Dec 21, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; California Golden Bears guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) rebounds towards the San Diego State Aztecs through the first half at SAP Middle. Obligatory Credit score: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Photographs California will get its “welcome to the Atlantic Coast Convention” second when it ideas off its first East Coast journey as a member of the fabled league with a go to to Pittsburgh on Wednesday afternoon.
The Golden Bears (7-5, 0-1) already performed one ACC contest, but it surely hardly felt like one in an 89-81 residence loss to longtime Pac-12 Convention rival Stanford final month.
That was a part of a present 1-4 skid that has seen Cal squander the momentum from a 6-1 begin. That mentioned, coach Mark Madsen would not foresee a repeat of final season, when his group had misplaced six of eight heading into convention play, then could not snap out of it en path to an 0-3 begin within the Pac-12.
One purpose for his optimism is the return of guard DJ Campbell from an damage that noticed him miss six of seven video games. He contributed seven factors in 20 minutes to Cal’s 71-50 neutral-site loss to then-No. 23 San Diego State in its most up-to-date outing on Dec. 21.
“We had type of a rash of accidents within the non-conference final 12 months after which after that we struggled in a few of these one-possession video games as a result of guys received worn down,” Madsen mentioned. “We’ve way more depth this 12 months.”
That depth will likely be examined by Pitt (10-2, 1-0), a foe the Golden Bears have not seen since shedding to the Panthers within the second spherical of the 2002 NCAA Event.
Pitt has performed like a tournament-worthy group to date this season, already having crushed West Virginia, LSU and Ohio State. The Panthers opened ACC play with a formidable 64-59 win at Virginia Tech on Dec. 7.
Whereas the Panthers have been led offensively by one of the productive guard tandems within the nation — Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe — ahead Zack Austin has commanded the highlight of late. Two video games after he hit a game-winner towards Ohio State, he was rewarded with a spot within the beginning lineup, and the Panthers have not misplaced since.
Austin has gotten progressively higher in these three begins, going from 9 factors towards Virginia Tech to 18 towards Japanese Kentucky to 23 towards Sam Houston in Pitt’s most up-to-date sport on Dec. 21.
He’ll doubtless be matched up this time round towards Cal star Andrej Stojakovic, who is much from a one-man present, Lowe warned.
“(Stojakovic) has teammates round him that put him in place the place he is in a position to play at a excessive degree,” Lowe mentioned. “They don’t seem to be going to make the journey over right here for nothing.”
–Subject Stage Media
