During the weekend of the Cal football game against Ole Miss, 2018 Cal women’s basketball commit McKenzie Forbes took her official visit, checking out the campus with her entire family. Forbes talked with us about what she’s most looking forward to about playing for Cal and what her official visit entailed.

“The first day we went out to breakfast with the coaches and four players (each host player & then Kristine),” Forbes explained. “After that the day consisted of a campus tour, watching a team workout, and various meetings with academic faculty, the weight trainer, nutritionist, chef, and Athletic Director. We visited the Fannie Lou Hammer black student resource center and met some other black students and athletes because they had a free pizza event going on. After all the campus activities everyone went to Coach G's house for dinner and fun games. That was in my opinion the best part of the entire visit because the team is so fun to be around.

“Day two we had breakfast with everyone in Oakland and then headed to the city on a boat ride that took us under the Golden Gate Bridge. Pretty cool scenery. We walked around at pier 39, we went to Union Square and did some more walking around and then ate an early dinner at a nice restaurant that I can't remember the name of.

“We took Bart back to campus and had a little down time to chill before the football game. (The other recruits had a meeting with the staff during this time). We all had a snack before the game and walked up together. The football game was great because we won, but that was the end to a long day. The next morning we had breakfast with the coaches at the hotel in the morning and then headed home.”

When addressing why she chose Cal, Forbes said it’s the culture that head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has instilled in her program. This culture brings out the best in her players and creates an invigorating environment.

“I love the culture that Coach G developed in that every player can be themselves without pressure or judgment but also they are one as a team at the same time,” Forbes said. “My relationship has grown with the staff a great deal since committing because I can ask them or tell them anything and they can do the same with me...but more so I think my relationship has grown with the players, they make me feel like I'm already apart of the team and I feel like on my visit I finally had the chance to really get to know the personalities of each player separately. They all have the mindset to make the best of every situation and I think that has to do with the leadership of Coach G and the example she sets.”

When looking ahead to the upcoming season, Forbes is very optimistic about what Cal can accomplish. With so many returning players and a quality freshman class coming in, she’s confident that they can build on the success they had last season.

“I think they have a chance to be really good this year, returning everyone besides Courtney, so this group has a lot of experience together,” Forbes said. “Adding Kianna will help a lot having someone who can knock down open shots consistently and also will allow them to move AT (Asha Thomas) off the ball at times and just let her shoot. Kristine will do her thing as usual, but I expect a big year from Penina, Kayla (Mikyala Cowling), and AT. Also I think the sophomore group, MiCole, CJ and Jaelyn will contribute even more this year as they will be more comfortable in their roles.”

While she is very enthusiastic about playing under Lindsay Gottlieb and joining her teammates next year, Forbes is also looking forward to being a student at the top public university in the world. The opportunity to be around some of the brightest minds in the world and be a part of a diverse campus community is something that she can’t wait for.

“I think just meeting so many brilliant minds in my classes and hopefully making friends with some people that I otherwise wouldn't meet without this opportunity,” Forbes said. “To go to an institution that pulls in so many incredibly talented people from all over the world is the coolest thing to me and I can't wait to take advantage of that.”

While she is still a year away from playing in her first game, McKenzie Forbes already feels right at home at Cal. Her relationship with the program is really strong and she already has a strong affinity for the campus community. Look for her to make an immediate impact when she arrives on campus in the fall of 2018.