Category: Cal Bears

Cal Bears podcast Morris Phillips: After big loss in Big Game some tough questions for Cal; Bears face off with SMU Saturday

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Cal Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (3) is helped up after getting sacked by the Stanford Cardinal defense after getting sacked in the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium on Sat Nov 23, 2025 (photo by Data Skrive)

Cal Bears podcast Morris Phillips:

#1 Does a nine season record of 48–55 and a failure to ever post a winning conference record under former head coach Justin Wilcox justify a coaching change?

#2 Did the lopsided 31–10 loss to rival Stanford Cardinal — marked by 13 penalties for 123 yards and two fumble-return touchdowns — act as a final straw that exposed deeper issues under Wilcox’s leadership?

#3 Given that the program under Wilcox never broke through to more than eight wins in a season (last in 2019), was there a sense that Cal had plateaued and needed new leadership to compete at a higher level?

#4 With the move to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), did the program’s leadership believe Wilcox lacked the recruiting, scheme or development capabilities needed to succeed in a more competitive environment?

#5 After sustained competitiveness but not contention — and with recent seasons showing lingering offensive struggles — was the decision to fire Wilcox motivated by a desire to reset the program’s identity and expectations under fresh leadership?

Morris Phillips covered Cal Bears football each Thursday during the 2025 season for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal’s Balanced Effort Keys Upset Of No. 18 UCLA, 80-72

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Trailing 8-0 and scoreless for nearly four minutes to start, the Cal Bears were in desperate need for some continuity against No. 18 UCLA on Tuesday night for the Empire Classic championship game at the Chase Center.

Unfortunately, continuity was hard to find for both teams, each looking for a big win but flailing against a familiar opponent.

Cal did what it could, piecing together some competent individual play that fit almost seamlessly and put the Bruins on their heels.

Chris Bell seized momentum first with a series of made threes on his way to a game-best 22 points. That burst gave Cal a 20-12 lead that minutes earlier seemed unlikely.

Bench players Rytis Petraitis, TT Carr and DeJuan Campbell, in his season debut, picked it up from Bell, and helped Cal survive UCLA’s best stretch of the evening leading to halftime. The trio combined for 14 points, almost all off aggressive play to the basket, and that helped keep Cal in reach, down 41-36 at the break.

Bell and leading scorer Dai Dai Ames controlled the second half with Ames scoring all of his 14 points as Cal pulled away for an 80-72 win that ended a streak of 12 Cal losses in 13 games to their former Pac-12 rival.

Afterwards, Cal’s announcers lauded reserve post Milos Ilic, Bell highlighted Justin Pippen (13 points), and Coach Mark Madsen pointed to Campbell. A love fest prompted by the first big win of the season?

You bet.

“Every single player stepped up,” Madsen said.

“We have a bunch of guys that make us dynamic on offense,” said Bell, who scored at least 21 points for the third time in his first seven games as a Bear after transferring from Syracuse.

The Bruins fell to 5-2 with a four-point loss to No. 2 Arizona as their only other blemish. But something greater seems amiss in Westwood as coach Mick Cronin again expressed his frustration with his team, which he feels isn’t competitive enough or defensive-oriented as he would prefer.

“Our team attitude was terrible. It’s been a problem for a month,” Cronin said. “It affects performance. You get in a ring against somebody that wants to fight, you give them confidence early, you’re in for a fight aside from the fact that we can’t make a free throw.”

The Bruins missed 10 of their 23 free throw attempts, shot just 41 percent from the floor, and allowed Cal 20 more points than their average of 60 allowed coming in.

Donovan Dent, thought to be UCLA’s brilliant pickup in the transfer portal from New Mexico, struggled again shooting 1 for 7 and committing seven turnovers. Cronin, already verbal regarding his teams’ performance, may have added a little extra for Dent, who in today’s game is also a highly-compensated “amateur” acquisition.

“Until we get some leadership on our team at the guard position, it would help, and not panic with the ball,” said Cronin, thinly veiled. “Things don’t go well, we try to go one on five, get our shot blocked, get our fourth foul, we go one on five and get six, seven turnovers.”

The Bears have a few days of Thanksgiving and recuperation before hosting Utah on Tuesday.

Can We Help You? Cal Says “Yes” In Surprising 31-10 Big Game Loss To Stanford

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

STANFORD, CA–Stanford, limping through a rough season with a 3-7 record, desperately needed to find some confidence.

And Cal, with the ability to really mess with Stanford’s collective pysches, seemingly decided instead to soothe then aid their bitter rival.

Hard to understand? Yes, but the Big Game inherently comes with a few twists. Need someone to explain how Cal’s dominating start that saw them limit Stanford to 6 yards of offense in the first quarter, and 71 yards at halftime, also saw them trailing 14-10? Don’t ask coach Justin Wilcox for clarity.


“I wish I had a good answer for that,” Wilcox said when asked how 13 penalties doomed his team. “Whether it’s a little bit of nervous energy, I wish I could tell you. There’s no good reason, there’s no excuse for it.”

Stanford coach Frank Reich wasn’t mystified. Instead, he vividly recounted the gifts his team received in their moment of need.

“We were struggling on offense,” Reich said. “It’s one thing for the defense to keep you in the game while you’re struggling. It’s another thing for them to score two touchdowns and go in with a lead and you feel like you haven’t even made a first down. I just think that really kind of injected us with some confidence.”

No excuse for three fumbles, the first two resulting in scoop-and-score touchdowns for Stanford and their halftime lead. Cal’s scoreless second half, a sign that halftime demands and adjustments didn’t take hold, was another head scratcher.

Two weeks of preparation–after the Bears’ most impressive win of the season at Louisville–to unleash a disintegrating effort riddled by mistakes? Again, Wilcox was put under the microscope and forced to answer the biggest question.

“There should be high expectations… everybody’s got them,” Wilcox responded when pointedly asked if he’s still the guy to lead the program. “We have them. The players and the coaches have them. And I feel their pain. I understand. We work really hard at this… the coaches and the players do. It’s not an excuse to go out and play like that.”

Simply, the Cardinal couldn’t have gotten it done without Cal’s help. Throughout the season, Stanford’s offense has been more miss than hit with an uneven run game and a pass game that was handed to redshirt freshman quarterback Elijah Brown just two weeks ago. Their slow start was expected. But instead of Cal continuing to inflict damage, they called an ambulance loaded with their own turnovers and penalties. After that, Stanford merely needed to ingest their medicine and gracefully lift the Axe for the first time in six seasons.

Cal Bears podcast Stephen Ruderman: Cal runs away with another win defeats Sac State at Haas

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Cal Bears forward Chris Bell (22) throws down against the Sacramento State Hornets at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Fri Nov 21, 2025 (Cal Bears MBB X photo)

Cal Bears podcast Stephen Ruderman:

#1 The Cal Bears (5-1) ran away with this one Friday night at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley defeating the Sacramento State Hornets (3-4) 91-67. The Bears in the first half had a 47-33 lead coming away the half.

#2 The Bears got lots of offense Friday night with four players finishing in double figures, Chris Bell 21, Justin Pippin 16, and Dai Dai Ames 16 points and John Camden 14.

#3 The Bears controlled the boards, the paint, the passing game and held the Hornets in check stopping any kind of come back.

#4 The Hornets were just froze out in the second half at one point the Bears had a 20 point lead on them in the second half. The Bears scoring leader from Tuesday night John Camden was the last Bear to get into double figures.

#5 It’s off to Chase Center in San Francisco and the UCLA Bruins on Tue Nov 25th. The two former Pac 12 teams will tip off at 7:00pm. The Bruins have won five of their last six games and have won three of their last five games.

Stephen Ruderman is a Cal Bears basketball beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Chris Bell scores 21 in 91-67 Cal route of Sac State

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Taking a jump shot the Cal Bears Dai Dai Ames (7) against the visiting Sacramento State Hornets at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Fri Nov 21, 2025 (Cal Bears X photo)

Friday, Nov. 21, 2025

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Sacramento State Hornets 67 (3-4)

California Golden Bears 91 (5-1)

By Stephen Ruderman

BERKELEY–Chris Bell had a big night with 21 points, and the Bears obliterated the Sacramento State Hornets 91-66

The Hornets made the trek from just up the road in Sacramento for this one. Despite the fact that the Hornets are in the lesser-known Big Sky Conference, there are some big names surrounding that team.

Former NBA point guard Mike Bibby became the team’s head coach during the spring. Bibby then brought in Hall-of-Famer—and former rival from their Kings v Lakers days—Shaquielle O’Neal to be the team’s general manager. Shaq’s son, Shaqir O’Neal, committed to play at Sac State, and played Friday night.

The fact that the Bears were playing another lesser-known team was no guarantee. In fact, Cal had to fight their way to a 67-57 win over the Presbyterian Blue Hose on Tuesday.

No one scored in the first minute of the game, but Dai Dai Ames hit a three to open the scoring for the Bears. Then, we suddenly had a lot of action. In fact, it looked like we were going to have a hard-fought struggle on our hands, as O’Neal hit a three to give the Hornets a 12-8 lead.

John Camden hit a three to put the Bears back ahead. Chris Bell then scored two with a dunk, and hit a three to open Cal’s lead to 18-12.

While the Hornets gave the impression that this would be a close one, this one would turn out to be all Bears. The Bears had opened up a 23 point lead—43-20—with 5:09 remaining in the first half.

To give the Hornets’ credit, they kept fighting. Sac State went on a 13-4 run to close the gap to 47-33 at the half.

John Camden hit a three to start the second half, and Lee Dort followed that up with a dunk. Mark Lavrenov was fouled, and hit two from the line to get two points for Sac State. However, Camden and Dore shined in the early minutes of the second half to put the game away. The Bears had their 23-point lead back—58-35—just under three minutes into the second half.

The Bears eventually expanded their lead to 34—81-47—with 8:59 to go. From there, I guess the Bears were a bit nice, as the Hornets did close out the game with a 20-10 run to make it a 91-67 final for just a measly 24-point win for the Bears.

Though, you could say there was some drama at the end of the game. Mantas Kocanas was holding the ball for the Bears in the final seconds, and two Hornets were trying to steal it from him. After getting tired of it, Kocanas just threw the ball off the legs of Taj Glover, and Kocanas got hit with a tech. I have no clue if it was serious or playful, but nothing came out of it, and Glover hit both shots from the line.

It was Chris Bell’s night. In addition to his 21 points, Bell was 7-for-11 in field goals. Dai Dai Ames and Justin Pippen both scored 16. John Camden, who scored 20 points in Cal’s win against Presbyterian on Tuesday, scored 14 Friday night.

The Bears have once again taken advantage of non-conference play to get off to a 5-1 start for the second-straight year.

However, things will be a bit tougher for the Bears, as they will take on their old Pac-12 rivals, the 19th-ranked UCLA Bruins, across the bay at the Chase Center in San Francisco next Tuesday night. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m.

Big Game/Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: How Brown will pass against Cal’s defense pass rush

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Stanford Cardinal quarterback Elijah Brown (2) fires a pass against the UNC Tar Heels at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill NC on Sat Nov 8, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal photo)

Big Game/Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 How big a role will Stanford’s QB Elijah Brown play, and can he steady the Cardinal offense under Big Game pressure?

#2 Which Stanford running back — Micah Ford or Tuna Altahir — is more likely to break through Cal’s front seven, and how will their usage affect the game flow?

#3 How much will linebacker Matt Rose’s tackling and sideline-to-sideline instincts shape Stanford’s ability to respond to Cal’s offensive drives?

#4 Stanford’s outside linebacker Tevarua Tafiti has been a key playmaker — can he disrupt Cal’s backfield, and what impact will his pressure have?

#5 In the secondary, how important will cornerback Collin Wright and safety Jay Green be in containing Cal’s passing threats, and can they force turnovers?

Michael Roberson does the Stanford Cardinal podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Big Game/Cal Bears podcast Morris Phillips: Can Bears Sagapolutele command the offense against Stanford?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Cal Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele makes a pass against the Louisville Cardinal at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville on Sat Nov 8, 2025 (AP News photo)

Cal Bears podcast Morris Phillips:

#1 How critical will freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele be in this matchup, and can he command the offense under Big Game pressure?

#2 Which Cal running back — Kendrick Raphael or LJ Johnson Jr. — is best suited to exploit Stanford’s run defense, and how might their usage shape the game plan?

#3 Can Cal’s passing attack, featuring Jacob De Jesus and Trond Grizzell, generate enough big plays to stretch Stanford’s defense?

#4 On defense, how will linebacker Cade Uluave’s leadership and production factor into Cal’s ability to slow down Stanford’s offense?

#5 What impact could ball-hawking defensive back Hezekiah Masses have on the game, and how might his presence influence Cal’s secondary strategy.

Morris Philips does the Cal Bears podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Camden scores 20 in surprisingly-close 67-57 Cal win over Presbyterian

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Cal Bears forward John Camden (2) can make baskets with his eyes closed against the Presbyterian Blue Hose at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Tue Nov 18, 2025 (Cal Bears X photo)

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2025

Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, California

Presbyterian Blue Hose 57 (3-4)

California Golden Bears 67 (4-1)

By Stephen Ruderman

John Camden led the way with a 20-point night, as the Bears returned home for a surprisingly-close 67-57 win over the Presbyterian Blue Hose.

The Bears nearly pulled off an impossible comeback their last time out in Manhattan, Kansas last Thursday. However, they took one on the chin, 99-96 to the Kansas State Wild Cats, for their first loss of the season.

As the Bears got underway tonight back home in Berkeley, they took on the lesser-known Presbyterian Blue Hose from Clinton, South Carolina. That did not mean that this would be an easy time for the Bears.

Cal had a hard time pulling away in the first half. Chris Dort made a layup to make it 27-20 with 4:49 to go until halftime, and the Bears finally appeared to have established a lead. However, the Blue Hose clawed back with a 9-2 to run to tie the game at 29-29 with 48 seconds to go. Fortunately, Milos Ilic made a layup, and Cal went into the half with a 31-29 lead.

Things remained close at the beginning of the second half, and Presbyterian even took a pair of leads. In fact, Carl Parrish hit a three to give the Blue Hose a 44-43 with 12:17 left to go.

The Bears were staring down the barrel at a potential loss to the type of lesser-known team they are supposed to clobber. Perhaps that sent a burst of energy into the Bears, as Dai Dai Ames and John Camden hit threes to put Cal back ahead, 49-44.

From there, the Bears mostly had control of the game, though a jumper by Jonah Pierce allowed the Blue Hose to cut Cal’s lead to 53-51 with 6:13 left. The Bears then regained a rather-comfortable lead, and they were ultimately able to win it by 10 at 67-57.

In addition to Camden’s 20-point night, Lee Dort scored 15, and Chris Bell followed with 14.

The Bears are now 4-1 on the season.

Cal will take on the Sacramento State Hornets here at Hoss on Friday night. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m.

Big Game/Cal Bears podcast Morris Phillips: Can Sagapolutele continue his 200 plus passing average against Stanford

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Cal quarterback Jaron‑Keawe Sagapolutele (3) makes a pass against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union in Louisville on Sat Nov 8, 2025 (AP News photo)

Cal Bears podcast Morris Phillips:

#1 How will freshman quarterback Jaron‑Keawe Sagapolutele perform against Stanford’s pass rush, and can he continue his streak of 200-plus passing yards?

#2 Running back Kendrick Raphael has shown he can break 100 rushing yards in a game — how important will the run game be for Cal in this matchup?

#3 With linebacker Cade Uluave leading Cal’s defense, how well can the Bears contain Stanford’s offensive tempo and explosive plays?

#4 Who will step up among Cal’s receivers for Sagapolutele — can someone emerge beyond the expected targets to challenge Stanford’s secondary?

#5 Given Stanford’s home-field advantage and rivalry intensity, can Cal maintain composure in key moments and convert critical situations (third downs / turnovers) into game-changing plays?

Morris Phillips does the Cal Bears football podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Big Game/Stanford Cardinal podcast Michael Roberson: Can Brown get the drop on Cal’s defense at Stanford Sat Nov 22?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Stanford Cardinal quarterback Elijah Brown (2) is hit from behind and forced a fumble by UNC Tar Heels linebacker Andrew Simpson (2) in the first half at Chapel Hill NC on Sat Nov 8, 2025 (Press Democrat photo)

Big Game/Stanford podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 With Elijah Brown now installed as Stanford’s starting quarterback, how will he manage the pressure of the rivalry game, and can he avoid mistakes while pushing the offense forward?

#2 How critical will the running back tandem featuring Tuna Altahir and Micah Ford be in establishing the ground game and controlling tempo against Cal’s front seven?

#3 On the receiving side, can CJ Williams step up as a reliable down-field threat for Stanford’s offense and exploit mismatches in Cal’s secondary?

#4 Defensively, with the departure of star pass rusher David Bailey, how will Stanford’s front seven adjust? Will emerging players fill the void and maintain pressure on Cal’s quarterback?

#5 Stanford has several young or less experienced players stepping into larger roles — how will that youth (especially at key positions) affect their execution in high-leverage situations (third down, red zone) against a rivalry opponent?

Michael Roberson does the Stanford Cardinal podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com