Category: Cal Bears

California Golden Bears guard Jabari Bird (23) who scored seven three pointers against the Stanford Cardinal on Friday night in this AP file photo drives to the basket defended by Arizona Wildcats center Dusan Ristic (14) during the college basketball game between the Cal Golden Bears and the Arizona Wildcats on February 11, 2017 at Mckale Center in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

The Cal Bear’s last game at Stanford Friday was not a game they wanted to lose, not a game that they should have lost, and you throw in the disparity with the foul calling, the free throwing its really disappointing. The Bears really need wins right now and that’s one that they really didn’t get. Whatever they didn’t get done on Friday night they obviously didn’t get done going forward. They’ve got to play better though but the opportunity is still there for them to do what they have to do.

Their early attack in games have been a problem for a lot of games and this one shot right out to a 19-7 lead for Cal and Jabari Bird came out hitting some shots he had a 12 lead almost immediately and from that point things went sour. The referees got involved, the shots stopped falling and Stanford kicked in and their at home and the Cardinal were grasping for any measure of momentum they can grab.

Morris Phillips does the Cal Bears podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

calbears.com photo: Cal Bears Jabari Bird who scored seven three pointers was all for not in Cal’s loss at Maple Pavilion to the Stanford Cardinal on Friday night

By Morris Phillips

With the rain and traffic subsiding on a quieter than normal Friday night, the ride back to Berkeley was likely far quicker than the trip to Stanford for the Cal Bears.

That was the good news: the Bears needed to find a familiar drawing board in the worse way, as well as get out of Maples Pavilion as quickly as possible.

With their NCAA prospects as tenuous as any of the 351 teams across the Division I landscape, the Cal Bears couldn’t have found a less advantageous time for a clunker on a national TV, with all 20 turnovers there for all to see.

Those tuned in also saw the curious foul disparity, the healthy, early lead and how quickly it dissipated, as well as the team’s overall lack of energy.  Not exactly what you would want the NCAA tournament committee to see three weeks before they determine your postseason fate.

“It concerns me because we lost the game, and we had 20 turnovers and we didn’t play well,” coach Cuonzo Martin said. “You can’t have 20 turnovers, especially against a team that’s not pressing you.”

Twelve of those 20 hiccups came in the first half when the Bears came out on fire, then inexplicably doused themselves with flame retardant. After building a quick 19-7 lead, the Bears retreated, and found themselves trailing at halftime, 38-34.

As an unintended insult, the Cardinal took credit for taking over the game when it was obvious to Martin and the vast majority of the television audience that the Bears poisioned themselves, likely by ingesting silly medicine during an early, media timeout.

“Once we started getting stops we were able to get out in transition and our offense came from there,” said Stanford’s Dorian Pickens, who led all scorers with 25 points. “Our defense was phenomenal in the second half, especially late.”

“I really believe the turnovers and steals are a byproduct of great energy,” Stanford coach Jerod Haase said.

Despite Haase and Pickens beliefs, the Bears threw balls away, fumbled others, even slipped and fell a couple of times.   When those miscues turned into points for Stanford, Cal’s early advantage disappeared.  Then when Ivan Rabb picked up his second foul with 8:57 remaining before halftime, Martin sat his star.  At that point, the Cardinal took off, making eight consecutive shots at one point in a 23-12 run.

The Cardinal would go on to enjoy a huge disparity at the foul line, with 40 free throw attempts to Cal’s 10.  Cal held small advantages on the glass and in field goal percentage, but that was nothing when measured against Stanford’s parade to the foul stripe.

The Bears (18-8, 9-5) have four scheduled games left starting with No. 7 Oregon up first at Haas Pavilion on Thursday.  Winning three of those four along with a win in the Pac-12 quarterfinals would assuredly get Cal an NCAA bid, but just beating the highly-ranked Ducks might also accomplish the trick.  What Cal can’t afford is to accomplish neither, losing to the Ducks as well as one other opponent.  That would drop them into uncertain waters with other bubble teams like Indiana, Wake Forest, and Minnesota.

Stanford guard Dorian Pickens, right, celebrates with Grant Verhoeven (30) after scoring a 3-point shot against California during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, in Stanford, Calif. Stanford won 73-68. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

By Jeremy Harness

STANFORD – After Dorian Pickens nailed a 3-pointer at the 7:45 mark of the second half that gave Stanford a commanding lead over rival Cal, Stanford coach Jerod Haase was so fired up that he did a jump-bump with Pickens as well as guard Robert Cartwright.

That could be a sign of better days on the horizon for the Cardinal basketball team, which has fallen on hard times since their surprising run in the NCAA Tournament in 2014, as it pulled off a surprising 73-68 win over the Golden Bears Friday night at Maples Pavilion.

Stanford continually attacked the basket on offense, which led to a huge disparity in foul shots that went to its advantage. Stanford was 29-for-40 from the line, while Cal only took 10 foul shots and made three of those. This strategy also got Cal’s big men into foul trouble, which would prove to be crucial down the stretch.

Pickens led the way for the Cardinal with 23 points, including 14 in the second half, as well as connecting on 10 of his 11 free throws while leading the Cardinal’s continuous charge to the basket.

The Cardinal (13-13, 5-0 Pac-12) also showed very active hands on defense, and combined with the sloppiness that the Golden Bears handled the ball Friday night, gave another key advantage – the turnover battle – to Stanford. While committing only 11 turnovers in the game, Stanford forced Cal into 20 of them.

In the early going, however, it appeared that Cal (18-8, 9-5 Pac-12) would roll, just as was the case in its victory over Stanford on Jan. 29. The Golden Bears jumped out to a 19-7 lead in the first nine minutes of the game, as Stanford had no answers for Cal’s length and athleticism.

The Golden Bears held a clear advantage in 3-point shooting, and Jabari Bird was at the center of that, particularly in the first half. He led Cal with 23 points on Friday and made five of his six 3-point shots in the opening 20 minutes. 

However, Stanford cut the lead to one with six minutes left in the half, when Dorian Pickens nailed a 3-pointer and then tied the game at the 4:45 mark on a turnaround baby hook by Reid Travis, who finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.

Marcus Allen’s fast-break dunk gave Stanford a 30-28 lead, and they went into the locker room with a 38-34 advantage, using a sizable edge in free-throw shooting and turnovers to get there.

The Golden Bears, however, made strides to change that to start the second half, as Ivan Rabb earned himself a spot at the free-throw line on Cal’s first possession. Cal eventually re-took the lead at the 16:44 mark, when Rabb converted an and-one. However, that was the last time Cal saw the lead.

Stanford continued to attack, however, and went on a 13-0 run to get out to a 10-point lead at the 11:33 mark. At that point, both teams had made the same amount of field goals, and Cal had a decided advantage in 3-point shooting, as they had made seven of their 16 field goals.

Another development was occurring, as center Kameron Rooks quickly got into foul trouble and picked up his fourth with 12:39 left, forcing him to go to the bench. He re-entered the game at the 10:37 mark, but he fouled out a mere 30 seconds later. Kingsley Okoroh also spent much of the second half in foul trouble, and he eventually fouled out with a little more than a minute remaining.

With Cal’s bigs saddled by fouls, that gave Stanford even more freedom to go to the basket, which it took advantage of throughout the game.

In an attempt to climb back into the game, Cal went to a full-court press, which Stanford broke with relative ease. The Bears did cut the lead to six at one point, but they continued to be sloppy with a basketball, and Stanford made them pay by extending its lead again and never let Cal get a foothold.

FEBRUARY 09 AP file photo: UCLA forward TJ Leaf (22), ESPN announcer Bill Walton and UCLA guard Lonzo Ball (2) pose for a photo before an college basketball game between the Oregon Ducks and the UCLA Bruins on February 9, 2017, at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

You kind of have to wonder what would have happened if the Cal Bears were healthy with all their players on the floor against the Arizona Wildcats there was so much foul trouble in that game on Saturday at McHale Center in Tucson. As my dear friend going on 50 plus years NCAA analyst Bill Walton said, “Terrible officiating terrible.” With Cal and Arizona these were the two best defensive teams in the conference and it looked like it there were an awful lot of free throws. There were some hard fouls there were some questionable fouls and I would tend to agree with Mr.Walton they should have just let him play.

If you idea of having a good time spending two and half hours listening to 60 different whistles and watching the game get chopped up in tiny little pieces then you must have had a ball watching that one. What this game came down to is Arizona has more talent they have a deeper roster when your Cal and your in the first half your looking at guys like Don Coleman and Steven Domingo to come out and pick up a scoring and rebounding slot vs. an Ivan Rabb that’s a pretty steep fall off.

Michael Duca does the Cal Bears basketball podcasts for http://www.sportsradioservice.com each week

 

 

California guard Charlie Moore (13) drives past teammate Kameron Rooks (44) and Arizona center Dusan Ristic during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

What a great environment at McHale Center at Arizona University last Saturday and the Cal Bears head coach Cuonzo Martin was firing up his team to beat one of the toughest teams in the NCAA the Arizona Wildcats. Martin was working the sidelines like he was in the game and not coaching the game. Neither team shot well but they both competed hard as Cal lost a tough game to Arizona 62-57 last Saturday. Cal’s issue of offense continues to be a sticking point for them they struggled to score.

Obviously without Charlie Moore Cal really missed him on offense for the second half of the game with a leg injury it made things that much tougher. The Bears got into foul trouble late in the game. They wouldn’t have Moore to help them, Jabari Bird took a bunch of tough shots. Obviously the Bears were able to stay in the game but defense for Cal is a real issue.

 

California guard Grant Mullins (3) points to a teammate after hitting a 3-pointer against Arizona State during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017, in Tempe, Ariz. California defeated Arizona State 68-43. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Wednesday, February 8, 2017

TEMPE, Ariz. – California had basic defensive game plan going into its Pac-12 men’s basketball game against Arizona State – play zone and stay with it.

That strategy, combined with a struggling Sun Devils offense, allowed the Golden Bears to prevail 68-43 before an announced late Wednesday night crowd of 5,107 at Wells Fargo Arena.

It was an impressive win for the Golden Bears, who have won five consecutive conference games, and eight of their last nine. ASU hasn’t won consecutive games since beating Central Arkansas and Stanford at the end of December. Since then, the Sun Devils have lost eight of their last 11 games, including a Jan. 1 81-65 defeat at Cal.

Switching from a 1-2-2 to a 3-2 zone with few exceptions, Cal (18-6 overall, 9-3 Pac-12) held the Devils to 24 percent shooting (7 of 29) in the first half and 25 percent (15 of 59) for the game.

“From start to finish against a quality opponent, that’s as good as we’ve played defense all season,” Golden Bears Coach Cuonzo Martin said. “To beat a Pac-12 team on their home floor the way we defended is very impressive.

“We might have played two possessions of man. We just felt that coming into a game like this, it would be a tough night for us if have to defend those guys man-to-man. We felt that playing a zone gave us the best chance to win this game.”

“Their zone bothered us a lot,” ASU Coach Bobby Hurley said. “We struggled on offense. We thought our defense was solid in the first half. It was just one of those nights, where if we’re shooting like that we’re going to struggle offensively.”

They had us bottled up pretty good, guys were struggling with not making shots,” Hurley continued. “We’ve done pretty well against teams that zoned us earlier this year and I thought we would do well against them.

“We had a lot of hope we could turn it around, but things just didn’t go our way.”

The rim at both ends seemed to have a lid on it for everyone except Grant Mullins, who 6 of 9 from behind the arc, and another 6 of 9 2-pointers for a game-high 18 points. Ivan Rabb scored 14 points, followed by Charlie Moore with 11.

Arizona State (11-14 overall, 4-8 Pac-12) finished the first half with a 6-minute scoring drought that continued into the second half. Mullins opened the second half with one of his six 3-pointers, opening up a 31-17 Cal lead.

A Mullin 3-pointer capped a 14-8 run that put the Bears up 46-26 while Arizona State continued to struggle offensively.

“The ball has to touch Ivan’s hands,” Martin said. “We knew they were doubling up on him, freeing up Charlie and Grant.”

Jabari Bird’s field goal with 3:45 left gave the Bears their first 25-point lead at 64-39. Cal’s biggest lead came when Sam Singer’s put-back with 1:45 remaining gave the Bears a 68-41 advantage.

Rabb grabbed 11 boards, as the Bears outrebounded ASU 48-29. Cal finished with 47 percent shooting (26 of 55), including 8 of 23 on 3-pointers.

Obinna Oleka pulled down 14 rebounds and led the Sun Devils with 14 points.

California’s next road stop is Saturday in Tucson, when the Golden Bears visit McKale Center to face Arizona. The Wildcats are ranked No. 9 by AP, No. 10 by the coaches.

TAGS: University of California,Golden Bears,men’s basketball,Ivan Rabb,Grant Mullins,Arizona State

California’s Charlie Moore, left, shoots against Colorado’s Tory Miller (14) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Cal Bears freshman Charlie Moore has lots of skill had scoring success in his last game against the Colorado Buffaloes in his last game on Sunday at Cal. When your 20 plus games in in your freshman year your really not a freshman anymore. He came in with some raw talent but the college coaching and the college game are starting to show. If you take a look at Moore’s first 17-18 games of the season he was averaging about 1.1 assist per game ratio. In the last two or three games that’s gone up to 2.5 turnover assist ratio.

He’s also had a little bit more success at attacking the basket and creating a good touch on his shot. Moore’s game has got to motivate Ivan Rabb a little bit. Cal faces Arizona State who Cal starts the road trip with on Wednesday night and then they face Arizona on Saturday night and it really doesn’t matter what you do against Arizona this is a team that will end up doing some damage in March Madness.

Michael Duca is a Cal Bears beat writer for bearinsider.com and does the Cal Bears basketball podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

California’s Grant Mullins keeps the ball from Utah’s Sedrick Barefield, right, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

The Cal Bears played at home on their second consecutive Sunday including Super Bowl Sunday where they had a relatively small crowd and also the week before that against the Stanford Cardinal. The Cardinal game drew well in attendance around 10,000 but obviously the opponent has everything to do with that. Also the Colorado Buffaloes came in and they had lost their first seven games in the Pac 12 Conference games their just not a competitor as far as who’s going to come out of the Pac 12.

There is no doubt that everyone involved in the Pac 12 would like to see some normalcy to the schedule and not having to look every week to find out what time the game starts. They had Utah on Thursday at 8:00 PM, The next home game is against Oregon two weeks from now will be a 6:00PM on a Thursday. There’s issues to when these games are televised and who can get there to see it live.

Morris Phillips does the Cal Bears podcasts each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com