Hey guys, Pac-12 play for Cal men's basketball tips off tonight at home against the Colorado Buffaloes at 8:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks. I will fire up the game hub by listing 5 things to look for going into this game. Also, click here to read the preview of the game on CalBears.com.
#1. Expect Colorado to key in on Tyrone Wallace: During this week's Pac-12 MBB teleconference, Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said that the key to beating Cal is keying in on Tyrone Wallace and making things hard for him. Look for Colorado to do whatever they can to keep Wallace out of the lane.
#2. Colorado forward Josh Scott is very versatile: Josh Scott is averaging 18.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game on 62.3% shooting from the field, 77.4% shooting from the foul line, and 40% shooting from three-point range (2-5). Scott is a very talented and versatile big man that will pose a good challenge for Ivan Rabb. Scott is the guy who makes this Colorado team go. Especially with Xavier Johnson out with an Achilles injury, which he suffered last summer.
#3. Has Cal found their match for rebounding dominance? Cal averages 42.1 rebounds per game and gives up 32.1 rebounds per game (+10 margin). As for Colorado, they grab 44.2 rebounds per game and give up 32.7 rebounds per game (+11.5 margin). The battle on the boards should be fierce tonight and could be huge in deciding who comes out victorious.
#4. Will Colorado be rusty? Colorado hasn't played since December 23 while Cal played their last game on December 28. If Colorado shows signs of rust in the first few minutes of the game, it'll be key for Cal to take advantage and get out to an early lead. The Cal women's team had a 9 day span between the UCLA game and CSU-Northridge game and it was clear that they hadn't played in a little while. Don't be surprised for Colorado to show similar signs of rust.
#5. Cal must defend the three-ball: In Cal's three losses against Richmond, San Diego State, and Virginia, Cal allowed their opponents to find success from beyond the arc. Colorado is shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc as a team. George King, Josh Fortune, and Dominique Collier are all lights out from three-point range right now. Cal will have to play really good defense on the perimeter and prevent those guys from going off.
Prediction: Cal is finding their groove and is playing like a Top-25 team right now. I expect Cal to start Pac-12 play with a win at home. Colorado is a very good team and certainly has the personnel to pull off an upset, but after watching how well Cal played against Virginia and Davidson, it's hard to see Cal dropping their first Pac-12 home game of the season. I predict that Cal wins 81-73.
#1. Expect Colorado to key in on Tyrone Wallace: During this week's Pac-12 MBB teleconference, Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said that the key to beating Cal is keying in on Tyrone Wallace and making things hard for him. Look for Colorado to do whatever they can to keep Wallace out of the lane.
#2. Colorado forward Josh Scott is very versatile: Josh Scott is averaging 18.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game on 62.3% shooting from the field, 77.4% shooting from the foul line, and 40% shooting from three-point range (2-5). Scott is a very talented and versatile big man that will pose a good challenge for Ivan Rabb. Scott is the guy who makes this Colorado team go. Especially with Xavier Johnson out with an Achilles injury, which he suffered last summer.
#3. Has Cal found their match for rebounding dominance? Cal averages 42.1 rebounds per game and gives up 32.1 rebounds per game (+10 margin). As for Colorado, they grab 44.2 rebounds per game and give up 32.7 rebounds per game (+11.5 margin). The battle on the boards should be fierce tonight and could be huge in deciding who comes out victorious.
#4. Will Colorado be rusty? Colorado hasn't played since December 23 while Cal played their last game on December 28. If Colorado shows signs of rust in the first few minutes of the game, it'll be key for Cal to take advantage and get out to an early lead. The Cal women's team had a 9 day span between the UCLA game and CSU-Northridge game and it was clear that they hadn't played in a little while. Don't be surprised for Colorado to show similar signs of rust.
#5. Cal must defend the three-ball: In Cal's three losses against Richmond, San Diego State, and Virginia, Cal allowed their opponents to find success from beyond the arc. Colorado is shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc as a team. George King, Josh Fortune, and Dominique Collier are all lights out from three-point range right now. Cal will have to play really good defense on the perimeter and prevent those guys from going off.
Prediction: Cal is finding their groove and is playing like a Top-25 team right now. I expect Cal to start Pac-12 play with a win at home. Colorado is a very good team and certainly has the personnel to pull off an upset, but after watching how well Cal played against Virginia and Davidson, it's hard to see Cal dropping their first Pac-12 home game of the season. I predict that Cal wins 81-73.
