Ray Ratto put out what I guess he thought was a good piece in the Chronicle about the coaching search, and the Cal men's basketball place in the universe (see it here).
But he raises a good question as to what we can expect from our basketball program. Do we, the fans, have an over-inflated expectation of what out team should be? What should the University of California expect from it's athletic teams? Should we expect that we are going to challenge for National Championships? For League Championships? Or just for exciting games where we beat some teams that we should not, and lose to some teams that we should not?
I think there are basic minimum qualities that we need as an institution:
1) Needs to be an upstanding citizen - no slipping parents $30,000 for the signing on the dotted line. No getting caught as strip clubs and in undergraduate dorms, etc.
2) Needs to graduate the players - our current level is too poor. For those athletes who are coming into the program, there needs to be an expectation that they can graduate. In other words, no academic casualties.
3) Needs to be competitive.
The first two are fairly easy to define. Ben Braun did a good job there. Even though we had some transfers, we fairly well graduated our players, and we had no NCAA violations. Ben represented the university well.
He was fired because he failed at number three for the past few years.
So what does that mean? If you look at his resume, he got the Bears to the post season 8 times - three NIT (one of which he won) and 5 NCAA tournament. He got to the NCAA roughly once every other year. But only once in the past 4 years.
The question is, what can the University expect? Well, we expect that our colleges and departments be top 10 in most areas. We have a number departments that are number 1 academically. We are the flagship University for the largest state in the country. We should expect that we are the top public institution in the country.
Athletically, I see no reason why we can not compete at that level. In fact, i see plenty of reasons to demand that we do excel at that level, for most sports, but particularly for the big dollar sports.
Our state funding is being cut. We are going to rely more and more on private donations in the future to fund our university. Athletics is already privately funded. But the level of funding needed for the University is going to be increasing rapidly over the next 30 years. More people need to give. And, frankly, more people need to become involved in the University, in order for that to happen. There needs to be a more emotional connection. And athletics can help that. In fact, it is clear that overall donations to the University go up at the same time that donations to the athletic department go up.
So, for the University to maintain it's high level of success, the athletic department needs to help.
So, when the question comes up, what is the Natural Place for Cal Athletics in the greater world of sport, and the local columnist writes, Cal will never be a top flight program, what he is really saying is that because the Berkeley folks are trying to get the stadium project halted, and the weirdo's in Berkeley do not like sports, and it just has not happened recently, so it will never happen. And I say that is bullshit.
I have to get historical here, but Cal was dominant in both athletics and academics for the first 60 years of the last century. And there are really no other reasons for that success other than the fact that the best wanted to come to Cal, and that we invested in being the best. That is all it takes. Arizona was a joke before Lute Olsen. So was Stanfurd, until Montgomery. So was Cal football, until Tedford. It is not rocket science. If you had the best coach in California, people would come. Simple as that.
Let's also remember that the last coach who left the Bear's hoops team was Pete Newell. Every other coach since then has been fired. So it is not like this is a place that people want to leave. Braun would have been here for 20 more years if you would have let him. This is a destination. This is not a stepping stone.
I think Sandy Barbour recognizes that this is a destination job, that we are willing to do what we need to in order to win (meaning pay for performance) and we are in an area where there should be plenty of recruits. In other words, just like football, we should be a dominant force in men's basketball, year in and year out.
What I mean by that is consistent finishes in the top three of the league. Winning the league one our of every three or four years. Making the tournament every year. Making the elite 8 every four years or so. Making the occasional final four maybe once a decade, and having a National Championship every 20 years or so. That would be a consistent top 10 team. And that is what we should be aiming for AT THE MINUMUM. It is not like we can not do it - we do it in any other number of sports that we put out there: Rugby, Water Polo, Women's Softball. Crew. We are going to get it done in football. We are a consistent top 15 team now, and we are going to be making headway to get to the next level. We will be in BCS bowl game sooner rather than later, and hopefully a BCS participant on a regular basis. I can easily see that happening. Women's basketball is just taking off under Coach Boyle. They are now a top 10 team. They need consistency, but they can get it. Hell, even the Baseball team is doing something for a change.
There is, and should be an expectation that Cal produce the best. All it takes is a coach, and time. And I think we can get that in Berkeley.
GO BEARS!!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Braun Bombed
The King is Dead. Long live the King.
Well, I can hardly believe my eyes. The Chronicle is reporting that it is finally official. The rumors are that Ben is going to Toledo, and that we are going to pay part of his salary, or something like that. Whatever it is, the finality of the Braun era is here. And I can hardly wait.
This is not like the Holmoe thing, where it was a done deal, where even he knew he had to quit. This could have gone either way, and he knew it was happening on Monday Night. You could just tell looking at him and at the team. I wonder if the team knew then, or if they just could sense it. Either way, they played like crap. But I think that was the wake. The murder happened when only 1900 folks showed up to see the Bears play in the NIT opener.
In any event, I do not believe that there is a coach already lined up. I do not believe that Randy Bennett, for example, is ready to be announced tomorrow. But we shall see. I hope that Sandy takes the time to let Pittsburg finish it tournament run, and see if she can coax him out west.
The one thing I do not want to see happen is for Mike Montgomery to come to the Bears. He had teams that played hard, and he had teams that did well. But any re-tread is going to be bitter and disappointed, and we can not have that with this team. We need someone to lead them, not beat them. Plus, he is too insufferable as a Stanfurd dude.
Anyway, the fun begins...
GO BEARS!!
Well, I can hardly believe my eyes. The Chronicle is reporting that it is finally official. The rumors are that Ben is going to Toledo, and that we are going to pay part of his salary, or something like that. Whatever it is, the finality of the Braun era is here. And I can hardly wait.
This is not like the Holmoe thing, where it was a done deal, where even he knew he had to quit. This could have gone either way, and he knew it was happening on Monday Night. You could just tell looking at him and at the team. I wonder if the team knew then, or if they just could sense it. Either way, they played like crap. But I think that was the wake. The murder happened when only 1900 folks showed up to see the Bears play in the NIT opener.
In any event, I do not believe that there is a coach already lined up. I do not believe that Randy Bennett, for example, is ready to be announced tomorrow. But we shall see. I hope that Sandy takes the time to let Pittsburg finish it tournament run, and see if she can coax him out west.
The one thing I do not want to see happen is for Mike Montgomery to come to the Bears. He had teams that played hard, and he had teams that did well. But any re-tread is going to be bitter and disappointed, and we can not have that with this team. We need someone to lead them, not beat them. Plus, he is too insufferable as a Stanfurd dude.
Anyway, the fun begins...
GO BEARS!!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Bring on Ohio State
The Bears, on the back of Jamal Boykin's great last 30 seconds, advances to the next round of the NIT, playing Ohio State on Monday night.
Boykin collected an offensive rebound off the second missed free throw by Ryan Anderson (who ended with a huge game himself - 26 points and 6 rebounds) with 31 seconds left in the game, and the score tied. After the bears wasted 26 seconds or so, Boykin drove to the hoop, got fouled, and sank two free throws to end the game in a W.
This was a pretty exciting game for the Bears. Anderson had a great game, mostly scoring in the first half, but certainly having a great game.
Hardin foulded out with about 6.5 minutes left, and Boykin took over to bring the game home.
You can kid all you want, but if you do win the NIT, then that is something. We have a bit to go, but i have to say that New Mexico is a pretty good team. It was nice to see the Bears do something against a decent team. We'll see how it is in Columbus next week. Hopefully the Bears can beat those guys.
This is the rematch of the 1960 National Championship game - Pete Newell's final game as a Cal coach. That was the last time we played the Buckeyes. Let's get some revenge.
GO BEARS!!
Boykin collected an offensive rebound off the second missed free throw by Ryan Anderson (who ended with a huge game himself - 26 points and 6 rebounds) with 31 seconds left in the game, and the score tied. After the bears wasted 26 seconds or so, Boykin drove to the hoop, got fouled, and sank two free throws to end the game in a W.
This was a pretty exciting game for the Bears. Anderson had a great game, mostly scoring in the first half, but certainly having a great game.
Hardin foulded out with about 6.5 minutes left, and Boykin took over to bring the game home.
You can kid all you want, but if you do win the NIT, then that is something. We have a bit to go, but i have to say that New Mexico is a pretty good team. It was nice to see the Bears do something against a decent team. We'll see how it is in Columbus next week. Hopefully the Bears can beat those guys.
This is the rematch of the 1960 National Championship game - Pete Newell's final game as a Cal coach. That was the last time we played the Buckeyes. Let's get some revenge.
GO BEARS!!
Yahoo Bracket
I put together a Yahoo Bracket challenge for anyone who wants to put another one out there. Hearty congratulations to the winner.
Group ID is 172007
PW is OSKITALK
GO BEARS!!
Group ID is 172007
PW is OSKITALK
GO BEARS!!
James Montgomery Story
I am sure that the reasons will be amplified in time, but for now, it is official that James Montgomery is being released from his scholarship, and will not be playing for the Bears next year.
There was a bunch of talk on Blog and on some recruiting sites as to why he may be transferring, his badmouthing the Cal program, and comments about his not wanting to compete. Most of that is a bunch of crap whipped up by crazed bloggers and scuzzy reporting.
Let's be clear here - he is a 19 or 20 year old kid. He is unhappy with playing on the team, and is leaving the team. I am sure that there are many issues - you do not up and transfer schools just because you are afraid you may not start, or just because you have some issues with the school spirit. There are probably a host of reasons going back for years. I applaud the guy for making a decision that seems to be his alone - he did not want to be at Cal, he is relieved that he was released from his scholarship, and he is happy to be leaving. It does not appear that he has been given any assurances by any other programs that he is going to come in and start.
For the Bears, this is a small blow. He is a very good college running back. I think we have better, but that is yet to be seen on the field. I think that Montgomery at the end of the season was producing at the second string more effectively, and was coming on well. So I think we will miss him from a football perspective. But we do have four backs that are supposed to be as good or better, so I think that there is a sense that this is OK.
Last year, we lost a good QB in Kyle Reed. That was a blow to the team, but frankly, I think over time we will see that it was fine. We have three quality QBs on the team today, and we will have plenty of running backs.
Here is what I think happened. He did not want to go to Cal but his parents became infatuated with the program, and they wanted him to stay close to home. So they signed up. But he never really wanted to come here.
While here, he made some friends, and played some good football. But he was not the starter - Forsett was - and he probably was pissed off about his lack of playing time last year. He also saw some writing on the wall - Best was getting good yards, and while I do not think Best is an every down kind of back, maybe that was not getting through to Monty.
So anyway, he sees that there is a new, great back every year. Best, Deboski, Slocum, Vareen. He is not the only featured guy. When you are compromising on a school that is not your first choice, when you are not going to be playing every down, that can be depressing. Especially for a young guy.
Then, to top it off, you get a knee injury, and you can not practice. So you are concerned that you will be cut out of the picture. An injury is very hard on a player - you definitely feel left out. So that - on everything else, can cause you to do something that you may not otherwise have done, and you quit.
If football is really what you think you are going to do for the rest of your life, and you are not confident in your position on the team, then you better do something about it. The choice is either get better and elevate your game (difficult to do if you are on crutches) or else seek a better playing field. So he took his future into his own hands. You have to give him credit for that.
A lot of Cal fans can not get over the fact that someone would not want to graduate from Cal. But it is not the only school in the world, and it is not for everyone.
Good luck to James Montgomery.
GO BEARS!!
There was a bunch of talk on Blog and on some recruiting sites as to why he may be transferring, his badmouthing the Cal program, and comments about his not wanting to compete. Most of that is a bunch of crap whipped up by crazed bloggers and scuzzy reporting.
Let's be clear here - he is a 19 or 20 year old kid. He is unhappy with playing on the team, and is leaving the team. I am sure that there are many issues - you do not up and transfer schools just because you are afraid you may not start, or just because you have some issues with the school spirit. There are probably a host of reasons going back for years. I applaud the guy for making a decision that seems to be his alone - he did not want to be at Cal, he is relieved that he was released from his scholarship, and he is happy to be leaving. It does not appear that he has been given any assurances by any other programs that he is going to come in and start.
For the Bears, this is a small blow. He is a very good college running back. I think we have better, but that is yet to be seen on the field. I think that Montgomery at the end of the season was producing at the second string more effectively, and was coming on well. So I think we will miss him from a football perspective. But we do have four backs that are supposed to be as good or better, so I think that there is a sense that this is OK.
Last year, we lost a good QB in Kyle Reed. That was a blow to the team, but frankly, I think over time we will see that it was fine. We have three quality QBs on the team today, and we will have plenty of running backs.
Here is what I think happened. He did not want to go to Cal but his parents became infatuated with the program, and they wanted him to stay close to home. So they signed up. But he never really wanted to come here.
While here, he made some friends, and played some good football. But he was not the starter - Forsett was - and he probably was pissed off about his lack of playing time last year. He also saw some writing on the wall - Best was getting good yards, and while I do not think Best is an every down kind of back, maybe that was not getting through to Monty.
So anyway, he sees that there is a new, great back every year. Best, Deboski, Slocum, Vareen. He is not the only featured guy. When you are compromising on a school that is not your first choice, when you are not going to be playing every down, that can be depressing. Especially for a young guy.
Then, to top it off, you get a knee injury, and you can not practice. So you are concerned that you will be cut out of the picture. An injury is very hard on a player - you definitely feel left out. So that - on everything else, can cause you to do something that you may not otherwise have done, and you quit.
If football is really what you think you are going to do for the rest of your life, and you are not confident in your position on the team, then you better do something about it. The choice is either get better and elevate your game (difficult to do if you are on crutches) or else seek a better playing field. So he took his future into his own hands. You have to give him credit for that.
A lot of Cal fans can not get over the fact that someone would not want to graduate from Cal. But it is not the only school in the world, and it is not for everyone.
Good luck to James Montgomery.
GO BEARS!!
Monday, March 17, 2008
NIT here we come!!!
The Cal Bears Mens Basketball Team has made the prestigious postseason NIT tournament. We are headed for our second National Championship in less than 10 years!!!
Actually, we are a four seed, with Ohio State as the presumed opponent if we can get passed the always tough New Mexico Lobos. Ohio State was probably the last team not taken into the NCAA tournament. Arizona State was probably the second team not taken - both 1 seeds in the NIT. So, like many who were hoping that they would get a much higher postseason berth, and are disappointed (see Cal Bears vs Texas Tech Holiday Bowl 2004) they may not actually make it out of the first round. The nice thing about the NIT, though, is that you get to play at home if you are the higher seed. So Cal, if they win, and if Ohio State wins, will have to travel to Ohio to play the Buckeyes. That actually could be pretty fun for the team. As a college kid, I would get a kick out of Columbus.
But say the Bears do beat all comers, and make it to the semi-finals. It would be a kick to see old Todd Bozeman playing the Bears again if (another long shot) the Morgan State Bears made it to Madison Square Garden. They actually were guaranteed a spot in the NIT, since they were a team that was first place in the season, but failed to win their conference tournament. So they are seeded 8th in the south bracket.
Washington was not offered a spot in the NIT, but may be offered a spot in the CBI. Their RPI was too high, even though they finished above Cal in the final Pac 10 standings. We also beat them the other day, so that may have made it easier.
I actually like the new format NIT - it eliminates the issues with the NCAA tournament trying to expand, and I think it gives the other teams something to play for. Particularly for the teams like Morgan State, who got reamed in their little postseason tournament, and had no chance of getting into the NCAA even though they won the season long conference championship. Those teams for too long have been getting the shaft, and there was no guarantee that they would get into any post-season action. It also means that those teams have a shot at playing more than just one game in postseason play, unlike getting seeded 16 and playing UCLA in the opening round. My guess is that those teams will be a little more pumped up than the typical BCS league also-rans who are disappointed with the NIT and will have some pretty good upsets.
I like the way the Pac 10 does it as well. The Pac 10 tournament winner is not the conference champion (well, actually, this year they are). The Pac 10 tournament winner is the Automatic Bid qualifier and Pac 10 Tournament Champion. The actual league champion is the winner of the round robin process.
I do think that Arizona State got robbed. They beat both Oregon, and Arizona in the league standings and head to head, and yet they are out and the other two are in. Plus they beat USC, and Xavier, five and three seeds. The sad thing is that everyone says they played a cream -puff schedule out of conference. But it really was not their fault. They played LSU, who sucked this year but was not supposed to. They played Princeton this year, who sucked also in a surprising fashion (331 RPI - their worst ever - normally about an RPI 100 team). They beat 7 tournament teams, and only lost to two which were not tournament teams - Nebraska (96 RPI, and they should have won) and Illinois (104 RPI and the first game of the season). Oh well.
I think the Pac 10 will do well in the tournament. The SEC was looking good, but I think the ACC and the Pac 10 will be the conferences to beat this year. As far as it goes, both Stanford and UCLA have good draws as both are in the Anaheim, CA pod. UCS will have to go to Omaha to play Kansas State, and then probably Wisconsin if they win. But I think USC could be the dark horse of this tournament. They have a relatively weak bracket and I think they could get to the final four. We'll see.
So the Bears were probably the 14th or 15th team taken in the NIT tournament. That would make them the 14 or 15 spots outside of the NCAA tournament. That being said, if they had a RPI spot about 16 points higher (say, 70 or so) they could have gotten in. Just so you know, that was one extra win at home against a team that we had a substantial lead over in the second half and blew it - like Arizona State, or Arizona, or Washington, or Stanford, or...
We really were not that far off the tournament this year. And that really sucks, in so many ways.
GO BEARS!!
Actually, we are a four seed, with Ohio State as the presumed opponent if we can get passed the always tough New Mexico Lobos. Ohio State was probably the last team not taken into the NCAA tournament. Arizona State was probably the second team not taken - both 1 seeds in the NIT. So, like many who were hoping that they would get a much higher postseason berth, and are disappointed (see Cal Bears vs Texas Tech Holiday Bowl 2004) they may not actually make it out of the first round. The nice thing about the NIT, though, is that you get to play at home if you are the higher seed. So Cal, if they win, and if Ohio State wins, will have to travel to Ohio to play the Buckeyes. That actually could be pretty fun for the team. As a college kid, I would get a kick out of Columbus.
But say the Bears do beat all comers, and make it to the semi-finals. It would be a kick to see old Todd Bozeman playing the Bears again if (another long shot) the Morgan State Bears made it to Madison Square Garden. They actually were guaranteed a spot in the NIT, since they were a team that was first place in the season, but failed to win their conference tournament. So they are seeded 8th in the south bracket.
Washington was not offered a spot in the NIT, but may be offered a spot in the CBI. Their RPI was too high, even though they finished above Cal in the final Pac 10 standings. We also beat them the other day, so that may have made it easier.
I actually like the new format NIT - it eliminates the issues with the NCAA tournament trying to expand, and I think it gives the other teams something to play for. Particularly for the teams like Morgan State, who got reamed in their little postseason tournament, and had no chance of getting into the NCAA even though they won the season long conference championship. Those teams for too long have been getting the shaft, and there was no guarantee that they would get into any post-season action. It also means that those teams have a shot at playing more than just one game in postseason play, unlike getting seeded 16 and playing UCLA in the opening round. My guess is that those teams will be a little more pumped up than the typical BCS league also-rans who are disappointed with the NIT and will have some pretty good upsets.
I like the way the Pac 10 does it as well. The Pac 10 tournament winner is not the conference champion (well, actually, this year they are). The Pac 10 tournament winner is the Automatic Bid qualifier and Pac 10 Tournament Champion. The actual league champion is the winner of the round robin process.
I do think that Arizona State got robbed. They beat both Oregon, and Arizona in the league standings and head to head, and yet they are out and the other two are in. Plus they beat USC, and Xavier, five and three seeds. The sad thing is that everyone says they played a cream -puff schedule out of conference. But it really was not their fault. They played LSU, who sucked this year but was not supposed to. They played Princeton this year, who sucked also in a surprising fashion (331 RPI - their worst ever - normally about an RPI 100 team). They beat 7 tournament teams, and only lost to two which were not tournament teams - Nebraska (96 RPI, and they should have won) and Illinois (104 RPI and the first game of the season). Oh well.
I think the Pac 10 will do well in the tournament. The SEC was looking good, but I think the ACC and the Pac 10 will be the conferences to beat this year. As far as it goes, both Stanford and UCLA have good draws as both are in the Anaheim, CA pod. UCS will have to go to Omaha to play Kansas State, and then probably Wisconsin if they win. But I think USC could be the dark horse of this tournament. They have a relatively weak bracket and I think they could get to the final four. We'll see.
So the Bears were probably the 14th or 15th team taken in the NIT tournament. That would make them the 14 or 15 spots outside of the NCAA tournament. That being said, if they had a RPI spot about 16 points higher (say, 70 or so) they could have gotten in. Just so you know, that was one extra win at home against a team that we had a substantial lead over in the second half and blew it - like Arizona State, or Arizona, or Washington, or Stanford, or...
We really were not that far off the tournament this year. And that really sucks, in so many ways.
GO BEARS!!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Hoops
Well, with the loss yesterday, the Bears are firmly in position of participating in the NIT, and going for Ben Braun's second National Championship (yes, according to Rod Benson, Ben considers his NIT championship a National Championship).
I think there is no doubt that the Bears make the NIT. They currently are rated 87 in the RPI, and have shown the ability to beat teams that are very good. They have three players that will be NBA bound at some point, presumably. So they would be a good show. And, yes, they even draw well - the 8800 average is more than your typical NIT team.
That being said, I guess the victory against the Huskies was a good one. They were able to keep their record over 500, which is the sort of basic guideline for making the post season.
That was a good game. Ryan Anderson, while he looked tired, he also took the game in control and put it away for the Bears, particularly on the inbound play with less than 30 seconds left and two seconds on the shot clock, and him banging a three.
Also, while he didn't play that well, it was clear that Boykin was pumped up to be in the postseason. It seemed like he was the only one who cared on the bench. So what if he fouled out. He was excited to do it. We need more bears pumped on the sidelines, waiting to get in and bang around. It was fun to sit behind the bench and see him getting jacked up at the end of the game. Hopefully he can develop his game a bit and become a leader for the Bears next year.
The UCLA game was another story. They clearly were the better team and there was no pretense this time of the Bears even being in it.
As far as the rest of the Pac 10 goes, I think it is clear that UCLA, Washington State, Stanford, and USC are in. Arizona is probably in as well, even though there has never been a team with a losing record in Pac 10 to make the tournament. But Arizona's RPI is fairly high, and they did have injuries this year, which are now better. Oregon is probably also safe at RPI 56, one of the last four in.
Arizona State is in an interesting position. They have a lousy RPI, at 82. Cal is at 87, for example. But they have beaten a lot of very good teams, and are ahead of two other Pac 10 teams that are most likely tournament bound - Arizona and Oregon - in the Pac 10 standings. They also swept Arizona. The issue with Arizona State is that they do not have a winning record against top 200 RPI teams. The worst team that they lost to was Illinois (RPI 127, 14 and 18). But they also lost to Cal, Nebraska, Washington - all teams that are not going to make the tournament. So not glaring losses, but still did not have the out of conference slate that would have pushed them to the top. They did have a good win against Xavier (RPI 8). But no team has ever gotten into the dance with a losing record against the RPI top 200.
But say the committee does take them - that would mean 7 from the Pac 10, which would be a record. That is kind of neat.
In any event, I think that this clearly was the toughest year I can remember in the Pac 10.
GO BEARS!!
I think there is no doubt that the Bears make the NIT. They currently are rated 87 in the RPI, and have shown the ability to beat teams that are very good. They have three players that will be NBA bound at some point, presumably. So they would be a good show. And, yes, they even draw well - the 8800 average is more than your typical NIT team.
That being said, I guess the victory against the Huskies was a good one. They were able to keep their record over 500, which is the sort of basic guideline for making the post season.
That was a good game. Ryan Anderson, while he looked tired, he also took the game in control and put it away for the Bears, particularly on the inbound play with less than 30 seconds left and two seconds on the shot clock, and him banging a three.
Also, while he didn't play that well, it was clear that Boykin was pumped up to be in the postseason. It seemed like he was the only one who cared on the bench. So what if he fouled out. He was excited to do it. We need more bears pumped on the sidelines, waiting to get in and bang around. It was fun to sit behind the bench and see him getting jacked up at the end of the game. Hopefully he can develop his game a bit and become a leader for the Bears next year.
The UCLA game was another story. They clearly were the better team and there was no pretense this time of the Bears even being in it.
As far as the rest of the Pac 10 goes, I think it is clear that UCLA, Washington State, Stanford, and USC are in. Arizona is probably in as well, even though there has never been a team with a losing record in Pac 10 to make the tournament. But Arizona's RPI is fairly high, and they did have injuries this year, which are now better. Oregon is probably also safe at RPI 56, one of the last four in.
Arizona State is in an interesting position. They have a lousy RPI, at 82. Cal is at 87, for example. But they have beaten a lot of very good teams, and are ahead of two other Pac 10 teams that are most likely tournament bound - Arizona and Oregon - in the Pac 10 standings. They also swept Arizona. The issue with Arizona State is that they do not have a winning record against top 200 RPI teams. The worst team that they lost to was Illinois (RPI 127, 14 and 18). But they also lost to Cal, Nebraska, Washington - all teams that are not going to make the tournament. So not glaring losses, but still did not have the out of conference slate that would have pushed them to the top. They did have a good win against Xavier (RPI 8). But no team has ever gotten into the dance with a losing record against the RPI top 200.
But say the committee does take them - that would mean 7 from the Pac 10, which would be a record. That is kind of neat.
In any event, I think that this clearly was the toughest year I can remember in the Pac 10.
GO BEARS!!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Good News!
The Cardinal lost the Pac 10 regular season Championship game last night! Yeah!
They had the chance to tie UCLA for a share of the Pac 10 title, having lost three and UCLA having lost only two. If they had won, they would have possibly tied UCLA for a share of the title with a win over USC.
As for our five, we played well against SC, took them to OT, and promptly folded like a card table. SC went on a ten point run to end what could have been a dramatic finish to what I thought was going to be Ben Braun's last season...
until I read this.
I can not figure out of this is a trial balloon, a statement that he is gone, or just a sop to the fans that she is thinking about it, and maybe next year, she is going to make a move.
The first thing she says is that there is no pressure from Boosters to fire Braun.
Second, she says that he needs to coach better - that we should have a better record.
Third, she says that we are THIS CLOSE to being there as a NCAA tournament team and a regular contender for the Pac 10 title.
Forth, she says that there is not way that someone can wear out their welcome just by being there too long.
Fifth, she says that she will evaluate the attendance figures separately from the coaching evaluation.
Sixth, she says that she is Braun's biggest cheerleader and that he is a great representative of the University.
So - basic addition and subtraction - regardless of the other issues (cost to fire, cost to hire, problems with the SAHPC) it seems like there is not going to be a change in the Head basketball coach this year. The Coach has three years left on his contract. My guess is that it will not be extended, that there will be another chance given, and that Braun has clear guidelines for next year - like make the Tournament or you are done.
Here is where it gets interesting. The question arises - do you want to to play for a lame duck, or do you want to go pro? I am sure that Anderson declares for the draft, like Hardin did last year, with the expectation that he comes back. But if he gets any real interest, I could see how he may leave. And if he does, Braun has no shot next year. So we have wasted a year on a mediocre program. And possibly, we could see the dark side of Ben Braun when he sees it all slipping away late in the season. So that should be interesting.
They had the chance to tie UCLA for a share of the Pac 10 title, having lost three and UCLA having lost only two. If they had won, they would have possibly tied UCLA for a share of the title with a win over USC.
As for our five, we played well against SC, took them to OT, and promptly folded like a card table. SC went on a ten point run to end what could have been a dramatic finish to what I thought was going to be Ben Braun's last season...
until I read this.
I can not figure out of this is a trial balloon, a statement that he is gone, or just a sop to the fans that she is thinking about it, and maybe next year, she is going to make a move.
The first thing she says is that there is no pressure from Boosters to fire Braun.
Second, she says that he needs to coach better - that we should have a better record.
Third, she says that we are THIS CLOSE to being there as a NCAA tournament team and a regular contender for the Pac 10 title.
Forth, she says that there is not way that someone can wear out their welcome just by being there too long.
Fifth, she says that she will evaluate the attendance figures separately from the coaching evaluation.
Sixth, she says that she is Braun's biggest cheerleader and that he is a great representative of the University.
So - basic addition and subtraction - regardless of the other issues (cost to fire, cost to hire, problems with the SAHPC) it seems like there is not going to be a change in the Head basketball coach this year. The Coach has three years left on his contract. My guess is that it will not be extended, that there will be another chance given, and that Braun has clear guidelines for next year - like make the Tournament or you are done.
Here is where it gets interesting. The question arises - do you want to to play for a lame duck, or do you want to go pro? I am sure that Anderson declares for the draft, like Hardin did last year, with the expectation that he comes back. But if he gets any real interest, I could see how he may leave. And if he does, Braun has no shot next year. So we have wasted a year on a mediocre program. And possibly, we could see the dark side of Ben Braun when he sees it all slipping away late in the season. So that should be interesting.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Now, really, the end of an era
Brett Farve announced his retirement just a few moments ago. Now, Aaron Rogers get his shot at the big time. Hopefully, he can bring the Packers to victory in the Super Bowl this year, and end the debate about Tedford QBs. I think that the Packers have just as good a shot this year as they did last year. And I hate the Packers. But it would be interesting to see how folks continue to bag on Tedford when already one of his protege's have won a Super Bowl, and three others are starting in the league during the last season at least a few games. I am not sure how many college coaches have 4 former QBs starting on NFL teams.
Rogers looked great last year against Dallas. Hopefully he can keep his injuries down (even an issue at Cal) and stay on the field all year. The Packers do not have an adequate backup.
GO BEARS!!
Rogers looked great last year against Dallas. Hopefully he can keep his injuries down (even an issue at Cal) and stay on the field all year. The Packers do not have an adequate backup.
GO BEARS!!
Monday, March 3, 2008
The End of an Era
I do not come to eulogize Ben Braun...for he is not yet dead.
But I was a bit sad sitting in the stands the other day watching our seniors put on a good show in an otherwise terrible game against a mediocre team, the Washington Huskies.
First, although Anderson was clearly in his last home game as a Bear, no one took the time to announce his contributions to the team. Thanks, Ryan, for your contributions.
Second, no one announced that Ben Braun, who built the House of Haas, was experiencing his final home game. True, he made a herculean effort after the game in his post game talk with Roxy Bernstein to explain why they lost, why it is so hard this year, why , in fact, coaching out his contract would be the right thing. But here is the deal. For the second year in a row, the Bears men's hoop team, which he has built, has failed all expectations, falling to the cellar of the Pac-10. If someone were to give out an award for the worst coach in the Pac 10 this year, Ben Braun would get it (since John Jay has already been fired).
But maybe I am wrong. Most of the publications pre-season had the Bears 7th or 8th in the Pac 10, with only Arizona State, Oregon State and maybe Washington below us. So maybe we are too close to it. But I get the sense that if this group of players was playing for UCLA, they would still be on top of the Pac 10, and we would still be where we are, if we had their players. So maybe those pre-season polls and publications are only projecting what everyone else seems to know, and what we are just finding out - that Coach Braun just can not coach well enough to win in the Pac 10.
He is a good guy. He runs a clean program. But, it seems like it is a passionless program. And I think that is the problem. Good enough to be a consistent winner in the league, but not good enough to be any good. He has used the resources of the university in a generally positive manner - he had a decent product when the Arena was opened, he kept it filled for a few years, and he kept the house clean, which was critical after the Bozeman episode. But Cal, as an institution, should be better than that. We are vicious with our professors - if they are not top performing, they get the boot. We focus on being the best. Because Sports was, at least, since the 60's, sort of seen as anti-academic, no one really cared about it from an University level. It was left to the athletic department, which was woefully mismanaged for many years. So, at the time, cleaning up the mess was all that was cared about. And, hey, if you could get the Arena built, so much the better.
But now, I think, people understand that Athletics and Academics are not mutually exclusive. What I mean by that is that you can have quality athletic teams at top institutions of higher learning, and that enhances the overall experience. And in a world of state budget cuts, having an overall experience better than the general community college experience would most likely help you in raising money from alumni, from other who have a sense of the place. UC has to raise over the next 40 or 50 years something like 50 billion dollars to maintain it's place as the pre-eminent public university, with the assumed reduction in state spending. That is huge.
Here I will say that Ben Braun is exactly the worst kind of coach that Cal can have at a time like this. We either need to care about athletics, and demand excellence, as we have from Rugby, Crew, Water Polo, Softball, Aquatics, and now from Football and Women's basketball, or we have to give up the charade, like we did in the late 70's, when everyone knew that no one cared about Cal athletics anymore, after the shame of football recruiting issues - and become like an ivy league team. We can not be mediorce. It is not in the DNA of a Cal grad to have a team that gets to 500 each year. If that is the team you have, it will be relegated to Baseball Status - and no one goes to those games (but that is a different post).
The women against Stanfurd sold more tickets than all but one mens game this season. Wow. That is amazing. I don't know this but I bet that is the first time ever that has happened. And I can not for the life of me see the end of this with Ben at the helm. There is no positive future - just more of the same. And we have all seen that movie. It is boring and it is old, and it is time to move on.
I hope the Bears beat the LA schools, and shock the world in the Pac 10 tournament, and go on to the final four. I think they probably could, if they actually all played out of their minds. I am the first to say that I would change my mind.
GO BEARS
But I was a bit sad sitting in the stands the other day watching our seniors put on a good show in an otherwise terrible game against a mediocre team, the Washington Huskies.
First, although Anderson was clearly in his last home game as a Bear, no one took the time to announce his contributions to the team. Thanks, Ryan, for your contributions.
Second, no one announced that Ben Braun, who built the House of Haas, was experiencing his final home game. True, he made a herculean effort after the game in his post game talk with Roxy Bernstein to explain why they lost, why it is so hard this year, why , in fact, coaching out his contract would be the right thing. But here is the deal. For the second year in a row, the Bears men's hoop team, which he has built, has failed all expectations, falling to the cellar of the Pac-10. If someone were to give out an award for the worst coach in the Pac 10 this year, Ben Braun would get it (since John Jay has already been fired).
But maybe I am wrong. Most of the publications pre-season had the Bears 7th or 8th in the Pac 10, with only Arizona State, Oregon State and maybe Washington below us. So maybe we are too close to it. But I get the sense that if this group of players was playing for UCLA, they would still be on top of the Pac 10, and we would still be where we are, if we had their players. So maybe those pre-season polls and publications are only projecting what everyone else seems to know, and what we are just finding out - that Coach Braun just can not coach well enough to win in the Pac 10.
He is a good guy. He runs a clean program. But, it seems like it is a passionless program. And I think that is the problem. Good enough to be a consistent winner in the league, but not good enough to be any good. He has used the resources of the university in a generally positive manner - he had a decent product when the Arena was opened, he kept it filled for a few years, and he kept the house clean, which was critical after the Bozeman episode. But Cal, as an institution, should be better than that. We are vicious with our professors - if they are not top performing, they get the boot. We focus on being the best. Because Sports was, at least, since the 60's, sort of seen as anti-academic, no one really cared about it from an University level. It was left to the athletic department, which was woefully mismanaged for many years. So, at the time, cleaning up the mess was all that was cared about. And, hey, if you could get the Arena built, so much the better.
But now, I think, people understand that Athletics and Academics are not mutually exclusive. What I mean by that is that you can have quality athletic teams at top institutions of higher learning, and that enhances the overall experience. And in a world of state budget cuts, having an overall experience better than the general community college experience would most likely help you in raising money from alumni, from other who have a sense of the place. UC has to raise over the next 40 or 50 years something like 50 billion dollars to maintain it's place as the pre-eminent public university, with the assumed reduction in state spending. That is huge.
Here I will say that Ben Braun is exactly the worst kind of coach that Cal can have at a time like this. We either need to care about athletics, and demand excellence, as we have from Rugby, Crew, Water Polo, Softball, Aquatics, and now from Football and Women's basketball, or we have to give up the charade, like we did in the late 70's, when everyone knew that no one cared about Cal athletics anymore, after the shame of football recruiting issues - and become like an ivy league team. We can not be mediorce. It is not in the DNA of a Cal grad to have a team that gets to 500 each year. If that is the team you have, it will be relegated to Baseball Status - and no one goes to those games (but that is a different post).
The women against Stanfurd sold more tickets than all but one mens game this season. Wow. That is amazing. I don't know this but I bet that is the first time ever that has happened. And I can not for the life of me see the end of this with Ben at the helm. There is no positive future - just more of the same. And we have all seen that movie. It is boring and it is old, and it is time to move on.
I hope the Bears beat the LA schools, and shock the world in the Pac 10 tournament, and go on to the final four. I think they probably could, if they actually all played out of their minds. I am the first to say that I would change my mind.
GO BEARS
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