Over the last several weeks, I have more or less been gushing about how good Cal men's basketball is going to be next season. With all the recruits that they've landed, why shouldn't I? But at the same time, while I am a passionate fan and proud Cal alum, I still try to write through the lens of a critical sports journalist who calls things as I see it, unfiltered, and without bias. I understand that my deep connection to UC Berkeley makes that impossible in one way, but all the same I can still strive to be as honest, candid, and open-minded as possible.
With that as a back drop for my post, I would like to talk about two things that I think will ultimately determine the fate of the 2015-16 Cal men's basketball team: Effort and consistency. The talent level on this team is that of a top-ten team. ESPN's Jeff Goodman ranked them #8 in the country in his latest preseason poll, so I'm not alone in believing this. But while the talent is there, it is no guarantee that this team lives up to expectations. As a matter of fact, for the past two seasons, the Cal men's basketball team has not lived up to their potential.
The 2013-14 team, which was captained by seniors Justin Cobbs and Richard Solomon, had the talent of an NCAA tournament team, but ultimately was done in by a lack of consistency. One night they were beating the #1 ranked team in the country and the next night they were losing at home to a team who they were favored to beat by double digits. The effort and product on the floor wasn't the same every night. Some nights it was great and other nights it really wasn't.
As for the 2014-15 team, they were even more up and down, though mostly down. They started off with a very strong 10-1 record, but then completely came unglued after the Wisconsin game, falling to CSU-Bakersfield at home and then losing six of their first seven games in the Pac-12. They appeared to then get back on the rails with a five-game winning streak in the middle of Pac-12 play, but in the end, they ran out of gas and floundered the rest of the season.
While it is true that the 2015-16 Cal men's basketball team is stacked with talent and is projected to be a force to be reckoned with in the Pac-12, we cannot ignore two previous seasons mired by inconsistency. Cal has had good teams the past couple of seasons but has stumbled due to a lack of focus and drive. If the 2015-16 squad suffers from the same lack of focus and consistency, they too will fail to live up to expectations.
At the end of the day, basketball is a sport where you have to earn respect and achieve success by performing well on the floor. Having a great roster and tons of talent is definitely nice, but it doesn't guarantee anything. At the moment, we need to remember that everything we are saying about the 2015-16 Cal men's basketball team is only a possibility and nothing actual. They still need to prove that in addition to having more talent, they have more mental fortitude and resolve as well.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA and Cal basketball news
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