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Cal Golden Bears Have The Talent To Become A National Threat In 2015-16

By Cody Daniel

January 26, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; California Golden Bears guard Jabari Bird (23) reacts with guard Jordan Mathews (15) after being fouled by the UCLA Bruins during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
January 26, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; California Golden Bears guard Jabari Bird (23) reacts with guard Jordan Mathews (15) after being fouled by the UCLA Bruins during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Last season, newly acquired head coach Cuonzo Martin led his California Golden Bears to an 18-15 record before failing to register an NCAA Tournament berth. As for his second season running the show; Martin’s Bears could quite possibly enter the 2015-16 campaign as a preseason top 10 team.

That’s the beauty of college basketball. Within a matter of months, the entire landscape of a program can shift for the better through the recruiting front and retaining a key player or two from the previous season.

That’s the exact method that looks to have the makings of not only transforming Cal into a Pac-12 contender in Martin’s second season, but possibly even a unit to be feared once March Madness rolls around.

What was it that catapulted these expectations so rapidly?

For starters, Cal received what was arguably the most monumental commitment in the program’s history on May 1 when Jalen Brown, the nation’s No. 4 overall recruit, decided to take his talents to the West coast over the options to head to Michigan, North Carolina and even Kentucky.

It could go without saying that Brown is the special type of talent that could turn a program into a national contender overnight, even if it’s only for one season. But Cal will have a roster with far more to offer than simply Brown alone. To assist in headlining what has become a top five recruiting class at Cal, according to 247 Sports, is yet another McDonald’s All-American and the nation’s No. 8 overall recruit, power forward Ivan Rabb.

Between the versatility and limitless talent that will be brought to the roster between what could possibly become two lottery picks in next year’s NBA Draft, Cal will already have enough star power to be able to compete with just about anyone in the country. To add fuel to the recruiting fire, Martin and his staff also added a pair of explosive wings in four-star small forward Davon Dillard and three-star small forward Tyson Jolly.

The recruiting rankings alone speak to how much talent will be on this Cal roster next season, but what will likely serve as the difference maker will be the slew of returning offensive firepower.

Outside of any unexpected departures, the Bears will return point guard Tyrone Wallace, who led Cal in scoring as a junior at 17.1 points per contest, along with double-digit scorers on the perimeter in Jabari Bird and Jordan Mathews.

If Martin were to start Brown as a stretch-four alongside Wallace, Bird, Mathews and Rabb, Cal would feature a lineup that would be one of the most offensively gifted in the entire country and pose major matchup problems for just about every squad they see next season.

With a roster littered with talent, veteran presence, freshman studs and what could be a rotation that goes nine or 10 deep, Cal will quite possibly be the team to beat in the Pac 12 in 2015-16. Scott Gleeson of USA Today Sports said it best in a recently updated preseason top 25, “If this team clicks, watch out.”

Next: 2015 NBA Playoffs: First Round Winners And Losers

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