Before my current position as publisher of CardinalSportsReport.com, covering all things Stanford for the Rivals network, I covered Cal basketball for GoldenBearReport.com, Rivals' Cal affiliate site. My first season covering Cal was Jaylen Brown's freshman year, giving me a chance to cover him up close. I got to watch him practice when he first got to Berkeley, I got to be in attendance for his first media session all the way through his final game in the NCAA tournament, in which Cal got upset by Hawaii as a #4 seed in their region.
Being totally honest, I was a bit surprised Brown went #3 overall to the Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA Draft after just one year at Cal. Not because I didn't think he had the talent. The talent was obviously there. But just because he seemed to still have a lot of growth and maturation to undergo. I just wasn't certain if he was going to become an NBA All-Star level talent. My doubts have certainly been quieted and Brown has established himself as one of the top players in the NBA, playing a major role on a Celtics team that finds themselves tied 2-2 in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, the best team of this generation.
In his freshman year at Cal, Brown averaged 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 3.1 turnovers per game in 27.6 minutes per game. He shot 43.1% from the field, 29.4% from 3-point range, and 65.4% from the foul line. This past season with the Celtics, his 6th season in the NBA, Brown averaged 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 2.7 turnovers per game in 33.6 minutes per game. He shot 47.3% from the field, 35.8% from 3-point range, and 75.8% from the foul line.
When looking at his numbers, what really jumps out is how much better of a shooter Brown has become. At Cal, he was not a reliable 3-point shooter or foul shooter. Now, the interesting thing is when watching him in practice at Cal, it looked like he couldn't miss. So, I think a lot of this comes down to just getting more comfortable and confident in game situations. He was a good shooter back at Cal. He just didn't have the confidence yet.
Now, he has found out how to translate his excellent in-practice shooting to the game and that has really been the biggest difference. That may sound like a small thing to figure out, but there are so many guys who look good in practice but for whatever reason cannot put it together in the game. The fact that Brown has figured this out is huge and no small feat.
Brown always had the physical tools to be an elite NBA player. That was obvious when he was at Cal. Look up his dunk against Oregon State. It remains one of the most amazing dunks I've seen college or pro. It was just a matter of him figuring out how to become a better overall player and polishing his game. The rate at which he has polished his game and honed his craft is what makes his evolution so incredible.
In addition to evolving as a basketball player, Brown has evolved as a person as well. At Cal, he was very quiet, reserved, and thoughtful. He also was very bright and articulate. One of the brightest athletes I've ever covered. With the Celtics, he has learned how to channel his intelligence and thoughtfulness into championing causes for social justice and being a voice for his people back in the Atlanta, Georgia area. He certainly is a guy who has big plans for himself outside of the game of basketball.
In closing, I just want to quickly say it has been a lot of fun watching Jaylen Brown evolve from his first days in Berkeley to an All-Star playing for the Boston Celtics on basketball's biggest stage. It's fun to reflect on my times interviewing him and talking with him after games and practices and just seeing how far he has come. Even more fun is to think about how much farther he will go in the coming years both on and off the court.
One of the more interesting things to think about
when it comes to the 2015-16 Cal men's basketball team is how much room there
is for all the players to showcase their abilities. Tyrone Wallace is the
senior point guard trying to prove he's worthy of a first round pick in the
2016 NBA draft, Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb both are hoping to be lottery picks
in the 2016 NBA draft, Jabari Bird is hoping to prove that he still belongs in
the NBA discussion, etc.
With all of these players
looking to shine while simultaneously having to play together, it stands to
reason that somebody is going to have to make a sacrifice or at least not
produce as much as they could. Out of all the players on the team,
that "somebody" projects to be Jordan Mathews, a junior shooting
guard who averaged 13.6 points per game last season. If it wasn't for the
amazing recruiting class that Cal has had, it would stand to reason that Jordan
Mathews would take a big step forward and become the next star of the team in the
2015-16 season.
But with Ivan Rabb and Jaylen
Brown coming to Berkeley, that is longer realistic. As a matter of fact, it's
not even clear if Jordan Mathews is in the starting lineup depending on how
things shake out in the frontcourt. Going back to my opening paragraph, with
all of these big name players suiting up for Cal, there are only so many shots
and possessions to go around for each player. Tyrone Wallace is still the
leader of the team and Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb are the most talented. The
unfortunate reality for Jordan Mathews is that he isn't likely to have as a big
of a role as he probably anticipated and that could be somewhat disheartening
for him.
On the flip side, Mathews is
still going to be a key part of the team and thanks to this monster recruiting
class, he gets a chance to be on a team that gets a lot of national attention.
If Mathews has the right attitude, as I'm sure he will, this could all work to
his benefit in terms of his NBA draft stock. NBA scouts do value players who
have the humility to be role players and in the NBA, a role player is what
Jordan Mathews projects to be at best.
So, while it's unlikely that Jordan Mathews has a "breakout" season in terms of leading the team in scoring, he still
has a great opportunity to showcase his abilities in the 2015-16 season. It's
just that he won't be showcasing his abilities in the way that he probably was
expecting before the signings of Rabb and Brown.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for Cal basketball news
With NBA Summer League now over, I thought that it would be fun to do a blog post about how former Cal basketball players did over these past couple of weeks in the NBA's summer proving grounds. You might be surprised to know that Cal had five former players playing in the 2015 NBA Summer League, two of which were on the same team.
David Kravish (Golden State Warriors): The encouraging part about David Kravish's summer league performance is that he got better with each game he played. During his first game against the Cavaliers, he had 0 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in six minutes of action. In his second game against the Kings, he played just two minutes, but he scored 2 points. In his third game against the Knicks, he played eight minutes and scored 4 points while also grabbing 5 rebounds. In his fourth and final game against the Pelicans, he had 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks in 18 minutes of action.
NBA Summer League is all about showcasing your skills and getting better. It's not about where you start, it's about where you finish. David Kravish didn't have the best start to NBA Summer League, but he had a very solid and encouraging finish. I definitely expect David Kravish to get an invite to an NBA training camp this fall. He certainly deserves it based on his improvement with the Warriors.
Richard Solomon (Oklahoma City Thunder): Richard Solomon had a decent NBA Summer League performance with the Thunder. He played 14.7 minutes per game and averaged 6.0 points and 3.7 rebounds. The good part about his performance is that he was consistent. He didn't have a breakout game, but he didn't have a game where he didn't make an impact, either. Every game, he got right around his averages, and that is a good thing because in order to succeed in the pros you need to be consistent night in and night out.
The fact that he got a good chunk of minutes each game is also encouraging. He's in the Oklahoma City Thunder organization as a member of their D-League team, the Oklahoma City Blue. It definitely appears as though the Thunder are keeping an eye on him and seeing how he develops. This means odds are very good he'll join the team in training camp and also be in the mix to get a 10-day contract should they need an extra body during the regular season.
However, it is also clear that he still has a lot of growing to do. He didn't block a single shot in his three games and he shot an abysmal 28.6% from the foul line. If he wants the Thunder to give him a 10 day contract next season and escape the D-League, he'll have to improve his defense and also knock down his foul shots. He definitely has the size to play in the NBA at 6'11, 230 lbs, but what appears to be holding him back is his lack of offensive polish and defensive abilities.
Justin Cobbs (Charlotte Hornets): Justin Cobbs didn't have the NBA Summer League performance he would have hoped for. He averaged a decent amount of minutes per game (13.3), but he didn't do much with the minutes he was given. He shot 14.3% from the field and averaged only 1.3 points per game. The only thing about his game that was a plus was his facilitating. He averaged 2.0 assists per game and demonstrated some potential to run an offense. But so long as he is unable to create his own shot in the NBA, he'll be forced to play overseas.
It should be noted that he had a very good season with the Fraport Skyliners last year in Germany, averaging 14.4 points and 4.4 assists per game. He has signed a deal with IBB of the Turkish Basketball League, which is a very respectable league overseas. Justin Cobbs appears to be on the right track to have a promising career overseas and someday be an effective Euroleague player. But as for his NBA potential, it isn't looking too good at the moment.
Jorge Gutierrez (Milwaukee Bucks): Jorge Gutierrez had the best NBA Summer League of all the former Cal basketball players from a statistical standpoint. He averaged 6.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game with a +10.67 efficiency rating. He definitely appears on track to be back with the Bucks' active roster this season. Their head coach Jason Kidd (another Cal Bear) likes him a lot and when given the chance to play, he has been productive. It definitely appears as though Jorge Gutierrez has found a home in Milwaukee.
Jerome Randle (Milwaukee Bucks): Jerome Randle is the third former Cal point guard who played in NBA Summer League this year and he certainly made the most of his opportunity, averaging 8.2 points and 3.6 assists per game. The Bucks also gave him plenty of minutes (21.0 minutes per game). At the moment, he is under contract with Eskisehir Basket in Turkey, but judging by how he played in NBA Summer League, odds look promising for the 28 year old that either the Bucks or some other NBA team will want to give him a look in training camp.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news and Cal basketball updates
Over the last several weeks, much has been said about Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb, the two incoming freshmen expected to turn Cal into a national championship contending team. Given that both guys are expected to be top-ten picks in the 2016 NBA Draft, the attention and hype placed on them is understandable.
But there is one other incoming player of interest that hasn't been talked about, and that is junior small forward Stephen Domingo, a transfer from Georgetown. Part of why he hasn't been talked about has to do with the fact that he transferred to Cal last season but had to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules. So, in a way Cal is getting a new player and in a way they are not. Domingo has been in the program for a year, but he hasn't yet played in a game.
A big reason why you won't read many articles about him has to do with the fact that he is somewhat of an enigma. He graduated from Saint Ignatius high school in San Francisco a year early and went to Georgetown as a four-star recruit at the age of 17. Prior to playing for the Hoyas, he helped lead Team USA to the 2012 FIBA Under-17 championship along with many future NBA players like Justise Winslow (Heat), Dakari Johnson (Thunder), Jabari Parker (Bucks), Jahlil Okafor (76ers), Stanley Johnson (Pistons), and Tyus Jones (Timberwolves). During the 2012 FIBA Under-17 championships, he averaged 7.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, including a 17 point game against Australia and a 16 point game against China.
For him to even make the FIBA Under-17 USA team shows how highly recruited and hyped he was coming out of high school. There are plenty of fantastic high school players with NBA promise who aren't selected to make that team. With all the hype and expectations, it is fair to ask ourselves why he didn't pan out at Georgetown and whether or not all the hype was for nothing. That is really where the enigma part comes in.
After having such a fantastic basketball career prior to joining Georgetown, his time at Georgetown was hardly anything to get excited about. During his two years at Georgetown, he played a grand total of 39 games with an average of just 5.1 minutes per game. During those limited minutes, he averaged just .7 points, .3 assists, .1 steals, and .1 blocks. As for his shooting percentages, he shot 40% from the foul line, 11.1% from three-point range, and 27.5% from the field. Those are really bad numbers, but given the limited amount of minutes that he got, it's hard to say if those numbers really indicate that he was simply over hyped.
During his freshman season, future Wizards small forward Otto Porter, Jr. ate up a lot of the minutes at small forward, which is Domingo's most natural position given his 6'7" 210 lb. body frame. It's not a huge surprise that he didn't get many minutes during his freshman season considering Porter's presence. However, once Porter left for the NBA, Domingo didn't do any better during his sophomore season. He continued to ride the pine and not get a lot of minutes when there was certainly an opening at the small forward position. It was at this point that he decided to transfer to Cal and sit out a season.
Last season, Domingo worked out and practiced with the Cal basketball team but wasn't allowed to play in any games. In essence, he was a practice player. He got to learn the system, work on his game, and develop his body for a season.
What's amazing is that he is just 20 years old and he won't turn 21 until May 2016. Despite sitting out for a full season due to transferring, Stephen Domingo is still really young. It is possible that Georgetown simply didn't give him enough time to grow and develop. It is also possible that he simply began playing at the Division 1 level before he was ready.
But now that he is 20 years old and has spent the last season as a practice player, there is hope that he can have a renaissance at Cal and flower into the player that he was originally expected to become. At the very least, there is hope that he can become an integral part of the 2015-16 team and help them achieve their goals of winning a national championship.
Now, as far as what type of player he is, he is supposed to be a really good three-point shooter. During his time with Team USA at the FIBA U-17 games, he shot 35.9% from three-point range (5/8 against Australia and 3/5 against Egypt). Expect Domingo to stretch the floor with his three-point shooting abilities and average anywhere from 7-9 points per game. It's possible he averages more points than that, but given the fact that Jaylen Brown, Ivan Rabb, Jordan Mathews, and Tyrone Wallace will do the bulk of the scoring, I really don't see Domingo averaging in double figures. That doesn't mean he won't be effective, it's just the way things are given Cal's stacked lineup.
In conclusion, Stephen Domingo is a player who Cal fans should be aware of as we enter the 2015-16 season. He was a four-star recruit who was projected to be playing in the NBA when his career began at Georgetown. While it is true that things didn't go the way he hoped they would during his time with the Hoyas, there is still plenty of hope that with some maturation and seasoning during the past year, he can be a difference maker on the 2015-16 team. I'm excited to see what he brings to the table!
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news and Cal basketball updates
During the past week, three changes were made to the Cal men's basketball roster: Tyson Jolly got moved to the class of 2016, Davon Dillard flipped to Oklahoma State, and two-star small forward Roman Davis from Windward School in Los Angeles committed to the team. Both Dillard flipping to Oklahoma State and Jolly moving to the class of 2016 are related to academic issues. Dillard didn't have the grades for Cal and it appears as though Jolly doesn't either, but he's attending a prep school in hopes of sorting out some academic issues so that he can join the Golden Bears in 2016. It should be noted that in the case of Tyson Jolly, he is technically "committed" to join the team in 2016, so it is possible that things don't work out with him, either.
What does this all mean for the 2015-16 Cal men's basketball team? It means that they aren't going to be as deep as we initially thought, but they still project to be really dangerous. The comforting news for Cal is that so long as they have Ivan Rabb, Jaylen Brown, Tyrone Wallace, Jabari Bird, and Jordan Mathews, they will be a force to be reckoned with in the Pac-12.
What Davon Dillard and Tyson Jolly were expected to bring was energy off the bench and depth at the wing position. Depth is a good thing, but if I can be honest, I felt like Cal had too much depth concentrated at one position. With Tyrone Wallace, Jabari Bird, Jaylen Brown, Jordan Mathews, Davon Dillard, Tyson Jolly, Stephen Domingo, and Roger Moute a Bidias all capable of playing the shooting guard or small forward positions, it looked like Cuonzo Martin had his hands full finding playing time for all of those guys. Now, Wallace is the starting point guard, so that helps, but everybody else would have been competing for minutes that couldn't be properly allocated.
With Dillard off to Oklahoma State and Jolly not coming over until 2016 (hopefully), suddenly it appears as though Cuonzo Martin will be able to have a more cohesive and consistent 9-10 man rotation. While it would certainly be nice to have Dillard and Jolly for extra depth, the reality of the situation is that there really aren't that many minutes to go around. If you think minutes are precious in the NBA game, where the game lasts for 48 minutes, minutes are even more precious in the college game which lasts for just 40 minutes. I'm sure that in a way, Cuonzo Martin is relieved to have a more clear picture of who is going to be in his rotation and who isn't.
Here is the rotation that I expect Cuonzo Martin to use in the 2015-16 season: Tyrone Wallace starting at point guard; Jabari Bird starting at shooting guard; Jaylen Brown starting at small forward; Ivan Rabb starting at power forward; Kingsley Okoroh starting at center; Jordan Mathews off the bench as a reserve shooting guard; Sam Singer off the bench as a reserve point guard and shooting guard; Stephen Domingo off the bench as a reserve shooting guard and small forward; and Kameron Rooks off the bench as a reserve center.
If Cuonzo Martin is sticking to a nine-man rotation as he said he would do when I heard him speak at Walnut Creek, that is likely the nine-man rotation he rolls with. Guys 10-11 will be Brandon Chauca at reserve point guard and Roger Moute a Bidias at small forward. The 12th spot will either be small forward Roman Davis, shooting guard Nick Hamilton, forward Cole Welle, or guard Nick Kerr (son of Steve Kerr) with the other three being reserves.
So there you have it. That is is the projected 15 man roster for the 2015-16 season. The other two players who may or may not be with the program are point guard Brenden Glapion and center Xavier Valdes. Glapion actually got some minutes last season while Valdes was a walk on who sat out the season due to a hamstring injury. I have heard that Glapion likely won't get a scholarship for next season, but I haven't heard anything to confirm this.
As for Xavier Valdes, I've heard absolutely nothing on his status, but I assume he is gone, too. Interestingly enough, when asked about Xavier Valdes' status with the team in Walnut Creek, all that Cuonzo Martin said was "Xavier was on the team last season. He sat out with a hamstring injury, but he was on the team". Interpret that answer however you'd like.
These should be the final changes to the Cal men's basketball roster. I don't foresee any other changes coming to the roster with the exception of Brenden Glapion and Xavier Valdes joining the team as extra reserves.
Now, I talked about both Dillard and Jolly, but I haven't really addressed Roman Davis. I don't know much about him other than that he is from Los Angeles. Thankfully, CalBears.com has more info on him:
BERKELEY – California head men’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin announced the signing of Los Angeles area standout Roman Davis on Friday. The 6-7, 200-pound small forward will enroll at the University this summer.
“I want to welcome Roman to the family,” Martin said. “His athleticism and toughness will allow him to do a lot of things in our program. Defensively, I think he has the capability to guard all five positions. He comes from one of the finest academic high schools in California. We are excited he chose to be a Golden Bear.”
Davis played scholastically at the Windward School in Los Angeles, Calif., where he averaged 9.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game as a senior this past year for the Wildcats. The small forward appeared in 27 games to help guide Windward to a 22-11 overall record. Davis record the game-winning bucket in the final seconds in back-to-back games for the Wildcats this past January. He posted seven blocks in a game during Windward’s Division 5AA playoff run in February.
Davis was selected to the 2015 Division 5AA All-California Interscholastic Federation Boys Basketball Team, as voted by the Southern California Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association.
He competed for the Earl Watson Elite on the AAU circuit.
In conclusion, these changes made to the 2015-16 Cal men's basketball roster shouldn't really affect the long-term goals of this team or make us think any less of them. They still are in a great position to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament and should be favorites or co-favorites with Arizona to win the Pac-12. I'm confident that the guys filling in for Jolly and Dillard off the bench will be able to do just fine in their place. Contrary to what some are saying, Cal still has plenty of depth and versatility.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news and Cal basketball updates
The NCAA shot clock for men's basketball has been shortened from 35 to 30 seconds, which will create higher scoring games and a faster pace of play. As one who likes the slower pace of college basketball as a fun contrast to the faster paced NBA game, I'm not entirely happy with this rule change. However, I do think that this rule change works to the benefit of the Cal men's basketball team, which obviously makes me like it a lot better.
The reason I like this rule change for Cal is simple: Cal is designed to play a faster tempo game. With only two true centers on the entire roster (Kingsley Okoroh and Kameron Rooks) and a lot of shooting guards and small forwards, Cal will use a lot of small lineups this season. This means that they will have to play a faster paced tempo in order to be successful.
There were times last season when Cal slowed it down too much and didn't use their speed and athleticism to their advantage. At times, they were too dependent on running a certain set of plays as opposed to using the flow of the game to their advantage. With the additions of Ivan Rabb, Jaylen Brown, Tyson Jolly, and Davon Dillard, and the losses of David Kravish, Dwight Tarwater, and Christian Behrens, Cal is an even smaller and quicker team than last season. As a result, they'll have to be even more aggressive in transition and really use their quickness and athleticism to their advantage.
In order for this to really work, Cal will have to really play stingy defense and force a fair amount of turnovers. Thankfully, Cal has Tyson Jolly to help do just that. Earlier this year at Walnut Creek, I met with some of the Cal basketball coaches at a meet and greet with fans. They talked about the incoming freshmen and what they could bring to the team.
When talking about Tyson Jolly, assistant coach Yanni Hufnagel said "He's an absolute pit bull. He can guard multiple positions 1, 2, and 3." Jolly is raw offensively, but defensively he should be ready to make an impact right away. He's like Tony Allen, whose defense really makes the Memphis Grizzlies go.
This isn't to say that the other players on Cal won't be able to play good defense. Tyrone Wallace, Sam Singer, Ivan Rabb, Jaylen Brown, and Kingsley Okoroh should all be able to play really good defense as well. It's just that with Jolly he's more one dimensional and that's ok. If there is anything Cal would want a guy to be more one dimensional in, it would be defense and hustle. Cal will have plenty of guys to score the ball, so it really will be ok if Tyson Jolly is just out there making plays on defense and helping other guys get easy shots.
In conclusion, if Cal is going to play to the best of their ability, they will have to play at a faster pace than other teams. With the shot clock being reduced to 30 seconds, Cal will be forced to play at a faster pace, which is exactly what they should be trying to do anyways. While it is true that all teams will be playing faster, not every team will want to play a faster tempo. But for Cal, the faster tempo really suits their player personnel. This rule change is truly a blessing. Go Bears!
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news and Cal basketball updates
The Golden State Warriors won their first NBA championship in 40 years last week, eliminating the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games. Andre Iguodala won the MVP of the series primarily because everything swung in the Warriors' favor once he was inserted into the starting lineup in favor of Andrew Bogut. The Warriors' small ball lineups featuring Iguodala ended up making the difference in the series. The faster tempo created by going small was simply too much for the Cavaliers to overcome.
If they tried to go small, the Cavaliers would get beat because the Warriors had a better small ball lineup. If the Cavaliers tried to go big, they would also get beat because the Warriors would get too many easy looks in transition. In the end, we saw the better team win even though LeBron James was clearly the best player of the entire series. It was sad to see the Cavaliers lose after all that LeBron James had done, but in the end I was happy to see the Bay Area get its first NBA title since 1975.
The city of Oakland hasn't had a lot to cheer about over the years. The economy has been in decline, drugs and violence have been an issue, and they are on the verge of losing their pro sports teams to bigger markets (The Warriors to San Francisco and possibly the Raiders to Los Angeles). It was nice to have an NBA championship parade in the city of Oakland in light of all their struggles. It certainly brought joy, optimism, and pride to the community.
In addition to lifting up the spirits of the city of Oakland, the Warriors' championship also appeared to inspire the Cal men's basketball team. Here are some tweets from the team.
It is clear from all of these tweets and reactions that the Cal men's basketball team has gotten a jolt of excitement and inspiration from watching the hometown Warriors win an NBA title. Realizing that an NBA championship team is so close to them has certainly made them realize that winning a championship in the East Bay can be done. What especially makes this hit home for Cal is the fact that the Warriors play just 11 miles away from UC Berkeley and also bear a name that represents the entire state, calling themselves "Golden State Warriors" in a manner similar to UC Berkeley calling themselves "California Golden Bears".
Even though the Cal men's basketball team will have to go out and earn a national championship like every other team, the hometown Warriors can serve as an inspiration for them and be there as an example of what it takes to win a championship. The Warriors won an NBA championship because they played as a team, made sacrifices, and played hard on both ends of the floor. If Cal can do those same things and try to model themselves after the Warriors in those areas, odds are good that the East Bay will have a Final Four championship team in 2016.
With the NBA Draft happening a week from Thursday, I thought it would be appropriate to break down the NBA potential of Cal power forward David Kravish this week. Before I dive into his strengths and weaknesses, I will first give you his season averages from his senior season: 11.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, .4 steals, 1.5 blocks, and 1.5 turnovers per game. He shot 47.8% from the field, 28.6% from three-point range, and 72.6% from the foul line. His overall efficiency via the NBA's efficiency formula was +13.9090, which is ok, but not great.
Strengths: David Kravish is an intriguing NBA prospect because of his size, length, and ability to play well on both ends of the floor. At 6'10, 240 lbs, while also sporting a solid wingspan that measured 7'0 in his freshman year, David Kravish has a solid NBA build. He definitely has the size and length to handle NBA bigs.
As for his offensive abilities, during his time at Cal he showed nice touch around the basket, scoring a lot of his points on jump hooks. He also developed a nice fade away jump shot and used his length to shoot the ball over taller defenders. Unlike his former teammate Richard Solomon, who currently plays for the Oklahoma City Blue of the D-League, Kravish is a finesse player in the paint, using the glass and crafty moves to score as opposed to muscling his way in for a thunderous slam.
During his time at Cal, he added more and more weapons to his repertoire and became a very skilled big man with the capability to knock down an open three on occasion as well as a mid-range jump shot. He also became a solid free throw shooter, shooting 72.6% from the foul line this past season, making opponents pay for fouling him inside. Kravish's offensive versatility makes him a legitimate NBA prospect.
In addition to having an array of moves and touch on the block, David Kravish runs the floor very well in transition and is good at finishing plays on the fast break due to his length and mobility. He is very capable of catching lobs in transition when given the space and has also proven capable of playing in a more uptempo offense.
On the defensive end, David Kravish is an intriguing prospect because of his shot blocking ability as well as his ability to grab rebounds. He is the number one shot blocker in the history of Cal with 219 blocks, while averaging 2.1 blocks per game in his junior season and 1.5 blocks per game in his senior season. As for his rebounding numbers this past season, he averaged 7.0 rebounds and 5.2 defensive rebounds per game.
His rebounding numbers are decent, but his shot blocking numbers are outstanding. If there is anything that makes him stand out from other power forwards in this draft, it is his shot blocking ability. To give you a sense of how his shot blocking stacks up, here are some shot blocking numbers from some first round prospects: Louisville power forward Montrezl Harrell averaged 1.2 blocks per game, Arkansas power forward Bobby Portis averaged 1.4 blocks per game, UCLA power forward Kevon Looney averaged .9 blocks per game, and Wisconsin 7'1 center Frank Kaminsky averaged 1.5 blocks per game. Judging by the those numbers, it is clear that David Kravish is a very good shot blocker in comparison to other players in this draft.
What you might be wondering is why his shot blocking numbers dropped from his junior season to his senior season. In my opinion, it had to do with him being forced to play away from the basket a lot more due to the system and needs of the team, as opposed to it being a sign of regression. David Kravish exhibited the same knack for blocking shots that he did during his junior season. Don't let the numbers fool you into thinking otherwise. Weaknesses: Probably the biggest weakness for David Kravish is his lack of strength or at least his lack of willingness to use his strength. Compared to other NBA power forward prospects in this draft, his height, weight, and length are actually on par or better. He definitely isn't undersized or too light. But for whatever reason, almost to a fault, he has the tendency to make a finesse move inside as opposed to using his strength.
In essence, he shied away from contact a lot and didn't get to the foul line. His field goal percentage of 47.8% wasn't very good and I think it largely had to do with him trying to avoid contact in the paint by taking tougher shots. If he had more of a willingness to finish through contact and go up stronger, his field goal percentage would have been better and he would have grabbed more offensive rebounds.
During his career at Cal, he averaged only 1.6 free throw attempts per game and only improved slightly to 1.9 free throw attempts per game in his senior season. If he wants to have success in the NBA, he'll have to do a much better job of getting to the line and finishing through contact. Especially since he is actually a pretty solid foul shooter.
In addition to not being willing to finish through contact, David Kravish wasn't the most consistent player this past season. In the Pac-12 opener against Washington, he had a very solid game, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. In that game, he looked like a legitimate first round talent, dominating inside and scoring in a wide variety of ways. The same can be said of his game on the road against Stanford, in which he had 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 block; his game in New York against Texas in which he had 19 points and 5 rebounds; and his game against Washington State in the Pac-12 tournament in which he had 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
But amid those gems, he also had some poor performances. At home against Eastern Washington, he had 3 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block; on the road against Washington State, he had 4 points and 1 rebound; on the road against USC, he had 8 points and 7 rebounds; and on the road against Utah, he had 4 points and 4 rebounds.
It's hard to explain the inconsistency, but there is one interesting commonality I noticed in these eight games. In the four sample games in which he played really well, he averaged only 2.5 fouls per game. In the four sample games in which he really struggled, he averaged 4.25 fouls per game. What does this mean? It means he has had an issue with getting into foul trouble. During his senior season, he averaged 3.2 fouls per game and 4.3 fouls per 40 minutes. In his junior season, he averaged 2.7 fouls per game and 3.3 fouls per 40 minutes.
While he does a good job of blocking shots, he hasn't done a very good job of staying out of foul trouble, which has clearly affected his performance. When he stays out of foul trouble, his play has ranged from solid to very good. When he gets into foul trouble, his play has ranged from ok to very poor. While it is true for all basketball players that the fewer fouls they commit, the better they play, this seems to be especially true for David Kravish.
A key question to answer is why does he have an issue with getting into foul trouble? I think it has to do with him sometimes gambling on defense to block a shot and also not always being tough down on the block. It's clear from his offensive numbers that he shies away from contact, so it stands to reason that the same can be said for him on defense. A lot of those fouls were fouls that he could erase with more toughness and discipline down on the block.
Lastly, it's not clear how much upside David Kravish has. While I would say he has certainly improved over his four years at Cal, he didn't have a breakout season during his senior year like he would have hoped. With Richard Solomon gone, David Kravish had a real chance to shine and put up some big numbers, but he wasn't able to do so with regularity. It's hard to say how much better he will get, which could scare some teams away from picking him up.
Overall conclusion: David Kravish is an interesting prospect because of the combination of skills and abilities that he has. He has good size, length, and mobility for an NBA big, good offensive skills, and a knack for blocking shots as well as grabbing rebounds on defense. If he is able to toughen up inside and learn to handle some contact in the paint, he could become a solid role player in the NBA. The tools and pieces are definitely there.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA and Cal basketball news
As part of the conference’s 18-game schedule, each school will face seven league opponents twice and four opponents once throughout the regular season. Cal will not play UCLA and USC on the road and will not host Washington and Washington State at home during the 2015-16 league slate.
Home/Away Designations and Date WindowsDec. 30-Jan. 3: Colorado and Utah Jan. 6-10: at Oregon and Oregon State Jan. 13-17: at Stanford Jan. 20-24: Arizona State and Arizona Jan. 27-31: at Colorado and Utah Feb. 3-7: Stanford Feb. 10-14: Oregon and Oregon State Feb. 17-21: at Washington and Washington State Feb. 24-28: UCLA and USC March 2-6: at Arizona and Arizona State
What has not yet been decided is when exactly Cal will play each of these games, but we do know the order, the locations, and the amount of times they will play each team. At first glance, the first thing that jumps out at me are the dates with Arizona. Cal has developed a rivalry with Arizona as of late, ending their perfect season during the 2013-14 season and stealing Ivan Rabb away from them a couple of months ago. It is good to know that the Wildcats will be making a trip to Berkeley this upcoming season so that we can have another "Gold Out Haas".
Secondly, it's nice to know that there won't be an L.A. road trip. Cal really got waxed in Southern California last season for reasons that I still don't understand. It was bizarre to see them struggle the way that they did, so I for one am happy that we will only be playing UCLA and USC at home.
Third, I think it's very interesting that Cal will face Utah right out of the gate. Utah came out of nowhere to become a top 10 team last season and Cal is now trying to do the same thing this upcoming season. I think it'll be fascinating to see how Utah handles Cal surpassing them in terms of hype and expectations. Utah will want to send a message and Cal at the same time will want to prove that they belong and avenge the loss they had to Utah last season. In addition, while it'll be fun to also get a second crack at Utah on the road, the Colorado-Utah road trip will be a real test for Cal, especially after having just played Arizona at home.
Lastly, what stands out to me is the fact that none of these games stand out to me! What I mean by that is that there is no Pac-12 opponent who Cal should fear. The Arizona games will be fun because of the recent history that Cal has with them and the fact that Cal should be able to go toe-to-toe with them all season. But as far as there begin an opponent who Cal should feel inferior to, there is none and that is amazing considering where this team was just 12 months ago.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA and Cal basketball news
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
A lot of attention has been focused on the impact that Tyrone Wallace, Ivan Rabb, and Jaylen Brown are expected to make on Cal basketball next season. If you have been reading my weekly Cal basketball blog posts or are a follower of Cal basketball, you know exactly why those three players have garnered so much attention.
But amid all the hype and attention that has been placed on those three guys, I feel like Jabari Bird, a McDonald's All-American now entering his junior season, has been lost in the shuffle. He seems to be treated as more of an afterthought since he hasn't lived up to the hype that came with him when he arrived at Berkeley as a freshman. While I would agree that he hasn't lived up to expectations, I would disagree with any decrease in enthusiasm for what he can bring to this Cal team.
I personally believe that Jabari Bird is on the cusp of breaking out and it's just a matter of time before he explodes in the way that Ivan Rabb and Jaylen Brown are expected to this season. Now, what you might be thinking is "We've been waiting for him to explode for two years. Why should this season be any different?" What makes this season different is that he has way more help and other guys to take the pressure off of him. He is no longer the most hyped player on the team which I think will help him focus on playing within himself and playing better basketball from a team perspective.
He no longer needs to worry about being the star of the team or being the guy who makes all the big plays. He just needs to worry about making the right plays and letting the game come to him. As he does this I think he will unleash the beast that NBA scouts always thought was in him. I'm not predicting that he'll suddenly become a lottery pick in the 2016 NBA draft, but I do think he'll improve his game a lot and boost up his draft stock in a way similar to what Tyrone Wallace did this past season.
If he improves in the way that I think he will, we need to start mentioning him in the same sentence as Ivan Rabb, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrone Wallace. We need to say that we are excited to see what Jabari Bird is going to do as well as what those three guys are going to do. We need to be excited that we have four players who have NBA first round talent. We need to view Jabari Bird, Tyrone Wallace, Jaylen Brown, and Ivan Rabb has a fearsome foursome ready to dominate the Pac-12.
Also, just so I don't go about writing another blog post of this nature, this doesn't mean that I'm forgetting about Jordan Mathews, who is also a junior shooting guard with tremendous talent and ability. Jordan is going to be a huge part of this Cal team because of his lethal three point shooting and ability to penetrate and finish at the rim.
The reason why I'm not telling us to not forget about Jordan Mathews is because I don't think people are forgetting about him. There were many nights last season when Jordan Mathews was the #2 player on the floor for Cal behind Tyrone Wallace. Cal fans are excited about the way Jordan Mathews has developed, but as for Jabari Bird, most Cal fans are disappointed.
What I'm hear to tell you is that while it is true that Jabari Bird hasn't lived up to the hype, there's plenty of reasons to believe that he will finally become the player we all thought he would be. He's got a great team around him, a great coaching staff, and much less pressure. All the pieces are there for Jabari Bird to have a breakout season and I can't wait to see how much he surprises everybody! Go Bears!
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news and Cal basketball news
There is no doubting that the additions of Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb have made Cal a contender for the national championship. My last few blog posts have made that very clear. But what cannot be lost in all of this is that Tyrone Wallace, who announced that he would be returning for his senior season, is still the leader of this Cal team.
Wallace had a chance to leave for the NBA in this year's draft, but he decided to return for his senior season to complete his degree and lead Cal deep in the NCAA tournament. If Tyrone Wallace had opted to leave for the NBA, Cal would still be a dangerous team, but I'm not sure they would be a threat to win the national championship.
What makes Cal a threat to win the national championship is the combination of their great recruiting class, depth, and veteran leadership provided by Tyrone Wallace, who averaged 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game in his junior season. It was a bit of an adjustment for Wallace to be the leader last season after he had Justin Cobbs and Richard Solomon to look to, but thankfully senior power forward David Kravish helped to take some of the pressure off as he made the transition.
Wallace has been well prepared to take on this role and he seems eager to take it on. He knows that when the game is on the line everybody will be looking at him to either take the shot or create a play for somebody else. Such is the job of the point guard, especially when the point guard is a senior.
Just so I'm clear, I don't mean to imply that he won't have anybody else to help him in crunch time. As projected lottery picks in the 2016 NBA draft, Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb also need to be expected to step up in the clutch as do juniors Jabari Bird and Jordan Mathews. But all the same, it needs to be understood that this is Tyrone Wallace's team.
There's more to leadership than just hitting big shots. Leadership is about coaching up your teammates, giving them encouragement and confidence when things get tough, etc. The only guy on this team who has the authority to do those things is Tyrone Wallace and that is what makes him the leader. He'll have to be the guy who makes sure everybody else understands their job and stays calm when they take on elite teams like Arizona, Utah, and Virginia. Having this kind of leadership will serve Cal well as they try to make history and win the school its first national championship in basketball since 1959.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA and Cal basketball news
When people talk about Cal basketball now a days, discussion rightfully revolves around the monster recruiting class that Cal has and the chances this team has of making a run to the Final Four. I mean, if you are a Cal basketball fan, what else is there to talk about? Cal has landed two recruits (Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb) who individually are as huge as the signing of Jason Kidd in the early 90s. In addition, since Jason Kidd's freshman season, in which he led the Golden Bears to the Sweet Sixteen, Cal has only gotten back to the Sweet Sixteen once (1997).
To say the least, Cal basketball hasn't had a lot to cheer for over the years and suddenly there is talk of them contending for a national championship. "Euphoric" is the way I would describe this recruiting explosion and Cal may not even be done landing big names, since there is still a chance Caleb Swanigan, a five-star big man, comes to Cal.
But what has been lost in all of this recruiting madness is the fact that Cal has two seven-footers (7'1 Kingsley Okoroh and 7'0 Kameron Rooks). Okoroh will be a sophomore next season and Rooks will be a redshirt sophomore after sitting out last season with a torn ACL. After a year of waiting, we will finally get to see what these two bigs can do together and while they are still a work in progress, their potential impact on games is ginormous.
To give you a sense of how rare it is to have two or more seven-footers on your roster, I quickly scanned the 2014-15 rosters of all power-five conference basketball teams on ESPN.com to see how many seven-footers each team had. It should be noted that it is possible I missed a seven-footer or two since I checked all the centers from these teams and a handful of forwards from each team at random. It is possible that some guys listed as forwards are seven-feet tall and that I happened to miss them. E.g. A couple of seven-foot forwards who I found were Frank Kaminsky of Wisconsin and Jakob Poeltl of Utah.
With all of that as a disclaimer, here is the data I collected: ACC--- Boston College (1). Duke (1). Florida State (3). Louisville (1). Miami (1). Wake Forest (1). Big XII--- Iowa State (1). Oklahoma State (2). Big Ten--- Iowa (1). Northwestern (1). Penn State (1). Purdue (2). Wisconsin (1). PAC-12--- Arizona (2). Cal (2). Oregon State (1). UCLA (1). Utah (2). Washington (2). Washington State (1). SEC--- Auburn (1). Kentucky (2). LSU (2). Vanderbilt (1).
What this data shows is that most power-five conference schools do not have a seven-footer on their roster. In addition, very few have more than one. So for Cal to have two seven-footers is something that is certainly rare and something that head coach Cuonzo Martin can take advantage of, especially on defense.
What is especially nice for Cal is that by landing Ivan Rabb and Jaylen Brown, there will be plenty of shots to go around, which means that Kingsley Okoroh and Kameron Rooks can primarily focus on playing good defense, getting rebounds, and clogging up the middle. In addition, this means that Cuonzo Martin can give Rooks and Okoroh a lot of minutes since there will be plenty of other guys who can score, diminishing any offensive liability that comes from having them on the floor.
One of the more intriguing ideas and possibilities is playing both Rooks and Okoroh together at the same time. If you pair them with Tyrone Wallace, Jordan Mathews, and Jabari Bird, you could have a scary combination of offensive potency and defensive impenetrability. Teams would have a very difficult time scoring on one end of the floor and getting stops on the other. I think this kind of a lineup will only be used on occasion since Ivan Rabb is going to be getting a ton of minutes at power forward, but the fact that Cal has the resources to use this kind of a lineup is huge. More importantly, by having two seven-footers who can both play solid defense, Cuonzo Martin has more flexibility and options than he does with just one.
In conclusion, the flexibility and luxury of having two seven footers is getting overlooked by everybody who is talking Cal basketball and I want to bring it to your attention. When you have something rare, you have an advantage in that what you possess is something rare. Cal certainly has something rare in having these two seven-footers and I can't wait to see how Cuonzo Martin utilizes them. Go Bears!
Jaylen Brown, a 6'7, 220 pound 5-star small forward from the state of Georgia has committed to Cal. He is a top-five recruit in the country and just like Ivan Rabb, he is projected to be a top-five pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Via CalBears.com: "Brown was named the 2015 Gatorade Georgia Boys Player of the Year,USA Today’sAll-USA Georgia Player of the Year, Georgia’s Mr. Basketball and the Class 6A Player of the Year by the Georgia Sports Writers Association, the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Class 6A North Player of the Year, theAtlanta Journal-Constitution’sClass 6A Player of the Year, and theMarietta Daily JournalClass 6A Player of the Year. He was a consensus First Team 6A All-State selection, and a two-time All-Cobb County Player of the Year as a junior and a senior. Brown was also a consensus All-Cobb County First Team pick each of the past two years. The elite small forward averaged 28 points and 12 rebounds as a senior to lead Wheeler High School to a 30-3 overall record, a No. 6 national ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 poll, and the school’s first Georgia 6A state title since 2009. Like Rabb, Brown sealed his high school’s state title at the free throw line."
The news of Tyrone Wallace returning for his senior season already made Cal a national championship contender and a consensus Top-25 team. But after landing Jaylen Brown, Cal is now stacked to the point that there is no reason to doubt this team's ability to win a national championship. With three McDonald's All-Americans (Ivan Rabb, Jaylen Brown, and Jabari Bird) on its roster to go along with Tyrone Wallace, Cal will have one of the most talented teams in the country.
What's scary is that I haven't even yet mentioned Jordan Mathews, Stephen Domingo, Tyson Jolly, Davon Dillard, Sam Singer, Kameron Rooks, or Kingsley Okoroh. I keep wanting to talk about what they are going to bring to the table, but every week Cal keeps on landing another monster recruit. Perhaps next week I'll be able to do a piece on them in more detail, but what I can say about them as a collective whole is that they bring depth to this Cal team and that is what really makes them so scary.
If you have a couple of NBA lottery picks on your team, you are automatically a national championship contender, but you can still fall short if you don't have enough depth. Cal won't have an issue with depth at all, especially at the shooting guard and small forward positions. Cuonzo Martin will have a wide array of quality options to turn to at all times, which will allow him to make sure the guys he has on the floor are fresh.
The only concern I have for this Cal team is whether or not they'll be able to adjust to being the hunted. For so long, Cal has been the team trying to upset the big name schools like Arizona. I can attest from personal experience at Cal games, that the Arizona game has always been the big game of the year because it's Cal's one chance at playing with the big boys. But now, Cal is going to be in the same national championship discussion with the likes of Arizona, Utah, and Kentucky, and I wonder whether or not this team is mentally ready to have those kind of expectations.
But in truth, that discussion is for another week. What I want to drive home to all of you this week is that Cal has a team that can win a national championship in 2016. The pieces are all there. They have the leadership of quality upperclassmen, the talent, and the depth to win a national title. The only question is whether or not they will deliver. Go Bears!
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news
Last week, Cal point guard Tyrone Wallace announced in front of his teammates and certain members of the media that he will return to Cal for his senior season. He said at the press conference that his decision to return for his senior year is fueled by his desire to lead Cal deep into the NCAA Tournament, get his degree, and improve his NBA Draft stock, all of which are good reasons for him to return.
As for what this means for Cal basketball, this is huge. It will be much easier for Cal to hit the ground running and get off to a good start since they won't be waiting on a guy to evolve into their leader. With Wallace comfortable as the leader, a ton of pressure is taken off of everyone on the team, especially Ivan Rabb, who is already getting hyped as the Messiah of Cal basketball. By having a senior to look to for leadership, Cal will have a much better chance of making a deep run in the NCAA tournament than they would if they were relying on a freshman to lead them. Especially since nobody else on the team has played in the NCAA tournament.
In addition to Tyrone Wallace's leadership, Cal will benefit from having another really good player on the their roster. Tyrone Wallace is going to get drafted in the NBA in 2016. It's just a matter of where that remains to be seen. He could go as high as the middle of the first round to the middle of the second round. It's really hard to tell at this point where he'll go, but there is no question that he is a legitimate NBA prospect. Cal will certainly benefit from having such a talented player on its roster. Especially a versatile player like Wallace who can play point guard, shooting guard, and even small forward.
Lastly, Wallace returning helps bring some continuity for Cuonzo Martin who is entering his second season as Cal's head coach. By having Wallace return, Martin will have a guy who already knows his system and can lead in his system. I think if Wallace were gone, Martin would in many ways feel like he was starting from scratch all over again. Wallace brings a feeling of stability to the program by returning and that I think is huge.
The leadership, talent, and stability that Wallace brings to the Cal basketball program makes Cal a real threat to do some damage in the PAC-12 and NCAA tournament next year. Obviously I will expand much more on this once I do my season preview in the fall, but rest assured that Wallace's return makes Cal a contender for a national championship. I know this team really well and I know what kind of pieces are being brought in. Wallace's return puts in Cal in the national championship discussion. Anybody who says it doesn't simply doesn't know basketball.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA and Cal basketball news
