On 6:00 PM PST on ESPN 2, Cal men's basketball will take on the #11 ranked Oregon Ducks at Haas Pavilion. Cal comes into this game with a 15-8 record overall and a 5-5 record in Pac-12 play. Oregon is 20-4 overall and 9-2 in Pac-12 play. This thread will get started with 5 things to look for going into this huge game.
#1. Cal has to keep Oregon sophomore forward Dillon Brooks under wraps: Brooks is leading the Ducks in scoring with 16.9 points per game while also grabbing 6.0 rebounds. If Cal wants to win this game, they have to make sure Brooks doesn't have a big night. The good news for Cal is that Brooks is a volume shooter. He is only shooting 48.3% from the field and 29.5% from 3-point range, so it isn't inconceivable for him to have a bad shooting night. He does shoot a very solid 79.5% from the foul line, so Cal will really want to make sure he doesn't get to the line because that is where he can really kill them.
#2. Cal has to take advantage of their size: Cal averages 39.4 rebounds per game while Oregon averages 36.2 rebounds per game. The Golden Bears have more size than the Ducks and it shows in the rebounding numbers. Kameron Rooks has repeatedly said he likes playing against smaller front courts and tonight he'll get his wish.
Rooks, Rabb, and Okoroh better impose their will on the Ducks, crash the glass, and get buckets inside. Chris Boucher of the Ducks averages 12.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, so it won't be an easy task, but the Golden Bears should still be able to be effective inside due to their size and length.
#3. Cal has to get Bird and Mathews going: Cal is so much better when Jordan Mathews and Jabari Bird are confident with their stroke. If Cal can get Bird and Mathews rolling and into a shooting groove early, Cal will be off to a great start. If those guys are off to a slow start, it'll be tougher for Cal to win the game.
#4. Cal better feed Ivan Rabb a lot: Just for emphasis, I'm going back to the post. With Oregon having a smaller front court, this game really is a chance for Ivan Rabb to have a huge game. Cal better give him a lot of touches. The key for Rabb will be to play his game without fouling, which has been a struggle for him all season.
#5. Assuming Tyrone Wallace doesn't play, Jaylen Brown will have to be the leader tonight: Tyrone Wallace visited a doctor today, so it is conceivable he plays tonight, though a source told me Tyrone Wallace is actually targeting a Saturday return. Assuming Wallace isn't a go for tonight, Jaylen Brown will have to take the role of being the go-to guy for Cal tonight. Brown has overtaken Wallace as the team's leading scorer and he'll have to play like it tonight. In order for Cal to beat a highly ranked Oregon team, they'll need their best players to play well and Jaylen Brown is their best player at the moment. He better deliver the goods tonight.
Prediction: Cal played Oregon tough up in Eugene, losing by just 3 points. I expect Cal to get some payback tonight and win by a final score of 69-67. It'll be close, but I think Cal pulls this one out. I am not picking against Cal at home. They are too tough and they play like a Top 15 team when they are at home. An additional key for Cal will be to handle Oregon's zone effectively.
In Tuesday's press conference, Sam Singer and Kameron Rooks talked about Oregon's zone being kinda tricky because they play zone with man principles. Singer sounded confident that they would be able to handle the zone because they've practiced a lot against it this week. Hopefully that practice pays off and the zone doesn't give Cal too much trouble. Assuming Cal does well against the zone, I'm confident that my prediction will come true.
#1. Cal has to keep Oregon sophomore forward Dillon Brooks under wraps: Brooks is leading the Ducks in scoring with 16.9 points per game while also grabbing 6.0 rebounds. If Cal wants to win this game, they have to make sure Brooks doesn't have a big night. The good news for Cal is that Brooks is a volume shooter. He is only shooting 48.3% from the field and 29.5% from 3-point range, so it isn't inconceivable for him to have a bad shooting night. He does shoot a very solid 79.5% from the foul line, so Cal will really want to make sure he doesn't get to the line because that is where he can really kill them.
#2. Cal has to take advantage of their size: Cal averages 39.4 rebounds per game while Oregon averages 36.2 rebounds per game. The Golden Bears have more size than the Ducks and it shows in the rebounding numbers. Kameron Rooks has repeatedly said he likes playing against smaller front courts and tonight he'll get his wish.
Rooks, Rabb, and Okoroh better impose their will on the Ducks, crash the glass, and get buckets inside. Chris Boucher of the Ducks averages 12.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, so it won't be an easy task, but the Golden Bears should still be able to be effective inside due to their size and length.
#3. Cal has to get Bird and Mathews going: Cal is so much better when Jordan Mathews and Jabari Bird are confident with their stroke. If Cal can get Bird and Mathews rolling and into a shooting groove early, Cal will be off to a great start. If those guys are off to a slow start, it'll be tougher for Cal to win the game.
#4. Cal better feed Ivan Rabb a lot: Just for emphasis, I'm going back to the post. With Oregon having a smaller front court, this game really is a chance for Ivan Rabb to have a huge game. Cal better give him a lot of touches. The key for Rabb will be to play his game without fouling, which has been a struggle for him all season.
#5. Assuming Tyrone Wallace doesn't play, Jaylen Brown will have to be the leader tonight: Tyrone Wallace visited a doctor today, so it is conceivable he plays tonight, though a source told me Tyrone Wallace is actually targeting a Saturday return. Assuming Wallace isn't a go for tonight, Jaylen Brown will have to take the role of being the go-to guy for Cal tonight. Brown has overtaken Wallace as the team's leading scorer and he'll have to play like it tonight. In order for Cal to beat a highly ranked Oregon team, they'll need their best players to play well and Jaylen Brown is their best player at the moment. He better deliver the goods tonight.
Prediction: Cal played Oregon tough up in Eugene, losing by just 3 points. I expect Cal to get some payback tonight and win by a final score of 69-67. It'll be close, but I think Cal pulls this one out. I am not picking against Cal at home. They are too tough and they play like a Top 15 team when they are at home. An additional key for Cal will be to handle Oregon's zone effectively.
In Tuesday's press conference, Sam Singer and Kameron Rooks talked about Oregon's zone being kinda tricky because they play zone with man principles. Singer sounded confident that they would be able to handle the zone because they've practiced a lot against it this week. Hopefully that practice pays off and the zone doesn't give Cal too much trouble. Assuming Cal does well against the zone, I'm confident that my prediction will come true.
