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    • “A lot of people will be shocked” by the bears
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    “A lot of people will be shocked” by the bears

    Online Niel Posted on

    Year 2 of Coach Mark Madsen’s era learns on Monday night as the Cal men’s basketball team opens its season against Cal State Bakersfield at Haas Pavilion.

    With 16 new players, this will be a different team than the one fans saw a year ago.

    “I feel like a lot of people are going to be shocked when they see us play,” said junior forward Joshua Ola-Joseph, one of nine Division I transfers on the roster.

    The Bears went 13-19 in Madsen’s rookie season, improving as the year went on. They were 9-11 in the Pac-12 despite losing their last three conference games of the regular season.

    Cal produced a first-round NBA draft pick in guard Jaylon Tyson (19.6 points per game) and featured a co-leader in big man Fardaws Aimaq, who was tied for sixth nationally with 19 double double

    This team may not have anyone like those two.

    Depth and balance will be the hallmarks of this team.

    Madsen, who was undecided on a starting lineup when he met with reporters this week, sees strength in numbers. Depending on the opponent and how things go in a given game, he said he can envision using 10 or 11 players.

    “I think we have more guys that can step into a high role on a night-in, night-out basis,” he said. “I see that as a strength because if you have one or two main guys, the defense can really help them. They’re not going to put any guy in because we have so many different threats.

    “There will be better floor spacing. They’re going to be guys that can come off the bench and have really strong bursts defensively and offensively. So that helps our team.”

    Along with these qualities, Madsen says his team is selfless and passionate.

    Oakland native Jovan Blacksher Jr., a graduate transfer from Grand Canyon University, was asked how minutes will be distributed on a team with so many capable players.

    “The coaching staff is doing well with that. They’re going to do what they have to do for us to play the right way,” he said. “We have a team where everyone can do everything, with a lot of depth.”

    Beyond the depth, what will the Bears look like?

    “You’re going to see a lot of energy, a lot of physicality. A hungry team, new and ready to play basketball,” Blacksher said, adding that the team is not yet a finished product. “I feel like our potential is still there — we’re still growing. Ten, 11 new guys – I feel like we can only go up.”

    Ola-Joseph said the Bears have made progress in two close games.

    “The team is in very good shape. We are all tearing up now,” he said. “Obviously, neither of us have played together, so we’re building chemistry with the two fights we’ve had. Going forward, I’m very excited.”

    And what will it look like on Monday night at 8.30pm?

    “We should see a lot of dunks, a lot of athleticism,” Ola-Joseph said. “A lot of people are flying around – a defense-oriented team. Coach has put us together and prepared us pretty well, so I feel like we’re going to show up and play really well on Monday.”

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