This team is begging for impact freshmen, but we have none. And it’s unlikely we’ll have any next year either. In fact, we have a coach whose most distinguishing characteristic is his utter inability to win recruiting battles.
So this is where we are, and this is likely where we’ll stay, no matter how many years or decades we give this staff. Cal Basketball is irrelevant, and it’s continued irrelevance was sealed when Knowlton chose a known quantity to lead the program.
I honestly am still pulling and praying for Fox to turn it around. But I’ve seen nothing so far to say that’s the case. Fox’s PEAK season at Georgia was a NCAA appearance. If that’s what we get when ALL THE STARS align for us. That’s a terrible standard and expectation for our program.
Fox’s thing is coaching defense. And while I love the change in offensive mentality and direction, the defense has suffered and regressed TERRIBLY under a HC that prides himself on defense despite actually getting more athletic and experienced in the rotation.
On the recruiting front: Wyking’s recruited more 4-stars in 2 years than Fox did in 10 years at Georgia.
Not something I’d be optimistic about improving anytime soon.
Defensive side of the ball is where you would expect and hope to see the first signs of growth for a program that doesn't have a lot of talent to start with. Increased effort, technique and scheme can really be the quickest route towards more success. Considering this the area that Fox is supposed to excel in makes not seeing any growth here yet discouraging. I'm not sure we've raised the ceiling or the bottom for this program much, if at all.
We could legit go winless in conference play. It’s defn possible the way we play. And that would be worse than any of wyking’s two seasons here. If we do end the season that way. Idk how you can not consider moving on. Atleast that would mean the AD understands he made the wrong hire and is taking ownership of it instead of praying that it turns around in one summer.
Hate to say it but we better give Fox 3-4 years to recruit and build his team. It sucks to have us be so bad, but we lack talent and leadership. This team would lose easily to every team of the Monty era. Not all of that is coaching, though some is. I always ask myself if you replaced the current coach with Pete Newell or Monty or pick your Hall of Famer, would the team be much better? During Wyking, the answer was obviously YES. Now, it is sort of MEH. Fox is not a Hall of Famer, but neither is his team strong with talent or leadership. So we have to sit back and wait a few years. By 2023 or 4 we will make a decision.
Yeah, but Knowlton didn't have to double-down with an uninspiring hire either. Nothing about Fox's resume exactly screams that he is the man to bring us back to any relevancy.
Is too early in the Fox era to start to ask where this program is going? Clearly we're not making a leap this year, and I don't see potential for any meaningful leap between this year and next year either. Fox track record shows he's a middling recruiter who brings a solid defensive philosophy. To be successful like that though, you really need to be DOMINANT defensively. But we're not even good yet defensively--and that's generally the first area where you would expect and hope to see a program make strong gains out of the gate.
Only solution would be a few Jared Goff-type 4-5* recruits ("I'm playing for Cal no matter what") to raise the talent level. Otherwise, get (stay?) used to it.
You can win several ways. Montgomery and Braun won by developing undervalued guys like Ryan Anderson, Julius Randle and Jorge. Cuonzo brought blue chips near (Rabb) and far (Jaylen). I don't expect this program to pick up big local or national prospects again until we show we're headed upwards. At this point not enough kids in the Bay Area even know Cal basketball exists.
Matt is undoubtedly the best player on the team and his loss is difficult to overcome, but make no mistake: We're still probably the worst team in the conference with or w/o him.
This team is begging for impact freshmen, but we have none. And it’s unlikely we’ll have any next year either. In fact, we have a coach whose most distinguishing characteristic is his utter inability to win recruiting battles.
So this is where we are, and this is likely where we’ll stay, no matter how many years or decades we give this staff. Cal Basketball is irrelevant, and it’s continued irrelevance was sealed when Knowlton chose a known quantity to lead the program.
I honestly am still pulling and praying for Fox to turn it around. But I’ve seen nothing so far to say that’s the case. Fox’s PEAK season at Georgia was a NCAA appearance. If that’s what we get when ALL THE STARS align for us. That’s a terrible standard and expectation for our program.
Fox’s thing is coaching defense. And while I love the change in offensive mentality and direction, the defense has suffered and regressed TERRIBLY under a HC that prides himself on defense despite actually getting more athletic and experienced in the rotation.
On the recruiting front: Wyking’s recruited more 4-stars in 2 years than Fox did in 10 years at Georgia.
Not something I’d be optimistic about improving anytime soon.
Defensive side of the ball is where you would expect and hope to see the first signs of growth for a program that doesn't have a lot of talent to start with. Increased effort, technique and scheme can really be the quickest route towards more success. Considering this the area that Fox is supposed to excel in makes not seeing any growth here yet discouraging. I'm not sure we've raised the ceiling or the bottom for this program much, if at all.
We could legit go winless in conference play. It’s defn possible the way we play. And that would be worse than any of wyking’s two seasons here. If we do end the season that way. Idk how you can not consider moving on. Atleast that would mean the AD understands he made the wrong hire and is taking ownership of it instead of praying that it turns around in one summer.
Hate to say it but we better give Fox 3-4 years to recruit and build his team. It sucks to have us be so bad, but we lack talent and leadership. This team would lose easily to every team of the Monty era. Not all of that is coaching, though some is. I always ask myself if you replaced the current coach with Pete Newell or Monty or pick your Hall of Famer, would the team be much better? During Wyking, the answer was obviously YES. Now, it is sort of MEH. Fox is not a Hall of Famer, but neither is his team strong with talent or leadership. So we have to sit back and wait a few years. By 2023 or 4 we will make a decision.
Yes it will take a few years to make a comeback, but hopefully we will...
Wyking Jones, and Mike Williams the AD, almost irreparably fucked Cal's basketball program.
Yeah, but Knowlton didn't have to double-down with an uninspiring hire either. Nothing about Fox's resume exactly screams that he is the man to bring us back to any relevancy.
Yep. Set the program back years.
Wyking damage to Cal basketball = Trump damage to democracy (relatively speaking)
Is too early in the Fox era to start to ask where this program is going? Clearly we're not making a leap this year, and I don't see potential for any meaningful leap between this year and next year either. Fox track record shows he's a middling recruiter who brings a solid defensive philosophy. To be successful like that though, you really need to be DOMINANT defensively. But we're not even good yet defensively--and that's generally the first area where you would expect and hope to see a program make strong gains out of the gate.
Only solution would be a few Jared Goff-type 4-5* recruits ("I'm playing for Cal no matter what") to raise the talent level. Otherwise, get (stay?) used to it.
You can win several ways. Montgomery and Braun won by developing undervalued guys like Ryan Anderson, Julius Randle and Jorge. Cuonzo brought blue chips near (Rabb) and far (Jaylen). I don't expect this program to pick up big local or national prospects again until we show we're headed upwards. At this point not enough kids in the Bay Area even know Cal basketball exists.
Matt is undoubtedly the best player on the team and his loss is difficult to overcome, but make no mistake: We're still probably the worst team in the conference with or w/o him.
Jury is out until we play UW, but probably true.