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I watched Madden Soliai at the Polynesian Bowl and he was impressive. He's undersized but doesn't play like it and was all over the field making plays left and right against a good group of receivers. Cal was one of his early offers, and the Bears have continued to prioritize the 5-foot-10 cornerback recruit in the 2026 cycle. Famika Anae and Mike Bruno made it out to Hawaii last month for an in-home visit, and the Bears have done a good job of staying in his ear.

He's not moving quickly through the process but having a couple teammates now on the roster at Cal will certainly help the Bears. Utah is the biggest competition right now, but Cal will remain in the mix as he pushes forward in the process.

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Another future Cal official visit to pass along as the Bears remain proactive in setting up trips for June with priority targets in the 2026 class.

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Even though I am immersed in Cal's MBB team in recent years, I had season tickets for many decades for Cal football and the Oakland Raiders. My parents for decades had season tickets to the football NY Giants, and I attended at least 100 games in Yankee Stadium with them, including the famous sudden death championship game against the Colts with Johnny U, Alan Amache, Raymond Berry, etc.

I have been a close friend of Dave (the Ghost) Casper for the past 40 + years. Thanks to the Ghost, I attended his 2002 induction into the Pro Football HOF in Canton and his subsequent induction into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame which has caused his likeness on a plaque to be found at Gate 87 in United Airlines’ SFO terminal. I was invited to see the Ghost to be inducted into the Collegiate HOF in 2012, but I had a professional scheduling conflict that prevented me from attending.

While on the recent trip with Cal’s MBB team to see Duke in Durham and GT in Atlanta, my Cal hosts were kind enough to allow me to visit the Collegiate Football HOF in downtown Atlanta. I had promised the Ghost that I would do so and then look him up. I did as pictured. To be inducted into the Collegiate Football HOF, it is required that you had to be a first team All American. I sent such attached photo from the Collegiate HOF to the Ghost and his lovely wife, Susan, and inquired innocently why a tight end had been wearing the jersey number of 68. Susan immediately reacted, almost like Pavlov’s Dog, that such photo was of the Ghost as a sophomore or junior when he played offensive tackle, that the Collegiate HOF is in error using an outdated photo, and that the Ghost as a TE wore jersey numbered 86 as a senior when he was a first team All American at tight end and the Captain of Notre Dame’s national championship and undefeated (11-0) team that beat Alabama under Bear Bryant in the bowl game. BTW, the Ghost already in his youth as a junior was an honorable All American at offensive tackle. Susan seemingly now is motivated to correct that oversight after seeing from me what was intended to be just an innocuous photo that was being shared amongst friends. As usual, the very laid-back Ghost has been totally silent and probably is focused on consuming chili dogs at Dune Dog with his faithful lab companion, Molly, and fishing, his favorite pastime.

As noted above, the Ghost was a pre-season All American at OT before his senior year. He went to summer camp whereat almost all of ND’s TEs became injured. So, HC Ara Parseghian asked for volunteers to become the new TEs. Much to Ara’s horror his Captain and best offensive lineman volunteered insistently that he was the best man for that job and then proved to be by far the best person in ND’s summer camp for that job and later validated such selection as the best TE in the nation.

BTW, the Ghost has the largest hands I ever have seen which obviously helps him to catch the ball.

I am going to spend 2 weeks once again in South Hutchinson Island, FL with the Ghost next month to keep up our tradition.

The Ghost, a HOF pro player, was continuously applauded for his blocking skills by NFL announcers, many of whom were ignorant of the fact that he was a former blocking OT in high school and his sophomore and junior years at ND.

Unrolling a new feature that we hope to make a regular thing here, and in the first installment I decided to take an early look at the storylines to watch this spring following the announcement of the schedule today.

What other storylines have you intrigued heading into the 15 practices?

Rivals national analyst John Garcia Jr. recently put out his list of must-get recruits for each ACC program, and four-star local offensive tackle Tommy Tofi highlights the list for the Bears. I know there's still more offers to go out and visits to take place, but who are you viewing as an early "must get" recruit for Cal in the 2026 cycle?

Or if you're still learning the class, which positions do the Bears have to hit on in the current cycle?

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Spring ball is quickly approaching and the Bears are in the midst of their winter offseason conditioning work right now. Here's a little video the team put out providing a glimpse into the winter workouts.

With Matt M's gracious help I share some of my trip's photos at Duke and GT for your review.

I have no idea how to create links to show photos or videos as an old fart.

We'll soon get a better idea of more recruits Cal is going to be in position to land, but someone to keep a close eye on is Los Angeles-Loyola receiver Markus Kier. The staff has been heavily involved in recruiting him for a while now, and he made a visit back up to Berkeley earlier in the month before the dead period to get a better feel for the new offensive staff at Cal.

He had a chance meet Bryan Harsin and spend more time with Kyle Cefalo, and that was important as he had built a strong bond with Burl Toler III earlier in his recruitment. Kansas has put on a full-court press already and will be his first official visit in early June, but an official visit to Cal is expected to take place as well.

He's also planning to head back out for a spring visit, too. I spoke with Kier about the recent visit to Cal and where things stand with the Bears.

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Our allegedly direct charter flight from Atlanta to OAK now is in San Antonio for an hour to get fuel (WTF).

As you might imagine, the plane is very quiet. JW seems OK now physically but obviously is bummed to have missed critical PT due to his severe cramping

The team played very well but just not well enough to lose a heartbreaker at the buzzer

Game Info

Who: Cal (12-13, 5-9 ACC; last game: 78-57 loss to Duke) at Georgia Tech (12-13, 6-8; last game: 60-52 win over)
When: 1:00 p.m. PT
Where: Atlanta, Georgia | McCamish Pavilion
TV/streaming: ACC Network | Joel Godett (PxP), Michael Carter-Williams (Analyst)
Radio: 810 AM | Justin Allegri (PxP)
All-time series: Cal leads 3-0
Odds: GT (-3.5), O/U (143.5) – via BetMGM

Cal will look to avoid a 3-game losing streak and get back on the winning side Saturday afternoon when it takes on Georgia Tech in the lone meeting between the two teams this season. The Yellowjackets have earned wins in three of their last four games including victories over Louisville and Clemson when both were ranked 21st in the AP Top 25.

The positive news is that the Bears have won all three meetings against Georgia Tech in the history of the matchups.

Check back for updates and join the conversation once things tip off this afternoon.

The NFL combine invite list was released Thursday and Cal will be represented by four players in Indianapolis later this month. Linebacker Teddye Buchanan plus defensive backs Nohl Williams, Craig Woodson and Marcus Harris will all have their opportunity to perform in front of NFL scouts at the combine.

All four were part of the East West Shrine Game roster. OLB Xavier Carlton not making the list is a little bit of a surprise after his senior season and Hula Bowl performance.

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Game info

Who: Cal (12-12, 5-8 ACC; last game: 76-66 loss to Wake Forest) at No. 3 Duke (20-3, 12-1; last game: 77-71 loss to Clemson)
When: 6:00 p.m. PT
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium | Durham, North Carolina
TV/streaming: ACC Network | Wes Durham (PxP), Cory Alexander (Analyst), Jim Boeheim (Analyst)
Radio: 810 AM | Justin Allegri (PxP)
All-time series: Tied, 2-2
Odds: Duke (-23.5), O/U (143.5) – via BetMGM

The Bears are back in action tonight and will visit Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time in program history. The all-time series between Cal and Duke is tied at two wins apiece but they have not met since late in 2019 with the Blue Devils winning that matchup, 87-52. The game was part of the 2K Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden, and the Blue Devils were ranked No. 1 at the time.

Follow along for updates tonight plus join in the conversation as the Bears open things up tonight in Durham.

Cal's MBB team had a great practice this morning after a lengthy film and scouting session. I was worried yesterday when the practice was held at Duke's fabulous and standalone practice facility, because we did not look sharp there (perhaps due to jet lag)_. It has rained continuously since we arrived, and it is cold.

We took a facilities' tour that was hosted by Duke's athletic department. As you might imagine, the MBB facilities are spectacular with wow locker room, players' lounge, etc. And at Cameron Indoor their is a great display of its numerous stars and championship. Duke MBB has its own separate museum which we missed due to not desiring to walk anymore in the rain to access it. The football facilities also were awesome with a huge locker room with each player having his own booth with all the amenities and with a very large weight room, players' lounge and entertainment center, dining area, and a training area that has just about every imaginal thing.

We are 23.5 underdogs tonight, so it is going to be interesting to witness in a capacity crowd with the Cameron Crazies in ful throat. After the game we will fly to Atlanta and likely get to our hotel there sometime after 2:30 a.m.

Short but a good read.

Any word yet on the spring practice schedule?

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Cal guard Jeremiah Wilkinson finally has earned the ACC Rookie of the Week award as the solo recipient. Monday, it was announced that he was the lone winner of the award this week following his performance in two games last week for the Bears. Wilkinson continued to score at a high clip and averaged 17.5 points in the split against NC State and Wake Forest.

He's now had six games scoring at least 20 points after dropping 21 against the Demon Deacons on Saturday. Wilkinson is averaging 19.8 points since becoming a starter for the Bears. He previously shared the award twice this season, and only Duke's Cooper Flagg has earned the honor multiple times this season.

Wilkinson has taken to his role as a starter, that was brought on by an injury that sidelined leading scorer Andrej Stojakovic for a handful of games. The Georgia native started alongside Stojakovic for the first time int he game against Wake Forest giving the Bears their top two scorers an opportunity to open the game alongside one another.

"I think it gives you two very dynamic players in the starting lineup," Madsen said. "I think Andrej is still regaining his rhythm. Andrej was out for two and a half weeks."

The Bears will be back on the floor Wednesday night for a big ACC matchup at Duke followed by a swing through Atlanta to face Georgia Tech to begin a three-game road stretch.

Toler did a pretty good job recruiting. He did an ok job developing the wides, but a bunch of them left. Sure alot of it probably wasn't his fault. Remigio left Cal and produced more at Fresno State and now in the NFL. And of course his WRs couldn't block for shit.

Wish him and Mikey Matthews all the luck. But yeah this is 100% sunshine pumping

GAME INFO

Who: Cal (12-11, 5-7 ACC; last game: 74-62 win over NC State) vs. Wake Forest (17-6, 9-3; last game: 79-73 win over Stanford)
When: 2:00 p.m. PT
Where: Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, California
TV/streaming: ACC Network | Dave Feldman (PxP) & Jerod Haase (Analyst)
Radio: 810 AM | Justin Allegri (PxP) & Theo Robertson (Analyst)
All-time series: Cal leads 2-1
Odds: Wake Forest (-2.5), O/U (141.5) – via BetMGM

Cal and Wake Forest will meet for the first time since 2000 today when they square off at Haas Pavilion. It will be the lone scheduled matchup between the two teams this season. The Demon Deacons come into the matchup currently tied with SMU for fourth in the conference standings but are just 4-4 on the road this season.

Check in later for any updates and join the game discussion once things tip off in Berkeley.

GAME INFO

Who: Cal (11-11, 4-7 ACC; last game: 75-66 loss to Syracuse) vs. NC State (9-12, 2-8; last game: 68-58 loss to Clemson)
When: 8:00 p.m. PT
Where: Haas Pavilion | Berkeley, California
TV/streaming: ACC Network | Chris Sylvester (PxP) & Richie Schueler (Analyst)
Radio: 810 AM | Justin Allegri (PxP) & Theo Robertson (Analyst)
Last meeting: Cal win, 65-62, on Jan. 18 at NC State
Odds: Cal (-1.5), O/U (138.5) – via BetMGM

For football related discussion, look elsewhere

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Bay Area media day took place Thursday, and here's Cal's portion of the event with head coach Mike Neu plus standout middle infielders PJ Moutzouridis and Jarren Adincula talking about the start of the season.

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Cal lands its second 2026 commitment in as many days with Long Beach Poly defensive back Deon Jackson has announced his pledge. Jackson has earned a ton of interest from Power 4 schools while he's added early offers from UConn, Nevada, New Mexico, Sac State and Washington State. A nice pickup with room to improve over the next year before he arrives in Berkeley.

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Cal head coach Justin Wilcox spoke with Rivals national director Adam Gorney about a variety of topics today.

Rundown

00:15 2025 Recruiting Class
01:03 Jaron Sagapolutele
02:33 Devin Brown and having two quarterbacks
04:20 Is length in defenders something you are looking for
05:45 After five close losses, do you feel you have the pieces to close out games

Interesting. This would be a natural role for Ron Rivera to have oversight of the football program, hold Wilcox accountable for improvement in his weak areas for as long as he’s still the coach, repair relationships with the football donor base, and make it easier for us to fire Knowlton in the future.