Watch: Fox and Company talk Practice Starting
For the first time since March 11th, Cal men's basketball head coach Mark Fox met with assorted media. Cal had their first practice Sunday, as they lead up to an exhibition game against Cal State LA on November 1st, and the opener against UC San Diego on November 9th. Fox noted that this is the first time that he's had a proper full cycle with his team, without interruption and not learning a completely new system.
"We've had a relatively normal offseason," Fox said, "which really was the first since I got to Cal. We started practice a little later than the rest of the country because there were a couple guys who needed to clear a Covid situation, but we had our first practice yesterday, we had a really good fall, and I think our players and our coaches are really excited about having the opportunity to be together again. With the team we have, I think they're excited about the opportunity in front of them."
It's a marked change from a year ago, when the Bears weren't even allowed in Haas Pavilion, or even allowed to pass the ball, as Fox went through the team's journey a year ago.
"We didn't have a spring of weight training or development," Fox said, "we didn't have a summer of weight lifting or development, we did not have a fall where we could have any skill development or weight training, we didn't have a preseason conditioning program, so we missed an entire offseason last year, and if you recall, after three practices last year, we had a Covid shutdown, which might have been the most costly part of the whole thing, because we missed over a third of our pre-season practices. We started playing games after no offseason and thirteen practices, and then, here you go."
There's optimism for the Cal coach, even with the Bears finishing 12th in the Pac-12 a year ago. The team then lost top scorer Matt Bradley to the transfer portal, with Bradley landing at San Diego State. What Cal does have that they haven't necessarily had in recent years is depth. Super senior eligibility means that Cal has 15 scholarship players this year, with Grant Anticevich and Makale Foreman not counting against the cap, and the Bears actually had time to get in the weight room.
"I think what's evident with this group is that first of all," Fox said, "we look entirely different. Our conditioning level, our functional level as athletes, it's all greater than it was a year ago because we've been able to have a true offseason."
Super Seniors
The super seniors are a big piece for the Bears heading into the 2021-22 season, as Cal has three. Jordan Shepherd, who is a super senior using his Covid year at Cal, was the sole transfer the Bears took this year in the transfer portal era, signing in June after averaging 13 points per game at Charlotte and starting his college career at Oklahoma.
"Jordan is very mature," Fox noted, "he's very poised, he's experienced, he's a very good scorer from the wing, he's a very good athlete. His experience has been welcomed, you need older, experienced guys who understand what it takes. He has been extremely well coached at his previous stops and he's come in and positioned himself to make an immediate impact."
The two returners are Anticevich and Foreman, who Fox has high hopes for as mentors moving forward
"Grant never really was the same after the ruptured appendix," "he had a really good offseason and is shooting the ball well. Makale is a guy who has great spirit that he brings everyday, a good shooting touch, and those guys are really good examples for our freshmen."
The True Freshmen
Cal also welcomed in three true freshmen in Marsalis Roberson, Obinna Anyanwu, and Sam Alajiki, and all three bring more of the athleticism Fox's squads have needed.
"They are three very talented young guys," Fox said, "and they have a level of athleticism that fits this league, at their position, they're three guys that athletically check the box, they're all very different in the skillsets they bring."
Starting with Roberson, Cal has a 6'5" guard out of nearby Bishop O'Dowd. A teammate of Cal sophomore Monty Bowser at the Oakland school, Roberson was the 2020 Bay Area player of the year as a junior.
"Marsalis is extremely athletic," Fox said, "quick, and he has a nose for plays, he's involved in plays all over. He has a natural competitive streak that allows him to be involved in a lot of things. He's going to score, he's gonna be a real good defender, and I think he has a very bright future."
Anyanwu, a former four-star prospect out of Cathedral Catholic, was a surprise signing for the Bears last fall, but he's a solid 6'7" and 220 lbs, with the ability to play inside and out.
"Obinna," Fox noted, "he's longer, he's strong, he can put the ball on the floor, he shoots the 3, pretty versatile game."
Then comes Alajiki, possibly the only college basketball player to list Dundalk, Ireland as his hometown. The native of Ireland is explosive at a listed 6'7" and 225 lbs.
"Sam is powerful," Fox said, "explosive off the ground, can really run, excellent 3 point shooter, really athletic at the rim. "
The Returners
Among the returning players, Fox touched on a handful, starting with Jarred Hyder. Hyder was originally not eligible a year ago, and due to an injury suffered after Cal's preseason COVID shutdown, Hyder was sent home for a while, before being ruled eligible and playing nearly right away. He was injured near the end of the 2020-21 season, had offseason surgery, and is back for the Bears now.
"He's on his way back, and he's smart," Fox noted, "We're really excited about his instincts and what he can do."
Fox also repeated something he hit on two years ago, that the most important offseason for college players is the one after their freshman year. Joel Brown didn't get that a year ago, along with a handful of his teammates.
"Joel, he's like a lot of guys in his class," Fox said, "Lars and Kuany are in the same mold. They didn't get the most important offseason of your career, the one after your freshman year. Joel took advantage of this summer, and really has had a mature approach in his ability to be a lead guard."
Fox also praised Kuany Kuany, as the junior forward may have the highest ceiling on the team. He's done well in the offseason, along with Jalen Celestine and Lars Thiemann.
"Kuany probably had the best offseason of anyone on our team," Fox said, "we were really excited about the progress he put in, Jalen had a really good day one of practice, continues to improve and be better. Lars, like Joel and 2K He needed that offseason, especially for a big guy you need that time in the weight. He was finally able to get several consecutive months with a great strength and conditioning coach and I think you'll see the difference because of the work he put in."
That leaves Andre Kelly, who was the second leading scorer a year ago, and is going into his senior year as a potential centerpiece in Cal's offense.
"He's really done well," Fox said, "worked hard to become more and more explosive, and has had a great approach this fall, really has improved as a defender."
Development
Fox didn't talk about having a primary option on offense, as they had with Bradley a year ago, noting that there's going to have to be a balance.
"We want to be a balanced offensive team," Fox said, "and we've got a group that is excited about playing with one another. We need to have a scoring balance to be successful. We need to have our returning guys like Grant and Andre, they need to be productive. This needs to be an offensive group that helps each other and works together on that end of the floor, if we can develop that, I think we'll get scoring from a number of different places."
Fox also noted the importance of conditioning, after a year where injuries played a big role for the Bears. Cal lost Bradley, Foreman, Anticevich (appendix), Ryan Betley, Monty Bowser, and Hyder for periods during the season, and they'll look to avoid the more avoidable injuries in 2021-22.
"One of the most important parts of the offseason is develop the ability to be a better athlete," Fox said, "to be a more functional athlete, it's also about being healthy and being durable. When you take away an entire offseason of conditioning, guys can wear down, and that probably happened to Makale last year, I know across the roster, we had a lot of little injuries that, had we had an entire offseason, those things would not have been as impactful, we would have avoided some of those."
Other Notes
- Fox noted there could be redshirt candidates this year, due to having the 15 scholarship players and only 40 minutes to work with. Of the current roster, only Shepherd has used a redshirt season.
