Hard to watch but also proud of the team for competing in a situation where they could have easily folded.
Impressions:
Tyson is a beast.
Daws is a key piece, but he has trouble elevating on easy jams.
We desperately need Newell and Celestine to step up. You see flashes, but that's it. The fact that we don't have a true point guard might be hurting them a bit (as neither is great at creating his own shot).
On that note, the only two guys that can create their own shot are Tyson and Kennedy (and sometimes Daws). Cone has a nice pull up three, but it's not always there.
D looked better against $C, but we still give up some wide-open threes. Seems to often be associated with confusion on the switch under the basket, which leaves somebody wide open on the perimeter.
Where is Pavlovic? Is Madsen saving his eligibility or is he just not ready.
I thought the team looked best in the second half when both Curtis and Brown were on the floor. Note sure if it is their length or energy, but we should be playing them more.
I'm not surprised because the quality of Cal players is subpar to Pac-12 4-5 star players and it is hard to compete with other Pac-12 high-quality players teams. Keep recruiting 4-5 Quality recruits to stay in the competition against them. Guess we have to wait a few more years to have quality players before they can stay in competition against them. Sigh!
For how much USC outclassed Cal in talent, the game was close. This year's Cal squad is certainly somewhat limited both defensively and offensively, but Madsen does put in a system that allow them to be competitive unlike Mark Fox last year (felt like he just gave up and used injuries as an excuse). Regardless, the key players for the 2024-25 Cal team is probably not on the current roster. This season is about bringing back some respect to the program, hopefully with the end of the too long Pac-12 road losing streak on Saturday (hopefully UCLA invites Cal fans to rush the field/court again).
Hard to watch but also proud of the team for competing in a situation where they could have easily folded.
Impressions:
Tyson is a beast.
Daws is a key piece, but he has trouble elevating on easy jams.
We desperately need Newell and Celestine to step up. You see flashes, but that's it. The fact that we don't have a true point guard might be hurting them a bit (as neither is great at creating his own shot).
On that note, the only two guys that can create their own shot are Tyson and Kennedy (and sometimes Daws). Cone has a nice pull up three, but it's not always there.
D looked better against $C, but we still give up some wide-open threes. Seems to often be associated with confusion on the switch under the basket, which leaves somebody wide open on the perimeter.
Where is Pavlovic? Is Madsen saving his eligibility or is he just not ready.
I thought the team looked best in the second half when both Curtis and Brown were on the floor. Note sure if it is their length or energy, but we should be playing them more.
I'm not surprised because the quality of Cal players is subpar to Pac-12 4-5 star players and it is hard to compete with other Pac-12 high-quality players teams. Keep recruiting 4-5 Quality recruits to stay in the competition against them. Guess we have to wait a few more years to have quality players before they can stay in competition against them. Sigh!
For how much USC outclassed Cal in talent, the game was close. This year's Cal squad is certainly somewhat limited both defensively and offensively, but Madsen does put in a system that allow them to be competitive unlike Mark Fox last year (felt like he just gave up and used injuries as an excuse). Regardless, the key players for the 2024-25 Cal team is probably not on the current roster. This season is about bringing back some respect to the program, hopefully with the end of the too long Pac-12 road losing streak on Saturday (hopefully UCLA invites Cal fans to rush the field/court again).
Going to be such a tough year for these kids and this team.
Sending every positive vibe and support I can muster.
Better times ahead for sure.