Pac 12 Preview: Cal

Last Season: Cal was the co Pac 12 Champ with Stanford and advanced to the Final 4. A great season at 32-4 and 17-1 in Pac 12 play.


The Coaches:
Lindsay Gottlieb is in her 3rd year as Head Coach at Cal after 3 years as Head Coach at UCSB and two years before that as the lead Assistant at Cal. In five years as Head Coach two outright first place finishes and another co-championship and also a 2nd place finish and of course last season’s Final 4.

Charmin Smith with 2 degrees from Stanford returns for her 7th season at Cal and is now the Associate Head Coach.

Kate Steding, a Stanford grad, returns for her 2nd year at Cal after 2 years as Associate Head Coach at USF.

Kai Felton is back for her 3rd year at Cal. Kai has been an Assistant at Oregon, 2 years, and at USC, 5 years.
Smith, Steding and Felton were all outstanding players.



Losses:
Layshia Clarendon was as close to a top 5 All American as possible. She averaged 16 points per game, shooting at 45%. She also made 41 threes at 33%. Layshia was Cal’s go to player, and the opponents knew it and couldn’t stop her in clutch time.

Talia Caldwell was the Center averaging 9 points and 7 rebounds per game and shooting at 57%. Caldwell was even better on defense.

Eliza Pierre averaged just 3 points per game but was Cal’s defensive stopper.



Additions:
Brittany Shine is a 5-10 Jr guard who sat out last season after transferring from the University of Florida. Shine is from Sacramento and played travel with Sara James. Shine scored 28 in an early season game her frosh year at Florida, but her playing time decreased as a soph and she transferred to Cal last year. Shine was # 88 in the country out of High School.

Kyra Dunn is a 6-3 Jr post/power forward who is also a transfer. Dunn transferred from Pitt. Dunn was both a High School and Travel teammate of Shine. As a High School Sr Dunn averaged 11 blocked shots per game. At Pitt Dunn averaged 9 minutes per game as a frosh but as a Soph started most games and averaged 5 points and almost 6 rebounds per game. Dunn transferred to Cal for their 2nd semester and I believe will be eligible Dec 15 to play for Cal.

Courtney Range is a 6-3 wing from the Stockton area. Range played her first 3 years at the fabled St Mary’s of Stockton. Range was ranked 36, 38 and 43 out of High School. She is very long and quick and at 6-3 should she considerable playing time at several positions immediately.

Kendall Waters is a 6-2 power forward from Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd High School who was ranked from # 42 to 54 out of High School. Waters is strong and very good scorer to 15’.

Mercedes Jefflo is a 5-10 frosh guard from Southern California ranked as high as 74 and 102 out of High School. Cal expects Mercedes to be a strong defensive player right off the bat.

Hind Ben Abdelkader is a 5-7 frosh guard from Belgium who played on their U17 team a year ago and was the high scorer at 19 per game at the World Championships.

So 6 newcomers, 4 frosh and 2 Jr transfers.



The Schedule:
Cal plays the Oregon schools, Colorado and Utah once each. The non- conference schedule overall isn’t tough, but Cal plays UConn and Duke, two top 5 teams. They don’t play anyone else with a last year’s RPI under 75. Georgetown, Wake Forest, UOP and Northwestern are on their schedule and all had RPIs from 77-97.



The Team:
Three starters return for the Bears, Boyd, Brandon and Jemerigbe.

Brittany Boyd is a 5-9 Jr and the Point Guard. Last season Boyd averaged 12 points, 5 rebounds and over 4 assists per game, with a fine 1.5:1 turnover ratio.

Gennifer Brandon is a 6-2 5th year Sr who will be at forward. Last season Brandon averaged a double, double, 12 points and 11 rebounds per game. However Brandon had a leg operation this summer and it’s unknown when she will be available. Public signs point to November at some point.

Afure Jemerigbe is a 6-0 Sr wing who averaged 7 points per game and led the team with 45 threes at 31%.
Reshanda Gray is a 6-3 Sr Post who averaged 8 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes per game last season. Gray, like Brandon and Jemerigbe were McDonalds All Americans in High School.

Mikayla Lyles is a 5-8 Sr guard. Last season she averaged 3 points in 10 minutes per game. Lyles made 26 threes at 35%. Lyles played travel with Dunn, Shine and Sara James.

Justine Hartman is a 6-2 Jr center who last season averaged 3 points and 3 rebounds in 11 minutes per game. Hartman was ranked # 7 out of High School the highest ranked player ever to enter Cal.

Avigiel Cohen is a 6-0 Sr guard who averaged less than a point in 5 minutes per game.

Hard to tell at this point who the 5th starter might be with Boyd, Brandon, Gary and Jemerigbe. My guess is Courtney Range, but Brittany Shine is a good guess also. And maybe both if Brandon is out for a while. Dunn, Hind and Waters should get good minutes off the bench.



Predictions:
With 6 new players it may take a bit before they gel, although Dunn and Shine has practiced with the team for a year or so now. The losses are big but some outstanding players return and Cal with fight for the Pac 12 Championship.



2014 Recruiting:
Gabby Green is a 6-1 point guard ranked # 9 overall. Her High School teammate 6-1 wing Alexis Cowling is ranked # 20 overall. Their High School is St Mary’s of Berkeley.