March Madness 2023

The sports department’s staff writers got to take a break from (or, rather, add more work to) their regularly-scheduled beat coverage for this very special edition of the paper.

While all the talk of the 2023 NBA draft has been about Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, two top prospects not in the NCAA, there are several NBA-caliber players looking to make their mark in the madness of March.

Underdogs characteristically lurk in the shadows and bust brackets all the same. So, as madness is upon us, best beware of some sleeper selections to avoid a rude awakening.

A record-tying seven programs from the “Conference of Champions” are selected for the Big Dance, how will they fare? Women’s basketball beat writers Kenzo Fukuda and Jane Kenny make their predictions.

Given the wonderfully unique nature of college sports, there is always an abundance of chaos. Some of the main perpetrators of this chaos are the mascots. And so, without further ado, here is a ranking of the men’s NCAA tournament top seeds’ mascots.

If you’re struggling to understand the madness behind March, look no further. Here's everything you need to know.

The 1959 championship remains the only title in Cal basketball’s storied history. Like most good things in Cal Athletics history, it came well before many of us were born. 

Here are three steps the Bears can take to begin the path back to March Madness — or at least out of worst-team-in-the-nation territory.

Cal fell short in the first of four home games to No. 11 Columbia. In the next five days, the Bears will play SMU, Arizona State and Arizona at home.

It can be done. It has been done. But apathy has slowly poisoned a university administration and athletics department that does not seem to care about the passionate, devoted community of Cal football and basketball fans.