K’ State probably won’t finish in last place in the B12, despite the preseason media poll pegging them there, and the Bears showed some heart in battling back.
That said, KSU is definitely a bottom tier B12 team, but the talent gap on the floor tonight was unmistakable…Wildcats were better at every position and deeper, despite the Bears going 9-deep. Fox is very quick to point out that the Bears are short handed, which is silly…Celestine and Clayton don’t really make a difference, and 22 turnovers is simply laughable.
A lot of points being made here. Lots I agree with some I disagree with. Jalen Celestine in my opinion does move the needle for this team, in terms of floor spacing and leadership, so not having him available hurts and probably hurts more than some people realize. At the same time, everything else you said is accurate. Can’t have 22 TO’s and as many scoring droughts as we do irrespective of the talent (which isn’t there). My personal investment in the program won’t reboot until there’s a new coach on the sideline. Better buckle up because it will be a long season, even though we’ve gone through about 5 of those recently.
That’s fair. Good point about the spacing, TD…it’s something we’ve mentioned for 4 years and the lack of it is still an issue. Love Celestine, just not sure he’s really an impact player yet…is he gonna be the guy with the ball in his hands when the shot clock hits 7, as unfortunately, that is the Cal offense….still.
To be fair, I haven’t laid eyes on Clayton yet, but the stats in his previous 6 (!) seasons say he’s similar to Askew and previously, Jordan Shepherd…lotsa dribbling and passing. Frustrating to watch.
-cal has no outside shooting and few players who can slash and get to the rack.
-we are going to see a LOT of Askew, who looks like a solid player, but can't carry the entire team.
-2K had a good game after a disappointing opener. We need him to turn his potential into results this year.
-Lars sometimes look like our best player at times, but that's not a good thing.
-Okofor will get every opportunity to play this season.
-Brown played good defense and had no turnovers.
-Bowser isn't showing much. I was hoping he would be one of our shooters. Maybe not fully healthy.
-Roberson has one of the worst shooting forms I've seen at this level. I get how difficult it is to rebuild your shot
having done that myself, but he did not even try to do so during the offseason (Joel did improve his shooting form from the summer)
-Sam has disappointed so far
- Celestine would have been our best player, but I doubt he recovers enough to move the needle this season. Hopefully he returns next season at 100%
- we desperately need Clayton
- Cal was projected 11th ahead of OSU, but OSU has looked solid in two games, including vs Tulsa. They certainly have more offense than we do (without Clayton)
Agreed on pretty much everything here, my friend...and welcome back for another season of whatever we wanna call it.....
I'm a big fan of Alajiki, but must admit I've been real disappointed in him in the first 2 games...hit that early 3 v UCD and then pretty much nothing. He had a tough match up with Keyontae defensively today, especially in 2H, and got taken to the woodshed a few times, the 2nd one drawing a pretty soft taunting T. Regardless, Keyontae Johnson is a beast, but it was on O where I was hoping he would take a step. 1-7 - needs to be better.
Joel's shot definitely looks better, though the free throws remain a huge issue...really can't have him on the floor late in a close game, as he continued his 50% clip, can you? But of the players on the team, he definitely looks improved from when he first stepped foot on campus.
The BOD kids have been for the most part a bit disappointing - Roberson really could use a mid-range jumper. I hope they play their way into shape, though Cal should be ahead of the curve after the extended practice window and international trip over the summer. This squad has more time together than most other programs, though you would not know it.
At times, KK looks awesome - a long, athletic 6'9" wing with a nice stroke, a decent handle and some quickness...other times, he looks so raw - a talented kid that started playing basketball too late, and he's still trying to figure it out.
Lars is what he is. No real use lamenting his weaknesses, though not getting to the line today a single time tells you all you need to know really about Cal's ability to get the ball in the paint.
Respectfully, while hopeful, I'm really not expecting much from Clayton, a 39% career shooter, 28% from 3PT...maybe he'll help open the court up a bit, but like the previous 3 seasons for Fox, this Cal team appears incredibly easy to defend.
Also, where is Obinna Anyanwu...hurt? Doghouse? Still on the squad? I know Celestine is out with the knee, and Hyder and Clayton are banged up as well.
Valiant effort getting back into the game...Okafor and Newell should be solid down the road, but this is a tough ask early for them and they look like they're still trying to figure it out.
We need to be stronger with the ball - a team that struggles to score on the best of days cannot turn the ball over 22 times. Really hope Askew, who has been solid, starts sharing the ball a little...but who is going to hit the shot, if not him?
yeah, excited to get back into college basketball, although the team really doesn't look competitive which will really damper the enthusiasm and Haas atmosphere
playing K State at home was a real opportunity to get a quality win and help make these Bears feel good about themselves. That is needed as we have a tough schedule ahead of us
good point about Anyanwu. He is undersized but provided some tough rebounds and points down low last season. He should be in the rotation if healthy.
Agree Askew is going to need to pass more often on his drives as it's pretty clear teams are ready for him running multiple defenders at him. If he doesn't pass out to shooters it will only get worse.
He did that one time last year. There's no real reason to write again, at least not yet. Let's see how the year plays out...though I'm not optimistic this team will find it's footing, there's really no point reaching out now. He definitely does not respond to my tweets - if I were him, I'd mute me. ;-)
KSU 63 Cal 54 Final
K’ State probably won’t finish in last place in the B12, despite the preseason media poll pegging them there, and the Bears showed some heart in battling back.
That said, KSU is definitely a bottom tier B12 team, but the talent gap on the floor tonight was unmistakable…Wildcats were better at every position and deeper, despite the Bears going 9-deep. Fox is very quick to point out that the Bears are short handed, which is silly…Celestine and Clayton don’t really make a difference, and 22 turnovers is simply laughable.
Could be a long season, TD.
A lot of points being made here. Lots I agree with some I disagree with. Jalen Celestine in my opinion does move the needle for this team, in terms of floor spacing and leadership, so not having him available hurts and probably hurts more than some people realize. At the same time, everything else you said is accurate. Can’t have 22 TO’s and as many scoring droughts as we do irrespective of the talent (which isn’t there). My personal investment in the program won’t reboot until there’s a new coach on the sideline. Better buckle up because it will be a long season, even though we’ve gone through about 5 of those recently.
That’s fair. Good point about the spacing, TD…it’s something we’ve mentioned for 4 years and the lack of it is still an issue. Love Celestine, just not sure he’s really an impact player yet…is he gonna be the guy with the ball in his hands when the shot clock hits 7, as unfortunately, that is the Cal offense….still.
To be fair, I haven’t laid eyes on Clayton yet, but the stats in his previous 6 (!) seasons say he’s similar to Askew and previously, Jordan Shepherd…lotsa dribbling and passing. Frustrating to watch.
And good night Cal fans - that’s the end of this game and Cal’s season…again.
We look like a bad joke out there.
So glad our wonderful AD Knowless gave Fox an extension until 2025.
It’s an embarrassment, Dave. I’m tweeting at Knowlton after/during every L.
Enough is enough.
Careful Jimmy, he might think you are a bot!
Oh, I’m fully expecting to get blocked, though I won’t be swearing, or trolling him.
I’m only wondering what we’re doing here!
;-)
I'd suggest paying for the blue checkmark so he knows you mean business, but...
-cal has no outside shooting and few players who can slash and get to the rack.
-we are going to see a LOT of Askew, who looks like a solid player, but can't carry the entire team.
-2K had a good game after a disappointing opener. We need him to turn his potential into results this year.
-Lars sometimes look like our best player at times, but that's not a good thing.
-Okofor will get every opportunity to play this season.
-Brown played good defense and had no turnovers.
-Bowser isn't showing much. I was hoping he would be one of our shooters. Maybe not fully healthy.
-Roberson has one of the worst shooting forms I've seen at this level. I get how difficult it is to rebuild your shot
having done that myself, but he did not even try to do so during the offseason (Joel did improve his shooting form from the summer)
-Sam has disappointed so far
- Celestine would have been our best player, but I doubt he recovers enough to move the needle this season. Hopefully he returns next season at 100%
- we desperately need Clayton
- Cal was projected 11th ahead of OSU, but OSU has looked solid in two games, including vs Tulsa. They certainly have more offense than we do (without Clayton)
Agreed on pretty much everything here, my friend...and welcome back for another season of whatever we wanna call it.....
I'm a big fan of Alajiki, but must admit I've been real disappointed in him in the first 2 games...hit that early 3 v UCD and then pretty much nothing. He had a tough match up with Keyontae defensively today, especially in 2H, and got taken to the woodshed a few times, the 2nd one drawing a pretty soft taunting T. Regardless, Keyontae Johnson is a beast, but it was on O where I was hoping he would take a step. 1-7 - needs to be better.
Joel's shot definitely looks better, though the free throws remain a huge issue...really can't have him on the floor late in a close game, as he continued his 50% clip, can you? But of the players on the team, he definitely looks improved from when he first stepped foot on campus.
The BOD kids have been for the most part a bit disappointing - Roberson really could use a mid-range jumper. I hope they play their way into shape, though Cal should be ahead of the curve after the extended practice window and international trip over the summer. This squad has more time together than most other programs, though you would not know it.
At times, KK looks awesome - a long, athletic 6'9" wing with a nice stroke, a decent handle and some quickness...other times, he looks so raw - a talented kid that started playing basketball too late, and he's still trying to figure it out.
Lars is what he is. No real use lamenting his weaknesses, though not getting to the line today a single time tells you all you need to know really about Cal's ability to get the ball in the paint.
Respectfully, while hopeful, I'm really not expecting much from Clayton, a 39% career shooter, 28% from 3PT...maybe he'll help open the court up a bit, but like the previous 3 seasons for Fox, this Cal team appears incredibly easy to defend.
Also, where is Obinna Anyanwu...hurt? Doghouse? Still on the squad? I know Celestine is out with the knee, and Hyder and Clayton are banged up as well.
Valiant effort getting back into the game...Okafor and Newell should be solid down the road, but this is a tough ask early for them and they look like they're still trying to figure it out.
We need to be stronger with the ball - a team that struggles to score on the best of days cannot turn the ball over 22 times. Really hope Askew, who has been solid, starts sharing the ball a little...but who is going to hit the shot, if not him?
yeah, excited to get back into college basketball, although the team really doesn't look competitive which will really damper the enthusiasm and Haas atmosphere
playing K State at home was a real opportunity to get a quality win and help make these Bears feel good about themselves. That is needed as we have a tough schedule ahead of us
good point about Anyanwu. He is undersized but provided some tough rebounds and points down low last season. He should be in the rotation if healthy.
Agree Askew is going to need to pass more often on his drives as it's pretty clear teams are ready for him running multiple defenders at him. If he doesn't pass out to shooters it will only get worse.
can't believe all the flops K-State is getting away with.
They got a big break on the 4-point play, but it was only a 1 point swing.
Cal turns the ball over way too much to win, especially with their awful, inefficient offense.
He did that one time last year. There's no real reason to write again, at least not yet. Let's see how the year plays out...though I'm not optimistic this team will find it's footing, there's really no point reaching out now. He definitely does not respond to my tweets - if I were him, I'd mute me. ;-)
Hashem ease give our Bears the strength to pull this game out. We have suffered in spirit and need something positive to raise the our spirits.
Damned you Red Pharaoh!
This shit is painful.
I liked my own comment to spread some positivity.
Here’s why Joel Brown can’t be on the court late…
I'm so, so glad I don't have the Pac-12 Network right now.
Down by 4
It’s what you would think.
They’re battling back tho.
Extend Fox again then.
where's that sarcasm font when you need it, huh?
Knowlton is just dying to…you know he is
Bad play Askew
Bad play Sam
Lars smh
As Wilcox is trying to best Holmoe in futility, is Fox aiming to out-do Jones?
K’ State so much quicker to the ball.
as was UC-Davis.....
Askew?
Another in a list of inefficient, ball dominant lead scorers for Mark Fox. His specialty.
Thrown away....
Joel Brown
Devin Askew
Kuany Kuany
Sam Alajiki
Lars Thiemann
Marsalis Roberson
Monty Bowser
ND Okafor
Grant Newell
9 deep. Stop saying this team is short handed.
Where’s Anyanwu?
Wow 30-15
Down 16, and a parade of excuses about Cal “short handed”.
Boo
9 turnovers in 12 minutes.
You can’t win when you’re offensively challenged AND turn the ball over at this rate.
Always a good sign when your point guard is getting bullied by the other teams smallest player
Mozilla
We are offensively challenged to say the least.
Pathetic
Preseason media poll had them last as well
Yet are 6.5 point favorites, on the road.
Cal basketball…get excited!
boys in Vegas will be taking a bath