The season had just finished, and Cal men's basketball coach Mike Montgomery wasted no time putting it in perspective by noting the future.

"We've got virtually everyone coming back," he said.

In many ways, Montgomery's words summed up the Bears' 2008-09 campaign as a season on the brink.

In the end, many may remember the year for its finish, particularly the 84-71 loss to Maryland in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

But judged in its totality, Cal's season-complete with a third-place Pac-10 finish and 22 total victories-will likely be viewed as an encouraging success, especially given the Bears' predicted eighth-place conference finish coming into the year.

"I'm actually proud of my team and the way we handled adversity," point guard Jerome Randle said. "(There was) bad stuff that was talked about at the beginning of the season. And I feel like we made big progress. I know we'll be a better team next year."

If they are a better team, it will likely be because of the return of the Bears' perimeter triumvirate of Randle, Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson. The junior trio totaled 46 points a game and combined to shoot 41 percent from behind the arc, all averaging 33 minutes or more a night and starting all 33 games.

Both Randle-the leading passer and third-leading scorer in the conference-and Christopher ended the year with first-team Pac-10 honors, while both eclipsed the 2,000-point career benchmark at home against Washington.

Robertson, meanwhile, proved that his formerly injured hip was in perfect condition, starting every game and cementing himself as one of the nation's top three-point shooters, knocking down treys at a 49.5 percent clip.

Fellow starter Jamal Boykin also made the most of his first full season with the Bears, finishing with 9.6 points per game and 6.4 rebounds, leading the team in that department. Even starting center Jordan Wilkes, playing in his final season for Cal, had his moments, including a 16-point, nine-rebound outburst at USC.

All in all, that lineup combined for 164 starts, giving the Bears a steady dose of chemistry and consistency.

But they weren't alone. The bench-specifically underclassmen Jorge Gutierrez and Harper Kamp, who were summoned constantly by Montgomery-provided a mid-game spark, with Gutierrez's defensive grit and hustle matched by Kamp's savvy and stability.

Every player saw a fair share of ups and downs throughout the year.

There were highs: the rapid 15-2 start to the season, the comeback win over Stanford and the 4-0 start in Pac-10 play, culminating with an 88-85 triple-overtime win at Washington.

And there were lows: losing four out of five conference games at midseason, the season sweep by Oregon State and a pair of first-round tournament losses.

The culprit behind those lows were fairly obvious to Montgomery.

"We got hurt with athletic teams. We got hurt with physical teams," he said. "We've got to change this."

Don't expect anyone to pick the Bears to finish eighth again next year. They'll no longer be the underdogs. With much of the conference either losing top seniors or expected to lose underclassmen to the NBA draft, no Pac-10 team will likely return its top five scorers except for Cal.

But the ability to implement Montgomery's change will be perhaps the most crucial factor as the Bears turn to 2009-10.

"We've got to get tougher-minded," Montgomery said. "Our guys are going to get better. The hard part is working on something that you don't do well because you don't understand it … But that's our job. We can't give into it.

"I don't expect it will change overnight. But ... we will be better next year."

Tags: CAL MEN'S BASKETBALL, JEROME RANDLE, PATRICK CHRISTOPER, MIKE MONTGOMERY