Nov 6th, 2009
The center position is going to be a concern for Cal as long as Harper Kamp is sidelined, and there is no way of knowing how long that will be.
Harper Kamp last season -- Daily Cal photo Nick Fradkin
Because of his chonic knee problem, Kamp did not play in Thursday’s 84-42 exhibition victory over Chico State, and coach Mike Montgomery does not expect him to play in the season-opener on Monday against Murray State either. The odds of him playing in Wednesday’s game against Detroit are slim, and it’s anybody’s guess whether he will play against Syracuse in New York on Nov. 19. It is in New York, where the Bears will play Syracuse and either North Carolina or Ohio State, that Kamp’s absence will be most noticed.
He is not the team’s star and won’t be among the team’s top scorers, but the 6-8 Kamp knows how to play post defense and is a smart offensive player who doesn’t make mistakes. Kamp was not a starter last season, but he got by far the most playing time at the center position, and he is Cal’s best answer against opposing big men.
Until Kamp returns, husky, 6-7 junior college transfer Markhuri Sanders-Frison will be the Bears’ starting center, with 7-3 Max Zhang coming off the bench. Sanders-Frison can throw his weight around and rebound, but he is not the all-around player Kamp is. And Zhang still needs a lot of work. Cal must try to rest Kamp as much as possible early in the season so his availability can be maximized in Pac-10 play.
The worst part of Thursday’s exhibition for Cal came with 1:20 left and the Bears holding a 44-point lead. That is when sophomore guard Jorge Gutierrez twisted his ankle. The severity of the injury was not known right after the game, so it remains to be seen whether he will play in Monday’s opener. Gutierrez is the Cal sixth man who supplies a burst of energy and intensity off the bench.
I came that you may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance, until it overflows.- John 10:10