It's 11:05 a.m. sharp on Thursday morning, and new Cal men's basketball coach Mike Montgomery leans forward in his chair, hands folded on the desk in front of him, ready to get down to business.

He has just finished a five-minute phone interview with another reporter.

He is scheduled for another interview at 11:30 a.m.

There is no time for dawdling. Such is the life of a newly hired coach expected to rejuvenate a Bears program that finished ninth in the Pac-10 this past season.

"It's been very, very busy," says Montgomery, taking a moment to lean back and stretch before focusing on the task at hand. "So what's the jist of the conversation here?"

The conversation surrounding Montgomery since he was hired April 5 has been about whether the decorated coach can conduct a turnaround in his first year at the helm.

Not unlike the one engineered by Cal football coach Jeff Tedford seven years ago, as a matter of fact.

"I do want to talk to Jeff because I think he's done a remarkable job of recruiting here and obviously taking a program and putting it in a premier position," says Montgomery. "I think we would be remiss if we didn't sit down with their staff and say, 'How do you sell, what are you selling, what kind of things are you dealing with and how do you handle the things that have been obstacles for you?'"

At least so far, the transition has been a painless one by all accounts.

The man who is known for his high expectations and no-nonsense attitude has expressed satisfaction with the progress his players have been making.

"The interaction with the team and the players has been really positive, which was one of the reasons I was attracted to the job," says Montgomery. "I thought here was a good core of players. They've been very receptive.

"Of course by rule, we're allowed eight hours a week of contact, two hours of which has been basketball, the rest has been the conditioning phase. They're working hard, they're motivated, they're pretty much on task."

Sophomore guard Patrick Christopher, who talked to former Stanford player and current Atlanta Hawks swingman Josh Childress about Montgomery's system and is excitedly anticipating playing in a versatile offensive scheme, couldn't be happier with the direction he's getting from his new coach.

"He's a teacher. He stops and breaks things down for us," says Christopher. "The whole staff does a great job with us individually. I'm enjoying individual workouts tremendously. I'm being challenged."

Considering Montgomery's history of coaching success at the college level, it may come as no surprise that he is bringing his demanding nature to the team's practices at Haas Pavilion.

But Christopher insists that with the players, the 61-year-old coach has found a way to bring out the best of both worlds.

"I definitely know he's about his business," says Christopher. "But so far he seems like he knows how to get through to us, be personable. When you mix those two, that's a hell of a coach."

Still, Montgomery's no-nonsense attitude is unmistakable.

And, when it comes to how the team can change the mediocre culture and low expectations that have come to characterize the program, Montgomery does not suger-coat his solution.

"If you win, (the fans) will come," says Montgomery. "So that's the simple way to do it."

Tags: MIKE MONTGOMERY