California’s last National Championship came under the legendary watch of Hall of Fame head coach Pete Newell. It stands as the only title in school history, and it happened in 1959. Since, California has seen spotty success in the NCAA tournament, never venturing further than a loss in the Sweet 16.
But since former Stanford head coach Mike Montgomery took over in 2009, the Golden Bears have shown distinct improvement, finding themselves ranked as a top-15 team in 2010 and a top-20 team last year.
Continuing To Get Better
Two of the greatest guards in the history of basketball suited up for the Golden Bears: Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson, and each have their numbers retired by the school. Their tenure stands as an extremely proud reminder that California basketball has a respectable tradition, and that tradition carries over to today’s competitive program.
Even in a talent-laden Pac-12 Conference, the California Golden Bears under Mike Montgomery are perennial contenders. The 2012-13 season marked a turning point for the program as Allen Crabbe and Justin Cobbs led Cal to a 21-12 record and a trip to the third round of the NCAA tournament. Crabbe is off to the NBA next year but with point guard Cobbs returning alongside Tyrone Wallace and McDonald’s All-American Jabari Bird, the Bears are making plans for March.
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