Mark Madsen is an interesting guy. He played at Stanford for Mike Montgomery, then moved into the NBA and won two rings with the Los Angeles Lakers.
He was a reserve there, but starter Shaquille O’Neal said Madsen — aka Mad Dog — gave him some of his best competition, and that those practice battles really helped him prepare for games.
Madsen later became a Lakers assistant from 2013–2019, then moved to college at Utah Valley. He spent four years there, going from 11–19 in 2019–20, to 11–11 in the Covid season of 2020–21, then 20–12, and finally a highly impressive 28–9 in 2022–23.
He spent one season in the Pac-12 before it blew apart, going 13–19, then 14–19 in his first year in the All-Coast Conference (aka the ACC). Last year, he posted a solid 22–12.
His Cal record is 49–50, but keep in mind that between the Pac-12 meltdown and all the upheaval in college sports recently, he has faced immense turmoil.
Interestingly, Madsen got his undergrad degree in economics from Stanford, plus an MBA. Those skills translate well to a modern basketball office. A Mormon, Madsen did a two-year mission in Spain and was an Eagle Scout growing up.
He’s not your typical NBA player who treats a college job like a retirement gig. The guy is focused, works hard, and is whip-smart. Is that enough to succeed in the ACC? Jury’s out, but it’s hard not to respect the guy.
So how are things looking for Cal?
Madsen is suggesting 30 wins, but that’s asking a lot. Cal won 22 games last year, and four starters are gone. He might be right, but from here, it’s hard to see.
The one starter back is big man Lee Dort. A grad student, Dort was pretty solid last season, averaging 8.1 points and 7.8 rebounds. He’s efficient inside, hitting nearly 60% from the floor, and he’s the key to Cal’s interior defense. He’s also experienced — and not every team has an experienced big guy.
Dort got injured in the Stanford game on January 24 and missed six games with a lower-body injury. He returned February 25. Cal was 3–3 in the games he missed.
He’s likely to be joined in the frontcourt by Jake Wilkins and Nojus Indrusaitis.
Wilkins caused a sensation at Georgia last year with some moves and dunks that reminded people of his old man, Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins. He’s still raw and averaged just 4.9 at Georgia, but he’s as promising as any player in the country. (Remember Virginia’s Isaiah Wilkins? They’re stepbrothers).
Indrusaitis is likely to be his running mate. At Pitt, he showed some real flashes. Against NC State in the ACC Tournament, he shot 6-of-9 and scored 19 points. He had double figures in six of his last seven games, too. He should be a good resource for Dort and Wilkins, who are likely to spend a lot of time inside.
Jordan Ross, like Wilkins a Georgia transfer, is likely to start at point guard. He’s a senior who spent three years in the SEC, so he’s been through the wars. He doesn’t have the stats or reputation of some guys, but if he can run the offense, get the ball to the right guy, and defend like his coach wants, he could be a great fit.
Then there’s Michael Cooper. A transfer from Wright State, Cooper should add some pop to the offense. He averaged 13.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, while shooting 44% overall and 35.6% from deep. If he can make the jump to the ACC, he’ll be key.
Sammie Yeanay didn’t get much time last season, but he is a former four-star big man. At 6-8 and 240, he should be able to bang inside. He’s said to have a high motor, which always helps.
As for Dominkyas Daubaris, the freshman from Lithuania can shoot outside and is said to be strong. Reportedly, he’s not a bad shot blocker. He also played for Lithuania in FIBA competition in 2025, where he averaged 11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.
Mantas Kocanas didn’t get much time as a sophomore. Will he do better as a junior? He’s 6-11 and 240, and as Jack Salt proved at Virginia, those can be useful assets even if you don’t have huge stats.
Dhiaukuei Manyiel Dut is 7-0, but he’s a redshirt junior who only appeared in 12 games and got just 3.6 minutes. He could make a late-career leap, but realistically he’s probably still a deep reserve.
Then there’s 7-0 freshman Nicolas Mitrovic. Madsen has praised his skill set. He can shoot from deep and work in the paint, too. He’s also a good defender down low.
Cal has five guys 6-10 or taller and two who are 6-9.
Amier Ali, who is 6-8, comes over from Mississippi State. Cal thinks he has a pro-style offensive skill set and hopes he can stretch the floor and score at multiple levels. Defensively, he has a lot of versatility. He was a Top 60 recruit in high school, so he has some potential. Ali could be a huge asset.
The backcourt reserves include Semetri Carr, Jovani Ruff, and Jorell Clark.
Carr got into every game but one, playing 16.5 minutes an outing. That’s really pretty good for a freshman. For a time last year, he led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, so obviously he’s good with the ball. He’s gritty and tough on defense. At a minimum, he seems like an excellent backup at the point.
Ruff and Clark are both redshirt freshmen.
Ruff scored 2,063 points at Long Beach Poly, including one game where he scored 51 points in under three quarters. Cal thinks he can play three positions — point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. So why redshirt a guy like that?
Because he had lingering injuries, and letting him get healthy was the smart, long-term thing to do. Cal beat out Kansas, Oregon, and USC for Ruff.
Clark was a developmental redshirt. A local product, he averaged 25 points per game as a senior.
He’s said to be a good defender, too. Clark sounds like a coach’s player — high character, with leadership potential, and a guy who really works hard. He also ran cross country in high school, which translates well into basketball endurance.
He could ultimately be a conduit who takes Madsen’s tenacity and injects it into the team.
After looking at the talent, and considering Madsen’s impressive coaching chops, we had to raise our take on this team’s potential.
It’s got tons of size, and superb athleticism in Wilkins and Ruff. It should defend well, and it has three-point shooting. There should be enough big men to score effectively inside.
We get why Madsen thinks this group can win 30 games, but like a lot of ACC teams, Cal could be better and still struggle in a sharply improved ACC.
However, 25–27 wins doesn’t seem outrageous.
* Lee Dort - 6-10 - GR
* Semetri Carr - 6-1 - SO
* Mantas Kocanas - 6-11 - JR
* Sammie Yeanay - 6-9 - JR
* Dhiaukuei Manyiel Dut - 7-0 - JR
* Jovani Ruff - 6-5 - R-FR
* Jorell Clark - 6-2
* Michael Cooper - 6-3 - SO (Wright State)
* Nojus Indrusaitis - 6-5 - JR (Pitt)
* Jordan Ross- 6-3 SR (Georgia)
* Jake Wilkins - 6-9 - SO (Georgia)
* \*Amier Ali - 6-8 JR - (Mississippi State)
* \*Mantas Kocanas - 6-11 - JR (FAU)
* \*Nicolas Mitrovic - 7-0 - FR
* Gabe Sularski - 6-6 - FR
* \*Dominykas Daubaris - 6-10 - FR