As I watched the Elite 17 Soldiers play at Peach Jam, I would have to say this has to be one of the worst Soldier Teams I've seen. There was no effort, no unity, and zero defense. Where was Oscar Frayer? Whoever made the selection of the current players need to really concentrate on basketball players instead of hype!!!!
EYBL Oakland Soldiers
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I agree 100%. Zero ball movement everyone went one on one,nobody blocked out and they all thought they were shot blockers. If you're a kid and just really want to get exposure then the Soldiers are the program for you. But if you want to get better and be coached look elsewhere. I saw Richard Migley on the bench helping out, maybe he should take over full time.
I have to say I was impressed with Carlos Johnson that kid has a motor and can play with anyone.
I have to say I was impressed with Carlos Johnson that kid has a motor and can play with anyone.
Jason Kidd was eligible at CAL. For athletes, CAL is no different than SDSU. This is no Stanford.
Enough said. Wish him the best and glad his focus is on the classroom.
Enough said. Wish him the best and glad his focus is on the classroom.
Sorry Larry you're wrong on this one. Cal admissions is making it tougher for teams to get kids in. State school comparison is laughable.
larry, i would suggest you actually speak to coach martin & the cal staff, nor cal coaches like lou richie & richad midgley and high school recruits like oscar frayer, jordan ford, jordan brown, elijah hardy & ivan rabb before you make outdated dumb azz academic commentary re: the admissions requirements for berkeley that existed 20+ years ago during the j kidd era, ok?
CAL's basketball graduation rate is about 50%. Stanford is about 91%. SDSU's is about 75%. I hear from a friend at Cal that admissions for major sport athletes at Cal is well below demands of general student populations. He thinks it's pitiful how underprepared some of these kids are coming in. I don't have the data off the top of my head but as I think about current pros, I will bet Stanford has more guys in the NBA than Cal, although I can't think of any as talented as Kidd. Cal now has a dedicated athlete tutoring program. They are doing their best to help the kids get up to speed.
infofreak, your info is not current, like larry you guys are out of touch...jason kidd has been gone for 20+ years, times have changed
did you know that sean miller has stated that cal now has the talent to compete for a national championship?...hope you will make it to haas pavilion this year to catch the excitement of cal basketball
message to nor cal elite recruits with academic ambition (not dumb azzs that are interested in mediocre academics like arizona & san diego state):
as you relentlessly prepare for your upcoming season this fall, maybe you should do the following quick summertime homework assignment & check out the worldwide academic reputations of your potential collegiate options?
let's be real here, if the nba doesn't mint you, then you're gonna have to utilize your educational opportunities to achieve your dreams & build a better life for you & your family particularly moms...even if the nba does mint you, you gotta have financial skills & a strong education to make sure you prosper for the years ahead in terms of sound investment strategies & raising intellectually curious children...trust me, the girl of your dreams doesn't want to date/marry a dumb azz
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/rankings?int=9cf408
successful student athletes got academic ambition, dumb azz ballers limit themselves & just blindly hope they never get injured...larry's advice is great for those that wanna be stocking shelves at 2:30 am in the morning at the wal mart by the oakland airport someday
the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public (#3 overall) university in the world
did you know that sean miller has stated that cal now has the talent to compete for a national championship?...hope you will make it to haas pavilion this year to catch the excitement of cal basketball
message to nor cal elite recruits with academic ambition (not dumb azzs that are interested in mediocre academics like arizona & san diego state):
as you relentlessly prepare for your upcoming season this fall, maybe you should do the following quick summertime homework assignment & check out the worldwide academic reputations of your potential collegiate options?
let's be real here, if the nba doesn't mint you, then you're gonna have to utilize your educational opportunities to achieve your dreams & build a better life for you & your family particularly moms...even if the nba does mint you, you gotta have financial skills & a strong education to make sure you prosper for the years ahead in terms of sound investment strategies & raising intellectually curious children...trust me, the girl of your dreams doesn't want to date/marry a dumb azz
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/rankings?int=9cf408
successful student athletes got academic ambition, dumb azz ballers limit themselves & just blindly hope they never get injured...larry's advice is great for those that wanna be stocking shelves at 2:30 am in the morning at the wal mart by the oakland airport someday
the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public (#3 overall) university in the world
Shocky, I googled "Basketball Graduation Rates" for the three schools. Those are the numbers that came up as current - within the last couple of years. My folks at Cal are there currently and we talked about Cal's athletic department woes at dinner two months ago. He said the situation is still woeful and borderline embarrassing.
I'm actually not arguing with you about a particular kids' need to take his life into his hands, especially when he is given an academic opportunity like Cal. I'm just saying Cal lowers the bar for athletes, and based on the grad rates for athletes, Stanford does a darn good job and SDSU does ok - much better than Cal.
the link you provided is about academic rankings of schools, not the academic ranking of their athletic departments. The NCAA does a whole analysis of athlete graduation rates. In the PAC 12, I think Cal is second to last in Basketball, with USC dead last. That might change some in the 2014/2015 season once those newer numbers are published.
BTW, I think Jason Kidd is pretty smart, and I have no idea what his HS grades or scores were. I saw Ivan Rabb on TV and he seems like a sharp, articulate kid. I really hope he has academic grounding so that he can be a bball star and gain something from the school academically. I personally think he will.
Including Kidd, I can think of or 4 or so Cal BBall players who made it to the next level from Kidd's time to now. In that same time frame, I think I counted a dozen or so Stanford kids. I think Stanford had two go in the most recent draft. Does anyone have hard numbers on the cal vs stanford in the pros numbers?
I'm actually not arguing with you about a particular kids' need to take his life into his hands, especially when he is given an academic opportunity like Cal. I'm just saying Cal lowers the bar for athletes, and based on the grad rates for athletes, Stanford does a darn good job and SDSU does ok - much better than Cal.
the link you provided is about academic rankings of schools, not the academic ranking of their athletic departments. The NCAA does a whole analysis of athlete graduation rates. In the PAC 12, I think Cal is second to last in Basketball, with USC dead last. That might change some in the 2014/2015 season once those newer numbers are published.
BTW, I think Jason Kidd is pretty smart, and I have no idea what his HS grades or scores were. I saw Ivan Rabb on TV and he seems like a sharp, articulate kid. I really hope he has academic grounding so that he can be a bball star and gain something from the school academically. I personally think he will.
Including Kidd, I can think of or 4 or so Cal BBall players who made it to the next level from Kidd's time to now. In that same time frame, I think I counted a dozen or so Stanford kids. I think Stanford had two go in the most recent draft. Does anyone have hard numbers on the cal vs stanford in the pros numbers?
Take a pill dude. Why do I need to talk to coach martin. CAL was #1 publicly university when Kidd went to school 20 years ago as well. Do you think this institution just got famous? CAL will get athletes into the school. Period. Is that wrong or right? I'm not making that argument. UC DAVIS has a much more rigorous acceptance policy for athletes than CAL. Sort of shows with there success in Football since they went D1.
I took a pill before I wrote that last post! I'm not judging Cal. Just sayin they have a lousy retention rate for athletes. I'm alright with that. They get like 6,000 freshman a year. 200 athletes who might have a lower GPA is a minor rounding error. But it seems that a school like Stanford has improved its athlete/success/graduation rate while Cal has not. Would I rather watch UC Davis or Cal? I'd rather watch Cal.
info, appreciate your opinions but to be honest with you i'm not really interested in cal's student athletes graduation rates from back in the day
here's the gpas of all of the current cal basketball rosters, ok?
http://bearinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?62260-cal-s-monster-class/page476
larry, i've been a lurker on this site for a while & am constantly amazed at your unique ability to make stuff up without facts
real talk: cal's roster is full of true student athletes that are expected by coach martin to earn their degrees from the #1 public (#3 overall, ahead of stanford) university in the world
academically mediocre schools like arizona & san diego state can recruit 2.5 gpa dumb azzs that can remain eligible due to the dumbed down academics, comparing graduation rates between the schools in not a meaningful comparison
info & larry, are you gonna make it to haas pavilion this season to share in the excitement of cal basketball this season as the bears got the talent to compete on a national stage?
here's the gpas of all of the current cal basketball rosters, ok?
http://bearinsider.com/forums/showthread.php?62260-cal-s-monster-class/page476
larry, i've been a lurker on this site for a while & am constantly amazed at your unique ability to make stuff up without facts
real talk: cal's roster is full of true student athletes that are expected by coach martin to earn their degrees from the #1 public (#3 overall, ahead of stanford) university in the world
academically mediocre schools like arizona & san diego state can recruit 2.5 gpa dumb azzs that can remain eligible due to the dumbed down academics, comparing graduation rates between the schools in not a meaningful comparison
info & larry, are you gonna make it to haas pavilion this season to share in the excitement of cal basketball this season as the bears got the talent to compete on a national stage?
There are few hoop fans like me out there. I will be at many CAL games assuming I can get tickets. Shocky, you work for the school?
kitty3, here is the link I quoted:
http://www.examiner.com/article/excellent-graduation-rates-for-stanford-men-s-women-s-basketball
I also noticed other links from the most recent year. It aggregates Stanford athletics at around 93% GSR and Cal around 44% (I think that is all sports, not just basketball).
The GSR (Graduation Success Rate) I read about gives a kid 6 years to get in and get out.
http://www.examiner.com/article/excellent-graduation-rates-for-stanford-men-s-women-s-basketball
I also noticed other links from the most recent year. It aggregates Stanford athletics at around 93% GSR and Cal around 44% (I think that is all sports, not just basketball).
The GSR (Graduation Success Rate) I read about gives a kid 6 years to get in and get out.
I will take 93% any day. I would venture to say the GSR for non athletes at Stanford is in that same range, whereas the GSR at CAL for non athletes is much much higher. You start peeling onion back and GSR for african american athletes is 4 out of 10 but for whites its 7 out of 10 at CAL. But with pro contracts so lucrative these days (especially in hoops) it really becomes an economics game. Hard to fault a kid for taking the money. Put yourself in that position. It will be interesting to see how Emmanual Mudiay works out for Denver after playing professionally in China after HS for 1 season. I'm going to say he has a chance to be very special. Maybe that model is more realistic today?
http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports...-rates-divided-along-racial-lines-5011462.php
http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports...-rates-divided-along-racial-lines-5011462.php
You guys realize that graduation rate isn't as simply as "did play A graduate" right? It's a great stat to quote but by no means tells the story. Keep in mind that schools like Stanford allow students to drop the class up until the day of the final WITHOUT penalty. Public universities do not. For those that may need it explained as to why that is a big deal, if a student bombs their 2nd midterm at Stanford it's not as big of a deal because if they do not recover they have until the day of the final to drop the class. At a place like Cal or other public schools, if the drop date has passed, which is usually closer to the beginning of the term rather than the end, the student is stuck. Other circumstance matter as well but I've talked to much as it is.
Legend, that is a great link. One of the sidebars talks about how Cal has a different standard than for the general student population. Big money sports in college is real, and so in a way these athletes are being viewed as revenue generators, so I'm not surprised (or perplexed) that guys leave early for the pros. They might as well. What is interesting is that a school like Stanford is managing to graduate a high number of admits. Probably partly due to what Chief says, but, they still need to get through in six years. I'm really glad Rabb is playing locally. For a year or two we'll have a chance to watch him develop. Reminds me of Kidd going to Cal. Good for the school and good for the kid - he gets to grow close to his family.
this link talks about Stanford's approach to recruits. This is about football but surely it covers basketball and other sports. Bottom line seems to be money available to find the kids who fit.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciaj...stanfords-emergence-as-a-football-powerhouse/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciaj...stanfords-emergence-as-a-football-powerhouse/
If you get into Stanford as a student /athlete and don't make the league, they have already set you on the path to a degree. The fact that a university like Stanford is competitive given the entrance requirements is a testament to the program. These are men playing against elite level 18-19 year olds. They often times don't even pursue the top prospects because they already know they don't qualify. If you are from a household within a certain income range and can get into Stanford they do not charge tuition etc.. If I am not that 1 to 2% who may make the next level and they want me, I'm going to Stanford. Playing past high school at any level in college is a bonus, enjoy it and be real about your chances.
larry, i don't work for cal, i actually live in scottsdale...would be more than happy to host you at haas pavilion this season, i respect your attending as many high school games as you do
the bears top 6 players will include ivan rabb from bishop o'dowd, jabari bird from salesian & stephen domingo (st ignatius) along with walk ons brenden glapion from washington high in san francisco & cole welle form santa cruz with oscar frayer from moreau catholic a current commit for 2016
cal's staff is targeting jordan brown from woodcreek, jordan ford from folsom & elijah hardy from bishop o'dowd along with continuing to scout damari milstead (moreau catholic), ben kone (mitty),carlos johnson (el cerrito) & jade smith (st joes in alameda)
coach martin has brought to the staff for the 1st time jennifer hunter, a learning specialist with a law degee who travels with the team on road trips to ensure cal's student athletes are on target in their academic endeavors...he is sincerely committed to his players earning degrees while also pursuing their basketball dreams
this season's cal team could arguably be the greatest bay area team of this lifetime, the potential is there, will be fascinating to see how this season plays out
the bears top 6 players will include ivan rabb from bishop o'dowd, jabari bird from salesian & stephen domingo (st ignatius) along with walk ons brenden glapion from washington high in san francisco & cole welle form santa cruz with oscar frayer from moreau catholic a current commit for 2016
cal's staff is targeting jordan brown from woodcreek, jordan ford from folsom & elijah hardy from bishop o'dowd along with continuing to scout damari milstead (moreau catholic), ben kone (mitty),carlos johnson (el cerrito) & jade smith (st joes in alameda)
coach martin has brought to the staff for the 1st time jennifer hunter, a learning specialist with a law degee who travels with the team on road trips to ensure cal's student athletes are on target in their academic endeavors...he is sincerely committed to his players earning degrees while also pursuing their basketball dreams
this season's cal team could arguably be the greatest bay area team of this lifetime, the potential is there, will be fascinating to see how this season plays out
Its great to see CAL going after so many locals. I can't speak from personal interaction for most of those kids but all I hear is good things on and off the court. Ford plays in my backyard and my little guys have been to Walls camp where he works sometimes and he's a great guy. Def has the makeup of something special at CAL and the Pac12 is really up for grabs after Arizona losing so many players.
Couldn't agree more about the Stanford comments above as well.
Couldn't agree more about the Stanford comments above as well.
Maybe you missed the fact that Kone played an average of 16 min a game and was still the 3rd best rebounder in the EYBL overall. He was the top rebounder with 12 against the stacked St. Louis team who's next best had 8. St. Louis bigs are all top 50 and Kone absolutely shut down his man. If you missed that game go watch the tape and you will see what I'm talking about.
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It's simple, you can't place the entire blame on the kids. Most if all have played in State finals, Norcal/Socal finals and played well for their high school teams. There is no connection on the court because there was no practice. The team last year looked no better. You have to get these guys together at least a weekend a month and run it like a training camp. Most high level elite teams do this once if not twice a month. I watched a ton of eybl games and several teams. It was easy to see the teams that got together and spent time on the court besides games. Kids were out of sync and standing around because they didn't know each others tendencies. Plus how misused was Richard Midgley? How is a guy with his resume not have more of a say during games? I think having NBA talent in the past has spoiled them. Now as a organization they have to work a little harder. This team was super talented, no way they should have looked the way they did some games. Not knocking the program, it's very successful in a high profile league. After the last to years they just need a self check.
