13d ago basketball Edit

Cal adds commitment from Minnesota transfer forward Joshua Ola-Joseph

Matt Moreno • GoldenBearReport

Reporter

Matt began his career at Rivals in 2011 as recruiting editor and then publisher for Arizona affiliate, GOAZCATS.com. In 2022, he moved into an expanded role covering Pac-12 recruiting for Rivals.

Cal is moving swiftly in filling out its roster for the upcoming season, and Saturday marked another key day for the Bears. Shortly after adding a commitment from UTSA point guard Christian Tucker, Mark Madsen's program added a pledge from Minnesota forward Joshua Ola-Joseph.

The 6-foot-7, 215-pound sophomore from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota averaged 7.5 points and 2.2 rebounds across 29 games in the 2023-24 season. He made 19 starts as a sophomore after making 24 starts in his freshman season with the Golden Gophers.

Ola-Joseph shot 61% from the field last season and connected on 41% (13 of 32) of his 3-point attempts as well.

He is the fifth transfer addition for the Bears since the end of the season joining Tucker, Lee Dort (Vanderbilt), BJ Omot (North Dakota) and DJ Campbell (Western Carolina). The sophomore is the third transfer to join Cal's commitment list in the last two days.

Madsen and his staff have now added six new scholarship players since the end of the season including junior college transfer Jeff Nwankwo. It leaves the Bears with three more spots to fill for the fall.

Ola-Joseph will have two more seasons of eligibility when he arrives in Berkeley. He was a three-star recruit out of high school with notable offers from Clemson, Texas A&M and Colorado State as a member of the 2022 class.