Cal MBB Roster Update: Mantas Kocanas commits

Mark Madsen adds an intriguing but unproven center prospect to the team

OK, let’s get to the news first. Per Jeff Goodman as announced on Monday, Cal has a new basketball player!

We’ll get to what Mantas Kocanas brings to Cal shortly, but let’s quickly check in on the status of Cal’s 2025-26 roster more generally. For those who needed a reminder, here’s the quick summary:

Returning Scholarship Players (3): Rytis Petraitis, Lee Dort, DeJuan Campbell

Incoming Freshmen (2): Jovani Ruff, Semetri Carr

Incoming Transfers (8): Nolan Dorsey, Chris Bell, Sammie Yeanay, John Camden, Justin Pippen, Milos Ilic, Dai Dai Aimes, Mantas Kocanas

Add it up, and that’s 13 players, which in any prior year would mean that Cal is done adding scholarship players to the roster.

But roster situations are in limbo thanks to rules that would be put in place if the House Settlement ever goes into effect. One of the many things the House Settlement is tentatively expected to contain are changes to roster rules. As it pertains to men’s basketball, the old rules allowed teams to hand out up to 13 scholarship spots, and then allowed walk-ons beyond that. Many teams had many walk-ons on the roster; just last season, Cal had nine!

But if the House Settlement gets approved, men’s basketball may well be limited to just 15 total roster spots, all of which could be scholarship spots at the discretion of each school.

All of which is to say that Cal’s roster additions may not be over, but Cal’s ability to add more players is limited when it’s not clear if the House Settlement will get finalized, and if the current draft text will get changed between now and finalization. There is ongoing discussion about grandfathering in current walk-ons so that they’re not all cut from rosters that can no longer afford to offer space to non-scholarship contributors.

If and when the House Settlement is approved, we’ll be back to break down the particulars.

OK, back to roster analysis

Mantas Kocanas, 6’11’’ center, Central Florida (via Lithuania)

“Highlights:”

Please enjoy two rebounds, one pick and roll bucket, one put back, and a ‘highlight’ of Kocanas getting fouled. This is what happens when a player gets brief minutes in two games, then suffers a season ending injury.

The upshot here is that Kocanas has four years of eligibility left, is 6’11’’, and was good enough to get meaningful minutes in Lithuania’s youth national team structure. Roughly 10 points and 5 rebounds in 7 games at the under 18 European Championships is intriguing . . . but without highlight footage and per minute stats, means we’re left with context free guess work. The fact that he may have been recruited by Dusty May while he was at FAU is a plus point, because that dude can identify talent . . . but it’s also not clear from internet sleuthing exactly when Kocanas signed with the Owls, and under which head coach.

Of course, speaking as a Lithuanian-American, who had been begging Cal for years to recruit from the greatest pound-for-pound basketballing nation in the world, I am beyond thrilled and have no doubt that our Baltic Giant Duo of Kocanas and Petraitis will restore Cal basketball to greatness. Tegyvuoja Lietuva!

Welcome to Berkeley Mantas!