Mark Madsen Predicts ‘Very Good Year’ for Cal Men Despite Another Rebuild

Madsen led the Bears to the NCAA Tournament last season in his first year

Mark Madsen is entering his second season as head coach of the Cal men's basketball team, and he's excited about the future of the program. Despite losing several key players from last year's team, Madsen believes that the Bears have the potential to have a "very good year" in 2023-24.

“We have a lot of talent and experience on this team,” Madsen said. “We have some guys who have been through the wars and know what it takes to win. I'm excited to see what we can accomplish this season.”

The Bears return three starters from last year's team, including senior guard Jordan Shepherd, junior forward Devin Askew, and sophomore forward Kuany Kuany. They also added several talented newcomers, including junior guard Lars Thiemann from San Diego State and freshman forward Adem Bona from Nigeria.

“We have a good mix of experience and youth on this team,” Madsen said. “I think we have the potential to be a very good team. We just need to stay healthy and continue to work hard.”

The Bears have a tough schedule this season, but Madsen is confident that they can compete with anyone.

“We play in a tough conference, but I think we have the talent and experience to compete with anyone,” Madsen said. “We just need to be ready to play every night.”

The Bears open the season on November 7th against UC Davis at home. They then travel to face Oregon on November 11th and Saint Mary's on November 14th.

“We have a tough start to the season, but I think we're ready for it,” Madsen said. “We've been working hard in practice and we're excited to get the season started.”

Expectations for Cal are high this season after Madsen led them to the NCAA Tournament last year.

“I think we have the potential to be a very good team this season,” Madsen said. “We have a lot of talent and experience, and I think we can compete with anyone. We just need to stay healthy and continue to work hard.”

The Bears have a lot of potential this season, and Madsen is excited about the future of the program. With a talented roster and a tough schedule, Cal is poised to make some noise in the Pac-12.