Cal Signs Chris Bell

BERKELEY – Bay Area native Chris Bell has signed to play for the California men’s basketball program in the 2025-26 season. Bell, who grew up in Concord and played at De La Salle High School, joins the Golden Bears following three seasons played at Syracuse.

Bell, a 6-foot-7, 195-pound forward, started 75 of 95 games played across his three years with the Orange (2022-25) and has knocked down 170 career 3-pointers, including 82 of 200 (42%) during a standout sophomore season in 2023-24 when he averaged 12 points per game.

“Chris has proven himself to be a battle-tested veteran in the ACC,” Cal head coach Mark Madsen said. “Everyone knows Chris is already one of the top shooters in the conference, but we love his ability to put the ball on the floor as well as his shot blocking; he’s going to impact both ends with his versatility. Even more exciting is that Chris is coming home – the Bay Area is where his journey began, and we’re proud that he’ll be representing Cal just a short drive from where he grew up in Concord.”

Bell arrives in Berkeley with career averages of 9.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG and a 38.1% 3-point field-goal percentage. After averaging 6.6 PPG as a true freshman starter for former Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim in 2022-23, Bell emerged as one of the ACC’s top 3-point marksmen in 2023-24 with a 42% clip (84 of 200) that ranked second in the conference and 16th nationally. He finished his sophomore season with 17 double-figure scoring efforts, including six with 20-plus points, and scored a career-high 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting (8 of 10 from 3) in a win over Louisville.

Bell started the first 13 games of the 2024-25 season before coming off the bench the rest of the way. He averaged 9.3 PPG on the year and made 44.3% (35 of 79) from beyond the arc during ACC play.

Bell spent three years at De La Salle High School in Concord before playing his final prep season (2021-22) at Wasatch Academy in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. His father, Charlie Bell, played basketball at Loyola Maryland.

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