With so many transfers making up a revamped Cal men’s basketball team in Year 2 of head coach Mark Madsen’s tenure, the Bears have a big question to answer heading into this season: Who’s going to be in the starting five? All five starters from last season are gone, so a whole new starting lineup will take the court this fall at Haas Pavilion and Madsen has yet to confirm who will get a coveted starting position.
Nothing’s concrete yet, but expect the Bears’ coaching staff to tinker with the rotation throughout this season. are a couple of players who definitely stand out when it comes to the kind of basketball Madsen wants to play, however.
I think the starting lineup will be:
G: Jovan Blacksher Jr.
G: Andrej Stojakovic
F: Joshua Ola-Joseph
F Rytis Petratis
C: Mady Sissoko
Breakdown
Starting in the backcourt, Jovan Blacksher Jr. and Andrej Stojakovic look likely to make up the guard positions for the Bears. Blacksher is a fifth-year graduate transfer who dominated the WAC with Grand Canyon. He shares many traits with Jalen Cone as an undersized off-the-dribble scorer, so he provides the momentum-swinging energy the Bears will surely need.
