attending college close to home along with maybe tyler dorsey, brandon sampson and/or caleb swanigan joining him too along with everyone returning, then the 2015 californai golden bears will have the necessary explosive firepower & seasoned experience to compete for a ncca national championship...it's true, i got big plans for cal basketball & other things too
*****are you ******* crazy? (i get that question almost weekly)
i dunno, maybe, the heart understands things that the mind cannot begin to comprehend
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