Cal Basketball Preview: Bears Facing Elite Defense Against Visiting No. 7 USC
No. 7 USC (12-0, 2-0) at CAL (9-5, 2-1)
WHERE: Haas Pavilion, Berkeley
WHEN: Thursday, 8 p.m.
TV/RADIO: FS1/810-AM
CAL-USC HISTORY: Cal leads 136-128. USC has won the past six meetings.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: While Stanford and USC this week made changes to their policies, basically limiting attendance to family members of athletes at indoor events, Cal will continue to follow the latest local health guidelines. Fans must show proof of being fully vaccinated or display proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test. Fans must also wear face masks except when eating or drinking. Here's a link to Cal’s current attendance policy.
*** Cal coach Mark Fox talks about USC's defense in the video at the top.
CAL STORYLINES: Following their 74-50 win over Arizona State on Sunday, the Bears have won five in a row for the first time since doing it twice during the 2016-17 season. They have exceeded that since a seven-game win streak late in the 2015-16 Pac-12 schedule . . . Cal faces a huge challenge with two games against Top-10 opponents in the same week for the first time since the 1974-75 season. After Thursday night’s game against the seventh-ranked Trojans Cal faces No. 5 UCLA on Saturday . . . The Bears have lost six in a row to the Trojans, by an average of 18 points . . . Cal is led by its senior threesome of forward Andre Kelly (14.6 points, 8.6 rebounds), guard Jordan Shepherd (14.4 points) and forward Grant Anticevich (12.1 points, 7.8 rebounds), who have combined to provide the Bears with better than 60 percent of their scorning . . . Anticevich and Kelly, each have five double-doubles to tie for third in the Pac-12 . . . While USC leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense (60.7 points allowed), Cal is second at 61.6.
USC STORYLINES: The Trojans have started 12-0 for the first time since 2017 when they won their first 14 games. USC joins Baylor and Colorado State as the only remaining unbeaten teams in Division I . . . USC will play for the first time since a 67-53 win over Georgia Tech back on Dec. 18. In the meantime, the Trojans had a game against Oklahoma State canceled while Pac-12 contests vs. the Arizona schools last week were postponed due to COVID issues within the USC program . . . Defense has keyed USC’s great start. The Trojans have held each of their 12 foes under 40 percent shooting and opponents are converting just 35.2 percent, ranking second nationally. . . . Junior Isaiah Mobley (15.0 points, 9.6 rebounds), a 6-foot-10 forward, leads the Trojans with 20 made 3-pointers. Fox talks in the video above about Mobley, who on Wednesday was named to the Wooden Award top-25 mid-season watch list . . . Junior guard Boogie Ellis (11.8 points) had 16 points in USC’s win over Georgia Tech, scoring in double digits for the first time in five games. He averaged 17.0 points in USC’s first five games. Redshirt senior Chavez Goodwin (13.2 points, 7.1 rebounds), a 6-9 transfer from Wofford, scored a season-high 23 points in a win over UC Irvine. . . . USC’s one weakness may be its free throw shooting: Last in the Pac-12 at barely 58 percent.
CAL GAME NOTES: Click here
USC GAME NOTES: Click here
Cover photo of Cal's Joel Brown diving for a loose ball by Jason Vinlove, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
