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California begins the 2024-25 college basketball season as one of the newest members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Mark Madsen-coached Golden Bears seek to bounce back from last season's 13-19 record.
Nearly a dozen players have graduated or placed their names on the transfer portal, so California's coaching staff secured the commitments of 11 players from the transfer portal and five freshmen from the high school ranks.
Let's take a closer look into California's 2024-25 men's basketball campaign.
California's biggest games of the 2024-25 season
California has three notable non-conference games this coming season, beginning with its Cal Classic game against Air Force on Nov. 21. It will be the eighth time the Golden Bears and the Falcons meet in a regular season game, with Cal holding a 4-3 edge in their head-to-head.
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Another non-conference game to mark is California's first-ever ACC/SEC Challenge. The Golden Bears visit Missouri on Dec. 3 at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri. The Tigers hold a 5-2 edge on their all-time rivalry and won their last encounter on Nov. 22, 2011.
California steps into the SAP Center in downtown San Jose to lock horns with San Diego State for the San Jose Tip-off on Dec. 21. The Golden Bears are behind 6-8 in their all-time series against the Aztecs, who've won their last encounter on Nov. 25 last year.
In the regular season, California will play Stanford, SMU and North Carolina State twice in a home-and-away format.
The Golden Bears then host games against Boston College, Florida State, Miami, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest and visit Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh.
Top California players to watch out for in the 2024-25 season
California's transfer class is highly regarded, ranking 12th as per On3. They have three players capable of carrying the Golden Bears to contention in the ACC regular season and possibly in the NCAA Tournament.
#1. BJ Omot
BJ Omot is coming off a breakout season with North Dakota, averaging 16.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. The 6-foot-8 forward made 41.6% of his shots from the field, including 1.7 3-pointers made per game.
Omot would be one of the key contributors to California's campaign this season, as he could attract double-teams with his skills from both ends of the floor.
#2. Rytis Petraitis
Rytis Petraitis improved significantly from his freshman stint with the Air Force Falcons, tallying 15.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.7 apg and 1.6 spg in his sophomore season.
The 6-foot-7 forward shot 48.5% from the field, including 34.9% from the 3-point area.
#3. Christian Tucker
Christian Tucker brings his playmaking skills to California after three seasons with the Roadrunners. In the 2023-24 season, Tucker played 32 games and put up 11.3 ppg, 5.4 apg, 2.9 rpg and 1.1 spg.
The 6-foot-3 guard will likely start for the Golden Bears as its point guard, given his three-season experience in the NCAA.
Predictions for California's 2024-25 season
California will parade an unpredictable yet competitive squad for the 2024-25 season. The 2024 postseason player exodus forced Mark Madsen and his coaching staff to get as many players as possible.
The large number of new acquisitions would affect their chemistry and struggle in the first part of the regular season. However, the Golden Bears are expected to get it going in the second half of the season when it gets to battle with their conference mates.
California might improve its win-loss tally to 16-16 in the 2024-25 season, but it won't be enough to secure an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament.
Will California improve its win-loss record in the 2024-25 college basketball season? Let us know your views in the comments section.
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