Cal Basketball: Andre Kelly Declines Chance to Start on Senior Night - A Hidden Agenda?
Cal coach Mark Fox revealed on his post-game radio show Saturday that he offered Andre Kelly the chance to start on senior night against rival Stanford.
It was a nice gesture considering Kelly hasn’t played since suffering a season-ending ankle injury against USC on Jan. 29.
"I actually asked Andre if he would like to start the game,” said Fox, explaining that he would reach out to Stanford coach Jerod Haase to make arrangements allowing Kelly to be on the court for opening tip and then to immediately come out of the game.
“But Andre didn’t want people to feel sorry for him, and he declined that,” Fox said, “which shows what kind of young man he is.”
Cal fans hope it means something more than that.
They hope it also means Kelly is leaving open the possibility that he will participate in senior night activities a year from now.
A 6-foot-9, 255-pound senior forward from Stockton, Kelly was having his best season when he was injured. He averaged 13.4 points and a team-best 8.4 rebounds through 21 games, shooting 61 percent from the field.
Because he has played just four seasons, Kelly still has the option of using the additional year of eligibility the NCAA gave athletes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So Kelly, who has played 113 games for the Bears and improved each season, can play a fifth year.
Fox, who talks in the video at the top about Cal's win in the home finale, says Kelly still hasn’t made a decision. If Kelly knows which way he’s learning, he hasn’t made the news public.
Kelly will have the opportunity to play professionally somewhere in the world. The question is whether he feels another season at Cal can benefit his long-range ambitions.
His return certainly would be a boost for the Bears, whose 53-39 win over Stanford improved their record of 12-17 overall, 5-13 in the Pac-12. Cal is 3-5 without Kelly.
The Bears will lose two fifth-year seniors, guard Jordan Shepherd, who scored 28 points against Stanford, and forward Grant Anticevich, a native of Sydney, Australia, whose 136 career games is a Cal record.
But a solid core is scheduled to return next season, led by by junior point guard Joel Brown, much-improved center Lars Thiemann, sophomore guard Jalen Celestine and freshman forward Sam Alajiki.
Without question, the Bears would love Kelly to remain with that group for another season.
Cover photo by Cal senior Andre Kelly by Kelley L. Cox, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
