Pac-12 Basketball: Washington and Utah rises, UCLA falls in latest power rankings

11. Cal Bears - 4-7

The Bears made some big splashes this offseason, starting with hiring former Utah Valley head coach, Mark Madsen. He added several key names from the transfer portal, including Texas Tech wing Jaylon Tyson, Jalen Cone from Northern Arizona, and Fardaws Aimaq, who reunited with Coach Madsen.

Unfortunately for Cal, things haven’t gotten off to a good start. They lost three bad games to the likes of Pacific, Montana State, and UTEP, along with a couple of overtime defeats to both Butler and San Diego State. They do have a win over Santa Clara, which is better than anything Oregon State has.

The reality is that I can’t say that Oregon State is better than Cal, even with the record difference. The Bears have been much more competitive against good competition and have three players that are just as, if not better, than Pope of the Beavers. 

But it’s clear that Cal is right at the bottom and has been one of the more disappointing teams in the sport, considering the offseason hype. They have a rough stretch to open league play, starting with a home game against Arizona and ASU, followed by road games in Los Angeles.