Tag: NCAA Basketball

Stanford Savagely Attacked by UCLA in Pac -12 Opener on the Farm, 80-66

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Stanford guard Michael O’Connell (5) shoots next to UCLA forward Mac Etienne (12) during the first half at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Thu Dec 1, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD–The Stanford Cardinal (3-5; 0-1 Pac 12) were ambushed by the visiting and unfriendly #21 University of California at Los Angeles Bruins (.6-2: 1-0 Pac 12), 80-66, to open conference play.

The onslaught began immediately, as UCLA took a 17-0 lead the initial five minutes of the contest. Stanford finally lit the scoreboard at the 14:44 mark of the first half, on a turnaround jumper by sophomore forward Harrison Ingram.

The Bruins continued to lacerate the Cardinal with an advantage as large as 23 points, before ending the half up by 21, 50-29 UCLA.

Stanford displayed Cardinal Pride to begin the second 20 minute block, with a 9-0 start, narrowing the deficit to 12. The Bruins did not scratch a point for nearly four minutes themselves, but righted the ship and momentarily pushed the lead back to a comfortable margin with five minutes left in regulation.

The Cardinal continued to battle back and narrowed it to single digits (8) with less than five minutes in regulation, but the LA brown bears slapped the Bay Area tree back with their paws and won the game by 14, 80-66.

Senior forward Spencer Jones led the way for the Cardinal, with 18 points, hitting three bombs from beyond the arc. Fellow senior and Jones, Michael, chipped in 10 points and 5 assists for the home team.

The Bruins had three players tallying double-figures in scoring: Senior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. topped them with a game-high 27 points, freshman guard Amari Bailey contributed 19 points and 6 rebounds and senior guard Tyger Campbell offered 17 points and 8 assists.

Stanford will travel to Tempe, Arizona to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils, Sunday December 4, while UCLA hosts the Oregon Ducks on the same date in Westwood, California.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal’s effort was there but Trojans pull away for win 66-51; Bears remain winless at 0-8

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Lars Thiemann Cal Bears center (21) gets the finger roll going against the USC Trojans at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Nov 30, 2022 (CalMBBall photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 First half action it was probably the most thrilling the Cal Bears have put out on their home floor for awhile although not catching the intermission lead they cut the USC Trojan’s 12 point lead three times and came away with a five point half time lead 27-20.

#2 Morris, I know you said the Cal offense was just not quick enough during this seven game skid did you see anything in this contest that they have improved on trying to move the offense quicker certainly the Trojans are a challenge in the Bears season opening Pac 12 game.

#3 The Bears Devon Askew was fired up each time he had an opportunity to take the lane and drive he led Cal tonight in scoring.

#4 One thing you saw from Cal was they did not let up on USC in either the first or second half each player seemed like when they got the ball they were battling to get a decent pass or a decent shot off.

#5 Cal has a real challenge for their next game in Arizona against the undefeated Wildcats on Sunday at 2:00pm can they hand the Wildcats their first loss this season at the McKale Center in Tucson?

Join Morris for the Cal Bears podcasts Mondays and following Cal Bears home games at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: His name is Freedom, and he Means it

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Enes Kanter Freedom photographed before he made a trip to play in China for the Boston Celtics (photo from CNN)

His name is Freedom, and he Means it

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Enes Kanter Freedom played in the NBA; he is 6’10” 250 pounds center and played from 2011 to 2022. His conviction cost him his high-paying job. He changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom as he continues to speak against the president of his native Turkey as well as injustices in China.

Enes Kanter Freedom sacrificed his career as a professional basketball player to be a voice for the voiceless. This is one of his quotes: “Whatever happens in life, always stand for the truth. Stand for justice and stand for whatever you believe in, even if it means sacrificing everything you have,”

Freedom, who has spoken out against human rights abuses at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party and has raised awareness surrounding the mistreatment of Uighur, Tibetans, Hongkongers, and Taiwanese, as he received an award as Most Valuable Patriot from the Fox News Network this year,

Professional basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom accused the National Basketball Association (NBA) of hypocrisy over its decision to host a “civic engagement night” the day before Election Day, the mid-term elections here in the US, while remaining silent on the Chinese “dictatorship” that he says the league is “profiting off of.” and: “The NBA’s biggest backer is China — so when they promote Civic Engagement here, do they care to comment about a dictatorship they are profiting off of? The NBA constantly told me ‘we don’t want to get involved in politics’… I guess what they meant to say was ‘we don’t want to “upset China”

Kanter Freedom has been targeted by the Turkish government for his outspoken nature and was dropped from the Houston Rockets this year but the pushback hasn’t stopped him from advocating for those who need it most. In 2021, he took his activism to new heights when he became an American citizen, changing his name to “Freedom”. “The reason I wanted to add “Freedom” behind my jersey was to remind every child in America how blessed they are in the best place in the world,” he said. “I believe America is going to have even better years going forward. That is giving me so much motivation to fight for what’s right. I represent freedom. That’s, like, the best thing that I could do.”

Some athletes get the call for justice causes and lose their jobs, in 2016 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee for black justice and since then never returned to the NFL. Enes Kanter Freedom is an opinionated ex-basketball player who spoke publicly about the NBA involvement in China a country where human rights abuses are well documented worldwide and recently lost his job, but he seems to be happy and at peace.

Enes Kanter Freedom, nickname Enes The Menace, played in the NBA and his basketball skills made him a star in the NBA but his activism has made him more of a hero and well-known all over the world, even in the countries where the NBA is not that big.

The irony is that while Enes Kanter Freedom paid a price for speaking the truth, even the US government and other organizations are on his side. It is well documented that the U.S. government and human rights organizations have accused China of using slave labor, especially in the Xinjiang region. If you want to know more, here is the US State Department site ttps://www.state.gov/forced-la

Freedom to speak your mind is a beautiful thing. We just witnessed the USA 1-0 victory over Iran in the World Cup. The Iranian government threatened their payers for not singing their national anthem. The Iranian government could torture and imprison the families of these soccer players in the Islamic republic which is totally controlled by the government. Those Iranian soccer players are as courageous as any athletes in the world and deserve our respect and admiration.

Like Enes Kanter Freedom for speaking against the NBA and their affiliation with communist China, he can do that because he lives in the US where you can speak your mind. One of the most famous athletes in US history, Muhammad Ali when he refused the draft, to be inducted into the US Armed Forces citing his religion forbade him from serving.

It cost him a lot, like the stripping of his heavyweight title, a suspension from boxing, and a $10,000 fine which in 1967 was enough to buy a home in the US. Not to mention the criticism inside the US Armed Forces serving at that time. I was serving at that time in the US Army and Muhammad Ali was not very popular among the troops. If you believe in free speech, you have to respect these athletes.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts heard each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal Bears basketball podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal hopes to end string of seven loses; Opens Pac 12 conference play against USC Wed night

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Cal Bears center Lars Thiemann (21) battles to get to the basket against the Clemson Tigers center PJ Hall (24) at the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville Fl on Sat Nov 26, 2022 (AP News photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris, the Clemson Tigers (5-2) Chase Hunter and Hunter Tyson each had 14 points that contributed to the Cal Bears (0-7) loss in the Emerald Coast Classic on Saturday night in Niceville.

#2 Clemson had lost the previous night on Friday to Iowa 74-71 that snapped the Tigers three game win streak. The certainly looked like a very prepared basketball team on Saturday night defeating the Bears 67-59.

#3 On defense Cal just had a tough time shutting down Hunter who was 5-10 from the floor with seven assists, Tyson was 4-8 with five rebounds.

#4 The Tigers never were behind in the contest they finished ahead after the first half 31-28, they started the second half with a 15-2 run and were way ahead 46-30 with 14:15 left in the game. The writing was pretty much on the wall for Cal throughout this game.

#5 Cal goes back to the drawing board in hopes to snap their seven game losing streak against the USC Trojans who come in losing four of their last six games but have won two in a row. It’s the first conference game for Cal can they handle the Trojans with home advantage on Wednesday night?

Morris Phillips is a Cal Bears basketball beat writer and does Cal home and away games at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Tames Cal Poly on the Farm 80-43

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Stanford Cardinal picked up win over the Cal Poly Mustangs at Maples Pavilion on Fri Nov 18. 2022 (@StanfordMBB photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Cal.– The Stanford Cardinal (2-2) was able to corral the Cal Poly Mustangs (1-2) inside the friendly confines of Maples Pavilion, 80-43.

Stanford got off to a TREEmendous start with a 19-0 run to start the game. Cal Poly was held scoreless for a little over seven minutes (7:09), and finally got off the goose egg on a corner 3 right in front of Stanford’s bench.

The Cardinal’s defense was really intense the first 30 minutes, forcing 12 turnovers, as well as their prolific offense, posting a lead as high as 30 points, with 10 3-pointers.

Senior guard Michael Jones, who was held scoreless last game in a Cardinal loss to San Diego State, came out like gangbusters in the first half with a midway game-high 12 points. His junior forward teammate Max Murrell also tallied 12 points at intermission. Stanford held a 28-point advantage at the half, 47-19.

Stanford increased the scoring margin immediately in the second stanza and got it as high as 39 late in half number two. When the scoreboard reached :00, the Cardinal won the game by a whopping 37 points, 80-43.

The Cardinal was led in scoring by Michael Jones and Max Murrell with 15 points each, while senior guard Trevon Taylor paced the Mustangs with 12 points.

Stanford will next be in action in Orlando, Florida at ESPN Wide World of Sports tournament against Ole Miss November 24, and next facing either Florida State or Siena the 25th and 27th. Cal Poly will host Mount St. Mary’s Sunday, November 20.

Stanford Ambushed by San Diego State at Maples 74-62

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San Diego State forward Jaedon LeDee, left, knocks the ball away from Stanford forward Maxime Raynaud (42) during the first half at Maples Pavilion Tue Nov 15, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD–The Stanford Cardinal (1-2) were under attack the entire 40 minutes by the visiting #19 San Diego State Aztecs (3-0) and captured Maples Pavilion, 74-62.

“We knew coming in it would be a battle,” said Stanford Head Coach Jerod Haase. “We would have to play our A-Game to be able to get there. I don’t think we played our A-Game, but I also think they deserve a lot of credit for playing really well.”

The Aztecs didint care that the Cardinal was just returning from the Midwest tangling with a team from the Power 5 Big Ten.

Stanford never led in the first half, and trailed by as much as 17 points during the initial 30 minutes of play. 41-30 SDSU.

The Aztecs converted six threes, contributing to their double-digit advantage over the Cardinal.

The home team managed to get their deficit to single-digits (6) a few times in the second stanza, but the Aztecs were on the defensive to be victorious.

San Diego State pushed the lead to 12 points by the sound of the final buzzer. 74-62 SDSU.

The Cardinal was led by senior forward Spencer Jones with 15 points, six rebounds and three blocks, while sophomore teammate Harrison Ingram also chipped in 11 points and four rebounds.

Spencer expressed his feelings on his all around game, “I’ve always felt my defense has been getting better and better every year; this year is no different. I try to lead my team defensively and offensively. I give my best effort on each end. I’ll do whatever I can to make this team win.”

The Aztecs had three players in double figures: Senior forward Jaedon LeDee dropped 14 points and four rebounds; junior guard Lamont Butler committed 11 points and six assists; Oakland native and San Leandro High star, Keshad Johnson put 11 points on the scoreboard.

Stanford will next be in action Friday, November 18, hosting Cal Poly, while San Diego State heads back down south to host Ohio State, Monday, November 21.

Stanford Strikes Out in the Brew City Battle against Wisconsin 60-50

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Wisconsin’s Jahcobi Neath shoots past Stanford’s Spencer Jones during first half action at American Family Park in Milwaukee Friday, Nov. 11, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

MILWAUKEE, Wisc.– The Stanford Cardinal (1-1) lost a basketball game to the Wisconsin Badgers (2-0) 60-50 on a baseball field on a cold night in the Midwest.

“I do think at the end of the day, we’re going to have a fantastic 3-point shooting team and we’ll be a very efficient offensive team,” Stanford coach Jerod Haase said. “Obviously that wasn’t the case tonight. Certainly Wisconsin gets some credit for how they defended us.”

Both teams were in an unusual position, playing basketball on a Major League Baseball (Milwaukee Brewers) park and on an infield.

The Badgers hail from Wisconsin’s state capital, Madison, nearly an hour West of Milwaukee, so the crowd was mostly in their favor. Standard’s locale in the Bay Area of California doesn’t preclude its alumni and fans from traveling thousands of miles to support their alma mater or team.

The first 20 minutes was indeed a battle, although the Badgers did get out to an advantage as large as 13 points late in the half.

The Cardinal shot an abysmal 0-8 from beyond the arc, while the Badgers converted three out 11 attempts. At the midway point, the nocturnal mammal is peeling the bark off of the tree from Palo Alto, and led by 12, 32-20.

The Badgers managed to hang on to the lead, although the Cardinal attempted to chip away their opponents advantage by cutting the lead to as low as five, However, the adjacent home team held on to be ahead by 10 at the final buzzer.

Wisconsin Badgers 60, Stanford Cardinal 50

The Cardinal was led in scoring by junior forward Brandon Angel with 14 points, and senior guard Michael Jones contributed nine points, four rebound and two blocks.

Jones also spoke about the ambiance, “It’s different playing in an arena like this, it feels like a tournament atmosphere.”

The Badgers were topped by senior forward Tyler Wahl’s 17 points and five rebounds, in addition to junior guard Jordan Davis chipping in 13 points.

Stanford will fly back west and host San Diego State at Maples Pavilion Tuesday, November 15, while Wisconsin hosts state rival Green Bay at the Kohl Center on the same date.

Stanford Tames the Tigers of Pacific in Home & Season Opener at Maples 88-78

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Stanford Cardinal and guard Michael Jones get an opening day victory against the Pacific Tigers at Maples Pavilion on Mon Nov 7, 2022 at Stanford University in Palo Alto (@GoStanford photo)

STANFORD, Calf.– The Stanford Cardinal (1-0) did not let the early (11am PST) start time of their season opener prevent them from holding home court against the Pacific Tigers (0-1), and graduate transfer, Michael Jones career-high 31 catapulted them to 88-78 victory.

“We practiced early the last few days.” Coach Jerod Haase on prep for early game time.

Stanford led for nearly the entire first half of the game, and forged ahead by as much as 12 points, including at intermission. The Cardinal also went on a 10-0 run during the first stanza.

Cardinal Michael Jones tallied 13 points with three 3-pointers to boot. Sophomore forward Maxime Raynaud also contributed 13 points, along with 5 rebounds off the bench.

The Tigers were led by Sophomore guard Jordan Ivy-Curry with 10 points and 3 rebounds. He also hit a couple of treys. 44-32 Stanford at the Half.

Stanford came out in the second half and actually extended the double-digit lead to as much as 19 points. However, Pacific clawed their way back to as low as a three point deficit around the seven-minute mark.

Jones continued to get buckets and stave off the pesky cats from Stockton,

After 40 minutes of play on the Farm, the Cardinal caged the Tigers, 88-78

Davidson transfer, Michael Jones debuted in Big Time fashion, by garnering 31 points in front of the Maples faithful. Maxime Raynaud also eclipsed his career high with 22 points.

“My teammates just put me in a good position to score.” Jones on his contribution..

Jordan Ivy-Curry was top scorer for Pacific with 23 points, and his teammate Donovan Williams added 17 points for his squad.

The Cardinal will next be in action on Veterans Day, November 11th, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to take on the Wisconsin Badgers in the Brew City Battle at American Family Park (Brewers).

The Tigers will travel to Fargo, North Dakota to challenge the North Dakota State Bison, November 13th.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal opens regular season against UC Davis tonight in Berkeley

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Cal Bears head coach Mark Fox gives instructions in front of the Cal bench in a contest against the Arizona Wildcats back on Mar 5, 2022. The Bears have now with Fox as head coach have had three straight losing seasons and five straight overall. (AP News file photo)

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 Cal got their first taste of action on Wednesday against Chico State in exhibition play. In watching that pre season game can you get a sense, an idea that some of the players are ready for tonight’s opener?

#2 You have to go back to 2019-20 Cal head coach Mark Fox’s first season was the last time the Bears faced the UC Davis Aggies for a 72-66 on Nov 26, 2019 and here is coach Fox again ready to face the Aggies on opening night.

#3 Cal took a look at some 11 players Wednesday night and rotating 11 players the way coach Fox did gives him that advantage to see what some of these players can do but one game doesn’t really tell the whole story. Is it something that Fox has to conclude with a one game snap shot or through practices as well he can get an idea where he’s going?

#4 Since 1917-18 season the Cal Bears have had meetings with the UC Davis basketball team 33 in all and Cal has won everyone of those games since that time. Of that time Cal had 19 coaches since. In the 21st century Cal has seen the Aggies only three times here in the 21st century.

#5 Morris, it’s opening night it’s a special night for alumni, students, players, coaches, and front office people after the pre game festivities the Cal basketball program is a program that everyone on the Cal Berkeley campus are hoping that can turn around from last year’s season.

Join Morris Phillips for Cal Bears podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal basketball podcast Daniel Dullum: Could be more for Cardinal as they eye the NITs

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The Stanford Cardinal battled hard but fell short to the Arizona Wildcats at the T Mobile Center in Las Vegas on Thu Mar 10, 2022 at the Pac 12 Tournament (photo by Stanford Athletics)

1) Stanford went down battling against powerhouse Arizona 84-80 in the Pac-12 tournament.

2) The Cardinal came out with hot shooting overall, strong 3-point shooting,

3) Spencer Jones had one of his best games of the season, with 28 points.

4) The Cardinal didn’t fold in the second half, battling to the final possession.

5) Does Stanford still have a chance for the postseason?

Daniel does the Stanford Cardinal podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com