Bear Territory Friday: Cal needs to bounce back this weekend as Pac-12 play begins

                                    (Credit: commons.wikimedia.org)

     Cal concluded their non-conference play last Sunday with a gut-wrenching loss to CSU-Bakersfield by the final score of 55-52. The game essentially ended with Cal shooting guard Jordan Mathews dribbling the ball off of his foot, but it didn't officially end until referees had to determine whether or not to award Cal another possession after what appeared to be a CSU-Bakersfield turnover. After what felt like several minutes, the referees concluded no time was left to give Cal one last chance at a desperation heave, and so the game ended with one last insult to Cal's injury. 

     I felt numb after the game and confused. Cal came into the game with an impressive 10-2 record, only losing to two top ten teams in Texas and Wisconsin. To see them struggle against CSU-Bakersfield was as perplexing as it was alarming. What was alarming was Cal's inability to score the ball early in the game. Jordan Mathews couldn't hit a jump shot or a three to save his life, David Kravish was once again invisible on the court, and Tyrone Wallace was playing too passive, not willing to attack the basket. It was the worst that Cal had played all season and what was weird was that they were playing one of the worst teams in all of college basketball. 

     But now that Cal has had several days to digest that loss, it's time for them to move on and focus on what lies ahead this weekend. On Friday night, Cal gets a visit from #21 ranked Washington and on Sunday afternoon, Washington State comes through. Both games are huge after what happened on Sunday. If Cal wins both games to start Pac-12 play, I wouldn't say the loss to CSU-Bakersfield is forgotten, but the pain from the loss would be greatly numbed. If Cal loses both games, then the loss to CSU-Bakersfield starts to loom large as a point at which Cal's season started to come off the rails. 

   Cal's NCAA tournament hopes could very well hinge on what happens this weekend. A 2-0 start to Pac-12 play won't at all mean that their problems are solved or that they are an NCAA tournament quality team, but it would give them reason to have some hope. Cal started Pac-12 play 5-0 last year and still missed the NCAA tournament and unlike this year's team, they didn't have a stinging loss hanging over their heads. As a matter of fact, Cal's final out of conference game last season was a 90-60 butt-kicking win over Furman which featured a three-point assault from Jeff Powers. The game felt more like a practice game than a real game, which is a far cry from what Sunday's game against CSU-Bakersfield felt like. 

     However, Cal does have reason to feel confident going into this weekend. For one thing, they took care of business against a Syracuse team that was ranked in the Top-25. Secondly, Washington lost to Stony Brook in their last out of conference game, and third, they are playing at home. Cal rarely loses at home, especially in consecutive games. You can be sure that Cal will feel extra motivated to defend their home floor and remind people that Haas Pavilion isn't an easy place to play. 

     In order to capitalize off of these advantages and win both games, Cal will have to do three things. First, they'll have to get into a good rhythm offensively early on. They cannot fall behind early and expect to win. If they find themselves down by 10 points or more at halftime, they will be in serious trouble. 

     

     Secondly, Cal has to get Tyrone Wallace more help. He's been asked to carry the team on his back all season and while his efforts have been nothing short of Herculean, it's clear that the team cannot keep asking him to go to the well and save them. At some point the well runs dry and odds are good it went dry against CSU-Bakersfield. David Kravish and Jordan Mathews have to be the guys who give him the help he needs. 

     Lastly, Cal has to take better care of the ball. I've seen way too many turnovers in their last few games, and it has come back to haunt them. I've seen turnovers come in the form of bad passes, bobbled catches, and bad shots. The team that turns the ball over less usually comes out victorious and I don't expect Cal to be able to be an exception to that rule. 

    Cal has to win both games this weekend. One win isn't enough. Two wins against Washington and Washington State would legitimately be something for them to build upon and use as a springboard for future success. One win on the other hand would indicate that they still have problems and that they aren't making progress towards fixing those problems. The world of college basketball can be vicious and Cal is certainly seeing that right now. Hopefully when faced with the options to sink or swim, Cal swims like the Golden Bears they are named after and feasts upon the salmon. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord