Hey guys, here is the thread/hub for everything Cal vs. UCSB. This kicks off with my list of five things to look for going into the game!
#1. Don't expect to see much of Kingsley Okoroh or Kameron Rooks: None of UCSB's true big men (Sam Beeler, Alex Hart, and Tyler Jackson) saw much action in the team's season opener. UCSB will likely go small. 6'5, 180 lb. senior guard John Green led the team in rebounds in their season opener with 13 boards to go along with his 22 points. If UCSB does indeed go small, Cal will go small as well, and try to kill the Gauchos with what might be college basketball's best small ball lineup (Wallace, Mathews, Bird, Brown, and Rabb).
#2. Will Roger Moute a Bidias be a regular part of the rotation? Roger Moute a Bidias played a sound 17 minutes against Rice. If he gets similar minutes against UCSB, I think it'll be safe to say that he's a regular member of the rotation. Especially when Cuonzo Martin feels like Kingsley Okoroh and Kameron Rooks are at a disadvantage.
#3. How will Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb deal with the officiating? Ivan Rabb and Jaylen Brown both got into foul trouble against the Owls. It'll be interesting to see if they do a better job staying out of foul trouble. Of course, this is something to look for in all the games early on, but it makes my list at this point of the season.
#4. Will Wallace continue to shoot well from the line? Tyrone Wallace appears to be a changed man at the foul line, but against Rice, he only shot 1-1 from the line while shooting 1-2 from the line against Carroll College. So, in truth, he's still shooting just 67% from the line. It'll be interesting to see if he knocks down his foul shots tomorrow (provided he gets to the line, which given his style, he should with regularity).
#5. Man or Zone? Something to watch during the season is what kind of defensive schemes Cuonzo Martin comes up with during the season. With such an athletic and versatile roster, Cal should be going man most of the time, but it'll be interesting to see if/when Cal switches to zone and just in general what defensive schemes are employed. Especially when the team goes small.
Prediction: Cal wins 84-62.
#1. Don't expect to see much of Kingsley Okoroh or Kameron Rooks: None of UCSB's true big men (Sam Beeler, Alex Hart, and Tyler Jackson) saw much action in the team's season opener. UCSB will likely go small. 6'5, 180 lb. senior guard John Green led the team in rebounds in their season opener with 13 boards to go along with his 22 points. If UCSB does indeed go small, Cal will go small as well, and try to kill the Gauchos with what might be college basketball's best small ball lineup (Wallace, Mathews, Bird, Brown, and Rabb).
#2. Will Roger Moute a Bidias be a regular part of the rotation? Roger Moute a Bidias played a sound 17 minutes against Rice. If he gets similar minutes against UCSB, I think it'll be safe to say that he's a regular member of the rotation. Especially when Cuonzo Martin feels like Kingsley Okoroh and Kameron Rooks are at a disadvantage.
#3. How will Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb deal with the officiating? Ivan Rabb and Jaylen Brown both got into foul trouble against the Owls. It'll be interesting to see if they do a better job staying out of foul trouble. Of course, this is something to look for in all the games early on, but it makes my list at this point of the season.
#4. Will Wallace continue to shoot well from the line? Tyrone Wallace appears to be a changed man at the foul line, but against Rice, he only shot 1-1 from the line while shooting 1-2 from the line against Carroll College. So, in truth, he's still shooting just 67% from the line. It'll be interesting to see if he knocks down his foul shots tomorrow (provided he gets to the line, which given his style, he should with regularity).
#5. Man or Zone? Something to watch during the season is what kind of defensive schemes Cuonzo Martin comes up with during the season. With such an athletic and versatile roster, Cal should be going man most of the time, but it'll be interesting to see if/when Cal switches to zone and just in general what defensive schemes are employed. Especially when the team goes small.
Prediction: Cal wins 84-62.
