2017 Maui Jim Maui Invitational breakdown
California: No consistency from bigs equals few wins in PAC-12 play
California basketball was riding high when the Golden Bears entered halftime with a 47-38 advantage on Wichita State. Two days later and two more losses added to the record and Wyking Jones’ group was upset by a Division II program.
“For me, in all the years that I’ve been coaching, I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life from the lack of effort from our guys,” said Jones, who was an assistant coach for 13 years before becoming California’s head coach. “It’s about going back to the drawing board, myself and my staff, and figuring out what changes we need to make because there definitely needs to be some changes.”
The Golden Bears have just one NCAA Tournament appearance in four seasons, despite enjoying a cameo from current Boston Celtics’ forward Jaylon Brown and two years of 2017 second round pick Ivan Rabb.
This season, California has failed to find any continuity with their starting lineup. Jones has started seven different players, including three freshmen, mirroring the days of Cuonzo Martin.
While the youth is coupled with seniors Marcus Lee and Kingsley Okoroh, the seasoned pair is not positively impacting games, especially in Maui where the pair failed to play 25-plus minutes twice due to foul trouble.
Considering the duo’s experience, they, without question, comprehend the increased effectiveness of opponent penetration and the offensive weight placed upon the backcourt during their absence. If anything, one would have thought Lee, who played three seasons under John Calipari at Kentucky, would have worked on discipline during the sit-out year he averaged 3 fouls per game as a junior.
As the campaign grows older, so will freshmen Justice Sueing and Darius McNeill, two of California’s four double-digit scorers. But, unless the bigs make their presence felt on offense and defense, then the Golden Bears will not only be susceptible to embarrassing defeats but a lackluster PAC-12 campaign.