Appears that Mad dog just landed a big….

WC Bear

5:25p, 4/28/24

According to Cal Sports:

Got our big man! Mady Sissoko just graduated from Michigan State this past week, so he held off on the announcement. Expect one very soon.

DaveT

6:05p, 4/28/24

Interesting add, if it happens. He and Dort are both physical guys. Not going to be fun as an opposing big or a slasher in the lane.

A few interesting things about Mady:

He was ranked the No. 35 recruit in the country in 2021 by ESPN and was No. 36 overall and No. 7 among centers by 247
From an article about his decision to enter the portal: "Of note, academically [Cal] would be a great landing spot for Sissoko, who takes his academics very seriously."
He set up a foundation in his home village in Mali which funds The Maddy Sissoko Foundation School at Tangafoya. It provides education for 200 students. Before the school was opened, the village kids had to walk over an hour each way to school. All his NIL money is donated to the foundation.
He didn't start playing basketball until he was 15

Cool article on him: African Dream via America's Game: Mady Sissoko and his journey to the NCAA Tournament

And a decent eval of his game, albeit a little old: Evaluation 2022-23 Season

concernedparent

6:15p, 4/28/24

Sissoko is a perfect complement to the team as constructed. Strong, athletic big who can play tough defense and get boards. We have guys who can score and/or create 1-4 so I'm not that concerned about his offensive deficiencies.

Johnfox

6:19p, 4/28/24

In reply to WC Bear

Sissoko is a GREAT defender. Probably one of the best defenders in college basketball. If you look at the stat lines of top bigs that go up against him (Ballo, Filipowski, etc) they all had bad games. From an offensive standpoint, it's a work in progress. I bet Izzo limited his offensive shots which took away his scoring. Madsen will let him play free. Rebounding is elite too. Athleticism is off the charts. We will see dunks that will make the roof pop off at Haas Pavilion. Primed for a big year.

Lee Dort should see substantial minutes too. Never got a chance, but can shoot the three, play down low (similar to Aimaq, but athletic).

Sissoko needs to limit the fouls, but they naturally happen with his MONSTER blocks.

Cal88

7:09p, 4/28/24

Quote:
Tom Izzo shares where Mady Sissoko could transfer
By Trevor Michael | Apr 20, 2024

Where will Mady Sissoko end up? There will always be a slim chance that he returns to Michigan State, but that is seeming more and more unlikely as the days go by. But Tom Izzo made a recent appearance on the Tim Staudt Radio Show and shared what schools Sissoko is pursuing in the portal.

Where is Mady Sissoko going to transfer?
It appears that Sissoko might be heading west, as the four suitors mentioned by Izzo are all on the west coast. They include Washington, Cal, San Diego State, and Colorado.

https://spartanavenue.com/posts/tom-izzo-shares-where-mady-sissoko-could-transfer-01hvydfg0q2f

DaveT

7:23p, 4/28/24

Normally you'd expect a 23-yr old player to be a finished product, but Mady picked up basketball so late in life that may not be the case. He's made big strides each year at MSU, and improved a lot of facets of his game. It would be really interesting to see what Madsen + staff could do with him. He's played well against top-tier competition at times, he's just pretty raw and inconsistent. Given his background, he might still have some upside despite his age.

Big C

9:32p, 4/28/24

In reply to DaveT

DaveT said:
Interesting add, if it happens. He and Dort are both physical guys. Not going to be fun as an opposing big or a slasher in the lane.

A few interesting things about Mady:
He was ranked the No. 35 recruit in the country in 2021 by ESPN and was No. 36 overall and No. 7 among centers by 247
From an article about his decision to enter the portal: "Of note, academically [Cal] would be a great landing spot for Sissoko, who takes his academics very seriously."
He set up a foundation in his home village in Mali which funds The Maddy Sissoko Foundation School at Tangafoya. It provides education for 200 students. Before the school was opened, the village kids had to walk over an hour each way to school. All his NIL money is donated to the foundation.
He didn't start playing basketball until he was 15

Cool article on him: African Dream via America's Game: Mady Sissoko and his journey to the NCAA Tournament

And a decent eval of his game, albeit a little old: Evaluation 2022-23 Season

He sounds like a "Cal guy"!

Bearly Clad

9:21a, 4/29/24

It's official

NEWS: Michigan State transfer center Mady Sissoko has committed to Cal, he tells @On3sports. https://t.co/Bh5Eb2MzBk pic.twitter.com/URGAaMQvAT
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 29, 2024

NavyBear

9:41a, 4/29/24

His NIL money goes towards his school in his village in Mali. Looks like Bear fans are already donating:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-mady-bring-education-food-and-hope-back-home

His foundation: https://madysissokofoundation.org/

Eastern Oregon Bear

9:55a, 4/29/24

Great news about Sissoko. He sounds like a great addition both on and off the court.

With Sissoko, On3 has Cal up to #11 in the transfer portal rankings. 3rd in the ACC behind Louisville and NC State. I don't see them listing Petraitis, so we could crack the top 10 when they add him.

DaveT

10:04a, 4/29/24

FWIW, per 40 mins:

Fardaws (2024): 13.7 TRB, 1.3 BLK, 18.0 PTS, .464 FG%

Mady (2024): 13.5 TRB, 1.1 BLK, 8.6 PTS, .568 FG%

Basketball Bear

10:49a, 4/29/24

He has a Golden Bear heart. Hope we can all support his efforts of kindness.

smokeyrover

11:47a, 4/29/24

In reply to Cal88

Cal88 said:

Quote:
Tom Izzo shares where Mady Sissoko could transfer
By Trevor Michael | Apr 20, 2024

Where will Mady Sissoko end up? There will always be a slim chance that he returns to Michigan State, but that is seeming more and more unlikely as the days go by. But Tom Izzo made a recent appearance on the Tim Staudt Radio Show and shared what schools Sissoko is pursuing in the portal.

Where is Mady Sissoko going to transfer?
It appears that Sissoko might be heading west, as the four suitors mentioned by Izzo are all on the west coast. They include Washington, Cal, San Diego State, and Colorado.

https://spartanavenue.com/posts/tom-izzo-shares-where-mady-sissoko-could-transfer-01hvydfg0q2f

I wonder if there is an indirect thank you due to Izzo's longtime friend Steve Mariucci.

barsad

12:52p, 4/29/24

In reply to smokeyrover

Huge sigh of relief that we have our big and don't have to rely on Dort as a starter (though if Sissoko gets injured, we're in a real bind).
Congrats to Madsen and his team, I think he turned a tabula rasa into a roster that has a chance to be .500 or even five games better than that. Who's the starting 5 now? I see (in 1-5 order) Tucker, Ola-Joseph, Omot, Petraitis, Sissoko, but interested in other opinions. A lot can happen between now and November, as others have pointed out.

DaveT

1:02p, 4/29/24

Quote:
Who's the starting 5 now? I see (in 1-5 order) Tucker, Ola-Joseph, Omot, Petraitis, Sissoko

Andrej Stojakovic will start. I think the bench will play a much bigger role this season, making the starting five less important. Madsen will be able to focus on matchups, and we won't be nearly as dependent on a few guys to carry the load (which wore them down during games and over the season).

If everything comes together, this will be a team that's much more active on defense, better in transition, harder to defend, and more consistent.

barsad

1:32p, 4/29/24

In reply to DaveT

Right, forgot about Andrej, he should be a starter over Ola-Joseph if he shows what he can do in practice.
I agree, it could be fun to watch Madsen mix and match the starting lineup, esp. during non-conference sched. Last year my frustration was having to watch Tyson or Fardaws have a bad game, then it was a sure loss. This year could be different with more balanced scoring contributors and scrappy defense.
Go Bears!

RedlessWardrobe

2:01p, 4/29/24

Definitely going to be better defensively. I also like the fact that with Tucker at the point it makes Wilkinson's first year much easier, probably a few minutes each game that increases if his play is up to it.

My hope, and I could be completely wrong, is that Nwanko turns out to be the hidden gem of this bunch. I know his highlights were games against JC competition, but he sure looks like he's got some game.

LOUMFSG2

2:42p, 4/29/24

In reply to RedlessWardrobe

I completely agree about Nwankwo. I was also really intrigued by his video. As you point out, it's against a different level of competition, but he seems to have the athleticism and skillset that might translate well. He's definitely a guy I am really looking forward to seeing what he can do in blue and gold

Johnfox

3:01p, 4/29/24

PG Christian Tucker
SG Andrej Stojakovic
SF BJ Omot
PF Rytis Petraitis
C Mady Sissoko

Bench:
PG Jeremiah Wilkinson
SG DJ Campbell
SF Jeff Nwankwo
PF Joshua Ola-Joseph
C Lee Dort

Reserves:
PG Vlado Pavlovic
C Devin Curtis

Really deep team!

parentswerebears

3:02p, 4/29/24

In reply to Johnfox

Johnfox said:
PG Christian Tucker
SG Andrej Stojakovic
SF BJ Omot
PF Rytis Petraitis
C Mady Sissoko

Bench:
PG Jeremiah Wilkinson
SG DJ Campbell
SF Jeff Nwankwo
PF Joshua Ola-Joseph
C Lee Dort

Reserves:
PG Vlado Pavlovic
C Devin Curtis

Really deep team!

Plus the last guy, wherever he fits.

sluggo

3:24p, 4/29/24

In reply to Johnfox

Johnfox said:
PG Christian Tucker
SG Andrej Stojakovic
SF BJ Omot
PF Rytis Petraitis
C Mady Sissoko

Bench:
PG Jeremiah Wilkinson
SG DJ Campbell
SF Jeff Nwankwo
PF Joshua Ola-Joseph
C Lee Dort

Reserves:
PG Vlado Pavlovic
C Devin Curtis

Really deep team!

Not knowing anything I bet one of Omot, Ola-Joseph or Nwankwo will re-enter the portal. They had no idea there would be so much competition when they committed. I hope it is not Nwankwo and that he starts.

sosheezy

4:09p, 4/29/24

In reply to sluggo

sluggo said:
Johnfox said:
PG Christian Tucker
SG Andrej Stojakovic
SF BJ Omot
PF Rytis Petraitis
C Mady Sissoko

Bench:
PG Jeremiah Wilkinson
SG DJ Campbell
SF Jeff Nwankwo
PF Joshua Ola-Joseph
C Lee Dort

Reserves:
PG Vlado Pavlovic
C Devin Curtis

Really deep team!
Not knowing anything I bet one of Omot, Ola-Joseph or Nwankwo will re-enter the portal. They had no idea there would be so much competition when they committed. I hope it is not Nwankwo and that he starts.

I had this thought too. That's a challenge of having to add so many pieces, commit #1 has no idea who is coming after him at his position when we're adding 9 guys.

WalterSobchak

4:14p, 4/29/24

I don't think any of those guys is a grad transfer so we should know on Wednesday.

Please give to Cal Legends at https://calegends.com/donation/ and encourage everyone you know who loves Cal sports to do it too.

To be in the Top 1% of all NIL collectives we only need around 3% of alumni to give $100/mo. OR 6% to give $50/mo. Please help spread the word. "If we don't broaden this base we're dead." - Sebastabear

Pittstop

4:25p, 4/29/24

In reply to DaveT

DaveT said:
FWIW, per 40 mins:

Fardaws (2024): 13.7 TRB, 1.3 BLK, 18.0 PTS, .464 FG%

Mady (2024): 13.5 TRB, 1.1 BLK, 8.6 PTS, .568 FG%

Is that right for Daws?! Only .464 FG%?

Pittstop

4:35p, 4/29/24

In reply to barsad

barsad said:
Huge sigh of relief that we have our big and don't have to rely on Dort as a starter (though if Sissoko gets injured, we're in a real bind).
Congrats to Madsen and his team, I think he turned a tabula rasa into a roster that has a chance to be .500 or even five games better than that. Who's the starting 5 now? I see (in 1-5 order) Tucker, Ola-Joseph, Omot, Petraitis, Sissoko, but interested in other opinions. A lot can happen between now and November, as others have pointed out.

If Sissoko gets in frequent foul trouble (which was a characteristic of his game at MSU), having Dort - who has the same, brawny 6'10", 250 lbs frame - to come in to eat up minutes (and 5 extra fouls) will come in handy. And if Dort proves to be as good as his pre-college recruiting profile, we "could" have a scary tandem for the next couple of years (better than Rooks/Okoro?).

Pittstop

4:38p, 4/29/24

In reply to barsad

barsad said:
Huge sigh of relief that we have our big and don't have to rely on Dort as a starter (though if Sissoko gets injured, we're in a real bind).
Congrats to Madsen and his team, I think he turned a tabula rasa into a roster that has a chance to be .500 or even five games better than that. Who's the starting 5 now? I see (in 1-5 order) Tucker, Ola-Joseph, Omot, Petraitis, Sissoko, but interested in other opinions. A lot can happen between now and November, as others have pointed out.

No Stojakovich?

stu

4:52p, 4/29/24

In reply to Pittstop

Pittstop said:
barsad said:
Huge sigh of relief that we have our big and don't have to rely on Dort as a starter (though if Sissoko gets injured, we're in a real bind).
Congrats to Madsen and his team, I think he turned a tabula rasa into a roster that has a chance to be .500 or even five games better than that. Who's the starting 5 now? I see (in 1-5 order) Tucker, Ola-Joseph, Omot, Petraitis, Sissoko, but interested in other opinions. A lot can happen between now and November, as others have pointed out.

If Sissoko gets in frequent foul trouble (which was a characteristic of his game at MSU), having Dort - who has the same, brawny 6'10", 250 lbs frame - to come in to eat up minutes (and 5 extra fouls) will come in handy. And if Dort proves to be as good as his pre-college recruiting profile, we "could" have a scary tandem for the next couple of years (better than Rooks/Okoro?).

Sissoko has already played three seasons so we'll have him no more than one.

I don't think Rooks and Okoroh set the bar very high.

HoopDreams

5:15p, 4/29/24

Sissoko Also played for Michigan State's hall of fame coach so he should be sound defensively