The Bears won one and lost one in the offseason, gaining former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery, a proven winner in the Pac-10. Too bad he won't get to coach forward Ryan Anderson, who opted for the NBA draft.

Anderson, who ended up going No. 21 in the first round, would have made Cal one of the better teams in the Pac-10 this season. His departure, along with that of senior center DeVon Hardin, means the Bears will be going small in 2008-09.

Cal, which figures to be battling in the thick middle of the league, is also trying to shed an underachiever label. The Bears were 17-16 overall and 6-12 in the Pac-10 last season.

Montgomery, who is 547-244 in 26 years as a college coach, will rely on a perimeter game in his first season with the Bears. Look for junior guard Patrick Christopher to have a huge season.

He doesn't have much of a national name, but he was one of the most improved players in the Pac-10 last season and he'll get more notice this season because of Montgomery. Christopher, who has made big improvements in the weight room in the past couple of years, averaged 15.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season.

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