College basketball season is back, and the Golden Bears got underway with their first official practice on Friday, Sept. 30. After the first weekend of practices, here are the very-early top five storylines to know around Cal's men's basketball's preseason:

1. Big Bird

Jabari Bird's biggest goal this offseason?
 
"Be in the best possible physical shape I can be in for my senior year," he said.
 
That dedication to his fitness level and strength gains is showing. Bird has spent many extra hours in the weight room and also cleaned up his diet and focused on drinking more water.
 
"You see his body obviously stronger. He is taking hits around the rim, being a very aggressive attacker," said head coach Cuonzo Martin.
 
With his new gains, Bird, who shot nearly 41 percent from downtown last season, is more comfortable shooting deep threes, not to mention shooting when the pressure's on and finishing through traffic.
 
"That is the biggest key with Jabari, being able to fight and finish through traffic, making tough plays. It's a credit to his work ethic in the weight room to do those things. Expect big things from Jabari, because he is a talented basketball player," Martin said.
 
"I don't want any 'What Ifs?' this year," Bird added.
 

2. Changing of the Guards

Most fans already know what Sam Singer can bring to the table starting at the point after he filled in for nine games last season due to Tyrone Wallace's injuries. This season, Martin has an exciting duo in true freshman Charlie Moore and Columbia transfer Grant Mullins among his new crop of Bears to add to the rotation, who each bring a little something special to Cal's lineup.
 
Moore impressed his teammates several times in the first practice with his speed and stealth on the hardwood. Even national hoops guru Jon Rothstein, who caught Cal's first practice, called Moore's ability "electric."
 
Mullins, who averaged 11.7 points in three seasons at Columbia with a 39.4 percent clip beyond the arc, brings both leadership and offensive firepower to the Bears, easily slotting into the 2 role as well as at the point.
 
"They are very talented guys. Don't be surprised to see all those guys on the floor at one point. They can score the ball, make plays, all three can come off ball screens, make shots, and penetrate," he said.
 
Singer is also enjoying the chemistry with his new teammates.
 
"They both bring different things to the table. Charlie is a change-of-pace guy. He's really quick, really fast in transition. He can really shoot," he said. "Grant brings a lot of experience. Obviously, he is known to shoot the ball, but I think he is better off the bounce than people give him credit for. They both bring a lot of things to the table."

3. Welcome to the Rabb Game

 
With more than a month to go before Cal's Nov. 11 season opener, Martin still has plenty of time to finesse his starting five, but one spot that's fairly secure is sophomore Ivan Rabb's. The second-year starter is already being heralded as a National Player of the Year candidate by multiple sources, due in part to his opportunity to see the ball more often. With Brown and Wallace in the lineup, Rabb averaged 12.5 points and set a Cal freshman record for rebounding with 291 boards. In the duo's absence, Martin expects his big to get at least 15-20 shots in per game.
 
"A lot of things will go through Ivan. I want him attacking the rim, getting it in the post. It's really him being assertive every time, and to think 'Score.' Every time he touches the ball, he should think of scoring the ball," Martin said. "He'll see teams come out in a lot of different ways. More than anything, Ivan will be Ivan, but the guys around him need to make adjustments and understand that everything kind of flows through Ivan and Jabari."
 
Though he was projected to be easily drafted in the Top 10 of this year's NBA Draft, Rabb's decision to return to Berkeley hinged partially on his desire to not only play at the next level, but to play well when he got there. A summer dedicated to honing his craft has made him stronger, faster and more ready to shoot from anywhere – including knocking down jumpers and three-point shots.
 
"He is more polished now. I know last year being a freshman, not being physically ready against some of the bigger guys kind of caught him off guard a little bit," Bird said. "This year, he got a lot bigger physically and his game seems more fluid. He knows what he wants to do in the post and we are looking for him to have a big sophomore year."
 

4. Domingo Will Do It All

With the departure of Tyrone Wallace, Jaylen Brown and Jordan Mathews, Stephen Domingo knows he's a key cog in helping the Bears maintain a strong offensive presence. Domingo, who averaged 1.7 points and 10.6 minutes in 30 appearances in his first season with the Bears, is prepared to make a greater and more consistent contribution across the board in order for the Bears to find success at every level.
 
"My role is to knock down shots. When we throw the ball to Ivan – and [opponents] probably will double him a lot – I have to make a high percentage of my threes," he said. "I have to lock it down on the defensive end. I need to be a threat on the wing if we go small. I just need to be considering Jabari, helping out Sam, helping out [Ivan], and be a good defensive threat, and three-ball threat."
 

5. Last Year Lit A Fire

Despite the success of an 18-0 record at home, a third-place finish in the Pac-12 and the program's highest NCAA Tournament seed in school history, last season ended on a sour note with a first-round loss to Hawai'i. Instead of leaving Cal bitter, it left the Bears hungry for more success. How Cal satiates that hunger remains to be seen, but with a strong core of returning veterans, the squad is determined to come back stronger and with some key lessons in mind.
 
"Looking back, it was unlucky, but now it's time to move forward. After a couple of weeks, we started looking toward this year," Singer said. "Last year, there were a few games where we were up late against really good teams. To have that experience, and the success of going undefeated at home, is just going to go into this year and help us be more experienced."
 
"Hopefully, we won't have those lapses at the end of games like we did last year and that will propel us into another tournament experience," he added.