On Saturday at 3:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks, Cal men’s basketball will take on the Utah Runnin’ Utes on Senior Day. Cal comes in at 12-16 overall and 6-9 in the Pac-12 while Utah comes in at 15-13 overall and 6-10 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: On Thursday, Cal upset #21 Colorado by a final score of 76-62 in Berkeley. Cal sophomore guard Matt Bradley had 26 points and 6 rebounds while Colorado junior guard McKinley Wright IV had 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
RECAP: Cal upsets #21 Colorado in Berkeley
NEXT DAY THOUGHTS: Cal upsets 21st Ranked Colorado
On Utah: The Runnin’ Utes are led by sophomore forward Timmy Allen, who is averaging 17.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Allen is having a fantastic season and really has to carry this Utah team on his back as the lone player scoring in double figures on average. The two other players close to double figures scoring are freshman guard Rylan Jones and sophomore guard Both Gach, both who are averaging 9.9 points per game.
As a team, the Utes are averaging 70.6 points per game on 44.8% shooting from the field, 32.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 72.9% shooting from the foul line. They’re averaging a +2.6 rebound margin, 14.2 assists, 5.6 steals, 2.9 blocks, and 13.5 turnovers per game. Their opponents are averaging 69.7 points per game on 43.8% shooting from the field, 35.8% shooting from 3-point range, and 72.6% shooting from the foul line.
The Utes come into Berkeley having lost four of their last five games. They lost at Stanford on Wednesday by a final score of 70-62 and now have to face Cal in Berkeley after they knocked off Colorado. Things are not looking pretty for the Utes at the moment.
Keys to the game: If Cal wants to get the weekend sweep at home, the first thing they need to do is defend Timmy Allen well. If they can contain him and not allow him to go off for 20+ points, Utah will be hard pressed to pull out a win. As an extension of that, Cal needs to do a good job defending the 3-point line. Rylan Jones (38.6%) and Riley Battin (34.4%) will look to get going from deep. If Cal can prevent those guys from getting hot, that will go a long ways towards securing a victory.
Secondly, Cal needs to be aggressive and get to the free throw line. Cal shot 17-22 (77.3%) at the line on Thursday while Colorado shot 6-9. When Cal is the more aggressive team getting to the foul line, good things usually happen. It isn’t just about the free throws. The free throws only tell part of the story. When Cal is getting to the foul line, that indicates they’re being aggressive and are in a good offensive flow. If Cal is successful in this department, odds are good they’ll walk out with a win.
Finally, Cal needs to have good shot selection from beyond the arc. Cal shot 9-20 (45.0%) from 3-point range on Thursday with Matt Bradley shooting 5-7. When Cal is taking good shots from deep and not rushing them, they shoot pretty well. It’s not just Bradley, Anticevich, and South who can knock down threes. Kelly, Brown, and Kuany have also proven they can do so provided they’re getting good looks.
Pac-12 Tournament Picture: At the moment, Cal is 8th in the Pac-12 while Utah is 9th. That means if the Pac-12 Tournament were to start today, they would face off in the 1st round. With 11th seed Oregon State at 5-11, it is possible for both teams to fall to the 11th seed in the Pac-12 Tournament. Conversely, with Stanford in 7th place at 8-7, odds are good that the 8th seed is the highest Cal and Utah can get. So, what’s really at stake is not falling to the 10th or 11th spot, though a 7 seed is possible.
