Pac-12 Basketball Team Preview: California Golden Bears

It’s here! The 2019 Pac-12 Basketball Preview! To get you ready for another season of Pac-12 hoops, here’s a preview of each and every squad in the conference, from the contenders…to the pretenders. 

California Golden Bears 

Coach: Wyking Jones

2017 Record: 8-24

Postseason: None

Pac-12 Record: 2-16

Key Losses: Don Coleman (14 ppg), Marcus Lee (11.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg), Kingsley Okoroh (5.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg)

Top Returners: Justice Sueing (13.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Darius McNeil (11.3 ppg)

Projected Starting Lineup: 

G: Darius McNeil (11.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.2 apg)

G: Paris Austin (12.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.0 apg)

G: Juhwan Harris-Dyson (6.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.0 apg)

F: Justice Sueing (13.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.4 apg)

F: Matz Stockman (1.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg)

Bench: Roman Davis, Grant Anticevich, Jacob Orender, Connor Vanover, Matt Bradley

2018-19 Outlook

California is very firmly entrenched in rebuild mode. Wyking Jones’ first year was a disaster. And guess what? They lost two of their best three players and their only real pickup in the offseason was Boise State transfer Paris Austin, a double-digit scorer for the Broncos two years ago.

The Golden Bears won a paltry 25% of their games in 2018, which is an alarming clip for a power five team, which I’d barely consider Cal at this point. I’m sorry Cal fans, I’m really having a hard time finding positives for this upcoming season. But, I’ll give it a shot.

Best Case Scenario: One could argue that Justice Sueing was the Bears’ best player at the end of last season. He averaged 15.8 points a game in conference play last season after getting off to a slow start in November and December. As a freshman, he was a bright spot in Jones’ first year. As a sophomore, and with a featured role in the offense, Sueing is primed for a breakout campaign in 2019.

If his ceiling is as high as I think, he could headline a young and over-achieving Cal squad. Perhaps Wyking Jones gets comfortable in his second season and finds a rotation of guys he’s a.) coached for a year now, or b.) personally and specifically recruited. Sueing leads the way as a potential all-Pac-12 payer with Paris Austin and McNeil as a young but well-rounded backcourt and help comprise a big three that can wreak havoc in matchups with the elites of the conference.

Best case, they over-perform their (likely to be) disrespectful preseason rankings and surprise some people by finishing in the middle of the Pac-12 and their youngsters show serious promise.

Worst Case Scenario: Things go as expected and California is even more dreadful than last season.  Sueing, now being keyed on by defenses, falters and takes a step back as a sophomore. Wyking Jones provides another year of evidence that he’s just not a power-conference-level coach at this juncture in his career.

Additionally, the large recruiting class Jones brings in flops in year one and the Bears are left with little to no Pac-12 caliber players on roster. The future is filled with unrest, Jones gets fired and Cal is left with a very messy hoops situation on their hands next April.

Bottom Line: For California to keep it’s fans engaged, they cannot afford to have another depressing season. With a plethora of new faces (transfers and freshmen) and enough returning talent, the Bears have the pieces to turn the narrative of negativity around, but will they? Time will tell.