Mark Fox, hired just a week ago as Cal’s basketball coach, is off to something of a tough start. He knew that a team coming off consecutive seasons of 20-plus losses would need considerable restructuring. Now he might have to go about rebuilding from almost the ground up.
Before Fox was even hired, guard Darius McNeill announced his intention to transfer. Some Cal observers thought that with the hiring McNeill night change his mind and he still might. But so far he is still on the way out. At his introductory press conference Monday, Fox said he had not spoken directly with McNeill yet and intended to do so.
Wednesday forward Justice Sueing (10 above), the Bears leading scorer and rebounder a year ago, announced he was entering the transfer portal. Then various outlets have reported that forward Roman Davis also was intending to leave.
With the presumed departures of Sueing (14.3 points per game) and McNeill (11.0) the Bears lose two of their top scorers from this past season. Sueing averaged 6.0 rebounds, by far the highest on the team.
Sueing and McNeill will have two years of eligibility remaining but would have to sit out a year at a new school. Davis, who played in just 16 games with two starts, is on schedule to graduate and would likely be eligible immediately at a new school if he does
The Bears had ten scholarship players returning, and three commitments from recruits. Now they have a little more flexibility in the recruiting process.
Of the three early signees, guard Charles Smith IV, and forward D.J. Thorpe are not expected to change their minds. However, guard Joel Brown is now reportedly on the fence.
Paris Austin, who averaged 11.6 points, is now the top returning scorer and will be the lone senior on next seasons roster. The other leading returnees are guard Matt Bradley, 7-3 center Connor Vanover, forward Andre Kelly, and guard Juhwan Harris-Dyson. Forwards Grant Anticevich and Jacobi Gordon are also still on board. None is expected to join the exodus.
Fox was at the Final Four Thursday and unavailable for comment according to a school spokeswoman. She said he was working on assembling a coaching staff.
HTP,helltopay1 said:
Dear Ski: With that lineup, it will be a miracle for Cal to go 1-17 in conference play. My deceased grandmother can drive by both Grant and Kelly. No need to exhume the body......she could do it from the grave.
That is one hell of a drop crossover move.helltopay1 said:
Dear Ski: With that lineup, it will be a miracle for Cal to go 1-17 in conference play. My deceased grandmother can drive by both Grant and Kelly. No need to exhume the body......she could do it from the grave.
His grandmother undoubtedly played in a time when the drop crossover was not a legal move. All changing hands on the dribble were done without palming the ball. So what Helltopay1 is saying here is that these defenders are even weaker than we might imagine.joe amos yaks said:That is one hell of a drop crossover move.helltopay1 said:
Dear Ski: With that lineup, it will be a miracle for Cal to go 1-17 in conference play. My deceased grandmother can drive by both Grant and Kelly. No need to exhume the body......she could do it from the grave.
SFCityBear said:His grandmother undoubtedly played in a time when the drop crossover was not a legal move. All changing hands on the dribble were done without palming the ball. So what Helltopay1 is saying here is that these defenders are even weaker than we might imagine.joe amos yaks said:That is one hell of a drop crossover move.helltopay1 said:
Dear Ski: With that lineup, it will be a miracle for Cal to go 1-17 in conference play. My deceased grandmother can drive by both Grant and Kelly. No need to exhume the body......she could do it from the grave.
Defense is effort. With better coaching they can be good defenders. Can't recall when anyone ever complained about defense. It was always offense. Give them a chance. They are both good players and can be better defensively. I guess we will have to wait and see.helltopay1 said:
Dear Ski: With that lineup, it will be a miracle for Cal to go 1-17 in conference play. My deceased grandmother can drive by both Grant and Kelly. No need to exhume the body......she could do it from the grave.
Sorry, but you don't even know enough about Jaylen Brown to spell his name correctly. Though a one-and-done, he was very much absorbed in all facets of the Cal experience.calbear70 said:
The problem with men's basketball is that starting with Cuonzo Martin recruits were never SOLD on Cal. We got excited with players like Jalen Brown, but let's face it, Jalen was never interested in graduating from Cal or impressed by the many wonderful experiences we all had at Cal. It was only about basketball. Cal is not Kentucky. We can not expect large number of high school all americans to come, play one year and leave.Only to be replaced by five more freshman phenoms the next year. I hope Mark Fox can get players to Cal and sell them on the school, not just the basketball court. If McNeil and Sueling leave ,so be it, that is there choice. They definitely have no affinity for the school. It appears to me they are marginal players who think they can be improved by another coach and thus make it professionally somewhere. Let's hope we can get a few solid good players who are willing to commit to the school and help restore a program which has been ruined by mismanagement at the AD level and the coaching level.
Big C said:Sorry, but you don't even know enough about Jaylen Brown to spell his name correctly. Though a one-and-done, he was very much absorbed in all facets of the Cal experience.calbear70 said:
The problem with men's basketball is that starting with Cuonzo Martin recruits were never SOLD on Cal. We got excited with players like Jalen Brown, but let's face it, Jalen was never interested in graduating from Cal or impressed by the many wonderful experiences we all had at Cal. It was only about basketball. Cal is not Kentucky. We can not expect large number of high school all americans to come, play one year and leave.Only to be replaced by five more freshman phenoms the next year. I hope Mark Fox can get players to Cal and sell them on the school, not just the basketball court. If McNeil and Sueling leave ,so be it, that is there choice. They definitely have no affinity for the school. It appears to me they are marginal players who think they can be improved by another coach and thus make it professionally somewhere. Let's hope we can get a few solid good players who are willing to commit to the school and help restore a program which has been ruined by mismanagement at the AD level and the coaching level.
I say we get players to Cal any way we can (within the letter and spirit of the rules) and then give them such a great experience that they'll fall in love with it.
Go Bears!
Brown may yet graduate from Cal. Or a different school. I'd almost bet on it. He has a respect for education.calbear70 said:
The problem with men's basketball is that starting with Cuonzo Martin recruits were never SOLD on Cal. We got excited with players like Jalen Brown, but let's face it, Jalen was never interested in graduating from Cal or impressed by the many wonderful experiences we all had at Cal. It was only about basketball. Cal is not Kentucky. We can not expect large number of high school all americans to come, play one year and leave.Only to be replaced by five more freshman phenoms the next year. I hope Mark Fox can get players to Cal and sell them on the school, not just the basketball court. If McNeil and Sueling leave ,so be it, that is there choice. They definitely have no affinity for the school. It appears to me they are marginal players who think they can be improved by another coach and thus make it professionally somewhere. Let's hope we can get a few solid good players who are willing to commit to the school and help restore a program which has been ruined by mismanagement at the AD level and the coaching level.
The reason I knew right off that Uncle Drew was not as old as he looked, was his crossover move. He turned out to be Kyrie Irving in makeup and a wig.joe amos yaks said:SFCityBear said:His grandmother undoubtedly played in a time when the drop crossover was not a legal move. All changing hands on the dribble were done without palming the ball. So what Helltopay1 is saying here is that these defenders are even weaker than we might imagine.joe amos yaks said:That is one hell of a drop crossover move.helltopay1 said:
Dear Ski: With that lineup, it will be a miracle for Cal to go 1-17 in conference play. My deceased grandmother can drive by both Grant and Kelly. No need to exhume the body......she could do it from the grave.
If Grand' played the rec leagues circuit in the '60's she might have gone left or right with a quick move. So yes, our boys will need improve their foot work.
That is so wrong it's mindboggling. At least do some research.calbear70 said:
The problem with men's basketball is that starting with Cuonzo Martin recruits were never SOLD on Cal. We got excited with players like Jalen Brown, but let's face it, Jalen was never interested in graduating from Cal or impressed by the many wonderful experiences we all had at Cal. It was only about basketball. Cal is not Kentucky. We can not expect large number of high school all americans to come, play one year and leave.Only to be replaced by five more freshman phenoms the next year. I hope Mark Fox can get players to Cal and sell them on the school, not just the basketball court. If McNeil and Sueling leave ,so be it, that is there choice. They definitely have no affinity for the school. It appears to me they are marginal players who think they can be improved by another coach and thus make it professionally somewhere. Let's hope we can get a few solid good players who are willing to commit to the school and help restore a program which has been ruined by mismanagement at the AD level and the coaching level.
It's an age-old existential question isn't it.We all want to know where that actually is.Bobodeluxe said:
That is where?
