Your vivid descriptions made that game come stressfully alive again ending in such a euphoric finish ! If this trajectory continues, maybe what is happening at Cal combining 8 new players blending together more and more each game with a only a first year coaching staff will turn out to be one of the greatest sports stories of the year!
I was planning on going – would be first game of the year, even tho season-ticket holder since '87(?) – but friend got sick. and recruiting a last-minute replacement isn't that easy!
I see that UCLA is a mid-pm game. Maybe I can bring my daughter to it...
What a lovely piece to read this morning, and I feel so kindred with you. Well said and Go Bears! Let's seriously hope that far better days are in front of us. At the very least, Cal basketball is once again required watching.
Great things are in store for this program…my Cal hoops season tix lasted from Braun’s second season in ‘97 to the ‘05/‘06 campaign, when Haas was routinely rocking. Let’s get back to that…we’re on our way.
Regardless of the fact that getting into some kind of post season action is still a longshot, it is safe to say the season has already been a success. The energy of old has returned. But a new vibe was also present. Haas doesn’t bounce like Harmon used to but it’s important to create new traditions. Favorite moments in no particular order: shooting flames, the wave, the massive banner over courtside student section, DJ bringing fresh sounds, the Straw hat band
Bringing their A game, and Keonte quieting the crowd when the crowd thought that a rousing Stanford sucks was appropriate as we were about to shoot some free throws.
There is no doubt we were all happy with the outcome, but if we had hit half of our 10 missed free throws, it would have saved all of us heart patients the trauma.
Cal was only 1 FT short of their season average, which is pretty close to the national average - the main frustration is that Stanford was darn near perfect!
Nicely said Nick. It definitely felt like a watershed game. Although Madsen has been resolute in his messaging about restoring the roar at Haas, I'd be lying if there haven't been moments where I've had my own doubts about whether the Cal administration hadn't completely bled out any potential enthusiasm for the program. Excited to see Madsen's vision and his and the kids' and staff's hard work start to get acknowledged.
Yeah, I worry about whether we can get this kind of atmosphere if we don't have a big name or a rival in the building, but on the other hand it's not too hard to get 10,000 Cal fans to show up when the product is good (like in 2016) and I think there's a pretty good chance that Madsen, given time to build, will give us a good product.
Pretty wild that we are 9-13 and yet are able to sellout a mid-week game against a 9-13 opponent. Bronny's a name, but it's USC basketball after all. Not the game you write "must attend" on your calendar every year. Just shows that there is and has always been an appetite for a non-comatose version of Cal basketball, and that you may be able to reach seemingly lofty goals if you actually set them for yourself.
Celestine was very mad at himself at letting Reynaud get behind him at the end of the game - were super lucky he travelled.
In the Angel/Newell foul - it took super slow motion but I thought it was pretty obvious that Angel elbowed Grant’s shoulder and Grant threw back his chin like he took a shot to the face. But on the other hand I hate using replay there - just trust the refs and keep the call as it was on the floor.
Huge win to get down the stretch without Jaylon Tyson. Celestine muscling to the rim then hitting the step back two - I would like to see him take up more possessions.
Getting a big game from both Newell and Celestine felt important to me - the idea that Madsen is getting more out of the guys that he inherited and isn't just relying on transfers to build his team.
I'm not a basketball guy, but while the contact to the "above the shoulders" area wasn't there, it looked SO INTENTIONAL that Angel was going to teach him a lesson, and mere luck he didn't connect. I'd have called a foul as if he'd tried to throw a mis-guided punch. I told you I'm not a basketball guy....... : )
Newell's mistake was getting so close, Angel's knee was popping out between his legs. At that point, he's not giving Angel room to do anything, hence the foul. If he were like a step back, Angel gets hit with the foul for that swing.
Yeah - swinging the elbows is an offensive foul but being in the players cylinder - at least in the refs view - takes precedent over the elbow especially since the elbow didn’t actually connect.
This one and the WSU game were the antithesis of the outcomes in Capistrano, where I saw the Bears blow a late lead to Tulane and then they nearly upset SDSU in overtime. Glad to see the flip side of all that.
Yeah, the analytical part of my brain says that this current team would have won another 3-4 games from earlier in the season when they weren't healthy and hadn't gelled yet, but another irrational part of my brain is happy that we're winning the close games now against Stanford and Colorado and Wazzu and we didn't waste our close game luck against UTEP.
I haven't been able to really follow the games because they seem to never be on tv, but it looks like this team has been unlucky. They're 1-5 in games decided by 1-3 points and 1-2 in overtime, which was 0-5 and 0-2 before the Wazzu game.
On KenPom's luck index (which really doesn't measure *luck* but is the deviation between our expected record based on metrics vs. our actual record. For a long stretch of the season we've been below 250 (out of 264 NCAA teams)
Don’t forget UTEP. This season really felt like it was very close to going off the rails after that trip. But the team stuck together, one heartbreaker after another. And despite having perhaps unreasonably high hopes and having some of those goals dashed quite early on. But you can tell this team feels like it has a chance to do something special still with the rest of the season.
All we need to do is win the Pac-12 tourney. Which is oddly achievable, as long as we can rely on Arizona losing to another random team. Which it seems like we can.
Nice job, Nick. Well written.
And then some!
Another GREAT write up !
Your vivid descriptions made that game come stressfully alive again ending in such a euphoric finish ! If this trajectory continues, maybe what is happening at Cal combining 8 new players blending together more and more each game with a only a first year coaching staff will turn out to be one of the greatest sports stories of the year!
I’m hoping for great heights still to come.
This was my first game since probably 2021. Night and day between the atmosphere. Makes me want to buy season tickets next year.
Thanks Nick,
You are a treasure.
I’d take your advice and be there for those remaining home games but the drive from NC is too much these days : )
it's these types of articles that keep me paying for the membership. You Da' Man, Nick.
A great review! I listened to the game In L.A. and one could feel the energy coming through the speakers!!!!
I was planning on going – would be first game of the year, even tho season-ticket holder since '87(?) – but friend got sick. and recruiting a last-minute replacement isn't that easy!
I see that UCLA is a mid-pm game. Maybe I can bring my daughter to it...
What a lovely piece to read this morning, and I feel so kindred with you. Well said and Go Bears! Let's seriously hope that far better days are in front of us. At the very least, Cal basketball is once again required watching.
Nice work Nick.
Great things are in store for this program…my Cal hoops season tix lasted from Braun’s second season in ‘97 to the ‘05/‘06 campaign, when Haas was routinely rocking. Let’s get back to that…we’re on our way.
Regardless of the fact that getting into some kind of post season action is still a longshot, it is safe to say the season has already been a success. The energy of old has returned. But a new vibe was also present. Haas doesn’t bounce like Harmon used to but it’s important to create new traditions. Favorite moments in no particular order: shooting flames, the wave, the massive banner over courtside student section, DJ bringing fresh sounds, the Straw hat band
Bringing their A game, and Keonte quieting the crowd when the crowd thought that a rousing Stanford sucks was appropriate as we were about to shoot some free throws.
This is Bear Territory once again.
Nothing bounces like Harmon. That gym had a 2.5 WAR.
There is no doubt we were all happy with the outcome, but if we had hit half of our 10 missed free throws, it would have saved all of us heart patients the trauma.
Cal was only 1 FT short of their season average, which is pretty close to the national average - the main frustration is that Stanford was darn near perfect!
No (trauma) pain, no gain!
Nicely said Nick. It definitely felt like a watershed game. Although Madsen has been resolute in his messaging about restoring the roar at Haas, I'd be lying if there haven't been moments where I've had my own doubts about whether the Cal administration hadn't completely bled out any potential enthusiasm for the program. Excited to see Madsen's vision and his and the kids' and staff's hard work start to get acknowledged.
Yeah, I worry about whether we can get this kind of atmosphere if we don't have a big name or a rival in the building, but on the other hand it's not too hard to get 10,000 Cal fans to show up when the product is good (like in 2016) and I think there's a pretty good chance that Madsen, given time to build, will give us a good product.
Pretty wild that we are 9-13 and yet are able to sellout a mid-week game against a 9-13 opponent. Bronny's a name, but it's USC basketball after all. Not the game you write "must attend" on your calendar every year. Just shows that there is and has always been an appetite for a non-comatose version of Cal basketball, and that you may be able to reach seemingly lofty goals if you actually set them for yourself.
You know it,
You tell the story,
You tell the whole damn world this is Bear Territory!!
All the Jalens get confusing down the stretch!
Celestine was very mad at himself at letting Reynaud get behind him at the end of the game - were super lucky he travelled.
In the Angel/Newell foul - it took super slow motion but I thought it was pretty obvious that Angel elbowed Grant’s shoulder and Grant threw back his chin like he took a shot to the face. But on the other hand I hate using replay there - just trust the refs and keep the call as it was on the floor.
Huge win to get down the stretch without Jaylon Tyson. Celestine muscling to the rim then hitting the step back two - I would like to see him take up more possessions.
Getting a big game from both Newell and Celestine felt important to me - the idea that Madsen is getting more out of the guys that he inherited and isn't just relying on transfers to build his team.
I'm not a basketball guy, but while the contact to the "above the shoulders" area wasn't there, it looked SO INTENTIONAL that Angel was going to teach him a lesson, and mere luck he didn't connect. I'd have called a foul as if he'd tried to throw a mis-guided punch. I told you I'm not a basketball guy....... : )
Newell's mistake was getting so close, Angel's knee was popping out between his legs. At that point, he's not giving Angel room to do anything, hence the foul. If he were like a step back, Angel gets hit with the foul for that swing.
Yeah - swinging the elbows is an offensive foul but being in the players cylinder - at least in the refs view - takes precedent over the elbow especially since the elbow didn’t actually connect.
GO BEARS!
This one and the WSU game were the antithesis of the outcomes in Capistrano, where I saw the Bears blow a late lead to Tulane and then they nearly upset SDSU in overtime. Glad to see the flip side of all that.
Yeah, the analytical part of my brain says that this current team would have won another 3-4 games from earlier in the season when they weren't healthy and hadn't gelled yet, but another irrational part of my brain is happy that we're winning the close games now against Stanford and Colorado and Wazzu and we didn't waste our close game luck against UTEP.
I haven't been able to really follow the games because they seem to never be on tv, but it looks like this team has been unlucky. They're 1-5 in games decided by 1-3 points and 1-2 in overtime, which was 0-5 and 0-2 before the Wazzu game.
On KenPom's luck index (which really doesn't measure *luck* but is the deviation between our expected record based on metrics vs. our actual record. For a long stretch of the season we've been below 250 (out of 264 NCAA teams)
Don’t forget UTEP. This season really felt like it was very close to going off the rails after that trip. But the team stuck together, one heartbreaker after another. And despite having perhaps unreasonably high hopes and having some of those goals dashed quite early on. But you can tell this team feels like it has a chance to do something special still with the rest of the season.
All we need to do is win the Pac-12 tourney. Which is oddly achievable, as long as we can rely on Arizona losing to another random team. Which it seems like we can.
It's as wide open as it's ever been. Get hot when it matters.
I'm sure nobody in the Pac wants to play us. Plucky team starting to gel with a shitty RPI.
Also the conference just sucks at basketball this year. So everyone should be scared of everyone.
Agreed.