You still have to try, try, try. To me, Gates is the one easy and realistic answer out there that can pull us out of the molasses fairly quickly and really set the bar for this program high again. Not that there won't be good candidates or others that might be able to do the same, but Gates is just such a no-brainer. You just can't low ball him.
Absolutely. Gates was my choice then, and remains it now. I understand why he maybe wasn’t a fit previously, but he’s got more experience now…fingers crossed, tho not holding my breath because I still don’t think Knowlton has the stones to make a change.
I keep coming back to “what if” with Theo…what if Wyking wasn’t such a disaster that he got in a fistfight with Theo in Maui.
I also don't trust Knowlton, but really Knowlton's only going to do what the major donors want him to do and are willing to cut checks for. By any objective measure Fox should be gone. It's not even debatable. But this being Cal, who the . . . knows? I have heard Fox has charmed the donors, which is scary. I mean, if APR is all that matters, we should just cut costs and hire a counselor from the athletic study center to coach this team. Honestly, record and recruiting wise, they can't do much worse. And I still maintain that keeping Fox around for year four when you gave the previous black coach two years for slightly worse results doesn't smell right.
While I'll argue the team may not look as historically inept under Fox as they did under Wyking, where they consistently looked both poorly coached and unprepared, statistically they are really not much better. Losses are losses, and while the team looks somewhat prepared, they are nonetheless still bad.
Worse yet, given Fox's track record, this is exactly what is to be expected...
I would absolutely love to see what a more dynamic offensive mind could do with a team that is legitimately 10-11 deep and has 6 guys that can hit a 3 (Grant, Jalen, Shepherd, Makale, Sam, KK), yet they don't seem to have any clue how to beat a zone defense.
Was it excellent defense or was it more a case that Cal is an offensively challenged team with a defense-first Head Coach and a scheme that relies on players to win one-on-one battles despite not having any guys who can do this?
The strange thing about point spreads in basketball is a close game can either go down to a 2 point loss or a 8 point loss just depending on where the clock and score is because of fouling strategy
Today we didn’t foul early because Utah couldn’t run out the clock
If the clock and score was slightly different we would have had to start fouling earlier and if they hit their FTs could have won by a much larger margin
Ya, after watching Cal basketball for 40 years, I understand the fundamental principles of the close game and how certain late situations play out ;-) ;-)…the point about the score finishing right on the number yet again shows time travel IS possible tho, if you ask me…damn Vegas!!
This one changed with Celestine’s late contested 3, and the fact that Shepherd had a chance to win it with a very makeable straight on 3 at the buzzer was a surprise.
Unfortunately, the fact that he didn’t even draw iron wasn’t a surprise at all, as he pulled the same move at UNLV. Sigh.
They didn’t really miss AK22 today at all, as Lars gave them great minutes. That makes this loss even worse, IMHO.
I love the kids, but have zero faith in Fox to turn this program around. These be dark years, folks.
Kingsley has the single season record for blocks at Cal, top 3 in career blocks at cal and is top 10 in conference history in career blocks. I don’t think it comes even close right now.
Sure but Kuany is in his third year and isn’t close to Kingsley’s numbers at all even on a Per40Min rate for career or season. It’s not close. Sure wings have flashier blocks than centers but that can’t be the basis of if he’s a better shot blocker. Heck even Marcus Lee had a year in his lone season here.
Losing by 20 and losing by 8 is the same. You’re still losing. And statistically there isn’t a single stat you could say is improving. We’re the same offensively and defensively in 3 years. I’m so tired of hearing excuses for the wrong hire.
Every team has injuries. It’s part of a season. Being able to weather the storm and developing depth and recruits is on the coach. We don’t need to play the what if game. When the stats efficiency stats with Kelly and without don’t change that much.
That’s the whole point of this community esp with the writing staff. We have different ways to view the same game. And we want the diversity not just a single hive mind voice.
We missed AK22 at Stanford...but Lars was fine this game... 16 & 8...I don’t think missing Kelly was that big today. 39% from the field, and 3-16 from 3, with 14 turnovers was a big reason. Fox playing Alajiki only 6 minutes despite his defensive intensity and effort is another reason...wouldn’t be surprised if Sam ends up in the portal, tho ND Okafor is his buddy...
Even without him, Bob, Cal should’ve beaten this Utah team at home.
Travis DeCuir
Meh.
They’ve passed on him multiple times. Gotta think there’s a reason, whatever it may be.
Fox has to go. Can't get swept by the Mountain schools at home, even without AK22.
He's garbage.
HIRE VAN GUNDY
Get Phil!
Hell no
Absolutely not.
Why?
We just hired a coach that was out of the college game for a year. Now you want a professional coach that hasn’t:
1. Coached since 2007
2. Been a HC at the collegiate level
3. Recruited since 1989?
Interesting....
Fear Dennis Gates would tell Knowlton to pound sand.
You still have to try, try, try. To me, Gates is the one easy and realistic answer out there that can pull us out of the molasses fairly quickly and really set the bar for this program high again. Not that there won't be good candidates or others that might be able to do the same, but Gates is just such a no-brainer. You just can't low ball him.
Absolutely. Gates was my choice then, and remains it now. I understand why he maybe wasn’t a fit previously, but he’s got more experience now…fingers crossed, tho not holding my breath because I still don’t think Knowlton has the stones to make a change.
I keep coming back to “what if” with Theo…what if Wyking wasn’t such a disaster that he got in a fistfight with Theo in Maui.
I also don't trust Knowlton, but really Knowlton's only going to do what the major donors want him to do and are willing to cut checks for. By any objective measure Fox should be gone. It's not even debatable. But this being Cal, who the . . . knows? I have heard Fox has charmed the donors, which is scary. I mean, if APR is all that matters, we should just cut costs and hire a counselor from the athletic study center to coach this team. Honestly, record and recruiting wise, they can't do much worse. And I still maintain that keeping Fox around for year four when you gave the previous black coach two years for slightly worse results doesn't smell right.
Great point.
While I'll argue the team may not look as historically inept under Fox as they did under Wyking, where they consistently looked both poorly coached and unprepared, statistically they are really not much better. Losses are losses, and while the team looks somewhat prepared, they are nonetheless still bad.
Worse yet, given Fox's track record, this is exactly what is to be expected...
I would absolutely love to see what a more dynamic offensive mind could do with a team that is legitimately 10-11 deep and has 6 guys that can hit a 3 (Grant, Jalen, Shepherd, Makale, Sam, KK), yet they don't seem to have any clue how to beat a zone defense.
Was it excellent defense or was it more a case that Cal is an offensively challenged team with a defense-first Head Coach and a scheme that relies on players to win one-on-one battles despite not having any guys who can do this?
This
And the latest bit of evidence that Vegas has either the prototype time machine from TimeCop or Biff Tannen's Sports Almanac....spread is 2, win by 2.
The strange thing about point spreads in basketball is a close game can either go down to a 2 point loss or a 8 point loss just depending on where the clock and score is because of fouling strategy
Today we didn’t foul early because Utah couldn’t run out the clock
If the clock and score was slightly different we would have had to start fouling earlier and if they hit their FTs could have won by a much larger margin
Ya, after watching Cal basketball for 40 years, I understand the fundamental principles of the close game and how certain late situations play out ;-) ;-)…the point about the score finishing right on the number yet again shows time travel IS possible tho, if you ask me…damn Vegas!!
This one changed with Celestine’s late contested 3, and the fact that Shepherd had a chance to win it with a very makeable straight on 3 at the buzzer was a surprise.
Unfortunately, the fact that he didn’t even draw iron wasn’t a surprise at all, as he pulled the same move at UNLV. Sigh.
They didn’t really miss AK22 today at all, as Lars gave them great minutes. That makes this loss even worse, IMHO.
I love the kids, but have zero faith in Fox to turn this program around. These be dark years, folks.
Kuany is technically a sophomore because of the COVID year right?
2K has always shown flashes. Now he’s putting it together.
I think he’s the best cal shot blocker in a decade and probably more
Kingsley ohkoro
He would be the other candidate but I think 2K still gets the award
Kingsley has the single season record for blocks at Cal, top 3 in career blocks at cal and is top 10 in conference history in career blocks. I don’t think it comes even close right now.
I wouldn’t argue against King. He certainly was a very good shot blocker and also changed a lot of shots
I didn’t know King was in the top 10 in conference history
On the other hand he played 4 full seasons at center
2K plays a different position, and no way I’m I saying he has the most blocks
Lars who is not a standout shot blocker probably has more than 2K
But skill-wise 2K has a lot of amazing blocks, some of which are in the awe-inspiring level
Sure but Kuany is in his third year and isn’t close to Kingsley’s numbers at all even on a Per40Min rate for career or season. It’s not close. Sure wings have flashier blocks than centers but that can’t be the basis of if he’s a better shot blocker. Heck even Marcus Lee had a year in his lone season here.
He still has 2 years, but can grad transfer after his 4th...
That would make Monty bowser a redshirt freshman next year. The sound of that feels promising.
Feel like he’s going to make an impact for years then right. 3rd year in the program but first year of eligibility.
It was a tough break for him to get hurt his Soph year...oftentimes that FR>>>>SO leap is a sizeable one.
Looked like off shep
Boy, wish Grant could consistently hit big 3's...
Lars with 16 and 8 + a block
Nice day for Lars....consistent production next year is going to be key!
I'll take his #'s since AK22 went down....7.7 ppg/5.3 rpg...you can live with that from him.
Fear that the Kelly injury excuse + the Oregon road sweep are going to buy Fox another year, but we've seen pretty much all we need to see, no?
Losing by 20 and losing by 8 is the same. You’re still losing. And statistically there isn’t a single stat you could say is improving. We’re the same offensively and defensively in 3 years. I’m so tired of hearing excuses for the wrong hire.
Every team has injuries. It’s part of a season. Being able to weather the storm and developing depth and recruits is on the coach. We don’t need to play the what if game. When the stats efficiency stats with Kelly and without don’t change that much.
That’s the whole point of this community esp with the writing staff. We have different ways to view the same game. And we want the diversity not just a single hive mind voice.
Lol. That’s not what I wrote.
We missed AK22 at Stanford...but Lars was fine this game... 16 & 8...I don’t think missing Kelly was that big today. 39% from the field, and 3-16 from 3, with 14 turnovers was a big reason. Fox playing Alajiki only 6 minutes despite his defensive intensity and effort is another reason...wouldn’t be surprised if Sam ends up in the portal, tho ND Okafor is his buddy...
Even without him, Bob, Cal should’ve beaten this Utah team at home.
A run?
Wouldn’t mind just hiring Jeff van gundy purely for the name
Getting points currently a challenge!
Brown making some plays
We need to hit some of those open 3s
We need to regroup and win the 2nd half
If that 3 beat the buzzer it would have been a lift going into halftime , but…
Get their center in foul trouble
Celestine doing a good job defending gach
Good to see Grant hit a three, and then drive and score inside
Sam is really active on defense
Can guard 4 positions.
Hear ye, hear ye, as I pound the gavel! ;-)
I'm in Vegas. Utah is favored by 2.5. I bet a $20 parlay of Cal and Colorado (also getting 2.5) to beat Stanford. Both feel like weird lines.
We beat the spread!