On Tuesday at 7:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks, Cal men’s basketball will welcome their UC brethren from UC Davis to Haas Pavilion. Cal comes into this game at 4-2 overall while UC Davis comes in at 2-5.
Last time out: On Friday, Cal lost to #22 Texas at Madison Square Garden in the 2K Empire Classic. Texas junior point guard Matt Coleman III led the way for the Longhorns with 14 points and 6 assists while Cal sophomore shooting guard Matt Bradley finished with 22 points and 6 rebounds.
RECAP: Cal gets swept at Madison Square Garden after losing to #22 Texas
On UC Davis: Senior center Matt Neufeld (14.3 points & 4.6 rebounds), senior guard Joe Mooney (13.6 points), and freshman guard Ezra Manjon (12.0 points & 4.1 assists) lead the way for this Aggies team. What the Aggies have going for them is veteran leadership and a nice blend of talent on the perimeter and in the post. They can beat you both inside and out.
As a team, the Aggies average 69.4 points and 32.1 rebounds per game on 45.8% shooting from the field, 33.3% shooting from 3-point range, and 75.7% shooting from the foul line. Their opponents average 73 points and 34.7 rebounds on 43.9% shooting from the field and 32.9% shooting from 3-point range. Averaging 15.1 assists and 15.7 turnovers per game, the Aggies don’t do a great job at taking care of the ball, which accounts for a lot of their losses, I’m sure.
Keys to the game: The first thing Cal needs to do is take advantage of the Aggies’ sloppy play. Guys like Matt Bradley, Joel Brown, and Paris Austin know how to push the ball in transition and feed off opponents’ turnovers. If UC Davis is turning the ball over and Cal is making the most of those opportunities, it should be a long evening for the Aggies.
Secondly, Cal needs to dominate the boards. What kept Prairie View A&M in the game last week was Cal’s poor rebounding efforts. UC Davis comes in with a -2.6 rebounding differential, getting beat on the glass every night. If Cal can have a bounce back game on the boards, get more second chance points, and hold UC Davis to a lot of one shot possessions, they should win this game going away.
Lastly, Cal needs to move the ball. Cal’s offense has been stagnant this year, averaging around 11 assists per game. Those are really low assist numbers. Especially for a team that in essence has two starting point guards in Joel Brown and Paris Austin. Cal has to improve their ball movement and get everyone going. Grant Anticevich in particular. If ball movement is stagnant and there’s too much isolation, Cal could play themselves into another close game against mediocre competition.
