Well, after TCU's buzzer beater basically ASU is out and just the Baby Bears are left from the conference. So those who like to squawk about the weakness of the Pac-12 will have a heyday.
Whoever the grid club wants is who we’ll get. I still think it’ll be Pasternack. Didn’t get to watch today’s game. How much do you take away from that?
I have been soliciting input from a variety of our stakeholders to help us pinpoint exactly what we are looking for in the next leader of our men’s basketball program, and I am confident we will find a new coach with the qualities to bring our team back where it belongs – consistently contending for postseason appearances while excelling in the classroom and engaging with our community. This will be a new day for Cal men’s basketball!
Talk about being completely out of touch with things.
I really have a hard time seeing a path to anything more than marginal success in the revenue sports so long as Christ and Knowlton are in charge. It’s not necessarily their fault, but they really have no clue about athletics.
Christ is fine if she had someone other than Knowlton. In a perfect world, she shouldn't have to concern herself with athletics. She should just be helping him develop priorities and goals for the program, helping him resource those, and help with fundraising. But she hired this guy and he is failing in every visible respect with the exception of the bottom line, which has mostly been accomplished as a result of a bailout from campus.
I think they played pretty well…Baylor got hot in 2H from 3, coupled with the Gauchos turning the ball over. The broadcasters made a point to mention multiple times that UCSB does not shoot a lot of 3’s…not sure I like that about Joe, TBH.
Agreed that JP is the most logical, especially if he’s the donor pick. Again, this time last year, I would have been meh on Pencilneck, though it’s amazing how 3-29 changes your perspective. I guess I’m fine with him now, if for no other reason than he’s NOT Tim Miles.
Honestly, the bigger issue will be if Cal and the donors give the HC some NIL authority, as has been rumored…
I assume the donors will rein him in this time. Where was this urgency four years ago, or better, last year? Passing on Gates is our Bowie over Jordan, our Bagley over Luka.
Listening to Amir at the half and post-game...very inspirational and can see why recruits would want to play and run through a wall for him! Could also see Shareef encouraging players to play at Cal like Jaylen! Pasternack...not so much!
Amir Abdur-Rahim just priced himself out of Cal's range with that first half. Good for him if you are a competent coach you probably want to be as far away from Cal as possible
Meh...if the reports that Cal is doubling the salary budget and giving the next head coach major NIL authority are in fact true, then he's absolutely not out of the price range and Cal is suddenly not nearly as bad of a job as some claim. A bigger issue is that he has zero experience with anything in the Pacific Time Zone.
If none of these improvements are made at Cal and it's more of the same, then yeah, it's a tough gig. But IMO, the donors are going to reign Knowlton in, be much more involved and the way that Cal has done business the past 6-7 years will be a thing of the past. The money folks have seen enough.
Hey, I get it...I'm just as skeptical, and am as down on Knowlton as f-ing anyone. Cal is such a bureaucratic disaster, and Knowlton such a boob, that any meaningful change will HAVE to come from the donors, of which there are plenty.
That's literally our only hope, but I do know that there are wealthy donors that are fed up, FWIW...they were irritated after the Fox hire. No one expects Cal to compete for Final 4's...but the money folks also know you can't be the worst team in the Conference, let alone the country.
Odom went down yesterday, Pasternack and Abdur-Rahim lost, and if Montana State loses to K-State, Danny Sprinkle will be 'available' as well...hopefully things pick up in the next few days and a decision is made quickly because the portal is open.
Well, it's a pattern of behavior by the Conference, putting winning over all else...Alabama's Brandon Miller bringing his buddy the gun that was used in a capital murder case, Chris Beard, etc.
Agreed, CB. Rough for the Conference, but it’s not as if the success from last year translated to more bids. I mean, the B1G annually schitts the bed but still gets 8-9 bids every year.
I will say, after attending both FB and hoops games in Tucson, from my experience, U of A has possibly the most obnoxious fanbase in the P12, at least outside of the CA schools…Furd, SC & UCLA are pretty awful ;-)
I've been to basketball games at most every venue in the Pac. I agree the Tucson fans are rather over the top. I try not to judge much as every fan base can have bad actors. I will say that clearly the most raucous game and fans I've ever personally witnessed was an Oregon State game in Corvallis when they beat then #1 Arizona. That arena is a PNW classic wooden beast, and I swear the place was cacophonic and trembling down to the foundations.
FAU TO THE ELITE 8
GONZAGA AT THE BUZZER VS UCLA
KSU and MSU in OT!
Kansas State and Michigan State is high level basketball. 43-38 KSU at half
Kansas State vs Michigan State from MSG in the Sweet 16 now!
Death. Taxes. Tom Izzo in March.
Michigan State downs Marquette!
K2 in the portal
PRINCETON takes down Dennis Gates and Mizzou and they are IN THE SWEET 16!
Not your typical Princeton offense & don't remember them ever having a player like Evbuomwan who Zona was doubling...he's legit!
ARKANSAS DEFEATS DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPS #1 KANSAS
Musselman...sigh
Princeton 33 Mizzou 26 at halftime
Matt Bradley and SDSU to the Sweet 16
Painful whenever I hear, "Cal transfer" during the games and all the highlights! But def rooting for the kid & SDSU...the future PAC member!
Well, after TCU's buzzer beater basically ASU is out and just the Baby Bears are left from the conference. So those who like to squawk about the weakness of the Pac-12 will have a heyday.
FAU/Memphis is fun as hell.
Great play call at the end.
Amir Abdur Rahim with Jerome Randle as an assistant. I would take that all day long.
Cal hoops would be like if Hoosiers and Ted Lasso had a baby.
Drake....talk about a choke job. Disgusting night from he MVC POY Tucker Devries. Boo...kid should just go straight to the hotel.
16 SEED FARLEIGH DICKINSON DEFEATS 1 SEED PURDUE. THIS IS MARCH. WELCOME TO THE MADNESS.
Painter’s struggles continue…
he's really bad in March
I hope Jerome knows how to interview well: https://www.si.com/college/cal/basketball/jerome-on-cal
PURDUE ON THE ROPES
FARLEIGH DICKINSON 54 PURDUE 53, 3:07 LEFT
GET TO TNT
#16 Farleigh Dickinson 32 #1 Purdue 31 at halftime
Purdue looks like Cal right now. Shaky as all hell.
Zach Edey is 100 feet tall
St.Mary's moving on to the round of 32 despite Aidan Mahaney scoring 0 points
St Mary’s/UCONN is gonna be great game.
agreed
Anyone else F-ING terrified that Knowlton is waiting until San Jose State plays tomorrow to hire Tim Miles?
I am...
I mean, he can't right? He can't hire Mark Fox 2.0, can he?
You bet he can.
Whoever the grid club wants is who we’ll get. I still think it’ll be Pasternack. Didn’t get to watch today’s game. How much do you take away from that?
From Knowlton's bulk email: bit.ly/3FywPim
I have been soliciting input from a variety of our stakeholders to help us pinpoint exactly what we are looking for in the next leader of our men’s basketball program, and I am confident we will find a new coach with the qualities to bring our team back where it belongs – consistently contending for postseason appearances while excelling in the classroom and engaging with our community. This will be a new day for Cal men’s basketball!
Princeton is showing you can win and have top flight academics. We should be in the tourney at least half of the time.
Right?! Princeton, N'Western, UCLA. Big time athletics and academic success do not need to be incongruous.
Dude is an absolute buffoon. At least pay lip service to competing for championships.
Seriously, does he have anyone from media relations look over this stuff?
Talk about being completely out of touch with things.
I really have a hard time seeing a path to anything more than marginal success in the revenue sports so long as Christ and Knowlton are in charge. It’s not necessarily their fault, but they really have no clue about athletics.
Christ is fine if she had someone other than Knowlton. In a perfect world, she shouldn't have to concern herself with athletics. She should just be helping him develop priorities and goals for the program, helping him resource those, and help with fundraising. But she hired this guy and he is failing in every visible respect with the exception of the bottom line, which has mostly been accomplished as a result of a bailout from campus.
That’s a good point. He really is brutal.
I think they played pretty well…Baylor got hot in 2H from 3, coupled with the Gauchos turning the ball over. The broadcasters made a point to mention multiple times that UCSB does not shoot a lot of 3’s…not sure I like that about Joe, TBH.
Agreed that JP is the most logical, especially if he’s the donor pick. Again, this time last year, I would have been meh on Pencilneck, though it’s amazing how 3-29 changes your perspective. I guess I’m fine with him now, if for no other reason than he’s NOT Tim Miles.
Honestly, the bigger issue will be if Cal and the donors give the HC some NIL authority, as has been rumored…
i'm skeptical Knowlton goes that far
I assume the donors will rein him in this time. Where was this urgency four years ago, or better, last year? Passing on Gates is our Bowie over Jordan, our Bagley over Luka.
I do tend to agree...just really wish I had more confidence in saying so.
Listening to Amir at the half and post-game...very inspirational and can see why recruits would want to play and run through a wall for him! Could also see Shareef encouraging players to play at Cal like Jaylen! Pasternack...not so much!
Saw that, and I'm so far in on the guy as a result. The anti-Mark Fox. Now neck and neck with Odom on my imaginary and useless Cal coaching board.
PAC-12 is sucking wind so far, outside of UCLA. Only A-state is left besides those baby bears.
UCSB was up 1 at half, lost by 18 to Baylor
That was also very Fox-esque. The Baylor D stepped up in the 2nd half.
Xavier storming back for the lead
Kennesaw choooookkkkkeeeeeddddddd
massive choke
I can totally commiserate with that nearly 8 minute FG-drought...can't do that and win.
Kennesaw up 55-44
UCSB up on Baylor 36-35 at half
UCSB!
#14 Kennesaw State up by 7 on Xavier at half! UCSB tipping off against Baylor with Pasternak
Xavier running a masterclass in how to gag a game to a 14 seed. Colby Jones, especially.
Amir Abdur-Rahim just priced himself out of Cal's range with that first half. Good for him if you are a competent coach you probably want to be as far away from Cal as possible
Meh...if the reports that Cal is doubling the salary budget and giving the next head coach major NIL authority are in fact true, then he's absolutely not out of the price range and Cal is suddenly not nearly as bad of a job as some claim. A bigger issue is that he has zero experience with anything in the Pacific Time Zone.
If none of these improvements are made at Cal and it's more of the same, then yeah, it's a tough gig. But IMO, the donors are going to reign Knowlton in, be much more involved and the way that Cal has done business the past 6-7 years will be a thing of the past. The money folks have seen enough.
The thought that anything will fundamentally change with Cal athletics while Knowlton is AD seems very unlikely. But hope that I'm wrong
Hey, I get it...I'm just as skeptical, and am as down on Knowlton as f-ing anyone. Cal is such a bureaucratic disaster, and Knowlton such a boob, that any meaningful change will HAVE to come from the donors, of which there are plenty.
That's literally our only hope, but I do know that there are wealthy donors that are fed up, FWIW...they were irritated after the Fox hire. No one expects Cal to compete for Final 4's...but the money folks also know you can't be the worst team in the Conference, let alone the country.
Odom went down yesterday, Pasternack and Abdur-Rahim lost, and if Montana State loses to K-State, Danny Sprinkle will be 'available' as well...hopefully things pick up in the next few days and a decision is made quickly because the portal is open.
Ya...the SEC was always the most logical landing spot, given their laissez-faire attitude towards American society and it's laws. ;-)
Well, it's a pattern of behavior by the Conference, putting winning over all else...Alabama's Brandon Miller bringing his buddy the gun that was used in a capital murder case, Chris Beard, etc.
It's just a bad look.
Kennessaw is looking good...another upset in the making?
its intriguing
Nunge with a huge play. Kennesaw State with the major, Mark Fox-esque scoring drought that killed them.
Only getting to watch the late games. At least these Marriott ads are pretty tight! Oski is so damn charismatic! Swoon.
#1 Houston struggling with Northern Kentucky, 36-34 17 mins left second half. Marcus Sasser reaggravated his injury
15th seed beats 2nd seed. David beats Goliath.
...Tournament results are showing that teams not attracting 5 and 4 star recruits can be very competitive.
The sub 4 star level is Cal's recruiting area.
No matter who's coaching, the elite prospects shouldn't be expected to suddenly put Cal on their list.
... Also, results show that recent low single digit win teams can make huge leaps in a short time.
... Cal's new coach should be someone who can make the most out of Cal's realistic recruiting pool.
DOWN GOES ARIZONA
Always torn with them. Go Pac12, but love Arizona losing.
I wish Tommy Llyod wasn’t as likable.
Well, losing in the first round won't increase his stock in Tucson.
Seriously.
Sure, not all #15 v #2 upsets are the same, but I gotta say: I was really surprised at how U of A folded v. Princeton. That was brutal to watch.
Agreed, CB. Rough for the Conference, but it’s not as if the success from last year translated to more bids. I mean, the B1G annually schitts the bed but still gets 8-9 bids every year.
I will say, after attending both FB and hoops games in Tucson, from my experience, U of A has possibly the most obnoxious fanbase in the P12, at least outside of the CA schools…Furd, SC & UCLA are pretty awful ;-)
I've been to basketball games at most every venue in the Pac. I agree the Tucson fans are rather over the top. I try not to judge much as every fan base can have bad actors. I will say that clearly the most raucous game and fans I've ever personally witnessed was an Oregon State game in Corvallis when they beat then #1 Arizona. That arena is a PNW classic wooden beast, and I swear the place was cacophonic and trembling down to the foundations.
Just a horrific showing.
Get the F-ing ball to Tubelis.