On Thursday at 7:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks and KGO 810 AM, Cal men’s basketball will welcome the Oregon State Beavers to Haas Pavilion. Cal comes in at 8-17 overall and 3-15 in the Pac-12 while Oregon State comes in at 11-11 overall and 7-9 in the Pac-12.
Mark Fox discusses Oregon games and the return of Anticevich and Foreman
Last time out: On Saturday, Cal fell to Washington in Seattle by a final score of 62-51. Cal junior Andre Kelly had a double-double consisting of 12 points and 12 rebounds.
RECAP: Cal MBB suffers sleepy loss in Seattle
Previous meeting with Oregon State: Cal has faced Oregon State twice earlier this year, both games being in Corvallis. Cal is 0-2 in those games and in their most recent meeting back on January 2nd, Oregon State won 73-64.
RECAP: Cal MBB collapses in Corvallis
On Oregon State: The Beavers have had a bit of a rough season. Obviously not as rough as Cal, but they still haven’t had the type of season that they’ve wanted to have. They’ve lost four of their last five games and in general are heading in the wrong direction. With that said, they are looking at Thursday’s game at Cal as a chance to pick up a win and build some positive momentum before the Pac-12 tournament.
The Beavers are led by senior guard Ethan Thompson, who is averaging 16.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. The 6’5” guard has been converted from shooting guard to point guard this season and for the most part has done a pretty admirable job at running his team’s offense. The number two option on this Beavers team is sophomore guard Jarod Lucas, who is averaging 12.2 points per game.
As a team, the Beavers are averaging 70.3 points per game on 42.0% shooting from the field, 34.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 75.9% shooting from the foul line. The Beavers are also averaging a +0.0 rebound margin, 15.3 assists, 6.1 steals, 3.7 blocks, and 11.4 turnovers per game. Their opponents are averaging 68.2 points per game on 43.0% shooting from the field, 29.3% shooting from 3-point range, and 72.1% shooting from the foul line.
Keys to the game: If Cal wants to win this game, the first thing they have to do is contain Ethan Thompson. He’s the motor that gives this Beavers team the breath of life. If he has an off night, they really struggle. Cal will need to do everything in their power to slow down Thompson and force others around him to beat them.
Secondly, Cal needs to get a big night out of Matt Bradley. Bradley is averaging 18.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 45.0% shooting from the field, 36.8% shooting from 3-point range, and 78.6% shooting from the foul line. In a season that has been a major disappointment for the Bears, Bradley has been the one consistent bright spot that has given them hope to beat anyone on any given night. If Bradley can go off again like he did against Colorado and put up 25+ points, Cal will put themselves in a position to win. If Bradley has a quieter night and scores below his scoring average, it’ll be a rough night for the Bears.
Finally, Cal needs to shoot better at the foul line than they did last time in Corvallis (14-28). Cal is shooting better on the season (68.4%), but it’s still not great. If Cal can shoot north of 70.0% at the foul line and actually get there with some regularity, that will go a long ways towards them securing this victory. If they have another bad night at the charity stripe, the Beavers will be in prime position to win.
Prediction: Oregon State hasn’t been playing well lately and this is the third time Cal will have seen the Beavers this season. The difference this time is Cal will be at home. Personally, I think that gives Cal a slight edge in this game. Cal 72 Oregon State 69 is my prediction.
Note: During Wednesday’s teleconference, Cal head coach Mark Fox mentioned that sophomore guard Joel Brown is day-to-day due to a lower leg injury. It is unclear how much time he’ll get if any.
