As the NCAA Tournament comes to a close, GMS likes to review some of the power conference or power program teams that made it to the Big Dance and ask whether or not they’ve got a shot to return to the show next season. We kick things off with teams eliminated in the first round.
Key Losses: Tyrone Wallace Sr., Jaylen Brown Fr. (expected), Ivan Rabb Fr. (expected)
Key Returners: Jordan Mathews, Jabari Bird, Kameron Rooks, Sam Singer
Key Newcomers: N/A
Breakdown: The California Bears brought in one of the best recruiting class in the country this season but was unable to turn that into either a league title or a run in the NCAA Tournament. Now, with Wallace departing and it looking likely that Brown and Rabb to follow, the face of the Buffaloes next season is yet to be determined.
With no real stars coming in next season, it looks unlikely that the Bears will reach the same heights as they did this season. If they find themselves in a similar spot, though, Cuonzo Martin will have put together one of the most impressive coaching jobs in recent memory. There are pieces in Berkeley, but in an improving Pac-12 Conference, it’s hard to think that the Bears are keeping up with the Jones’ right now.
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