Hey guys, here is the game hub for tonight's Cal men's basketball game against East Carolina. Tipoff is 8:00 PM PST. I will start the thread with my list of 5 things to look for going in to this game.
#1. East Carolina's one real threat is Caleb White: Caleb White is a 6'7, 205 pound small forward who can really score the basketball. He is averaging 20.5 points per game and is shooting 55.6% from three-point range on 9 attempts. He's the main guy Cal will be keying in on to stop.
#2. Kingsley Okoroh and Kameron Rooks might see more minutes tonight: In the presser on Thursday, Cuonzo Martin said that despite East Carolina having a smaller, quicker lineup, Kingsley Okoroh and Kameron Rooks may get more minutes in this game. It'll be interesting to see if that's in fact the case. I asked the question because I assumed we would see less of them.
#3. Rebounding will be key: Cuonzo Martin said in the presser that East Carolina likes to crash the boards, especially the offensive glass. It'll be interesting to see if Ivan Rabb and the entire team can keep East Carolina off the glass or if this will be an area where the Pirates thrive. Cuonzo Martin said that his guards will have to box out and rebound well, too. So rebounding will really be a team effort tonight, as it always should be.
#4. Will Jabari Bird find his rhythm offensively? Jabari Bird has struggled offensively to start the season and while he's helping on defense, communicating on defense, and doing those things, he is yet to have a stellar offensive outing. Will tonight be the night?
#5. Will this game even be close? Cal is favored by 20.5 points. They should dominate these guys. If this isn't at least a double-digit win, I'll be very surprised.
Prediction: Cal 84 East Carolina 66.
#1. East Carolina's one real threat is Caleb White: Caleb White is a 6'7, 205 pound small forward who can really score the basketball. He is averaging 20.5 points per game and is shooting 55.6% from three-point range on 9 attempts. He's the main guy Cal will be keying in on to stop.
#2. Kingsley Okoroh and Kameron Rooks might see more minutes tonight: In the presser on Thursday, Cuonzo Martin said that despite East Carolina having a smaller, quicker lineup, Kingsley Okoroh and Kameron Rooks may get more minutes in this game. It'll be interesting to see if that's in fact the case. I asked the question because I assumed we would see less of them.
#3. Rebounding will be key: Cuonzo Martin said in the presser that East Carolina likes to crash the boards, especially the offensive glass. It'll be interesting to see if Ivan Rabb and the entire team can keep East Carolina off the glass or if this will be an area where the Pirates thrive. Cuonzo Martin said that his guards will have to box out and rebound well, too. So rebounding will really be a team effort tonight, as it always should be.
#4. Will Jabari Bird find his rhythm offensively? Jabari Bird has struggled offensively to start the season and while he's helping on defense, communicating on defense, and doing those things, he is yet to have a stellar offensive outing. Will tonight be the night?
#5. Will this game even be close? Cal is favored by 20.5 points. They should dominate these guys. If this isn't at least a double-digit win, I'll be very surprised.
Prediction: Cal 84 East Carolina 66.
