BetUS $500 Match Bonus
Sign up for a new account with BetUS and deposit $500 or more to get a $500 match bonus!

$20 Free Play at Sportsbook.com
Your first bet is free when you open a new account at sportsbook.com!

2008 California Basketball Predictions

Written October 29, 2008 by Luke Knight

Mike Montgomery has always loved the big men on his basketball teams, but he begins his tenure at Cal without a big man since DeVon Hardin graduated and Ryan Anderson, the Pac-10’s leading scorer, bolted early. That being said, Montgomery comes into a situation where the folks of Berkley have embraced him, the fan base is larger, and recruiting will be easier than his previous post, Stanford. Also, Montgomery and the Golden Bears return three starters and three players who took medical redshirts last season. The Bears will be two deep in every position except the post, and that is not something every team in the Pac-10 can say. BetUS has the Golden Bears at +750 odds to win the Pac-10 title this season.

Because the Golden Bears lack a big man it is likely that either junior Jamal Boykin or sophomore Harper Kamp will have to move to the low post until a big man emerges, and both are undersized even for a power forward. Sophomore center Taylor Harrison is 6’10” 245-pounds is a raw banger but he sat out last season to let his knee heal, but then he had it scoped again in late June. Junior Jordan Wilkes has skills but is too weak and Max Zhang, a 7’2” prospect from China, is still a work in progress. Montgomery will need these big men to come along and hold their own in the low post for the Golden Bears to reach their full potential.

Point guard Jerome Randle returns for his junior season to start for the second straight year. Randle started last year, but his decision-making, defense, and 93 turnovers were negatives for Cal. Montgomery has faith in Randle, however, and feels he can help Randle to understand how he can be most effective. Junior shooting guard Patrick Christopher is the team’s top returning scorer. Coach Montgomery recognizes his offensive skills but wants Christopher to be better defensively. Freshman D.J. Seeley is 6’4” and will help right away as he is solid at putting the ball in the basket. Theo Robertson will give the Bears a versatile scorer and defender at small forward.

Final Analysis

Montgomery will improve the Golden Bears in two major ways: they will be much better defensively and Randle will be more efficient at point guard. California is going to miss its big men, but the Pac-10 will be smaller all around with Kevin Love and the Lopez twins gone so it won’t hurt as bad. The fact that the Golden Bears don’t have a starting prospect bigger than 6’8” is a concern and a challenge. The Bears will have to answer questions about their post game and rebounding when the season starts. Without a true starting big man in the Pac-10, we have the Golden Bears finishing toward the middle of the pack in the conference. If Ryan Anderson had stuck around we could see them in the NCAA tournament, but without him an NIT bid will have to do. BetUS has them at +15000 odds at winning the NCAA Tournament, so keep an eye on the Golden Bears if one of their big men emerges this season.

Are you winning as much as you should be with your basketball betting? If not then let our experts help. They study the NCAA basketball odds for hours each day before making their college basketball picks.