Just wrapped up a Post-Practice Presser with Head Coach Mark Madsen as well as new additions Joshua Ola-Joseph, Jovan Blacksher Jr., and DJ Campbell and I wanted to give you all my initial thoughts and impressions as the team prepares for opening night.
My first impression: all three new transfers are bought into the Madsen program. Each one of them emphasized grit and toughness when previewing the upcoming. "You’re gonna see a lot of energy, a lot of physicality. We’re a hungry team, new and put together and ready to play basketball," Blacksher Jr. said when asked what we should expect of the team this season. Ola-Joseph emphasized how the team feels like a family and is very "family-oriented" regarding the team's culture which is a good sign heading into Year 2 of Mark Madsen. It will be a work in progress due to the nature of fielding a team mostly made up of transfers but it bodes well for this season to hear all of these new players already buying into Madsen's culture setting.
In terms of game planning and X's and O's for this season, it's looking like a win-by-committee kind of team as opposed to the heliocentric Jaylon Tyson-led Bears from last season. Madsen talked about the sheer number of threats the team will have on offense this season. "If you have one or two main guys, the defense can key in on those guys. They won't be able to key in on any one guy because we have so many different threats. There's going to be better floor spacing, there's going to be guys coming off the bench and have strong bursts on the defensive and offensive side." Something to monitor this season is Madsen's rotation. How many guys will Madsen play and when will he start to cut it down to the guys he trusts in crunch time? I'd expect to see a 12-man rotation widdled down as the team gets its feel for who fits in the best.
My last impression is that Madsen is fired up for this season. He's very confident that the new additions are buying into the program and is definitely looking to build off of last season's revival of Cal Men's Basketball. He was really excited about this team's versatility and optionality, on both the offensive side and defensive side of the game. Madsen also gave a heartwarming story on the loss of USF Head Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, one of his contemporaries and friends. Madsen shared how he met Abdur-Rahim at a head coaching seminar in Atlanta and what he learned from him spending time together at that seminar.
But yeah, those were my overall thoughts on the presser today. You can find clips of the presser on my twitter @kenzofuku and stay tuned for more Cal Men's Basketball coverage!
My first impression: all three new transfers are bought into the Madsen program. Each one of them emphasized grit and toughness when previewing the upcoming. "You’re gonna see a lot of energy, a lot of physicality. We’re a hungry team, new and put together and ready to play basketball," Blacksher Jr. said when asked what we should expect of the team this season. Ola-Joseph emphasized how the team feels like a family and is very "family-oriented" regarding the team's culture which is a good sign heading into Year 2 of Mark Madsen. It will be a work in progress due to the nature of fielding a team mostly made up of transfers but it bodes well for this season to hear all of these new players already buying into Madsen's culture setting.
In terms of game planning and X's and O's for this season, it's looking like a win-by-committee kind of team as opposed to the heliocentric Jaylon Tyson-led Bears from last season. Madsen talked about the sheer number of threats the team will have on offense this season. "If you have one or two main guys, the defense can key in on those guys. They won't be able to key in on any one guy because we have so many different threats. There's going to be better floor spacing, there's going to be guys coming off the bench and have strong bursts on the defensive and offensive side." Something to monitor this season is Madsen's rotation. How many guys will Madsen play and when will he start to cut it down to the guys he trusts in crunch time? I'd expect to see a 12-man rotation widdled down as the team gets its feel for who fits in the best.
My last impression is that Madsen is fired up for this season. He's very confident that the new additions are buying into the program and is definitely looking to build off of last season's revival of Cal Men's Basketball. He was really excited about this team's versatility and optionality, on both the offensive side and defensive side of the game. Madsen also gave a heartwarming story on the loss of USF Head Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, one of his contemporaries and friends. Madsen shared how he met Abdur-Rahim at a head coaching seminar in Atlanta and what he learned from him spending time together at that seminar.
But yeah, those were my overall thoughts on the presser today. You can find clips of the presser on my twitter @kenzofuku and stay tuned for more Cal Men's Basketball coverage!
