Coach Madsen and staff need to add some quality low post players in the offseason that can hang and bang with the ACC bigs. It’s imperative…
Cal’s front line needs to be bigger, tougher and more athletic than it’s been…like, time to harken back to the Campanelli/Bozeman/Braun era where you had Yogi, Jamo, Marks, Kenyon Jones, Elson, Solly…these ACC teams have so much quality size…
I’m a Madsen fan, don’t get me wrong. Cone was the point guard and I said from the beginning that they will go as far as Cone will take them. Unfortunately he was hit and miss all year.
I see a complete lack of focus on fundamentals. We don't do any of the little things well. I love his excitement, heart and enthusiasm but all year I have been concerned with the lack of fundamentals. Many of the games we won I was shocked since we played so much of the game so poorly.
This has been our team throughout the season. Was really hopeful after the first half, but it is what it is. Madsen will continue to recruit his men and fill out a roster that can continue to compete at a power level, hopefully with more depth in the future.
A solid season, and the team finished about where they probably should have. Maybe 3-4 L's go the other way and we're 16-16...a very competent, competitive squad, but one with some clear weaknesses that really put a cap on the ceiling of the team, including a propensity for lapses in both offensive execution and concentration. Unfortunately, both of those came back to bite them yesterday. A 36-9 FT discrepancy for a game that went to OT is unconscionable, however, and belies an irrefutable agenda from an officiating perspective. Touch fouls 30 feet from the basket v. no calls with contact at the tin...the way the game was officiated kept Stanford in a game they really should not have been in.
The refs hit Amaq with a ridiculous body contact foul 25 feet from the basket 1 minute into the game and that set the tone. Stanford was unabashed in fouling Tyson any time he went to the basket (body, arm all) but no foul calls. The refs won this game for Stanford. I really don’t understand why, but it was obvious. Sure, Cal players wound up pressing and panicking but they were in a Twilight Zone.
This game was brutal. You can’t go that long without scoring. Madsen doesn’t get s pass on this one. Sorry, thst was brutal? He needs to work on his offensive scheme. It was to stagnant all year.long.. However, it was better than last year. Go Bears !
I agree. His flaws appear to be in the area of fundamentals. I feel like our guys don't understand or properly execute boxing out on defense, giving up tons of second chance points. We routinely get beat down the court after the other teams defensive rebounds. How many layups have the other teams scored after routine defensive rebounds. We don't play good transition defense particularly in not getting back quickly. We struggle under pressure to pass the ball inbounds. Just all the little things. I saw this coming in the first half when we got killed by Stanfords offensive boards. How times this year did Amaq pull a rebound down just to have it poked away due to his post rebound carelessness. Why do we always lose the loose ball competition. We lose every jump ball. Its on and on. Incredible talent in the starting 5 and great heart is what kept us competitive. Definitely not fundamental basketball.
We have one center and an undersized 2 playing as our 1, with Tyson having to fill in as a replacement point at the 3. Defense was always going to be hard. Offense was always going to be hard. We still went from 3 wins to the middle of the Pac. Now it's time to recruit and build the roster he wants with depth.
Actually, Cal outplayed furd. But, they lost it on the foul line. It is terrible when 3 non players who are late getting in position to really see crucial plays can determine the outcome of a game. Sadly, that's what happened.
agree in part. We were dominated on the glass, and some of our turnovers were unforced. Being able to inbound the ball during crunch time is key. We hold onto just one of those inbounded balls....
Aimac is a big body with long arms, but no hops. And those reaching arms get whistles. And when he sits, our Offense goes into the crapper.
I hate to say it, but think we got out-coached. Since the Refs were calling ticky-tack fouls early, Haase kept his guys going into the paint to pick up some cheap ones. Mark should have subbed out a body or two and told these bench guys to keep going at Stanford's bigs to get them in trouble.. Instead we were shooting -- and making -- jumpers.
Another heartfelt and accurate tale. I read below the comments of the coach’s own mother; classy and equally heartfelt. And, not to be a one-note samba, I’m reminded of how many posts go the f-route. Next year, let’s each of us remember there’s a real lady in the room and keep our Cal-grad comments focused on basketball/football and out of the gutter. Please. Thank you.
It's really hard to describe this year. We had plenty of early growing pains, which we expected. This was a new roster with some real flaws as constructed but lots of potential to unlock. And we unlocked enough to build expectations higher than we could have predicted at the start.
It's cliche to describe a team running on heart but we emptied the tank every single time. We didn't always have the depth to hold onto leads or complete comebacks but we put up a helluva fight. Losses like this sting because we know how deeply the players invested themselves to get this close. I have zero regrets about emotionally investing as a fan again. The players and Madsen should not have any either. Building character always feels awful, but it's a productive type of awful.
Cal Basketball is back and I am excited for the challenge of competing in the ACC next year.
I just hope someday when we’ve all died and gone to heaven and we are all sitting around on our clouds talking about the good old days down on earth that God will tell us how many games Cal played this year where we lost by a little, we’re unfairly reffed.
Deeply appreciate these seniors’ effort this year, for dreaming big and committing to a program that had lost its way. Easy squad to root for. Look forward to following where life takes each of them.
Cal seemed to have a pattern of leading scores until a few minutes before the end of the game, when it succumbed and lost the game throughout the season. It will be challenging for Madsen to recruit top-notch recruits to replace several departing players.
Coach Madsen and staff need to add some quality low post players in the offseason that can hang and bang with the ACC bigs. It’s imperative…
Cal’s front line needs to be bigger, tougher and more athletic than it’s been…like, time to harken back to the Campanelli/Bozeman/Braun era where you had Yogi, Jamo, Marks, Kenyon Jones, Elson, Solly…these ACC teams have so much quality size…
I’m a Madsen fan, don’t get me wrong. Cone was the point guard and I said from the beginning that they will go as far as Cone will take them. Unfortunately he was hit and miss all year.
That sucked. Mad Dog had better learn how to play defense. Blowing an 18 point lead in the second half is inexcusable.
I see a complete lack of focus on fundamentals. We don't do any of the little things well. I love his excitement, heart and enthusiasm but all year I have been concerned with the lack of fundamentals. Many of the games we won I was shocked since we played so much of the game so poorly.
This has been our team throughout the season. Was really hopeful after the first half, but it is what it is. Madsen will continue to recruit his men and fill out a roster that can continue to compete at a power level, hopefully with more depth in the future.
A solid season, and the team finished about where they probably should have. Maybe 3-4 L's go the other way and we're 16-16...a very competent, competitive squad, but one with some clear weaknesses that really put a cap on the ceiling of the team, including a propensity for lapses in both offensive execution and concentration. Unfortunately, both of those came back to bite them yesterday. A 36-9 FT discrepancy for a game that went to OT is unconscionable, however, and belies an irrefutable agenda from an officiating perspective. Touch fouls 30 feet from the basket v. no calls with contact at the tin...the way the game was officiated kept Stanford in a game they really should not have been in.
The refs hit Amaq with a ridiculous body contact foul 25 feet from the basket 1 minute into the game and that set the tone. Stanford was unabashed in fouling Tyson any time he went to the basket (body, arm all) but no foul calls. The refs won this game for Stanford. I really don’t understand why, but it was obvious. Sure, Cal players wound up pressing and panicking but they were in a Twilight Zone.
This game was brutal. You can’t go that long without scoring. Madsen doesn’t get s pass on this one. Sorry, thst was brutal? He needs to work on his offensive scheme. It was to stagnant all year.long.. However, it was better than last year. Go Bears !
Madsen has flaws, but his offensive scheme and strategy is not one of them.
I agree. His flaws appear to be in the area of fundamentals. I feel like our guys don't understand or properly execute boxing out on defense, giving up tons of second chance points. We routinely get beat down the court after the other teams defensive rebounds. How many layups have the other teams scored after routine defensive rebounds. We don't play good transition defense particularly in not getting back quickly. We struggle under pressure to pass the ball inbounds. Just all the little things. I saw this coming in the first half when we got killed by Stanfords offensive boards. How times this year did Amaq pull a rebound down just to have it poked away due to his post rebound carelessness. Why do we always lose the loose ball competition. We lose every jump ball. Its on and on. Incredible talent in the starting 5 and great heart is what kept us competitive. Definitely not fundamental basketball.
We have one center and an undersized 2 playing as our 1, with Tyson having to fill in as a replacement point at the 3. Defense was always going to be hard. Offense was always going to be hard. We still went from 3 wins to the middle of the Pac. Now it's time to recruit and build the roster he wants with depth.
We're playing without a true point guard. The fact that we even have an offense is thanks to Madsen's coaching.
Agreed.
Tyson was great, Aimaq boarded, KK defended, and Cone jacked some 3’s…but a deeper, balanced roster will likely have more success next year.
Fun and competitive team. But a devastating end to Cal in the Pac 12. And it was looking so, so good.
Actually, Cal outplayed furd. But, they lost it on the foul line. It is terrible when 3 non players who are late getting in position to really see crucial plays can determine the outcome of a game. Sadly, that's what happened.
agree in part. We were dominated on the glass, and some of our turnovers were unforced. Being able to inbound the ball during crunch time is key. We hold onto just one of those inbounded balls....
We don’t board well.
Raynaud is the real deal.
Aimac is a big body with long arms, but no hops. And those reaching arms get whistles. And when he sits, our Offense goes into the crapper.
I hate to say it, but think we got out-coached. Since the Refs were calling ticky-tack fouls early, Haase kept his guys going into the paint to pick up some cheap ones. Mark should have subbed out a body or two and told these bench guys to keep going at Stanford's bigs to get them in trouble.. Instead we were shooting -- and making -- jumpers.
Once Aimac got #5, it was game over.
Another heartfelt and accurate tale. I read below the comments of the coach’s own mother; classy and equally heartfelt. And, not to be a one-note samba, I’m reminded of how many posts go the f-route. Next year, let’s each of us remember there’s a real lady in the room and keep our Cal-grad comments focused on basketball/football and out of the gutter. Please. Thank you.
It's really hard to describe this year. We had plenty of early growing pains, which we expected. This was a new roster with some real flaws as constructed but lots of potential to unlock. And we unlocked enough to build expectations higher than we could have predicted at the start.
It's cliche to describe a team running on heart but we emptied the tank every single time. We didn't always have the depth to hold onto leads or complete comebacks but we put up a helluva fight. Losses like this sting because we know how deeply the players invested themselves to get this close. I have zero regrets about emotionally investing as a fan again. The players and Madsen should not have any either. Building character always feels awful, but it's a productive type of awful.
Cal Basketball is back and I am excited for the challenge of competing in the ACC next year.
I just hope someday when we’ve all died and gone to heaven and we are all sitting around on our clouds talking about the good old days down on earth that God will tell us how many games Cal played this year where we lost by a little, we’re unfairly reffed.
I want to know.
Deeply appreciate these seniors’ effort this year, for dreaming big and committing to a program that had lost its way. Easy squad to root for. Look forward to following where life takes each of them.
Cal seemed to have a pattern of leading scores until a few minutes before the end of the game, when it succumbed and lost the game throughout the season. It will be challenging for Madsen to recruit top-notch recruits to replace several departing players.
Considering he landed solid players after 3-29, it won’t be that challenging.
Thanks for reminding me of his ability to recruit top-notch recruits.
Make no mistake, they’ve certainly gotta replace a lot of production.
But I have confidence in this staff to do so…plus the roster may actually be more balanced. The trajectory of the program is just in a better spot.
Great article.
We consoled ourselves with ice cream.
Love your looking forward to Cal’s “ascendancy” next year.
Awesome choice of a perfect word.
This one hurt. But the program is in good hands.