Bears welcome Jones’ ascent to head coach
Cal’s promotion of Wyking Jones from assistant to head coach has been greeted with starkly varied opinions throughout the college basketball community since the school made the announcement Friday afternoon.
But the view from inside the program — what’s left of it, anyway — has been decidedly optimistic.
“I’m ecstatic about the news,” freshman point guard Charlie Moore said. “Coach Wyking is great with the players, knows his spots and gives us the confidence to go out there without looking over our shoulders.”
Jones has been part of the Bears’ program for two seasons, during which they averaged 22 overall victories and 11 conference wins. In the season prior to his arrival, Cal went 18-15 overall and 7-11 in Pac-12 play.
Continuing with what athletics director Mike Williams referred to as the program’s “upward trajectory,” however, will be no easy task for Jones.
With sophomore forward Ivan Rabb declaring for the NBA draft, junior center Kameron Rooks planning to transfer and five players set to graduate, Cal will enter the 2017-18 season with a scant version of a roster that was already outclassed quite often this season.
The Bears will return just 41.2 percent of their assists, 31.8 percent of their scoring and 24.9 percent of their rebounding, while making only slight additions.
Four-star prospects Jemarl Baker and Juhwan Harris-Dyson are expected to honor national letters of intent to Cal, and senior power forward Marcus Lee will become eligible after transferring from Kentucky and sitting out 2016-17.
Jones tried to recruit Lee to Louisville when the McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-America selection averaged 17.7 points, 19.5 rebounds and 6.7 blocked shots as a senior at Deer Valley High in 2013. The 6foot-10, 224-pounder chose Kentucky, but the two have remained close and were reunited in Berkeley this season.
“I saw ( Jones as) being able to do great things,” Lee said. “Having him as my head coach now is one of the best things I could ever see.”
Jones grew up in Inglewood (Los Angeles County) and starred at Loyola Marymount, where he was a two-time All-West Coast Conference choice and averaged 19.7 points per game as a junior.
He was the recruiting coordinator at Pepperdine from 2002-07 and travel team manager for the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League from 200709. On Steve Alford’s New Mexico coaching staff from 2009-11, Jones helped the Lobos average 26 wins per season.
Jones enjoyed his most remarkable success under head coach Rick Pitino at Louisville from 2011-15. The Cardinals went 123-30, made two Final Four trips and won the 2013 national championship.
“Wyking is a five-star recruiter, a five-star coach and a five-star person,” Pitino said.
Cal is hoping Jones can build a five-star basketball program.