The Official Bear Insider Cal Men's Basketball 2017-18 Season Preview
Cal Men’s Basketball 2017-18 Season Preview
The 2017-18 Men's Basketball Coaching Staff
The 2017-18 Men's Basketball Schedule
Coaching:
While Cal has a new head coach and two new assistants, there’s continuity from the Cuonzo Martin era and that’s intentional and important in understanding where the Cal program is headed. Wyking Jones takes over as a first time head coach and make no mistake he’s a very different type of head coach than we’ve had at Cal over the past 25 years. Wyking, like his predecessor leads with character and integrity as core values. He’s a thoughtful, steady presence with a low key yet earnest style of communication. His ego is not of the size that are often seen in college basketball. He’s comfortable enough to want strong personalities around him and has added two former head coaches as his top assistants with Tim O’Toole and Chris Walker. As a recruiter, he’s far less likely to overwhelm the recruit and his family with his charisma and far more likely to leave having earned their trust. There’s less the swagger of a Rick Pitino or Sean Miller and more of the solidity and grounded consistency of a Mark Few or a Dean Smith.
Stylistically, he is taking his cues from former mentors as well as his current assistants. Tim O’Toole who comes from the Jim Boeheim coaching tree has proved to be an adept teacher of the matchup zone which will be seen more often than in the recent past. From Rick Pitino, comes a full court pressure approach designed to turn the other team over and create a more up tempo offense. Teaching wise, Cuonzo’s attention to defensive detail and demanding players be fully accountable for their defense are elements Coach Jones wants to carry over to his tenure. Offensively, Wyking and his staff are going to mimic some of what Coach Wilcox has done on the gridiron. Flexibility that allows the approach to be built around the strengths of the personnel is the mantra.
Recruiting is likely to be a strength of this staff. Chris Walker and Tim O’Toole both have extensive and distinct networks to plumb. Coach Jones adds his own to that mix. This is a group that will be well received as players coaches by top prep talent. Further, Wyking gets Berkeley and the unique strengths and limits at Cal. His flexibility in terms of play style and his embracing of Cal’s idiosyncrasies will result in better scouting and fit as well as a higher close rate on the kids we want and we believe can flourish in Berkeley. We’re seeing that already with the strong start to the 2018 class.
Players:
Kingsley Okoroh (Center): Cal’s version of former Celtics great Robert Parrish. An implacable demeanor as well as a gentle giant off the court, Kingsley like Parrish brings a presence to the court with his shot blocking acumen and his evolving low post game. Like most big men, Kingsley has developed slowly but steadily. He know has a better understanding of how to defend without fouling and how to use his feet to create advantaged offensive positioning. His jump hook will be a consistent weapon for him. Okoroh’s development lies with his ability to push his man off his spot in the post on defense and in becoming more consistent with his hands (catching passes and offensive boards) and his aggression on offense.
Marcus Lee (Power Forward/Center): A dynamic athlete with long arms, Lee has a point guards quickness and explosiveness on a 6’9”+ frame. The matchup zone and full court pressure Wyking plans to utilize this year play to Lee’s strengths. At the top of the zone disrupting passing lanes or at the wing where he can close out on three point shooters as well as provide weak side shot blocking presence, Marcus will be one of the Pac 12s most versatile and effective defenders. At the other end, Lee has a chance to be a force on the offensive glass with putbacks and the focus on a transition game off turnovers also plays to his strengths in the open court. The best case scenario for Marcus is that he decides he relishes being the focal point of this team and asserts himself to the point where the rest of the team can revolve around him.
Darius McNeil (Point Guard): The most exciting and athletic of the 2017 class, this left handed point guard brings a unique combination of length (tall and with long arms) and speed/quickness. McNeil is a real jet in the open court and his lateral quickness and long arms give him a high ceiling as a defender. His three point shot continues to improve with a nice release and rotation on the ball. McNeil’s not yet the polished ball handler or versatile scoring threat that we saw from last years freshman Charlie Moore though his ceiling two years down the road is potentially higher. Darius will continue to tighten up his handle, develop his right hand and become more confident penetrating in the half court while his three point shot becomes more consistent.
Grant Anticevich (Power Forward): I was surprised to see Anticevich’s minutes limited in Monday’s exhibition game especially with Cole Welle sitting out. Anticevich has some unique and special qualities. A naturally high basketball IQ and a good feel for the game. He’s got a strong lower body and a great release on his jumper which is deadly out to 20’. He’s still developing his upper body as well as his lateral quickness and explosion. He’s got nice upside as a stretch four, power wing type.
Justice Sueing (Shooting Guard/Small Forward): The most physically developed of the incoming freshman class, Justice has a nice combination of size, strength and ball handling skills. He’s a two guard/three whose most comfortable at the wing yet he can in a pinch drop down and defend power forwards. He’s a slasher who uses skill rather than explosive quickness to get by defenders and then his strength to finish at the rim. He’s fundamentally solid and was a big time winner at the high school level. May be a future leader for this Cal team. His potential will be unlocked as he develops a consistent outside jumper and refines his mid range game.
Juhwan Harris-Dyson (Shooting Guard): Another of the younger Bears whose body is a bit farther along in its development. Dyson will likely impact this years team through his defense. A plus run and jump athlete with good lateral quickness and a great motor, Dyson is well suited to Wyking’s full court pressure and up tempo offense. His offensive skill set is still being developed painting a future when his handle is more capable and his three point shot more consistent where he can be a big time contributor.
Cole Welle (Power Forward): The former walk on is a tough as nails, bring his lunch pail to the court player. An undersized four at only 6’7” tall, Welle is not afraid to bang, set hard screens and crash the boards. His understanding of team defensive concepts and his motor make him a natural leader to this younger group of Bears. Likely more at home in half court offensive and defensive set, if Welle can develop a reliable face up jumper from 16’, he could be a meaningful contributor on a team short of front court players.
Austin McCullough (Shooting Guard): A fearless shooter with a mature 6’4”+ body, McCullough provides what this team desperately needs. A reliable three point shooting threat. Much more comfortable as a catch and shoot player, he’s got a nice looking release on his jumper. Perhaps more of a streak shooter (in the vein of current BearInsider PodCast guest Ryan Drew), it’s not hard to imagine Austin heating up and carrying our offense in a few games this year. The rest of his game is predicated on hustle and toughness. He’s not going to back down regardless of any deficit he may have in foot speed and lateral quickness.
Deschon Winston (Point Guard): Winston is steady and heady. Plays under control and has the best handle of anyone not named Paris Austin on the roster. Unselfish player who will look to get his teammates involved, Deschon can also reliably stick the 17’ foot jumper. As he gets stronger, his range will increase as will his ability as a defender. His development is primarily on the strength and size side of things though I can see him becoming one of those players whose skill set and craftiness outstrip his innate athletic ability.
Roman Davis (Power Forward): The best thing that ever happened to Roman Davis was Wyking’s decision to full court pressure opponents. Roman’s one of the Bears better run/jump athletes and he’s always had a high defensive motor. Playing up tempo, looking for deflections and steals, providing trailing weak side block shots, that’s Davis’ opportunity. Offensively, he’s not quite big enough to be a low post threat and his face up game is still raw. Davis may be valuable in spelling Lee if he finds himself in foul trouble.
Nick Hamilton (Shooting Guard): This is a kid who more often than not wins practice. A veteran with a strong body and a high motor, he goes 100% all the time. The potential is there for him to get some minutes this year and whether that’s realized will be his ability to translate the confidence and poise he shows at practice into games.
Expectations: This is almost an entirely new roster and not one that was architected to win right away. Okoroh and Lee provide nice pieces down low and are clear cut P12 caliber starters. Coleman is fearless and will score. There’s raw young talent that can help lay a foundation for years to come. On the other hand, our top two point guards are true freshman, neither of our senior bigs are true scorers and we lack consistent perimeter shooters. The youngsters are going to go through the steep learning curve around team defense, around the level of energy and focus you have to bring every minute and building confidence going against longer, stronger and more athletic players. A new coaching staff and a new system are not instant fixes regardless of their long term trajectory. This is not a year to focus on wins and losses and postseason aspirations. Rather, it’s an exciting time to see a program develop in a new direction. To watch freshman mature and develop. We’re going to see a different style of Cal basketball this year, one that promises to be entertaining while it teases us about a brighter future ahead where NCAA bids are a more reasonable expectation.