It’s been just a little over three weeks since the Cal women’s hoops team lost in a heart-breaker to GW in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

It was just last week when Tennessee took home its second consecutive national title. But these critics like to start early, as ESPN and SI.com have announced their pre-, pre-, pre-, pre-season rankings for the 2008-09 season.

And where is Cal? ESPN has the Bears at No. 7 heading into next year and Sports Illustrated has Cal at No. 6. Read the rest of this entry »

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For the first time in about 15 years, the Cal women’s hoops team finds itself in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

But the Bears’ next opponent may give them fits, so much so that ESPN predicts a nice little second-round upset when sixth-seeded George Washington plays Cal tonight at Maples Pavilion.

We’ll see if that happens, but for now, the Bears can relish finally winning a first round game. Some keys for tonight’s game: Read the rest of this entry »

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The NCAA Tournament hasn’t been too fruitful for the Cal women’s hoops team.

The Bears haven’t won a Tournament game in about 15 years. Granted, Cal hasn’t been dancing all 15 years, but its has been to the Tourney each of the last two years and has gone one-and-done.

But it looks like this year may be the year that the Bears finally get out of the first round. With a No. 3 seed in its pocket and traveling down to a familiar (yet unfriendly place) in Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Cal has to be thinking this is the year.

The Bears have only one Tourney win in their history and it might be two after they play No. 14-seed San Diego. But of course, after watching the Toreros men take down power UConn yesterday in the men’s Tournament, the women’s side has got to be thinking that it can also pull off the upset.

Some keys: Read the rest of this entry »

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2:00 p.m.: And that’s all she wrote. ASU’s rally falls short and Cal lives to play another day. Can you say Battle of the Bay Part III tomorrow night at the Shark Tank?

It’s almost a given. Final: Cal 65, Devils 61. Read the rest of this entry »

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Pac-10 Commissioner Thomas C. Hansen’s sitting right behind me, discussing how difficult it was to get tickets to Cal-Stanford at Haas Pavilion in February. I’m actually looking at the “Fire Pac-10 Commissioner Thomas C. Hansen” page … I hope my tiny 12-inch screen is entirely covered by my 185-pound frame, or things might get a bit awkward here in the media room at HP Pavilion, San Jose. Read the rest of this entry »

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See that question up there? The title of this blog post? I’m going to say no. Especially not after the No. 10 Cal women’s basketball team lost to Washington on Sunday.

But still, as the Bears prepare for the Pac-10 Tournament down in San Jose, the general feeling that the team has—or at least coach Joanne Boyle has—is that Cal can still snag a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

“Win the tournament and get a two-seed,” said Boyle when asked what would be the ideal situation for the Bears at this weekend’s Pac-10 tournament.

But even if Cal can win three games in a row, upset No. 7 Stanford and take the conference tournament crown, can it get a two seed? It’s a long shot at best. Read the rest of this entry »

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The No. 9 Cal women’s basketball team has for the entire year tried to gain respect. I’m not doubting that the Bears deserve it. They do.

But Sunday’s loss to Washington highlights the reason why this team isn’t ready to take the Pac-10’s top spot from Stanford or to enter the national scene.

All the Bears had to do was beat a team that they had defeated by 26 points a month earlier to secure their first ever Pac-10 title. But they couldn’t even do that. Read the rest of this entry »

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During a preseason media luncheon, coach Joanne Boyle mentioned landing a No. 2 or 3 seed in the Big Dance as one of Cal’s main goals for the 2007-2008 season.

It looks like the team is set to meet at least a portion of its rumored “oath.”

After beginning the season ranked No. 13 in the country, the Bears have climbed all the way to No. 9 in going from a potential to a likely three-seed. But Cal, “Can you take me higher?” The Bears were ranked No. 8 (AP) as recently as last week, and after dropping a heated contest to No. 7 Stanford, what are the chances that Cal might sneak in as a two?

Very slim. Read the rest of this entry »

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First, I have to admit, that the first Cal-Stanford women’s basketball game this year was atrocious and almost unbearable to watch. And it wasn’t because the Bears were blown out (again) at Maples Pavilion.

As a reporter sitting next to me told me at halftime of that game, “This is bad for women’s basketball.” It was. At halftime, neither team was shooting well. Both squads were shooting under 40 percent (Cal was just at 20 percent). Something inside of me said, “No wonder no one watches this product.”

Then we turn to last Saturday’s game. The Bears lost, again. But this time, it was amazing. Read the rest of this entry »

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2:59 p.m.: AGL went for the kill with a three-pointer, but the Bears fall short in a 60-58 heartbreaker. Good evening, everyone.

2:58 p.m.: 4.3 seconds left. Cal ball. 60-58, Stanford. It’s as big as it gets. Read the rest of this entry »

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