HEAD COACH BEN BRAUN BEN BRAUN. Wisconsin 75 10th Year at California BRAUN S POSTSEASON RECORD BRAUN S RECORD AT CALIFORNIA

Transcription

1 Cal.: Career: During his tenure at Cal, Braun has directed the Bears to more postseason appearances and more postseason victories than any coach in school history, including five NCAA Tournament berths and an NIT championship in Two of his players have earned Pac-10 Player of the Year honors Ed Gray in 1997 and Sean Lampley in 2001 while current sophomore Leon Powe is a two-time All- Pac-10 performer and was the 2004 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. Overall, Braun s charges have received All-Pac-10 status eight times, Pac-10 All-Freshman notice on six occasions and Pac-10 All- Academic accolades 12 times. In , both Powe and junior guard Ayinde Ubaka were voted to the All-Pac-10 team, while sophomore center DeVon Hardin was an honorable mention All-Pac-10 pick and forward Theo Robertson was chosen Pac-10 All- Freshman honorable mention. The 1997 Pac-10 Coach of the Year and a finalist for the 2003 Naismith National Coach of the Year, Braun enters the 2006 postseason with a record with the Bears and a 29-year career mark of He ranks second to Nibs Price ( , ) in both tenure and wins in Cal annals, while his Cal winning percentage (.608) is the best at the school since Hall of Famer Pete Newell guided the Bears to a 119- HEAD COACH BEN BRAUN BEN BRAUN Wisconsin 75 10th Year at California Now in his 10th season as head men s basketball coach at the University of California, Ben Braun has established a Golden Bear program that has earned respect and admiration both in the Bay Area and across the country. BRAUN S RECORD AT CALIFORNIA Year Overall Pac-10 Postseason NCAA Sweet NIT Champions NIT Quarterfinals NCAA 1st Round NCAA 2nd Round NCAA 2nd Round NCAA Totals mark from As a result of that success, Braun has twice been rewarded with contract extensions, including his current eight-year contract. Generally regarded as one of college basketball s top teachers and strategists, Braun brought his energetic style of coaching to Cal in September During his initial season at Cal in , Braun took a team that was predicted to finish in the conference s lower half, molded it into one that tied for second in the league and reached the BRAUN S POSTSEASON RECORD CALIFORNIA 2003 NCAA d. N. Carolina St., l. Oklahoma, NCAA d. Pennsylvania, l. Pittsburgh, NCAA l. Fresno State, NIT d. Long Beach St., d. Georgetown, l. Wake Forest, NIT d. Fresno State, d. DePaul, d. Colorado St., d. Oregon, d. Clemson, NCAA d. Princeton, d. Villanova, l. North Carolina, EASTERN MICHIGAN 1996 NCAA d. Duke, l. Connecticut, NIT l. Bradley, NCAA d. Mississippi St., d. Penn State, l. North Carolina, NCAA l. Pittsburgh, NCAA regional semifinals with tournament victories over Princeton and Villanova. In addition, the 23-9 overall mark gave Braun a school record for most wins by a Bear coach in his first year with the program. In , Braun s club became the first team ever at Cal to beat three Top 10 schools in the same season, defeating North Carolina, UCLA and Arizona during the course of the year. Then, after earning a bid to the NIT, the Bears went on a 5-0 run to capture the title Cal s first postseason tournament championship since the Bears won the 1959 NCAA crown. Cal finished the campaign with a record. A year later, Braun took a freshman-dominated squad back to the postseason as the Bears reached the quarterfinals of the NIT. On Jan. 15, 2000, he picked up his 400th career victory with a win at Oregon State. In , the Bears returned to the NCAA Tournament, finishing with a record, and Lampley Braun s first recruit at Cal became the school s all-time leading scorer late in his senior campaign, finishing with 1,776 points. The Bears again won 23 games and tied for second in the Pac-10 race in Cal reached the semifinals of the conference tournament by defeating UCLA in the opening round and earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA playoffs, where the Bears toppled Penn before falling to Pittsburgh. In 2003, Cal again reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament behind All-Pac-10 forwards Joe Shipp and Amit Tamir. Shipp ended his career with the No. 3 position on the Bears all-time scoring list, while teammate Brian Wethers finished in the No. 15 position. Although just 52 years of age, Braun already has 29 years of experience as a head coach, including 11 highly successful years at Eastern Michigan, where he guided the Eagles to four postseason berths, including three NCAA appearances. During his tenure there, Braun accumulated a record of , averaging almost 18 wins per season, and was named Mid- American Conference Coach of the Year three times BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE

2 HEAD COACH BEN BRAUN (cont.) In addition, Braun coached at Siena Heights College for eight years, taking the NAIA school to a record and five postseason tournaments. Under Braun s direction, his players have proven equally successful both on the court and in the classroom. Nowhere was that more evident than with the 2001 Pac-10 All- Academic team. Three Bears Morgan Lingle, Dennis Gates and Ryan Forehan-Kelly were first-team selections, while Donte Smith was an honorable mention pick, giving Cal more than twice as many academic members as any other school in the conference. In 2002, both Gates and Smith repeated on the Pac-10 All-Academic unit, while Tamir was a firstteam choice in 2003 and 04. Braun began his career as an assistant coach at Park High School in Racine, Wis. Within two years, he accepted the head coaching job at Siena Heights. After an 8-21 debut season in , his teams posted a record over the next seven years, including four 20-win campaigns. His squads qualified for National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) postseason tournaments five times. During his time at Siena Heights, he not only coached, but taught English and Physical Education classes at the school. In the summer of 1999, Braun was inducted into the first class of the Siena Heights Athletic Hall of Fame. Braun accepted the position of associate head coach at Eastern Michigan prior to the start of the season, but midway through the year, on Jan. 15, 1986, he was elevated to interim head coach. Success came quickly, as within two years he had the Eagles in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. In 1989, Braun served as head coach of the U.S. men s basketball team at the Maccabiah Games. He took an internationally inexperienced squad into the championship round before bowing to the host Israeli team in the final. During his career, Braun has coached 12 players who have gone on to play in the NBA, including Grant Long (EMU) of the Detroit Pistons. At Cal, he has coached Ed Gray, who was a first round draft pick of the Atlanta Hawks, center Michael Stewart (Toronto Raptors), forward Sean Marks (Miami Heat), center Francisco Elson (a 1999 second round pick by the Denver Nuggets) and forward Sean Lampley (a 2001 second round selection by the Chicago Bulls). Tony Gonzalez, now an All-Pro tight end for the NFL s Kansas City Chiefs, also played basketball for Braun in A native of Chicago, Braun graduated from New Trier High School, where he starred in both basketball and baseball. He went on to play one year of basketball at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse before he transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned a teaching degree in English in June of 1975 with a minor in African- American Studies. Five years later, he earned his master s degree in guidance and counseling from Siena Heights. BEN BRAUN CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Led Cal to five NCAA Tournaments (1997, 2001, 02, 03, 06) school record for most NCAA appearances by a Cal coach Guided Cal to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1997 and to the second round in both 2002 and 03 Coached Cal to the 1999 National Invitation Tournament championship the Bears first postseason title since winning the NCAA crown in 1960 Holds the school record for most postseason appearances by a Cal coach (5 NCAA, 2 NIT) and most consecutive postseason invitations ( ) Holds the school record for most postseason wins by a Cal coach, posting an 11-5 record Coached two Pac-10 Players of the Year Ed Gray (1997) and Sean Lampley (2001) Coached Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Leon Powe (2004) His teams have produced eight upper division Pac-10 finishes in 10 seasons Ranks second on Cal s all-time victories list with 186 ( record) The first Cal coach since Pete Newell ( ) to have a winning conference record (98-82) Voted the 1997 Pac-10 Coach of the Year the first Cal coach ever to receive the honor Was a finalist for the 2003 Naismith National Coach of the Year award His players have earned All-Pac-10 honors eight times and Pac-10 All-Freshman honors on six occasions His players have been named to the Pac-10 All-Academic team 12 times Led Cal to a 23-9 record during the season, setting a school record for most wins by a Cal coach in his first year In , guided Cal to three wins over Top 10 teams North Carolina, Arizona and UCLA the first time in school history the Bears beat three Top 10 schools in one year Member of the Ethics Committee for the National Association of Basketball Coaches BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE 17

3 ASSISTANT COACHES LOUIS REYNAUD San Francisco State 82 Ninth Year at California DENNIS GATES California 01 First Year at California Louis Reynaud, a native Californian who was born and raised in San Francisco, is in his ninth season with the Golden Bear program and fourth as associate head coach after serving five years as an assistant coach. Reynaud is well known in the coaching profession and has the reputation as an excellent coach and administrator with outstanding organizational and leadership skills. There are very few areas in the Cal basketball program in which Reynaud is not directly involved. Among his many duties are recruiting, scouting and game preparation, supervising support staff, and overseeing the valuable Gold Team walk-ons. Reynaud also supervises a unique group of student managers. He is the position coach for the Bears post players. Prior to coming to Cal, Reynaud compiled an record as head basketball coach at nearby De La Salle High School and led the Spartans to league titles in 1994 and 96. Reynaud was a two-time Bay Valley Athletic League Coach of the Year, and his 1996 team captured the Division I NorCal championship and finished second in the state, earning a No.1 ranking in the Bay Area for the first time in school history. Reynaud had his first head coaching opportunity at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School in Vallejo from He directed the Bruins to a record, three 20-win seasons and one Sac-Joaquin Section title. From , Reynaud served as assistant varsity basketball coach at De La Salle HS. In 1997, Reynaud was selected as head coach of the West Squad at the Magic Johnson Round Ball Classic for high school All-Americans, and he directed the prestigious ABCD summer camp for five years. In addition to his coaching experience, Reynaud served as Dean of Students at De La Salle from and as Dean of Students at St. Patrick-St. Vincent HS from As a high school player, Reynaud was a standout at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco and played for the late Lyle Newcomer at Skyline College in San Bruno. Reynaud received his bachelor s degree in liberal studies along with his teaching credential from San Francisco State in 1982 and a master s degree in health/physical education from St. Mary s College in Reynaud and his wife, Cheryl, have one daughter, Lauren, and reside in the East Bay. Former Golden Bear guard Dennis Gates, who starred for California from , has returned to his alma mater and is his first season as an assistant coach this year. Gates was a member of Cal s 1999 National Invitation Tournament championship squad and played key roles on the Bears NCAA Tournament teams in 2001 and 02. In 114 career games, he had 34 starts and finished with an average of 3.8 points per game, as well as 100 steals and 148 assists. During his tenure as a player, Cal compiled an record, winning 20 games in a season three times. In 2002, the Bears reached the semifinals of the Pac-10 Tournament and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In addition, Gates was named to the all-tournament team at the Golden Bear Classic that year after hitting a three-pointer in the closing seconds to beat Penn State, 76-73, in the championship game. Since graduating from Cal in 2002, Gates spent one year each on staff with the NBA s Los Angeles Clippers, Marquette University and Florida State. He served as an intern assistant coach under Alvin Gentry and Dennis Johnson with the Clippers in , then was a graduate assistant on Tom Crean s staff at Marquette in 03-04, helping the Golden Eagles to the third round of the NIT, and a GA under Leonard Hamilton at Florida State last season. A native of Chicago, Gates was a two-time first-team Pac-10 All- Academic choice. He earned his bachelor s degree in sociology in just three years and competed as a master s candidate in education during his senior campaign. Gates received Cal s Most Inspirational Player Award in 2001, the Pete Newell Award as the team s best defensive player in 2002 and was twice named the Bears Outstanding Student-Athlete (1999, 2001). JOE PASTERNACK Indiana 99 Fifth Year at California Joe Pasternack is in his fifth year as an assistant coach after serving the previous two years as a member of the Golden Bear support staff. Pasternack came to Berkeley in 1999 as Cal s video coordinator, where he was involved in game preparation, breaking down game film and other administrative duties. During the summer of 2001, head coach Ben Braun elevated Pasternack to an assistant coach. Among the areas under his responsibility are game preparation, recruiting, summer basketball camps, and individual workouts. He also writes scouting reports for the Bears and helps prepare the team on the court for upcoming opponents. Pasternack graduated from Indiana in 1999 with a bachelor s degree in marketing. He was a manager for the Indiana basketball team for four years under coach Bob Knight, where he broke down game film and assisted in scouting opponents. A native of New Orleans, Pasternack played varsity high school basketball for four years at Metairie Park Country Day. He and his wife, Lindsay, reside in the East Bay BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE

4 PLAYER PROFILES Rod Benson 0 Senior Forward/Center V San Diego, CA Torrey Pines HS Cal s leading returning scorer (13.3 ppg) and rebounder (6.3 rpg), Benson has had his senior season slowed by a pair of injuries... a stress fracture in his left heel limited him much of the Points vs. Long Beach State, 11/21/05 Rebounds... 7 vs. DePaul, 12/21/05 Assists... 2 twice, last at UCLA, 12/31/05 Blocks... 3 vs. USC, 3/4/06 Steals... 2 vs. Long Beach State, 11/21/05 Points vs. Colorado, 12/7/04 Rebounds at UCLA, 1/22/05 Assists... 4 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, 12/4/04 Blocks... 4 vs. Oregon, 2/26/04 Steals... 2 many times, last vs. Long Beach State, 11/21/05 early part of the year, keeping him out of four games entirely... later in the year, tore the meniscus in his right knee in practice and had surgery Jan returned to the lineup Feb. 16 vs. Arizona after sitting out seven contests and is rounding into shape for the postseason... his best outing came in his debut when he finished with 14 points and six rebounds in 15 minutes vs. Long Beach State... grabbed a season-high seven rebounds vs. DePaul Dec. 21 and corralled five boards in Cal s next game at USC... had a big role in Cal s win at UCLA, going for eight points, three rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes... played well at Stanford, ending the night with 10 points and five rebounds... tipped in the go-ahead basket with 2:16 left at Washington State Feb. 23, putting the Bears up, averaged 18.3 minutes since his last six games... started on Senior Day vs. USC March 4 and finished with six points, four rebounds and three blocks in 22 minutes... mother is Brisjon Holmes... born Oct. 10, 1984 in Fairfield, Calif.... will graduate in May as a political science major Totals at Eastern Michigan INJ (heel) Long Beach State Northern Colorado Northeastern INJ (heel) San Jose State INJ (heel) Akron INJ (heel) San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State INJ (knee) at Arizona INJ (knee) Washington INJ (knee) Washington State INJ (knee) at Oregon State INJ (knee) at Oregon INJ (knee) Stanford INJ (knee) Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE 19

5 DeVon Hardin 35 Sophomore Center V Fremont, CA Newark Memorial HS Hardin has started all but one game (Senior Day vs. USC) for the Bears this season... earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 accolades... has nearly doubled his scoring average from Points vs. Northeastern, 11/26/05 Rebounds vs. Northeastern, 11/26/05 Assists... 2 many times, last at Arizona State, 1/19/06 Blocks... 4 many times, last vs. Arizona State, 2/18/06 Steals... 2 twice, last at Washington, 2/26/06 Points vs. Northeastern, 11/26/05 Rebounds vs. Northeastern, 11/26/05 Assists... 2 many times, last at Arizona State, 1/19/06 Blocks... 4 many times, last vs. Arizona State, 2/18/06 Steals... 2 many times, last at Washington, 2/26/06 his freshman year, going from 4.3 ppg to 7.5 ppg... produced double-doubles in three of his first four games and has five double-doubles on the year... led Cal in rebounding 11 times (includes ties)... broke his career scoring high in consecutive outings vs. Long Beach State (14 points), Northern Colorado (21) and Northeastern (23) early in the year... also finished the Northeastern game with a personal-best 14 rebounds... for his performances against Northern Colorado and Northeastern, was named both Golden Bear Classic MVP and Pac-10 Player of the Week... ranks among the Pac-10 leaders in blocks (3rd, 1.60 bpg) and rebounds (5th, 6.7 rpg)... has blocked four shots in a game three times: vs. Northern Colorado Nov. 25, vs. Arizona Feb. 16 and vs. Arizona State Feb with 74 blocks, ranks sixth on Cal's career list, while his 48 blocks this year place him fifth on the school s season chart... improved his free throw shooting from 38.6 percent last year to 62.5 percent this season... played a big role in Cal s win at UCLA Dec. 31 with 10 points and eight boards... also grabbed 10 rebounds in a win at Arizona State... added another 10 points and eight rebounds at Oregon and totaled 13 points and 10 caroms at home vs. ASU... scored 10 points and corralled 11 boards in the home finale vs. USC... although he did not score vs. Oregon in the Pac-10 Tournament semifinals, tied for team honors with six rebounds... also added eight points and seven boards in the title game vs. UCLA... parents are Michael and Gale Hardin... born Sept. 7, 1986, in Long Beach, Calif.... social welfare major Totals at Eastern Michigan Long Beach State Northern Colorado Northeastern San Jose State Akron San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE

6 Nikola Knezevic Freshman Guard HS Belgrade, Serbia-Montenegro Fifth Economy School Season & Points... 5 vs. UCLA, 3/2/06 Rebounds... 2 vs. Arizona, 2/16/06 Assists... 4 twice, last vs. USC, 3/4/06 Blocks... 1 vs. Washington State, 1/28/06 Steals... 2 vs. Washington, 1/26/06 Joined the team from Belgrade after the end of the fall semester, gaining eligibility for Cal s Dec. 21 game vs. DePaul ()... serves as the Bears' primary backup at point guard... appeared in all but one Pac-10 game (at Oregon State)... rated the No. 3 point guard and the No. 17 overall player at last 13 summer s adidas Superstar Camp... played on the Serbia-Montenegro Junior National team at the Under 18 European Championships in helped his Beovuk 72 club team to a pair of Serbian titles and two Serbia-Montenegro championships... at Cal, saw his first significant action vs. Oregon Jan. 5 when he scored four points in 17 minutes... dished out three assists in a home win over Stanford and came through in the Bears next game vs. Arizona with four assists in six minutes of action... played well the final weekend of the regular season, finishing with five points and two assists vs. UCLA and three points and four assists (no turnovers) against USC... parents are Slobodan and Tatjana Knezevic... born Feb. 16, 1986 in Belgrade, Serbia-Montenegro... undeclared major vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE 21

7 Ivan Kovacevic Freshman Guard HS Laguna Beach, CA Laguna Beach HS Season & Points... 2 twice, last vs. San Diego St., 12/6/05 Rebounds... 3 vs. Northern Colorado, 11/25/05 Assists...0 Steals...0 Joined the Bears as a walk-on this season after starring at Laguna Beach HS... has appeared in eight games, scoring two points vs. both Northern Colorado and San Diego State... also grabbed three offensive rebounds against UNC... saw action in three Pac-10 contests: at Arizona State and at home vs. 32 Washington and USC... earned league MVP and first-team All-CIF honors as a high school senior when he averaged 19.2 ppg and 12 rpg... also played two years of varsity tennis and was chosen an Orange County All-Star during his one season of varsity volleyball... earned his school s Academic Excellence award as both a junior and senior... parents are Dragan Kovacevic and Veljka Burazer... born Sept. 7, 1987 in Rijeka, Croatia... undeclared major at Eastern Michigan Long Beach State Northern Colorado Northeastern San Jose State Akron San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE

8 Richard Midgley 15 Senior Guard V Burgess Hill, England Modesto Christian (Calif.) HS Cal s lone senior to see significant action throughout the season, Midgley will finish his career ranked among the school s all-time leaders in both scoring and three-pointers... can play both point guard and shooting guard... lost more than 20 pounds from a year ago to help improve his quickness and endurance... a starter for most of four seasons with the Bears... his 1,173 points place him 20th on Cal s all-time scoring list... also will finish his career rated No. 2 at the school in three-pointers, now with 182; Ryan Drew ( ) is first with has drained 48 three-pointers this season, giving him 40 or more each season... picked off a career-high six seasons in the opener at Eastern Michigan Nov. 18, most for a Cal player since A.J. Diggs also had six vs. North Carolina State in the first round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament... however, suffered a stinger in his right shoulder vs. EMU and sat out the Bears home opener against Long Beach State... named to the all-tournament team at the Golden Bear Classic in November after averaging 12.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg in wins over Northern Colorado and Northeastern... tallied a seasonbest 17 points (14 in the first half) vs. San Jose State Nov. 30 and matched the total vs. San Diego State Dec his performance against the Aztecs pushed him over the 1,000-point total, making him the 34th Bear to reach the milestone... drained 5-of-6 three-pointers at USC and UCLA, helping Cal to a sweep on the road in late December... paced Cal in scoring in back-to-back games with 15 points vs. Washington State and 16 points at Oregon State... sank 9-of-10 free throws to help the Bears down Arizona in Berkeley... despite handling the ball much of the time, averages less than two turnovers per game and has had seven games without a turnover... ranks second on the team in assists... shooting 82.4 percent from the free throw line (14-17) in the final two minutes and overtime... as a freshman, hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with 3.9 seconds left in OT to help Cal beat NC State in the first round of the 2003 NCAA Tourney, started at point guard the final 22 games that season... parents are Kevin and Gill Midgley... born July 7, 1983 in Maidstone, England... will graduate this May with a degree in social welfare Totals at Eastern Michigan Long Beach State INJ (shoulder) Northern Colorado Northeastern San Jose State Akron San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington St at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA Points twice, last vs. San Diego St., 12/6/05 Rebounds... 5 twice, last vs. DePaul, 12/21/05 Assists... 6 at Eastern Michigan, 11/18/05 Blocks... 1 twice, last at Arizona, 1/21/06 Steals... 6 at Eastern Michigan, 11/18/05 Points vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, 12/4/04 Rebounds... 7 many times, last vs. USC, 1/22/04 Assists... 6 many times, at Eastern Michigan, 11/18/05 Blocks... 1 many times, last at Arizona, 1/21/06 Steals... 6 at Eastern Michigan, 11/18/ BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE 23

9 Steve Panawek 12 Junior Guard V Moraga, CA Miramonte HS A third-year walk-on who is a fourth-year Cal student and is on track to graduate in the fall with a degree in political science... has appeared in five games... started on Senior Day vs. USC Points... 3 twice, last vs. USC, 3/4/06 Rebounds... 2 vs. Oregon State, 1/7/06 Assists...0 Steals... 1 vs. USC vs. USC, 3/4/06 Points... 3 many times, last vs. USC, 3/4/06 Rebounds... 2 twice, last vs. Oregon St., 1/7/06 Assists... 1 at UCLA, 1/22/05 Steals... 1 vs. USC, 3/4/06 and played five minutes against the Trojans... finished the game off with a steal and one-handed breakaway dunk in the closing seconds... played nine minutes and scored on a three-pointer vs. Long Beach State... grabbed two rebounds at home vs. Oregon State... sat out the season with a sore back... brother, Greg, played water polo at Cal from parents are Greg and Sally Panawek... born June 5, 1984 in Berkeley, Calif Totals at Eastern Michigan Long Beach State Northern Colorado INJ (back) Northeastern INJ (back) San Jose State INJ (back) Akron INJ (back) San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE

10 Leon Powe 44 Junior Forward V Oakland, CA Oakland Tech HS After going more than a year-and-a-half between college games, Powe didn t skip a beat this season once he returned to the court... named to the All-Pac-10 team for the second Points vs. Oregon, 3/10/06 Rebounds vs. USC, 3/9/06 Assists... 4 at Oregon State, 2/2/06 Blocks... 2 many times, last vs. Oregon State, 1/7/06 Steals... 4 vs. Kansas, 12/10/05 Points vs. Oregon, 3/10/06 Rebounds vs. USC, 3/9/06 Assists... 4 at Oregon State, 2/2/06 Blocks... 3 vs. St. Joseph s, 12/20/03 Steals... 4 vs. Kansas, 12/10/05 time, becoming the first Cal player since Jason Kidd in to earn the honor as a freshman and a sophomore... also selected to numerous All-America teams, including USBWA (second team), ESPN.com (second team) and cbs.sportsline.com (second team)... one of 22 finalists for the Wooden All-America team and is one of six finalists for the V Foundation Comeback Award... voted MVP of the Pac-10 Tournament after a record-setting performance during Cal's trip to the final... opened with 22 points and a tournament-record 20 rebounds vs. USC in the quarterfinals, breaking the mark of 18 set by Arizona State's Ike Diogu in became the first Cal player since Mark McNamara to post a game (McNamara did it three times in )... followed that effort with a 41-point night (14-17 FG, FT) in a double OT win over Oregon in the semifinals... that total broke the tournament record of 39 set by Reggie Miller of UCLA in 1987 and tied for the third-most in school history... one of only four players at Cal to score at least 40 points in a game... averaged 26.7 ppg and 11.3 rpg while shooting 58.1 percent from the floor (25-43) in the tourney... ranks among the school s season leaders in points (13th, 539) and rebounds (14th, 261)... career average of 17.9 ppg ties for fifth best ever at Cal and his career rebound rate of 9.8 rpg is fourth highest... sat out the first four games of the year with a minor stress fracture in high right foot, an injury that did not cause him any pain or discomfort... scored 27 points in his debut vs. San Jose State and had 26 points in his next game vs. Akron to earn Dec. 5 Pac-10 Player of the Week honors... has a Pac-10-high 14 double doubles and 28 career double-doubles... scored 32 points in a home win over Stanford Feb. 9 and added 30 points and 10 rebounds Feb. 16 against Arizona... recorded double-doubles in six straight games from Jan. 13 to Feb led Cal in rebounding 47 times in 53 career games... grabbed 14 boards and scored 20 points in the Pac-10 opener at USC... had 16 points, 11 rebounds and four steals vs. Kansas Dec snared 16 rebounds at Oregon State to go with his 13 points and four assists... shooting 72.2 percent from the FT line and is averaging 10.1 trips per game... set school season records for free throws made (190) and free throws attempted (263) Redshirt Totals at Eastern Michigan INJ (foot) Long Beach State INJ (foot) Northern Colorado INJ (foot) Northeastern INJ (foot) San Jose State Akron San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE 25

11 Alex Pribble 31 Junior Guard V Fairfax, CA Drake HS A third-year walk-on, Pribble was rewarded with a scholarship prior to the start of the season... has appeared in 24 games for the Bears this year, after getting into 20 contests Points... 4 at Arizona State, 1/19/06 Rebounds... 7 vs. Long Beach State, 11/21/05 Assists... 5 vs. Long Beach State, 11/21/05 Steals...0 Points... 4 twice, last at Arizona State, 1/19/06 Rebounds... 7 vs. Long Beach State, 11/21/05 Assists... 5 vs. Long Beach State, 11/21/05 Steals... 1 many times, last at USC, 12/29/05 last season... played a significant role in Cal s win over Long Beach State when Richard Midgley was sidelined with a shoulder injury... in 23 minutes, scored three points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists in the Bears win... also played 14 minutes in the Bears next outing vs. Northern Colorado... nailed a three-pointer vs. San Jose State... played well in eight minutes at Arizona State with four points (1-1 FG, 2-2 FT) and two boards... also had two points and two rebounds in a home victory over Washington... parents are Jack Pribble and Linda Bodian... born April 5, 1985 in Greenbrae, Calif.... sociology major Totals at Eastern Michigan Long Beach State Northern Colorado Northeastern San Jose State Akron San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE

12 Theo Robertson Freshman Guard/Forward HS Pittsburg, CA De La Salle HS Season & Points vs. Oregon, 3/10/06 Rebounds... 6 twice, last at Arizona State, 1/19/06 Assists... 4 vs. Washington, 1/26/06 Steals... 2 many times, last vs. Arizona STate, 2/18/06 A versatile player for the Bears who has played both inside and outside this season, Robertson is having a productive freshman campaign... selected honorable mention Pac-10 All Freshman by the league s coaches... started in place of an injured Leon Powe the first four games of the year and averaged ppg on 54.8 percent field goal shooting during the span... had 12 points in the opener at Eastern Michigan and followed with 14 points vs. Long Beach State and 13 points against Northern Colorado... ranks fourth on the team with 14 threepointers and shot a team-high 42.3 percent from three-point range in Pac-10 play (11-26)... came off the bench for 10 points at Arizona State and 11 points at Arizona in January... had nine points, four assists and a pair of steals in a home victory over Washington... his free throw with five seconds left gave Cal a three-point lead in an eventual win at Oregon... after Omar Wilkes sprained an ankle, started consecutive home games vs. Stanford, Arizona and Arizona State... finished with eight points, including 2-of-2 on three-pointers, against the Cardinal and with 12 points (5-7 FG) vs. the Wildcats... played well at Washington Feb. 26 with 13 points... his three-pointer with 29 seconds left in regulation tied the score and sent the March 2 UCLA game into overtime... played extremely well in the Pac-10 Tournament, averaging 9.3 ppg (7-11 FG, 5-7 3P, 9-10 FT) in three games... finished with eight points vs. USC, then poured in a career-high 18 points against Oregon... enters the NCAA Tournament having made nine of his last 12 three-point attempts to raise is overall rate to 40.4 percent... parents are Ted and Leetha Robertson... born Dec. 16, 1986 in Concord, Calif.... undeclared major at Eastern Michigan Long Beach State Northern Colorado Northeastern San Jose State Akron San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE 27

13 Martin Smith 20 Senior Guard V Escondido, CA The Bishop s School Smith, who started 17 games and led Cal with 113 assists last year, has been limited to just seven games this season due to injury... a former walk-on who received a scholarship for Points... 4 twice, last vs. Akron, 12/3/05 Rebounds... 3 vs. San Diego State, 12/6/05 Assists... 6 vs. Akron, 12/3/05 Steals... 1 many times, last vs. San Diego State, 12/6/05 Points vs. Arizona State, 1/8/05 Rebounds... 7 at UCLA, 1/22/05 Assists... 8 twice, last at Arizona, 2/3/05 Blocks... 1 many times, at Oregon State, 2/26/05 Steals... 3 vs. UCLA, 2/17/05 the season... sat out the Bears first two contests with a stress fracture in his pelvis... returned for the next seven games as Cal s first guard off the bench... had four points vs. Northeastern and another four against Akron... also dished out six assists vs. the Zips... added three assists against San Jose State and Kansas and four more vs. DePaul... however, a strained abdomen put him on the sidelines in late December and he hasn t been able to return to the lineup... son of the late Phil Smith, a two-time NBA All-Star... mother is Angela Smith... born May 26, 1984 in Escondido, Calif.... interdisciplinary studies major who is on track to graduate this May Totals at Eastern Michigan INJ (pelvis) Long Beach State INJ (pelvis) Northern Colorado Northeastern San Jose State Akron San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE

14 Ayinde Ubaka 1 Junior Guard V Oakland, CA Oakland HS One of the most improved players in the country, Ubaka enters the postseason averaging 14.8 ppg after contributing 6.3 ppg in his first two years with the program... voted All-Pac- Points vs. Oregon, 1/5/06 Rebounds... 6 at Washington State, 2/23/06 Assists... 7 twice, last at Oregon State, 2/2/06 Steals... 3 vs. Washington, 1/26/06 Points vs. Oregon, 1/5/06 Rebounds... 6 twice, last at Washington State, 2/23/06 Assists... 9 vs. Oregon, 2/26/04 Steals... 4 vs. Oregon, 1/27/05 10 by the conference coaches and second-team NABC all-district... also named to the all-tournament team at the Pac- 10 Tournament after averaging 17.0 ppg and 3.7 apg... entered the season with a career high of 13 points, but has surpassed that total 17 times this year... ranks 10th in the Pac-10 in scoring and is also among the league leaders in assists (7th, 3.8 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (4th, 1.64), free throw shooting (3rd, 83.3%) and three-pointers per game (7th, 2.03)... his 61 three-pointers this season tie for the third-most in Cal history, and he is just seven shy of the school record of 68 set by Ryan Drew in shooting a career high from the field (41.5%), three-point range (37.9%) and the free throw line (83.3%)... has made 41-of-47 from the line (87.2%) in the last two minutes and overtime of games... reached double-figures in scoring in 14 straight games during one stretch and has done so in 28 of 30 games... the only Cal player to start every game this season... earned a spot on the Golden Bear Classic all-tournament team after totaling 16 points vs. Northern Colorado and 21 points against Northeastern... scored 10 of his 18 points in the final 3:58 of Cal s win at UCLA Dec came through with a career-best 29 points in the Bears next game vs. Oregon Jan also had 24 points at Arizona State and 20 points at Oregon... celebrated his 21st birthday with 18 points in a home win over Stanford Feb leads Cal with 115 assists, including a high of seven vs. Washington and at Oregon State... ranks second in the Pac-10 in minutes played with 37.3 per game and has played 40 or more six games... in the Pac-10 tourney, had 11 of his 16 points in the second half vs. USC and all 17 of his points after intermission against Oregon... also totaled a team-high 18 points in the championship game vs. UCLA... parents are Iniabasi and Shaukura Ubaka... born Feb. 9, 1985 in San Francisco, Calif.... social welfare major Totals at Eastern Michigan Long Beach State Northern Colorado Northeastern San Jose State Akron San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE 29

15 Eric Vierneisel 14 Sophomore Forward V Algonquin, IL Jacobs HS Vierneisel has played a valuable role as a reserve for the Bears this season, appearing in 21 games... started in Game 2 vs. Long Beach State Nov. 21 for an injury Richard Midgley Points vs. USC, 3/9/06 Rebounds... 5 vs. USC, 3/9/06 Assists... 2 twice, last vs. San Jose St., 11/30/05 Blocks... 1 twice, last vs. Oregon, 3/10/06 Steals... 1 many times, last vs. UCLA, 3/11/06 Points vs. UC Riverside, 11/11/04 Rebounds... 5 vs. USC, 3/9/06 Assists... 4 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, 12/4/04 Blocks... 2 twice, last vs. Arizona State, 1/8/05 Steals... 1 many times, last vs. UCLA, 3/11/06 (shoulder) and finished with five points in 15 minutes... also played 15 minutes against Northern Colorado Nov. 25 when he pitched in six points... drained a 24-foot three-pointer in a win at UCLA Dec suffered a concussion at Arizona Jan. 21 and missed Cal s home series vs. Washington and Washington State Jan did not play in consecutive games vs. Arizona State, WSU and Washington in late February, but came back to log 11 minutes vs. UCLA March 2... played well in the Pac-10 Tournament, especially vs. USC in the quarterfinals when he scored a season-high 10 points (4-5 FG, 1-2 3P, 1-1 FT) and grabbed a career-best five rebounds... parents are Phil and Lori Vierneisel... born Nov. 8, 1985, in Chicago, Ill.... undeclared major Totals at Eastern Michigan Long Beach State Northern Colorado Northeastern San Jose State Akron San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington INJ (concussion) Washington State INJ (concussion) at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE

16 Jordan Wilkes Freshman Center HS Los Angeles, CA Loyola HS Season & Points at Eastern Michigan, 11/18/05 Rebounds... 4 many times, last at Oregon State, 2/2/06 Assists... 2 at Stanford, 1/13/06 Blocks... 1 many times, at Oregon State, 2/2/06 Steals... 1 twice, last at Oregon, 2/4/06 Wilkes jumpstarted his Cal career by scoring 11 points (5-6 FG) all in the first half in the Bears season-opener at Eastern Michigan... added five points in back-to-back games vs. Long Beach State and Northern Colorado... sprained his right ankle in practice and missed four straight games from Nov through Dec sank all four of his free throw attempts at Arizona State... played 14 minutes in consecutive contests vs. Washington State, at Oregon State and at Oregon... had eight points and four boards at OSU... sank a three-pointer in the first half of Cal s Feb. 18 home date vs. Arizona State... playing time has diminished with the return of senior Rod Benson late in the year... parents are Jamaal and Valerie Wilkes... born Aug. 10, 1987 in Santa Monica, Calif.... undeclared major at Eastern Michigan Long Beach State Northern Colorado Northeastern San Jose State INJ (ankle) Akron INJ (ankle) San Diego State INJ (ankle) vs. Kansas INJ (ankle) vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE 31

17 Omar Wilkes Sophomore Guard RS Los Angeles, CA Univ. of Kansas/Loyola HS Season & Points vs. Long Beach State, 11/21/05 Rebounds... 5 vs. Long Beach State, 11/21/05 Assists... 5 vs. Long Beach State, 11/21/05 Steals... 3 twice, last at UCLA, 12/31/05 Wilkes has been a consistent member of the starting lineup for the Bears all season... has reached double digits in scoring eight times... is at his best in the transition game... scored a career-high 18 points in just his second game, helping Cal top Long Beach State Nov. 21 for head coach Ben Braun s 500th 2 win... has ranked as Cal s best three-point percentage shooter all year... had 13 points and three steals against his former school, Kansas, Dec that game started a run of four straight contests with double-figure points, including a 13-point outing vs. DePaul... played a key role in the Bears victory at UCLA Dec. 31 with 12 points, three assists and three steals... tallied 15 points in the Bears home win over Washington Jan. 26, making 6-of-8 shots from the floor... sat out the Feb. 9 Stanford game with a sprained ankle and was limited in Cal s next two contests vs. Arizona and Arizona State... tied for the team lead with 29 steals, including a team-best 17 in Pac-10 action... had 14 points in the Pac-10 Tournament quarterfinals vs. USC and seven more against Oregon in the semis... was a member of Kansas 2004 NCAA Elite Eight team before transferring to Cal... parents are Jamaal and Valerie Wilkes... born May 13, 1984 in Santa Monica, Calif.... social welfare major. 2004* Totals *at Kansas at Eastern Michigan Long Beach State Northern Colorado Northeastern San Jose State Akron San Diego State vs. Kansas vs. DePaul at USC at UCLA Oregon Oregon State at Stanford at Arizona State at Arizona Washington Washington State at Oregon State at Oregon Stanford INJ (ankle) Arizona Arizona State at Washington State at Washington UCLA USC vs. USC vs. Oregon vs. UCLA BASKETBALL POSTSEASON MEDIA GUIDE