11/2/2026 10:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Golden Bears Host 11 Games At Haas In November, December
Last season, Mark Madsen's third as the head coach of the California's men's basketball team, the Golden Bears went 22-12 (9-9 ACC). That gave the program its most wins since the 2015-16 team had 23.
Cal averaged 78.2 points per game, its highest average since the 1994-95 squad put up 79.9 points per game.
And though the top four scorers from last season's team no longer are with the blue and gold, Madsen doesn't plan to have his offense become much more deliberate.
"We're going to play faster at times. We're going to play a more exciting brand of basketball," Madsen said Thursday. "I think this is probably the deepest team that we've had. We played very fast today in practice, and it was eye-opening to see because we were very good at it."
For a team to play at a high pace, it needs a strong point guard. Cal added Jordan Ross from the transfer portal. The senior spent last season at Georgia after playing two seasons with Saint Mary's. His teams have reached the NCAA Tournament in each of his three seasons.
As to what fans who saw him with the Gaels but didn't follow him closely with the Bulldogs should know now that he's with the Bears, Ross said, "I've learned a lot. I've gotten quicker, stronger, older, wiser, you could say."
Said Madsen: "What you see from Jordan Ross is what we need. … He controls tempo.
"If anything, I've told Jordan he can be more aggressive. There are times when he'll find a seam and a lot of times, he'll kick the ball out for an open 3 or dump it off for a dunk, but there are times when he can go in there and dunk it himself or get a layup."
Another guard who came to Berkeley via the transfer portal figures to be a key perimeter shooter. Nojus Indrusaitis, who began his college career at Iowa State in 2024-25, scored in double figures in six of his final seven games for Pitt last season. In that seven-game stretch, he knocked down 19 3-pointers.
"Nojus can pass, dribble and shoot," Madsen said. "He shoots at a high level. He can shoot the long 2 very well. … We're expecting big things from Nojus."
The Bears got firsthand knowledge of Indrusaitis' ability last season when he went 4-for-6 from beyond the arc and poured in 16 points in the Panthers' 72-56 win at Haas Pavilion on Feb. 28. Many of his current teammates have needled him about that performance.
"They bring it up every other day," Indrusaitis cracked.
Even without those top four scorers from last season, the Bears do have nine returners, including guard TT Carr and big men Lee Dort (who's day-to-day with a sprained ankle), Mantas Kocanas and Dhiaukuei Manyiel Dut.
"To have nine guys that know our system, that are great in our culture, that are able to really help teach some of the new guys what we're trying to accomplish has been a luxury that we have not had in prior years," Madsen said.
Combined with the three aforementioned big men, freshmen Nicolas Mitrovic (a 7-footer) and Dominykas Daubaris (6-11) give the Bears five players at 6-10 or taller.
"Iron sharpens iron," Manyiel Dut said. "So if you have five guys who are 6-10 and above, that means you are getting each other better every day. Which, in the long run, helps our team."
A man who exudes positivity, Madsen is bullish on the Bears.
"I'm really excited about our team," he said. "From the time we started in June, we've come a long way. The players have really started learning how each other plays.
"We've got good guard play. We've got some really good bigs. We've got shooting. We have a lot of the pieces to be a very, very good team."
Notes: Madsen said that in Thursday's practice, freshman guard Gabe Sularski "was absolutely fantastic. He was flying up and down the court. He looked like he never got tired and he was making plays." … When asked which newcomer was jumping out, Manyiel Dut replied, "Jake Wilkins jumps out. It's pretty self-explanatory." Wilkins, a sophomore forward who was Ross' teammate at Georgia last season, is the son of Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, whose nickname was "The Human Highlight Reel." … The Bears face five power-conference opponents in their first 10 nonconference games. The first of those power-conference matchups is against 10th-ranked Houston at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic. The Cal women will face USF at 11 a.m. Sunday in that event.
Cal averaged 78.2 points per game, its highest average since the 1994-95 squad put up 79.9 points per game.
And though the top four scorers from last season's team no longer are with the blue and gold, Madsen doesn't plan to have his offense become much more deliberate.
"We're going to play faster at times. We're going to play a more exciting brand of basketball," Madsen said Thursday. "I think this is probably the deepest team that we've had. We played very fast today in practice, and it was eye-opening to see because we were very good at it."
For a team to play at a high pace, it needs a strong point guard. Cal added Jordan Ross from the transfer portal. The senior spent last season at Georgia after playing two seasons with Saint Mary's. His teams have reached the NCAA Tournament in each of his three seasons.
As to what fans who saw him with the Gaels but didn't follow him closely with the Bulldogs should know now that he's with the Bears, Ross said, "I've learned a lot. I've gotten quicker, stronger, older, wiser, you could say."
Said Madsen: "What you see from Jordan Ross is what we need. … He controls tempo.
"If anything, I've told Jordan he can be more aggressive. There are times when he'll find a seam and a lot of times, he'll kick the ball out for an open 3 or dump it off for a dunk, but there are times when he can go in there and dunk it himself or get a layup."
Another guard who came to Berkeley via the transfer portal figures to be a key perimeter shooter. Nojus Indrusaitis, who began his college career at Iowa State in 2024-25, scored in double figures in six of his final seven games for Pitt last season. In that seven-game stretch, he knocked down 19 3-pointers.
"Nojus can pass, dribble and shoot," Madsen said. "He shoots at a high level. He can shoot the long 2 very well. … We're expecting big things from Nojus."
The Bears got firsthand knowledge of Indrusaitis' ability last season when he went 4-for-6 from beyond the arc and poured in 16 points in the Panthers' 72-56 win at Haas Pavilion on Feb. 28. Many of his current teammates have needled him about that performance.
"They bring it up every other day," Indrusaitis cracked.
Even without those top four scorers from last season, the Bears do have nine returners, including guard TT Carr and big men Lee Dort (who's day-to-day with a sprained ankle), Mantas Kocanas and Dhiaukuei Manyiel Dut.
"To have nine guys that know our system, that are great in our culture, that are able to really help teach some of the new guys what we're trying to accomplish has been a luxury that we have not had in prior years," Madsen said.
Combined with the three aforementioned big men, freshmen Nicolas Mitrovic (a 7-footer) and Dominykas Daubaris (6-11) give the Bears five players at 6-10 or taller.
"Iron sharpens iron," Manyiel Dut said. "So if you have five guys who are 6-10 and above, that means you are getting each other better every day. Which, in the long run, helps our team."
A man who exudes positivity, Madsen is bullish on the Bears.
"I'm really excited about our team," he said. "From the time we started in June, we've come a long way. The players have really started learning how each other plays.
"We've got good guard play. We've got some really good bigs. We've got shooting. We have a lot of the pieces to be a very, very good team."
Notes: Madsen said that in Thursday's practice, freshman guard Gabe Sularski "was absolutely fantastic. He was flying up and down the court. He looked like he never got tired and he was making plays." … When asked which newcomer was jumping out, Manyiel Dut replied, "Jake Wilkins jumps out. It's pretty self-explanatory." Wilkins, a sophomore forward who was Ross' teammate at Georgia last season, is the son of Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, whose nickname was "The Human Highlight Reel." … The Bears face five power-conference opponents in their first 10 nonconference games. The first of those power-conference matchups is against 10th-ranked Houston at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic. The Cal women will face USF at 11 a.m. Sunday in that event.
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