By Morris Phillips

With great size, long arms and superior depth, there were the Cal Bears on the floor at Haas Pavilion Friday night satisfying Bear Nation’s anticipation for what could be a very special season in Berkeley.

The beefed-up Bears, with super recruits Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb in the starting lineup, didn’t disappoint, routing the Rice Owls 97-65 as all five starters scored in double figures. Afterwards, Rabb said what most fans were already thinking: this talented team, already recognized by ranked 14^th nationally, could get a whole lot better quickly.

“I feel the chemistry,” Rabb said. “I think if we continue to stop like that, it’s going to make our offense more potent and get better transitions. With the size and length that we have, all the different tools, there’s no reason why we can’t be one of the best defensive teams in the country.”

Possessing the ability to drop 97 points with great scoring balance, along with suffocating defense, the Bears appear to immediately be on the path to something big. Coach Cuonzo Martin senses it, but as the orchestrator, he had his eye on the warts Friday and what needs to improve if the Bears want to compete for a Pac-12 championship this season.

“I don’t care what the talent says,” Martin said. “There have been so many teams over the past 50 years ranked this and ranked that but don’t pan out and don’t execute. There’s always a long way to go, and after our second game (Monday’s exhibition against Carroll being the first) we are still going through different things, dealing with the environment, the excitement.”

The process of creating something special seems to have already taken hold when the game’s box score is perused. The interchangeable Bears were led by senior Tyrone Wallace’s 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds, but Wallace’s big night was trumped by the team’s great balance.

Ten of the 11 Bears to see action had at least one made basket, seven had at least one made three-pointer and eight had at least one assist. Cal’s 48-30 advantage on the glass saw those same 10 players that scored also grab at least one rebound. Leading 14-11 early, the Bears took off, scoring 13 consecutive points over the next five minutes to turn the game into a rout.

Rabb and Brown played just 15 and 16 minutes respectively—the fewest of Cal’s top nine players on Friday—but may have been the most impressive anyway. Rabb finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks making him unofficially the most efficient player in the country on opening night. But Brown made an immediate impression with his unselfish play, spinning off a defender in the lane and dumping a seamless pass off to Rabb for a dunk less than five minutes into the game. The 6’7” Brown struggled with his shot—finishing 5 of 15—but his talent and versatility was undeniable in his limited time on the floor.

“I think we’re just scratching the surface,” Brown said. “We have a lot of room to improve. I think as the season goes forward, you guys are going to see a lot of improvements.”

Rice shot just 37 percent for the game and trailed 47-31 at halftime. Arizona State transfer Egor Koulechov led the Owls with 19 points and eight rebounds. Marcus Evans added 18.

Cal brought 7’0” Kameron Rooks and Georgetown transfer Stephen Domingo off the bench first. Rooks missed all of last season with a broken foot and looked to be in great shape and far more active defensively than he did at any point during his freshman year two seasons ago. Domingo, a San Francisco native, looked to be the team’s jack of all trades with his ability to defend and take advantage of smaller defenders off the dribble on the other end.

The Bears take the floor again Monday when UC-Santa Barbara visits Haas Pavilion.