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August 23rd,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
California
Golden Bears
Overall Rank:
#79
Conference
Rank: #7 Pac-10
2005-06:
20-11, 12-6, 3rd
2005-06
postseason: NCAA
 Coach Ben Braun
has a little retooling to do with the loss of the driving force
behind
California’s run to the NCAA Tournament. However, there
is some untapped and underappreciated talent up front with big
men DeVon Hardin and Jordan Wilkes ready to take over the
spotlight.
Who’s Out:
Leon
Powe topped off his career with the Golden Bears with 20.5
points and 10.1 rebounds per contest as a sophomore before
heading to the NBA. Rod Benson was generally the first big man
off the bench and has run out of eligibility. In the backcourt
Richard Midgley and former walk-on turned scholarship player,
Martin Smith, have run out of eligibility. Midgley averaged 8.6
points and 2.5 assists and rebounds during his senior campaign.
Smith, who earned significant playing time as a junior missed
much of his final season with a nagging injury.
Who’s In:
Coach Braun
has a solid, well balanced group of newcomers. Depth is an
issue at most positions and this class should put an end to
those concerns. At 5-9, point guard Jerome Randle lacks size,
but that’s about all he lacks. He is quick and smart, takes
care of the ball and has plenty of range on his jump shot.
Shooting guard Patrick Christopher has range well beyond the
three point line. The only negative is that he can’t create and
get to the basket. Christopher lacks the bursts of speed, but
some offseason training may fix that. Ryan Anderson and Taylor
Harrison both stand 6-9 and weigh in at 225 pounds. At the
moment, Anderson’s strengths are stepping outside and working on
the perimeter. He’s still a big body that can battle on the
glass, but his low post offensive skills need some developing.
Harrison may be the least heralded recruit, but the San
Clemente, California product may see the most minutes since he
can help replace Powe’s numbers. Harrison is a banger and works
hard under the basket on both ends of the floor.
Who to Watch:
Ayinde Ubaka, the only player to start all 31 games last year,
returns to lead the way for Cal. The underappreciated 6-4 point
guard averaged 14.5 point and 3.8 assists as a junior during the
2005-2006 season. Ubaka is quick, can score in a variety of
ways and has developed into a solid floor leader. There isn’t a
lack of talent by his side either with Omar Wilkes and Theo
Robertson on the wings. Wilkes averaged 7.6 points per game his
first season in Berkeley after transferring from Kansas. With a
little more range and consistency on his outside shot, Omar
Wilkes could have a breakout season. Robertson’s versatility
allows him to play inside and outside and, after a promising
freshman year, the expectations are getting higher for Robertson
to make a big impact.
Final
Projection:
Even though Powe
won’t be patrolling the paint, the Cal frontcourt may once again
be its strength. Hardin was overshadowed by Powe’s presence and
still managed 7.3 points and 6.6 rebounds. The question is
whether Powe made Hardin better with the opposing defenses
keying in on Powe or if Hardin is ready to break out and have a
huge season all on his own. Jordan Wilkes, brother of shooting
guard Omar, is a headsy big man who could find a way into a
starting role. The 6-11, 225 pound Los Angeles native gained a
little strength and experience seeing action in 21 contests as a
freshman. He might not be quite ready to make a huge impact,
but at the least, he will contribute some quality minutes.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NIT
Projected
Starting Five:
Ayinde Ubaka,
Senior, Guard, 14.5 points per game
Omar Wilkes,
Junior, Guard, 7.6 points per game
Theo Robertson,
Sophomore, Forward, 6.0 points per game
Jordan Wilkes,
Sophomore, Center, 2.1 points per game
DeVon Hardin,
Junior, Center, 7.3 points per game
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