On Thursday at 6:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks, Cal men’s basketball will take on the Colorado Buffaloes at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley. Cal comes in at 11-16 overall and 5-9 in the Pac-12 while Colorado comes in at 21-7 overall and 10-5 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: On Saturday, Cal went “shootless in Seattle” to borrow a phrase from one of our subscribers mike79. Washington dominated Cal 87-52 as Matt Bradley was the lone Golden Bear in double figures with 14 points.
RECAP: Cal’s offense goes sleepy in Seattle
On Colorado: The Buffs are led by junior guard McKinley Wright IV (13.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, & 5.2 assists) and junior forward Tyler Bey (13.5 points & 9.2 rebounds). Both Wright and Bey are doing a fantastic job of pacing this Colorado team. They’re a major reason why the Buffs are one of the top teams in the Pac-12. The Buffs have some depth with junior forward D’Shawn Schwartz (10.6 points), sophomore forward Evan Battey (9.0 points), senior forward Lucas Siewert (8.1 points), and senior guard Shane Gatling (7.0 points) all hovering around double figures in scoring. So, it isn’t all on Wright and Bey to deliver the goods.
As a team, the Buffs average 71.5 points per game on 44.1% shooting from the field, 37.2% shooting from 3-point range, and 73.7% shooting from the foul line. They average a +6.0 rebound margin, 13.7 assists, 5.8 steals, 3.1 blocks, and 13.4 turnovers per game. Their opponents are averaging 62.6 points per game on 40.7% shooting from the field, 33.6% shooting from 3-point range, and 70.3% shooting from the foul line.
While they’ve had a really good season, the Buffs have proven to be vulnerable at times this year. They squeaked by Cal 71-65 in Boulder, lost at home to Oregon State, and lost twice to UCLA. Cal should definitely feel like they can win this game.
By the Numbers: Cal MBB vs. Colorado
Keys to the game: If Cal wants to win this game, the first thing they need to do is contain Tyler Bey and McKinley Wright IV. In Boulder, Bey had a huge game against Cal with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Wright had 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Cal needs to do a much better job of keeping Bey off the glass and not allowing Wright to create with ease on offense. If Cal is able to execute Mark Fox’s game plan when it comes to containing them, they should be fine.
Secondly, Cal needs to do better with their free throws. In Boulder, Cal shot an abysmal 8-17 (47.1%) at the foul line. Had Cal shot 14-17 at the line, they may have pulled off the upset. The one thing Cal did well on Saturday against Washington was knock down their free throws (28-36). If Cal can bring that same level of foul shooting back to Haas, they should walk out with a win.
Finally, Cal needs to move the ball. In Boulder, Cal had 9 assists and 11 turnovers. Not the worst assist-to-turnover ratio they’ve had in a game (6 assists and 17 turnovers at Washington), but still not very good. This has been an issue for Cal all season long. If Cal can find a way to move the ball well, get open looks for each other, knock them down, and not turn the ball over, that will go a long ways to securing a victory.
Pac-12 Tournament Picture: As we are entering the final stretch of the season, I want to provide an update on where Cal and their opponents sit with the Pac-12 tournament just around the corner. At the moment, Colorado is in a 3-way tie for second place in the Pac-12 with Oregon and UCLA. Arizona State is a half-game up for first place with a 10-4 league record. So, this game has huge implications for Colorado, who is vying for a league title and a top four seed in the Pac-12 tournament.
As for Cal, they’re in 9th place at the moment with a chance to leapfrog ahead of Utah for 8th place pending on how Utah does at Stanford. Cal could get as high as a 6th or 7th seed in the Pac-12 tournament while also possibly getting as low as the 12th seed. There’s a lot on the line for Cal when it comes to seeding.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim to get Pete Newell Award: During halftime of the game, Cal basketball alumni Shareef Abdur-Rahim will receive the Pete Newell Career Achievement Award as is customary with every Pete Newell Game. Read more about that on CalBears.com.
