Cal’s trip to Lake Tahoe ended with an 86-68 loss to top 10 Houston, but the bigger story may have been who wasn’t on the floor. Lee Dort was in the arena, just not in uniform, as he continues to recover from an off-season injury, and Cal’s missing veteran center was impossible to ignore against a team built on size, pressure and relentless interior play.
Houston made that point early. The Cougars scored on 11 of their first 12 possessions and repeatedly found easy looks inside or second-chance finishes.
Cal was left trying to handle wave after wave of athletic 6’8’’ bigs, and the Bears’ frontcourt depth was tested once their backup bigs ran into foul trouble. Dort alone wouldn’t have erased an 18-point margin, but his presence likely would have bought Cal a few more stops and made the opening stretch a little less comfortable for Houston.
Even so, there were encouraging signs on the offensive end for Cal against one of the toughest defenses in the country. Kelvin Sampson’s Houston teams have finished 9th or better in adjusted defensive efficiency in each of the last six seasons, and the Cougars still bring the best 2 point defense in college basketball. Against that kind of resistance, Cal shot 52% on 2s, 35% from 3, and didn’t get buried by turnovers.
The guards in particular had moments. Jordan Ross was a strong creator off the dribble, finishing 7-10 on 2-point attempts and handing out five assists.
Michael Cooper caught fire from beyond the arc and protected the ball. Semetri Carr stayed composed and chipped in on the boards, while Jovani Ruff was able to get downhill in limited minutes.
For a team playing without its starting center, that kind of guard production against Houston’s pressure was a real positive.
Mantas Kocanas and Dk Dut gave Cal defensive help, but neither is ready to be a steady offensive option yet. That made the Bears’ ability to score without an inside threat even more notable.
The other side of the ball was a different story. Houston shot 29-51 from 2, a number that stood out even with the possibility that Cal was willing to concede some 3-point attempts.
The Cougars still found ways to get the ball inside, and at times Cal’s rotations and responses to screens looked shaky. Some of that can be traced to Dort’s absence, and some of it likely comes with a new group learning how to defend together.
Two games into the season, the offense is clearly ahead of the defense.
There’s also the broader roster question. If this were a different era, the fact that everyone on the team except Dort has another year of eligibility would make this feel like a long-term build. But in 2026, with Mark Madsen’s teams having turned over so much from year to year, it’s harder to treat that kind of continuity as a sure thing.
What is clear is that Cal has more depth than it has had in recent seasons. Against Houston, Madsen used 10 players for at least 12 minutes and essentially went two deep at every spot. That opens up a real decision for him: trim the rotation and narrow the focus, or keep leaning into depth and try to play with enough pace and pressure to wear teams down.
All of the guards and wings who have seen meaningful minutes so far have shown they can belong. The question now is which mix gives Cal the best chance to defend as a unit.
The Bears return to Berkeley for a two-week homestand that begins with USC on Wednesday, followed by three games against smaller schools that should be expected wins.
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Cal Just Got A Harsh Lesson After Its Hot Start
Cals perfect start ran into a wall at the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic, where the Bears fell 86-68 to 10th-ranked Houston for their first loss of the season. The matchup offered a clear reminder of how quickly things can tighten up against an elite opponent, as Houstons defense and interior presence kept Cal from finding much rhythm on offense.
Sophomore guard Michael Cooper still gave Cal a scoring lift with 19 points, but coach Mark Madsen pointed to the Bears poor start as a major reason the game got away. Even so, he framed the night as a useful lesson, the kind that can show a young team exactly what it has to clean up when it steps up in class. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Faces Another Harsh Reality Check With Bowl Hopes Fading
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The on-field urgency is only part of the picture. Cal is also dealing with reported internal challenges involving general manager Ron Rivera and head coach Tosh Lupoi, adding another layer of pressure to a program already trying to steady itself. With bowl eligibility still hanging in the balance, this game has become about more than just snapping a skid - it is a test of whether the Bears can keep their season from slipping away entirely. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Freshman Gives Bears A New Edge During 3-0 Start
Freshman Jovana Jevtovic has given Cal a different kind of lift during the Bears 3-0 start, and it showed again in the 87-65 win over San Francisco at the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic. Jevtovic scored 18 points on 8-for-9 shooting, continuing a hot stretch in which she has put up 32 points on 13-for-15 shooting over the past two games. Cal also controlled the paint and the glass, outrebounding USF 45-31, while nine different players scored in the first half.
For a team still sorting out its early-season rotation, that kind of balance matters as much as any one scoring burst. The Bears have found production from across the lineup, and Jevtovics efficiency has become a steady edge inside as Cal keeps building momentum through the opening week. [Read more 🡒]