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    • Versatility Is Cal Guard DJ Campbell’s Calling Card
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    Versatility Is Cal Guard DJ Campbell’s Calling Card

    Harry Posted on

    In a Cal practice full of unfamiliar faces, it’s easy to spot DJ Campbell. He’s the one wearing Ja Morant Mismatch sneakers, one orange and the other light green.

    Will he wear his eye-catching, contrasting sneakers for the Bears’ season opener against Cal State Bakersfield on Monday?

    “Maybe,” he said. “I love changing it up.”

    Campbell likes to offer a range of looks that suit his persona as a basketball player who can take on many different roles.

    Coach Mark Madsen said Campbell, who is 1.80 tall, can play point guard, defender and small forward.

    And get this, “If we go small,” Madsen said, “he can protect the quad because of his strength.”

    Wait a minute, a guy who probably got a little taller to claim he’s 6-foot-4 is going to guard a 6-foot-1, 230-pound opposing power forward?

    “Yes, it’s possible,” Campbell said.

    Campbell is not a player defined by one position; he’s just a basketball player. Most of the players on this brand new Cal roster are basketball players without a specific position. Campbell shot 52.9 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from 3-point range last season, but Madsen says he can also play on the block.

    Campbell described his role as follows:

    “Being a scorer on offense, being a facilitator and leader on offense and defense,” he said.

    At this point, it’s difficult to determine what Cal’s starting lineup will look like on Monday. Grand Canyon transfer and Oakland native Jovan Blacksher Jr. is expected to be the starting point guard and Stanford transfer Andrej Stojakovic will likely be the lone winger, while Michigan State transfer Mady Sissoko is also expected to be the Bears’ big man in the middle.

    The final two starting spots are expected to come from the trio of Air Force transfer Rytis Petraitis, North Dakota transfer BJ Omot and Minnesota transfer Joshua Ola-Joseph. However, Madsen said the starting lineup could change depending on the opponent as he can mix and match based on the needs of the game and performances at the beginning of the season.

    Madsen said the depth of this season’s Cal roster is the biggest difference from the 2023-24 group, which was 13-19 overall and 9-11 in the Pac-12, noting that he can play with a maximum of 11 players in a given game. Six players see most of the playing time.

    These six players left and were replaced by other transfers.

    Campbell may not be the opening starter, but he will get significant playing time. And Madsen says he contributes to the team just by his presence.

    “DJ Campbell is the ultimate competitor,” Madsen said. “He raises the energy every time he walks into the gym.”

    Campbell comes to Cal after spending the past two seasons at Western Carolina, located in tiny Cullowhee, North Carolina (population 6,700) in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s a little different from Berkeley.

    So how did a guy from Hampton, Virginia, who attended a college in western North Carolina, end up in Berkeley?

    “I felt like this was the best opportunity for me,” he said.

    Follow Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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    Harry
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