23 Comments
Apr 9, 2023Liked by TD_24

Bearetts crowdfunding with a goal of $1000

Support them if I can:

https://crowdfund.berkeley.edu/project/36889

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I want all the players.

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I dont think I will ever adjust to seeing college student/athletes turning into free agents on an annual basis. Its a strange new world for College sports.

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This is already better than anything Mark Fox did.

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I’m just glad to see us seriously competing in the portal

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Agree. Even this article repeats how much competition for just the players highlighted. I'm not going to start hyperventilating before another body or two actually come onboard but I am so happy to see Mad Dog being a player for us in the portal!

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That's a lot of guards. We could use a couple more big fellas no? Or am I getting too greedy?

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Aimaq is a talented big guy listed as a 6'11" PF and we landed him.

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Aimaq is a great start but we've got 4 forwards in the portal and 1 incoming freshman center (assuming he stays committed). That leaves us at -2.

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Go Bears!!! It's Christmas in April.

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I want cal to go after Harris Ingram and Reese Dixon waters Jalen cone would definitely make the starting roster and be a great addition we need more shooters

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author

Dixon Waters could be a great utility player, can dabble in a little bit of versatility

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This will be a good early test of Madsen's recruiting ability

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Makes sense for Madsen to work his current network first. There is so much good talent at the mid-major level in basketball that I can get excited about bringing just about anyone on these lists.

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I am very, very grateful for the players who laid it on the line for CAL. Having said that in all sincerity, there are talented players out there that Mad Dog can use to win many more games than we have seen recently. It has been said that a good coach is one who can beat you with his guys and then swap sides and beat you with your guys. It would be an interesting intellectual exercise (we did all attend CAL after all) to see what the new Mark could do with the old Mark's players. I am more interested as a fan, however, to see what new Mark can do with players he recruits to his system.

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Are Newell and Bowser left at the F position?

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Apr 8, 2023·edited Apr 8, 2023

Trey Woodbury is also a very possible addition from Utah Valley if he gets a waiver for a 6th year after missing all but 2 games in ‘21-‘22. Immediate starter - had a helluva semifinal game v. UAB. I hear he’s more likely than the other 2 CGs from UVU.

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I think the reality is the true “student-athlete” model is dead as we knew it. I think they will do fine in their classes, but if everyone can move around without any restriction the idea of them being fellow students is less potent than it once was.

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Many years ago when I was a student, there was a guy in Ehrman Hall (Unit 2 dorm) who got a business license from Berkeley and sold M&M's out of his dorm room. He did quite well. I bought several 1 lb bags myself... I consider that a kind of profitable student activity... obviously not what Bob means but getting scratched is getting scratched to some extent...

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We aren't "supposed" to be a "good" school! We are the top, hardest and most demanding public school in the world which is why a Berkeley degree opens doors the rest of our lives! Right?

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I have no idea and I don't know how you would either. In any case, I think the more interesting question is how the portal is changing the very value and nature of academics as others are saying here. You have to figure it's still a very small % of college players that will ever make it to the NBA, and so if Cal coaches can continue to promote the fact that a degree from UC Berkeley is a golden ticket in life, then that vast majority may come here so long as our teams are good and the NIL money is OK. You have wonder how many of these dudes getting NIL money are setting it aside in retirement plans and saving it, since few of them will make it in the NBA and without a good degree may never make much money again unless they have a trade skill. It's a curious situation we are all new to understanding.

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True enough, and given.

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More unrelated to Cal BB info: Looks like Mendoza is really shining with accurate throws and surprising wheels. Sam will still be the starter though. The good news is that it seems like there are two competent QB's.

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