I just finished watching tape of 2020 Cal men’s basketball commit Monty Bowser out of Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, California. Below is a breakdown of his strengths, weaknesses, and overall outlook.

Strengths: Has solid size and length for a D-1 wing at 6’6”, 180 pounds. Alert on defense and quick on his feet. Has a good defensive stance and has the tools to guard multiple positions. Doesn’t reach in or commit silly fouls. Does a good job boxing out his man and getting back on defense. Plays hard on both ends of the floor. Eager to crash the boards and has a good nose for the ball. Hustles and is willing to put his body on the line. Not afraid to get dunked on. Handles the ball well for a wing. Can put the ball on the floor and take it to the hole. Has the length to be an effective scorer inside.

Runs the floor well in transition. Has the potential to be a good rim runner. Has a nice form on his shot. Fluid mechanics. Capable of being a legit 3-point shooter at the next level. Can’t be left open from beyond the arc and has the ability to heat up. Confident foul shooter. Team player. Willing to do the little things to help the team win. Played for a great coach in Lou Richie at Bishop O’Dowd. Knows what’s to be expected.

Weaknesses: While he has good fundamentals on defense, he’ll need to add weight if he wants to be a better defender in the post. Bigger, more physical post players will look to take advantage and knock him around inside. He needs to learn to be more crafty around the rim using pump fakes, etc. Needs to do a better job at selling the fake. Will need to diversify his game in the paint to score consistently against guys that are 6’9”, 6’10”, and bigger. Needs to do a better job of coming off screens and getting open.

Has the tools to be a really good 3-point shooter, but needs to do a better job of creating those opportunities for himself on a more consistent basis. Sometimes is too passive on offense. While his ball handling is good, it could be better. Needs to get a tighter handle if he wants to be effective taking D-1 level wings off the dribble.

Overall: Monty Bowser has the potential to be a solid two-way player at Cal due to his combination of size, athleticism, and shooting ability. If he adds some weight, learns to assert himself more, and develops a more sophisticated offensive repertoire, especially around the rim, he could be a nice contributor to this Golden Bears program.