On Saturday at 7:30 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks, Cal men’s basketball will take on the Arizona Wildcats at Haas Pavilion. Cal comes into this game at 5-10 overall and 0-3 in the Pac-12 while Arizona comes in at 12-4 overall and 3-0 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: Cal lost to Arizona State on Thursday night by a final score of 80-66. Cal freshman Matt Bradley had a career-high 19 points while Remy Martin led the way for the Sun Devils with 24 points off the bench on 5-7 shooting from 3-point range to go along with 8 assists.
RECAP: Cal fails to defeat Arizona State after a strong first half
On Arizona: The Wildcats along with UCLA sit atop the Pac-12 standings with a 3-0 record. Winners of their last five games, they come into Berkeley on a roll. Sophomore shooting guard Brandon Randolph leads the way with 16.6 points per game on 43.6% shooting from the field, 33.8% shooting from 3-point range, and 91.0% shooting from the foul line. Freshman point guard Brandon Williams is averaging 11.3 points and 3.8 assists per game, serving as the top floor general. In the post, redshirt junior power forward Chase Jeter is averaging 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
During this five game winning streak, the Wildcats have shown that they can win in a variety of ways. They can pull out an ugly 70-68 win over UC Davis, they can win in overtime as they did against Utah (84-81), and they can win lower scoring game like they did against Colorado (64-56). Their ability to adapt to different circumstances and still pull out a win is a definite strength of theirs.
Keys to the game: While Thursday’s loss to Arizona State was disappointing, Cal can take pride in knowing that they didn’t get blown off the court and that they got off to a strong start, doing a good job of following the scouting report. Cal needs to come with that same type of energy and give themselves a chance to win the game coming out of halftime. If Cal is attacking the rim, moving the ball, and finding open looks for each other on the perimeter from the jump, they’ll get an opportunity to redeem themselves.
One major weakness that Arizona has is their rebounding. While Chase Jeter does a good job on the boards, no one else on this Arizona team is very good in this department, resulting in a +0.1 rebounding differential per game. If Cal can step up their physicality and keep Arizona off the glass, that will mean more stops on defense and more opportunities to take advantage of their offensive capabilities.
Touching more on Cal’s offense, they’re averaging 73.2 points per game on 36.8% shooting from 3-point range and 76.8% shooting from the foul line. While Cal’s defense is their major weakness, they need to continue to play to their strengths as well. If Cal is able to get things going from beyond the arc and get to the foul line, they’ll give themselves an opportunity to win this game, provided they are able to control the glass and do a better job getting stops.
A bonus key to the game is having Paris Austin on the floor. After Thursday night’s loss to Arizona State, Cal head coach Wyking Jones said he’s optimistic that Austin will play against Arizona: “I think he’ll play on Saturday. We’re hopeful that he’ll play on Saturday. We need him to play on Saturday.”
Jones is correct that they need Austin to play on Saturday if they want any chance to win this game. He has really been embracing his role as facilitator as of late, averaging a team-high 5.2 assists per game to go along with a team-high 14.1 points per game. Austin is the one veteran leader this Cal team has and the only guy who is really comfortable in the point guard role. Without him on the floor, Cal will be very hard pressed to pull out a win.
