On Sunday, Cal men’s basketball (6-6) and Cal women’s basketball (7-3) will host a doubleheader at Haas Pavilion to close the non-conference portions of their seasons. Cal men’s basketball will first take on Harvard (8-4) at 3:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks and KGO 810 AM, followed by Cal women’s basketball against Grand Canyon (5-5) at 7:00 PM PST on Cal Live Stream. I will first address the men’s game and then the women’s game.
On Harvard: The Crimson are led by senior guard Bryce Aiken, who is averaging 16.7 points and 1.3 steals per game on 41.2% shooting from the field, 36.1% shooting from 3-point range, and 87.2% shooting from the foul line. Sophomore guard Noah Kirkwood (11.4 points & 1.5 steals) and senior forward Chris Lewis (10.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks) are also scoring in double figures, giving Aiken quality support. All three were rated as 4-star recruits by Rivals.
As a team, the Crimson average 73.4 points per game on 45.3% shooting from the field, 31.3% shooting from 3-point range, and 73.9% shooting from the foul line. They pull in 37.8 rebounds per game to go along with 12.0 assists, 7.7 steals, 5.3 blocks, and 14.5 turnovers.
The Crimson come into this game having won three games in a row over Massachusetts, George Washington, and Howard. They have notched a win over a high major in Texas A&M and lost to Maryland 80-73 on November 29th on a neutral floor, back when Maryland was ranked #5 in the country.
Keys to the game: First, Cal needs to get Matt Bradley more help. The sophomore guard is doing his part to make the Golden Bears competitive, averaging 17.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game on 46.8% shooting from the field, 40.4% shooting from 3-point range, and 89.4% shooting from the foul line. Grad transfer guard Kareem South (11.3 points), sophomore forward Andre Kelly (8.8 points & 4.9 rebounds), and junior forward Grant Anticevich (8.0 points & 5.7 rebounds) have all had their moments, but none of them have proven to be a reliable number two option on this team. If Cal is to win against Harvard and find success come Pac-12 play, they’re going to need to give Bradley the help he deserves.
Secondly, Cal needs to win the turnover battle. Cal comes into this game averaging 13.6 turnovers per game while Harvard comes in averaging 14.5 turnovers per game. Both teams are pretty sloppy with the ball and should give each other plenty of free possessions. If Cal can be the team that turns the ball over less and takes better care of the ball, they should come out victorious.
Finally, Cal needs to do a better job on the boards. Cal is averaging 32.5 rebounds per game, which is not very good. Harvard in contrast is averaging 37.8 rebounds per game. If Cal wants to win this game, they have to do a better job of boxing out and keeping their man off the boards. If Harvard wins the rebounding battle, they’ll win this game. Period.
On Grand Canyon: The Antelopes are led by senior forward Da’Jah Daniel (12.6 points & 9.5 rebounds) and freshman point guard Jada Holland (11.5 points & 5.7 assists). Together, Daniel and Holland give Grand Canyon a solid one-two punch.
As a team, Grand Canyon averages 62.9 points per game on 43.1% shooting from the field, 37.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 60.3% shooting from the foul line. They average a -3.1 rebounding margin per game along with 16.0 assists, 6.9 steals, 4.5 blocks, and 17.1 turnovers. Their opponents average 63.9 points per game on 39.2% shooting from the field, 33.5% shooting from 3-point range, and 74.3% shooting from the foul line.
The Antelopes come in at 5-5 overall having won their last three games over UNLV, UC Santa Barbara, and Whittier (Division III). Cal will be the first and only high major team they face all season.
Keys to the game: If Cal wants to win this game, the first thing they need to do is keep Daniel off the glass. If she has a big night inside and gets rolling, the Antelopes just might pull off the upset. As an extension of that, rebounding has been a strength of this Cal team. They need to take advantage and really put the wood to the Antelopes on the glass.
Another key for Cal is to get everyone involved. Cal has more weapons than Grand Canyon and has the luxury of not having to overly rely on one player. If Jaelyn Brown, Evelien Lutje Schipholt, Alaysia Styles, Sara Anastasieska, and others are all contributing, Cal’s depth should get them across the finish line with little trouble.
Finally, Cal needs to get off to a good start. Cal is the better team and needs to play like it from the opening tip. If they let Grand Canyon hang around early on, Grand Canyon will develop confidence that they just might win. If Cal dominates early on and sets the tone, Grand Canyon will have a lot tougher time mustering up the belief to win.
