Cal Basketball: Three More of Nine Recruiting Commitments Are Signed

Joshua Ola-Joseph, Lee Dort and Rytis Petraitis are officially on board; four more to come.

Cal signee Joshua Ola-Joseph drives against Ohio State. / Photo by Joseph Maiorana, USA Today

Cal basketball continued to officially add previously committed players to the fold on Wednesday.

Transfer forwards Joshua Ola-Joseph of Minnesota, Lee Dort of Vanderbilt and Rytis Petraitis of Air Force signed with the Bears, the third, fourth and fifth players to do so among the nine transfers who have committed since the start of April. Each arrives at Cal with two remaining years of eligibility.

A 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward, Ola-Joseph averaged 7.5 points on 57-percent shooting in his two seasons with the Golden Gophers. He played 59 games for the Big Ten program, starting 43 times, including 42 games in a row.

Here are coach Mark Madsen’s first public remarks about Ola-Joseph: 

"Joshua is a tremendous basketball player with a proven track record of shooting at a highly efficient rate. He’s an elite athlete who stretches the floor and plays above the rim, and his length and versatility will make him a disruptor on defense. Our staff loves the energy Joshua plays the game with and we're thrilled to have him and his family as Golden Bears."

A native of Brooklyn Park, Minn., Ola-Joseph played his final year of high school ball at AZ Compass Prep in Chandler, Ariz. 

As a sophomore last season at Minnesota, he put together 13 double-digit scoring games, including nine in a row at midseason. 

He averaged 10.4 points the first 20 games before sustaining a concussion, then played just 5 minutes per game the rest of the season.

Dort, a 6-10, 245-pounder from Saint Marc, Haiti, appeared in 18 games over two seasons with the Commodores, averaging 1.7 points and 2.1 rebounds. A former four-star recruit, he had 12 blocked shots and converted 65 percent (13-of-20) from the field in 17 games as a freshman.

Here are Madsen’s first public comments about Dort: 

“Lee has size and mobility in the paint that make him an impact on both ends of the floor, and his great footwork on the block allows him to play very effectively with angles. He’s a true deterrent on defense with instinctive shot-blocking abilities, and he can run the floor very well. We were very thorough in our recruitment of Lee and I’m excited to have him and his family join us in Berkeley.”

Madsen’s remark that the Bears were “very thorough” during the recruiting process alludes to off-court issues Dort experienced in the past year. He played just one game as a sophomore, reportedly because of a suspension following an arrest for a felony aggravated assault charge.

He reportedly had reached an agreement to have his criminal case dropped, according to a story in the Tennessean in January.

Dort finished his high school career at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas, averaging 16.8 points and 11.8 rebounds as a senior in 2021-22. He was ranked as the No. 43 recruit in the nation by Rivals and the nation’s No. 26 center by ESPN.

Petraitis, who committed last weekend, averaged 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season for Air Force. The 6-7, 210-pound native of Arlington, Texas, averaged 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 56 games over two seasons.

Here are Madsen’s first public remarks about Petraitis:

“Rytis is capable of doing just about anything on the court and will be a tremendous addition to our basketball program. His playmaking ability on the wing shines, as he averaged more than 15 points, six rebounds and three assists as a sophomore. Our staff loves Rytis’ mature approach to the game and he comes from a great basketball family. We can’t wait to have them as Golden Bears.”

Petraitis, whose parents both played at Oregon State, scored in double figures 20 times last season and had six 20-point performances. He scored a career-high 27 points against Colorado State and posted a triple-double with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists at UNLV.