Cal, the Golden Bears, are the favorites to win one of the power conferences in NCAA Division I.
It should come as no surprise that the Golden Bears thoroughly dominated the Wildcats in an exhibition contest at Haas Thursday night. The final score was 84-42, and the Golden Bears led by as many as 45 points after a sluggish start that saw the teams tied at 9 apiece seven minutes into the contest.
Asked after the game if he'd learned anything about his team, Cal coach Mike Montgomery was typically pithy. "No. We know what we're about. It's good to play a lot of people, with officials and a crowd. Chico did a nice job, played hard, forced us out of some things. We have things to work on, we knew that coming in."
The Bears were not crisp on offense, as expected this early in the season. They played a lot of man-to-man defense, they did a nice job of boxing out on rebounds, and of letting their height advantage and athletic ability cover for the times when they failed to box out. Cal snared almost as many of the Wildcats' missed shots as Chico did, 17 vs. 18. If they could average half that many offensive boards all season, there will be a lot of post-game smiles.
Cal is more athletic than Chico State. Almost every player on Cal's team is more athletic than anyone on Chico State. Some of the band members and most of the Cal dance team are at least as athletic as most players on Chico State. It's hard to take much learning away from a game like this, but here's what seemed apparent:
The Wildcats played hard, were not intimidated by the reported crowd of 7,453, half of whom thought it was still Halloween and showed up disguised as empty seats, and then did not quit, even down 45 points. However, they don't have the talent to compete with Cal, and they missed a lot of shots. Many of them open looks. They missed 40 shots in all, making 16 of 56. Do not make the mistake of crediting that to great defense by Cal, although the Golden Bears did play with a lot of intensity of their own.
Cal can win games against lesser opponents without living from beyond the arc. The Bears were 4-for-8 from three-point range for the entire contest. Don't think this means they have become an inside-out team; they haven't. Again, Montgomery's explanation: "Chico pressured, their perimeter guys were quick, got up into us and forced us to do some different things with pressure. We have to be able to handle that and still do the things we want to. I think generally we would shoot more than eight three-point shots."
Bak Bak is not ready for prime time. He will undoubtedly be red-shirted while the coaching and training staff install some groceries on the almost rail-thin Sudanese native. He's got some court presence, and can play the game, but he needs development and polish to play it at the level Cal aspires to.
Max Zhang still looks a little uncomfortable on the floor, as though the game were going a little bit too fast for him. It's not that he's slow in his play, it's just that he's not yet to the point where he can see and understand all in one glance. He played 15 minutes, contributed four rebounds and three blocks, and if he could do that on a regular basis, all will be well. Senior forward Patrick Christopher said, "Max just needs to get out there, alter and block shots and rebound, get his confidence." Great minds, and all that.
Markhuri Sanders-Frison
Photo: International Sports Images
Markhuri Sanders-Frison has the look of a player. In my colleague Jeff Faraudo's notes from the intra-squad scrimmage, he said that a friend pointed out that MS-F "looks like Darryl Dawkins." For those of you old enough to remember Chocolate Thunder, be prepared for a spooky experience, because the physical resemblance is uncanny. Sanders-Frison is broad-shouldered, barrel-chested, and can run the floor.
Jerome Randle had this to say about his new teammate: "Markhuri is a big body in the hole, a great defender, boxes out on rebounds." Christopher was a little more loquacious, along the same lines: "Markhuri - his presence on the floor - he's very vocal. He wants it, you can see it in his eyes. It's a great addition to our team."
Jerome Randle, a candidate for the Wooden Award and named as among the top four point guards in the nation, is everything you would expect a senior to be. He leads the team, he speaks for the team, he speaks to the team, he runs the floor, and, as befits a senior who's seen a lot from officials, he shuts his mouth at the right time and plays through those occasional whistles that make you go, "what did he just call?" He will be a delight to watch all year.
Patrick Christopher is ready, and listening to him, you get the sense he's actually glad the target is painted on Cal for a change. He's mighty glad to be the favorite for a change, and he looks up to the challenge it presents.
Theo Robertson looks healthy and will be a weapon. This team will score points.
Jorge Gutierrez got better over the summer, but didn't lose any of his intensity, his desire to make plays all the time, or his nose for the ball. He's not 100%, not even close, and in the waning 80 seconds of the game, he twisted an ankle and left the floor, but teammates and coach all quoted the company line that Gutierrez was fine. Randle's spot diagnosis was different from Montgomery's, but not markedly so. "Jorge is OK - I think he caught a cramp in his foot," said the point guard, while Montgomery just said "Jorge twisted his ankle a little bit." He will be a key to the defense, and brings an almost incalculable energy into the game when he checks in.
Nikola Knezevich can be a contributor this year. In 12 minutes he posted six points on 2-for-3 from the floor and a perfect 2-for-2 from the line, snared three rebounds, and added a steal. Depth is a nice thing to have, and he provides some.
D.J. Seeley looked confident in his 14 minutes, running the floor well, getting six points, a rebound and dishing a pair of dimes.
Omondi Amoke played a very solid 14 minutes, scoring nine points and gathering six boards.
Jamal Boykin: Isn't it odd how he consistently gets overlooked, even though he had the vast majority of double-doubles posted by the entire Cal squad last year?
Boykin had 10 rebounds at halftime, and wound up with 12 boards and eight points in 18 minutes. He's a solid, reliable player, the sort who can help a good team become a great team.
Brandon Smith played 17 minutes and looked good for a true freshman. Four points, three assists and a rebound, zero turnovers. What more could you want from a backup point guard? Dish the ball, control the game, hang on to the rock.
Murray State's Racers show up Monday evening in the first of two preliminary-round games in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. As a host team, the Bears also get to take an important early road trip, heading to New York City to play Syracuse, and then the winner of North Carolina/Ohio State. Each of those 4 games will be televised by a channel of the ESPN family, so the Bears will have national exposure and be tested by at least two outstanding programs, but first they have to take care of business against Murray State and then Detroit Wednesday night.
Randle demonstrated that senior wisdom in talking about the New York trip. "If you look ahead, you are setting yourself up for an upset. We need to focus on Murray State, and on Detroit. New York is coming up, and it will be a big experience for us all. We get past the first two games, we can worry about Syracuse."
