Cal MBB welcomes Washington State to Haas Pavilion
On Thursday at 7:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks and KGO 810 AM, Cal men’s basketball will welcome Washington State to Haas Pavilion. Cal comes in at 5-6 overall and 0-4 in the Pac-12 while Washington State comes in at 8-1 overall and 1-1 in the Pac-12.
MBB Notebook: Bradley Injury and Washington Week
Last time out: On Saturday, Cal lost to Oregon State by a final score of 73-64. The big news of the day was Cal junior Matt Bradley going down with an ankle injury that is expected to keep him out for a significant time.
RECAP: Cal MBB collapses in Corvallis
On Washington State: The Cougars are led by senior guard Isaac Bonton, who is averaging 17.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Noah Williams (13.3 points & 4.3 rebounds) and freshman center Efe Abogidi (10.4 points & 9.0 rebounds) are also scoring in double figures. Together, the three of them have the Cougars playing terrific basketball, not suffering their first loss of the season until their most recent double overtime loss at home to a very formidable Arizona team.
As a team, the Cougars average 70.2 points per game on 40.2% shooting from the field, 31.1% shooting from 3-point range, and 66.1% shooting from the foul line. The Cougars also average a +4.7 rebound margin, 11.6 assists, 6.4 steals, 4.3 blocks, and 14.4 turnovers per game. Their opponents average 60.8 points per game on 34.2% shooting from the field, 26.4% shooting from 3-point range, and 71.7% shooting from the foul line.
The only real knock on this Washington State team is they are yet to play a game away from Pullman, so they haven’t been tested in terms of having to play away from home. Also, their schedule has been relatively light so far, with their other Pac-12 game being a close win over Oregon State. While their 8-1 record is impressive, it should be noted that those games all were played at home, mostly against fairly weak opponents.
Keys to the game: With Matt Bradley (ankle) out and Grant Anticevich (appendix) expected to remain out, this Cal team has their work cut out for them. At the same time, they’ve shown an ability to play well undermanned. Cal head coach Mark Fox knows how to get his guys to stick together, so it would be foolish to rule out the possibility of a Cal victory.
The first thing Cal needs to do to win this game is contain Isaac Bonton. He’s the engine that makes this Cougar team go. If he has a big night and scores 20+ points, the Cougars will be in the driver’s seat to win this game. If he has a more modest outing and gets held to 15 points or fewer, Cal will have an opportunity.
Secondly, Cal needs to get more out of grad transfer Ryan Betley. After scoring 19 points against Cal-State Northridge and 17 points against Seattle, Betley had a very quiet road trip against the Oregon schools, scoring just 5 points in Eugene and 8 points in Corvallis.
With Bradley out, Cal is going to need someone else to pick up the slack in terms of backcourt scoring and that someone needs to be Betley. If Betley can score 13+ points in this game and get into a nice flow, I like Cal’s chances to win. If Betley is scoring in the single digits, it’s going to be hard for the Bears to win.
Finally, Cal needs to make their free throws. Foul shots did Cal in against Oregon State, where they shot 14-28 (50.0%). If Cal can get to the line with the same level of regularity, but make their shots at a 70+% clip, they should win this game. If it’s another rough night at the charity stripe, look for Washington State to slip out with the win.
Prediction: On the surface, it’s easy to pick Washington State to win this game. They’re 8-1 and Cal is undermanned without Matt Bradley and likely Grant Anticevich. On top of that, they played Arizona tough and are a team that is on the cusp of being ranked in the AP Top 25.
That said, Washington State hasn’t played away from Pullman all season as was previously mentioned. Plus, a lot of those wins weren’t that impressive: 56-52 over Texas Southern, 71-68 over Eastern Washington, 61-58 over Idaho, and 59-55 over Oregon State.
Cal knows they can play better and have been seen to bounce back at home many times. I have Cal picking up their first win of conference play over Wazzu by a final score of 67-65. Ryan Betley with the game winner instead of Makale Foreman.