by Morris Phillips

BERKELEY–Looking at the University of California’s basketball program turn into a top 20 force in the country in terms of recruiting class of major talent from the high schools. They already have started with the signing of forward Ivan Rabb and guard Tyson Jolly on Wednesday and have their sights set on guard Davon Dillard from Indiana, and final eight option Jaylen Brown and are looking at USF forward Mark Tollefsen. The Bears are excited that seven foot center Kameron Rooks is expected back and healthy after suffering a left torn knee ligament and missed last season.

When head coach Cuonzo Martin was hired at Cal he was put into a tough spot at that time he had the number one recruit Rabb right down the street (O’Dowd in Oakland) from the university. The number one plan for Cal was to sign him as difficult as that maybe, Rabb had offers from Arizona, Kentucky, and all the usual suspects schools.

Martin and his staff made it a point to sign him and had a good relationship with the young man and it worked Rabb ended up selecting Cal to go to college. The one detractor of the whole situation leading up to the days of the signing was trying to attract some other top recruits sort of a package deal.

With Martin recruiting Rabb and other kids along with the university they lost other kids along with Caleb Swanigan from Fort Wayne Indiana as he signed with Michigan State with the hope that they would pair Rabb and Swanigan in their front court next season. It’s still in the mix for a young player down in Georgia Jalen Brown who is the highest ranked unsigned recruit.

According to Rabb he made his announcement on Monday that he was singing with Cal he immediately called Brown to see where his head was at and tried to get him to sign to Cal. So it’s really good news for Cal in seeing this type of thing for Cal since their past all time great signing recruits Leon Poe, Poe would be the most recent name whose a highly ranked recruit. Then you could go back to Sharif Abdul Raheem, Jason Kidd, and some other highly touted recruits that really helped transform the program at Cal.

Cal is still open to that same impact with Rabb, there was a great possibility, a great anticipation that Rabb would sign with Cal he’s a very thoughtful young man, he’s smart, and he listens. He listens to the Martin and the Cal coaching staff and he took it to heart and believed in what they were telling him which he would be the type of player that would help transform the program.

Morris Phillips is a beat reporter covering Cal Bears basketball for http://www.sportsradioservice.com listen to Morris’podcast below: