Hey guys, here is the game hub for tonight's Cal men's basketball game at #5 Virginia. Tipoff for this game is 6:00 PM PST on ESPN 2. What I will do is fire up this thread with five things to look for and know going into this game.
#1. Virginia is a really good perimeter defensive team: Teams are shooting 32.3% from beyond the arc against Virginia this season, which is largely due to Virginia's stellar defense on the perimeter. If Cal is going to take a lot of threes in this game, that could spell doom for them unless Jordan Mathews and Jabari Bird go bananas.
#2. Cal must slow down Malcolm Brogdon: Virginia senior guard Malcolm Brogdon is averaging 17.2 points per game on 46.8% shooting from the field, 40.0% shooting from three-point range, and 85.0% shooting from the foul line. Brogdon knows how to score the basketball and Cal must do whatever they can to make it tough on him to score. Keeping him away from the foul line, where he gets 19.8% of his points, would help a lot.
#3. Cal could benefit from Virginia going man: Virginia is expected to play man-to-man defense in this game. That's great news for Cal. It'll be interesting to see if that makes any difference in Cal's offensive attack and also whether or not Virginia gives Cal more zone than expected.
#4. Road games against ranked opponents are where guys like Tyrone Wallace have to step up: As the leader of this Cal team, Tyrone Wallace has to have a huge game. He doesn't necessarily need to score 25 points, but he needs to be able to score when Cal needs him to. He has to be the one to settle everybody down and make sure everything on the floor is going well. Wallace needs to play like a senior leader tonight and do all he can to lead his team to victory in a hostile environment.
#5. Cal needs to take care of the basketball: It is always good to take care of the basketball, but an inability to do so can be the death of you against quality teams like Virginia. If Cal wants to win this game, they have to take care of the ball, pass it around, and have high assist numbers. If it becomes the Jaylen Brown iso one-on-one show, Cal is doomed. Also, it would be great if Cal got Ivan Rabb more touches and allowed him to create more, whether he is down on the block or out on the high post.
Prediction: If I can be real with all of you, I don't think Cal wins this game. They've definitely made huge strides in their last two games, but Virginia is playing at another level right now and they are at home. If Cal can slow down Malcolm Brogdon and if Tyrone Wallace plays big while getting help from his teammates, Cal has a shot. It's just that at this point in time, odds are still in Virginia's favor. I personally see Virginia winning this game 82-72. Cal will hang around, but in the end, the Cavaliers will prove to be too good.
#1. Virginia is a really good perimeter defensive team: Teams are shooting 32.3% from beyond the arc against Virginia this season, which is largely due to Virginia's stellar defense on the perimeter. If Cal is going to take a lot of threes in this game, that could spell doom for them unless Jordan Mathews and Jabari Bird go bananas.
#2. Cal must slow down Malcolm Brogdon: Virginia senior guard Malcolm Brogdon is averaging 17.2 points per game on 46.8% shooting from the field, 40.0% shooting from three-point range, and 85.0% shooting from the foul line. Brogdon knows how to score the basketball and Cal must do whatever they can to make it tough on him to score. Keeping him away from the foul line, where he gets 19.8% of his points, would help a lot.
#3. Cal could benefit from Virginia going man: Virginia is expected to play man-to-man defense in this game. That's great news for Cal. It'll be interesting to see if that makes any difference in Cal's offensive attack and also whether or not Virginia gives Cal more zone than expected.
#4. Road games against ranked opponents are where guys like Tyrone Wallace have to step up: As the leader of this Cal team, Tyrone Wallace has to have a huge game. He doesn't necessarily need to score 25 points, but he needs to be able to score when Cal needs him to. He has to be the one to settle everybody down and make sure everything on the floor is going well. Wallace needs to play like a senior leader tonight and do all he can to lead his team to victory in a hostile environment.
#5. Cal needs to take care of the basketball: It is always good to take care of the basketball, but an inability to do so can be the death of you against quality teams like Virginia. If Cal wants to win this game, they have to take care of the ball, pass it around, and have high assist numbers. If it becomes the Jaylen Brown iso one-on-one show, Cal is doomed. Also, it would be great if Cal got Ivan Rabb more touches and allowed him to create more, whether he is down on the block or out on the high post.
Prediction: If I can be real with all of you, I don't think Cal wins this game. They've definitely made huge strides in their last two games, but Virginia is playing at another level right now and they are at home. If Cal can slow down Malcolm Brogdon and if Tyrone Wallace plays big while getting help from his teammates, Cal has a shot. It's just that at this point in time, odds are still in Virginia's favor. I personally see Virginia winning this game 82-72. Cal will hang around, but in the end, the Cavaliers will prove to be too good.
