(Credit: hiphopandpolitics.com. Click here for source)
On Wednesday night, Cal lost to Stanford by the score of 69-59. The loss was made all the more painful due to the fact that Cal had a solid 31-26 halftime lead. In the end, the game came down to Stanford knocking down shots and Cal missing shots. I guess in a way every game comes down to that. After all, the goal is to score more points than the other team. But upon looking at the box score, that really was the tale of the tape.
Cal out-rebounded Stanford 41-34. Cal had 11 assists to Stanford's 6 assists, and the turnover department was essentially even, Stanford totaling 8 turnovers to Cal's 9 turnovers. However, when it came to shooting the ball, Stanford shot 25-52 (48.1%) from the field and Cal shot 22-62 (35.5%).
What's so alarming about that isn't just the percentages. It's the fact that Cal took more shots and made fewer. If Cal shot 28-65 from the field (43%), that would still not be good, but at least they would have been rewarded for taking more shots. Cal was instead punished for taking more shots, and Stanford was rewarded for taking fewer shots and being more efficient with each shot they took. In every sport, efficiency wins games, and Stanford won because they were the more efficient team.
This same efficiency can be seen in how both team's respective stars shot the ball. Stanford's star senior guard Chasson Randle shot 8-14 (57.1%) from the field and scored 25 points. Cal's star junior guard Tyrone Wallace shot 6-22 (27.3%) from the field and scored 14 points. The fact that Chasson Randle was able to be so efficient allowed other guys like Anthony Brown and Stefan Nastic to get going, whereas Wallace's inefficiency didn't allow him to get other guys going. He was so concerned about finding his groove that he never found it and in the process wasn't able to get other guys involved in the game.
After this game, it's clear that Stanford and Cal are heading in opposite directions. Stanford is turning into a legitimate threat to not only reach the NCAA tournament, but also go to the Elite 8 and possibly Final Four. I'm very impressed with how they are playing and I wouldn't be shocked if they made it that far in the NCAA tournament. Cal on the other hand is not only on the path to miss the NCAA tournament, they are also on the path to getting a low seed in the NIT.
The question for Cal after this loss is "Where do they go from here?" This game had "bounce-back" written all over it. Jabari Bird was able to log in more minutes and actually be a factor unlike the UCLA game, and all in all, the team appeared to have more to play for than their rivals across the bay. Stanford came into the game 3-1 in the PAC-12 while also having a win on the road against a Texas team who at the time was ranked #9 in the nation.
Cal on the other hand came into the game with a 1-3 record in the PAC-12, coming off humiliating losses @USC and @UCLA. The fact that Cal wasn't able to get the win against Stanford indicates that the whole season is in serious jeopardy and that the wheels are really starting to come off if they haven't already.
I guess in answer to the question "Where do they go from here?", Cal has to lick their wounds, rest up, and get ready for Arizona State next Thursday and then #10 Arizona on the following Saturday. The fact that Cal has more than a week to get ready for both games while also playing both games at home is a huge blessing for this team. If Cal were to embark on a two game road trip to the Valley of the Sun after this loss, I don't know if it would even make sense for Cal to make the trip.
Fortunately, they can take a couple of days off, get their feet under them, and try to play off of the energy of the home crowd at Haas Pavilion. They need to take advantage of this eight-day layoff to hit the reset button and approach Thursday's tilt against Arizona State as a fresh start to the season. The best way to move on from tough losses is to convince yourself that it's a new day and forget about the past. If Cal can do that and in the process have Jabari Bird back up to speed, there is a chance they can turn things around.
Cal started the PAC-12 strong last season and ended weak, falling apart after the huge win over #1 Arizona at home. It would certainly be ironic if Cal ended up finishing the PAC-12 season strong with a win over Arizona at home being the catalyst to a late season surge as opposed to it preceding a late season collapse.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord
