Hey guys, here is the game hub for tonight's Cal men's basketball game vs. Sam Houston State. Game tips off at 8:00 PM PST on Pac-12 Networks. I will kick this off with list of five things to look for.
#1. Look for Cal to key on Sam Houston State guard Dakarai Henderson: Through three games, Henderson is averaging 20.7 points per game on 22-28 shooting (78.6%) from the foul line and 8-20 shooting (40%) from three-point range. He will be the main guy Cal will key on and try to stop. The other two guys Cal will also focus on is guard Ameer Jackson (13.7 points per game) and forward Aurimas Majauskas (13.7 points per game).
#2. Cal should dominate on the glass: Cal has dominated its opponents on the glass this season, averaging 15 more rebounds per game than their opponents (43.7 to 28.7). With Sam Houston State's tallest player being 6'9", I expect this trend to continue. Ivan Rabb should really do damage inside.
#3. Cal should expect to see more zone: Given that Cal is far and away the more athletic team, they should expect Sam Houston State to adopt a similar strategy as East Carolina by throwing a lot of zone defense their way. This is probably the only way Sam Houston State has a shot to win this game.
#4. Cal needs to make free throws: This really is key to every game, but against East Carolina, Cal shot just 61.3% from the foul line. If the three-ball isn't dropping and the foul shots aren't dropping, this could be another nail biter.
#5. Cal needs more scoring production from its bench: Against East Carolina, Cal had only 4 points come off the bench. Rooks and Singer each had 2 points. If Cal's bench can step up, I'm primarily looking at Stephen Domingo, that will be huge. Cal can get away with a thin bench against some smaller competition like Sam Houston State, but against the big dogs, they have to get at least 10-15 points per game from off the bench.
Prediction: Cal wins 77-60. I expect Cal to win this game fairly easily. They should do better against the zone and I doubt Jordan Mathews will once again be limited to just 6 points.
#1. Look for Cal to key on Sam Houston State guard Dakarai Henderson: Through three games, Henderson is averaging 20.7 points per game on 22-28 shooting (78.6%) from the foul line and 8-20 shooting (40%) from three-point range. He will be the main guy Cal will key on and try to stop. The other two guys Cal will also focus on is guard Ameer Jackson (13.7 points per game) and forward Aurimas Majauskas (13.7 points per game).
#2. Cal should dominate on the glass: Cal has dominated its opponents on the glass this season, averaging 15 more rebounds per game than their opponents (43.7 to 28.7). With Sam Houston State's tallest player being 6'9", I expect this trend to continue. Ivan Rabb should really do damage inside.
#3. Cal should expect to see more zone: Given that Cal is far and away the more athletic team, they should expect Sam Houston State to adopt a similar strategy as East Carolina by throwing a lot of zone defense their way. This is probably the only way Sam Houston State has a shot to win this game.
#4. Cal needs to make free throws: This really is key to every game, but against East Carolina, Cal shot just 61.3% from the foul line. If the three-ball isn't dropping and the foul shots aren't dropping, this could be another nail biter.
#5. Cal needs more scoring production from its bench: Against East Carolina, Cal had only 4 points come off the bench. Rooks and Singer each had 2 points. If Cal's bench can step up, I'm primarily looking at Stephen Domingo, that will be huge. Cal can get away with a thin bench against some smaller competition like Sam Houston State, but against the big dogs, they have to get at least 10-15 points per game from off the bench.
Prediction: Cal wins 77-60. I expect Cal to win this game fairly easily. They should do better against the zone and I doubt Jordan Mathews will once again be limited to just 6 points.
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