Why Mark Fox to Cal makes sense & why not

Yes, I just may be suffering from an NCAA basketball-induced overdose but let's work through this possible Mark Fox to Cal scenario:

Reasons For:

*** Cal is a member of the PAC-10 which -- hint, hint -- means there are but 10 head coaching spots available in one of the top basketball conferences in the nation -- nine and a half if I wish to be particularly snarky towards OSU

*** Fox's salary requirements should fall within the range of what Cal is expecting to pay for its next men's basketball coach

*** Fox has no center on his roster if center JaVale McGee heads to the Big Show. 6-8 Matt LaGrone is the tallest returning Wolf Packer.

*** Both Cal and Nevada are Adidas schools, something that could play a large factor

*** Fox has a rather minimal $250,000 buyout if he departs prior to July 2011

*** Fox has the necessary WAC championships and the NCAA appearances to win enough of the opening press conference for Cal

*** Fox is visibly passionate while coaching, as asset Cal fans, especially the students, will enjoy mimicking

*** What more can Fox accomplish at Nevada?

*** Cal basketball is not in any way, shape or form, similar to that of Nebraska hoops in potential (a school Fox conversed with prior to declining consideration in the past)

Reasons Against:

*** Why in the world would Fox depart Reno with the very solid makings he has in returning players and with Luke Babbitt (especially) and Mark McLaughlin coming in as freshmen? It makes no sense for him to leap now.

*** Could Mark Fox's temper somehow be held against him? His tango with a referee after a game in the 2006-2007 WAC tournament was obviously not his best monent nor was his bumping an official during a game against Utah State in Logan. In fairness, there were no similar incidents this season.

*** In simply may be our ignorance but we aren't aware of any Mark Fox connections -- often the primary component of any deal -- within the world of Cal AD Sandy Barbour.

The slippage continues

So when will one of the WAC teams win a game they weren't supposed to?

Sure, we're being harsh here but the trend is not promising. The evidence is mounting.

This one actually wasn't unexpected but still was a road game for Cal:

Pack basketball drops heartbreaker to Cal
Steve Sneddon
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
November 29, 2007

It was only a temporary reprieve for the Nevada basketball team.

The Wolf Pack wiped out a 14-point first half deficit, but never figured out a way to slow down 6-foot-10, 240-pound Ryan Anderson and paid dearly for it. Anderson scored a career-high 36 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead California past the Pack, 74-68, in front of 9,126 fans at Lawlor Events Center on Wednesday night.

Nevada dropped to 2-3 for the first time since 2003-04, when it reached the Sweet 16. Cal, the first Pac-10 team to play in Reno since Washington State in 1999, ran its record to 4-0 for the first time since 2001-02.

"We lost a tough game," said the Pack's Marcelus Kemp. "We made a lot of mistakes and their post player (Anderson) had a pretty good game and we couldn't stop him."

Kemp kept the Pack afloat single-handedly in the opening 20 minutes, scoring 21 of his 26 points in the first half. JaVale McGee finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and a career-high equaling six blocked shots in 35 minutes. Brandon Fields had 15 points for Nevada.

Go here for the full article.

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