Pac-12 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season

Although it may not look it–and the ranking may not suggest it– the Cal Golden Bears are headed in the right direction. The program has been in fits finding its identity since Cuonzo Martin took the Missouri job and Mark Fox has tried his best to pave over the cratering that occurred in the period between Martin and him. In his second season, the Bears went a ghastly 3-7 but also dealt with a lot of restrictions due to COVID.

Cal enters the season with many key returners but the glaring loss of leading scorer Matt Bradley, who was a usage Goliath for the team (ranked 27th in percentage of possessions and 25th in percentage of team shots nationally according to KenPom).

A big portion of that missing offense will come from the frontcourt, as seniors Grant Anticevich and Andre Kelly return as a solid small-ball offensive frontcourt. Kelly plays the center position at just 6-foot-8 but utilizes solid footwork and body control to make him dangerous in the post. Anticevich is his ideal pairing as a perimeter threat, where he shot 36.6% last year.

For Fox and company to improve their record this year, the backcourt will need to take a step forward in Bradley’s absence. Transfer Jordan Shepherd should be a solid starting point guard for the Bears, coming off of an average of11.9 points and 2.9 assists per game at Charlotte.

The team’s biggest question will be how they can improve their defense. As reliable as Kelly and Antevich can be on offense, the Bears interior defense was a liability at times in 2020-2021. They don’t appear to have the depth for solutions to come from the bench, so Fox may need to look at alternative schemes to keep his team hanging around in more games this season.