Pac-10 Hoops Preview: Mike Montgomery Begins To Bring Cal Bears Back

2009-10 Record

24-11 (13-5 Pac-10), Lost in NCAA Tournament Second Round to Duke.

Head Coach

Mike Montgomery, third year at Cal (46-22 at Cal; 593-266 career).

Possible Starting Lineup

PG Jorge Gutierrez, SG Gary Franklin Jr., SF Allen Crabbe, PF Harper Kamp, C Markuri Sanders-Frison. (One returning starter.)

Summary

Nobody in the conference lost more than the Bears did from their last season’s conference championship team. Mike Montgomery will need to replace four of his five starters, as well as most of his team’s points (83 percent), shooting (89 percent) and boards (64 percent) from a year ago.

Montgomery will begin to re-tool the Bears from being a perimeter-based team to one that works inside-out and plays physical defense.  A pair of juniors—power forward Harper Kamp (6’8”, 250 pounds) and center Markhuri Sanders-Frison (6’7”, 265 pounds)—provide Cal with some wide bodies to anchor the middle. Jorge Gutierrez (leading returning scorer at 5.5 ppg) will provide leadership from the guard position.

Montgomery recruited a strong class to begin filling in some of the holes. Newcomers Allen Crabbe and Gary Franklin Jr. will be given a chance to start from the outset of the season. Canadian Emerson Murray, Alex Rossi and Richard Solomon will compete for playing time immediately.

“They're freshmen making an adjustment both academically and on the basketball floor," Montgomery said. "And they're going to be freshmen 'til they're not. There's a learning curve, but I like their talent level, like their attitude.”

Cal’s pre-conference schedule will provide both challenges (New Mexico, San Diego State and Kansas) and opportunities for the Bears to get their feet on the ground before they open their Pac-10 season at Stanford on January 2.  

2010-11 Schedule

Tue, Nov 16 CSU Northridge

Sat, Nov 20 New Mexico

Thu, Nov 25 Temple

Wed, Dec 1 UC Davis

Sat, Dec 4 at Iowa St

Wed, Dec 8  San Diego St

Sun, Dec 12 Southern Miss

Sat, Dec 18 Cal Poly

Wed, Dec 22  Kansas

Tues, Dec 28 Hartford

Sun, Jan 2 at Stanford

Thu, Jan 6 at Arizona

Sat, Jan 8 at Arizona St.

Thu, Jan 13 Washington St.

Sun, Jan 16 Washington

Thu, Jan 20 at UCLA

Sat, Jan 22 at USC

Thu, Jan 27 Oregon St.

Sat, Jan 29 Oregon

Thu, Feb 3 Arizona St.

Sat, Feb 5 Arizona

Thu, Feb 10 at  Washington

Sat, Feb 12 at Washington St.  

Thu, Feb 17 USC

Sun, Feb 20 UCLA

Thu, Feb 24 at Oregon

Sat, Feb 26 at Oregon St.

Sat, Mar 5 Stanford