BearTalk

Can the Cal women accomplish what the Wichita State men could not do, and advance past Louisville into the championship game of the Final Four?

Here’s our preview package of today’s semifinal matchup in New Orleans:

Click here for staff writer Stephanie Hammon’s story on the maturation of Cal sophomore guard Brittany Boyd.

Here is Hammon’s Final Four notebook, including Louisville’s plans for defending Cal star Layshia Clarendon.

And if you haven’t read it, check out Elliott Almond’s profile on Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

*****

From the Louisville Courier-Journal, here’s a story on Cardinals’ star Shoni Schimmel, who has averaged 20 points in nine career postseason games and had the memorable stare-down of 6-foot-8 Baylor star Brittney Griner.

*****

Courtesy of ESPN, here’s an analysis of today’s matchup by the network’s four primary women’s basketball experts: Doris Burke, Kara Lawson, Rebecca Lobo and Carolyn Peck:

On No. 2 seed California

Burke: Lindsay Gottlieb is one of the exciting young coaches in women’s college basketball. She is a passionate, dynamic and a positive force with her team. The Bears have a terrific backcourt with Brittany Boyd and Layshia Clarendon, and a relentless commitment to the offensive glass. The team relies on its ability to get into the open floor and score off their defense. In the half court, Clarendon has to deliver for this team to have a chance to win.

Lawson: Cal is a loose and confident group. Their defense and rebounding carry the day and Layshia Clarendon is a very difficult player to guard, fantastic in the mid-range game.

Lobo: The Golden Bears have found a way to win the close games during this tournament — beating their second-round and regional final opponents in overtime. They want to push tempo and have an athletic team that is built to run. Layshia Clarendon is a terrific break-down guard who can also score from three and their inside game is anchored by Gennifer Brandon, who averages 11 rebounds. Cal hits the glass hard and gets second opportunities as a result. They have struggled scoring at times this season against zone defenses and shoot only 61 percent from the free-throw line. I’m eager to see how they handle playing against Louisville’s different defensive schemes.

Peck: Lindsay Gottlieb has to be on cloud nine right now. Cal is dangerous; if the score is kept close, they are always in the position to win. The team is fast and physical, plus they are a defensive team. Layshia Clarendon is a rising star who makes clutch plays. Louisville has to be concerned about rebounding and defending Cal in the paint.

Note:  Lawson and Peck on Sunday morning’s “SportsCenter” both predicted Louisville will beat Cal.

Read the rest of this entry »

Click here for my game story, plus a photo slide show.

And here for Jon Wilner’s story on Allen Crabbe’s frustrating night.

FINAL SCORE: Syracuse 66, Cal 60. Bears got within six late, no closer. There will be no Sweet 16 for the Bears (21-12) — a drought that dates back to 1997. Solomon career-highs of 22 points, 14 rebounds. Crabbe scored eight points — nearly 11 under his average — on 3 for 9 shooting. Cobbs scored five on 2 for 9. Crabbe declined to address his future afterward.

Cal finished at 39 percent from the field, 4 for 21 from the 3-point arc. The Bears had 17 turnovers.

Syracuse (28-9) is headed to Washington D.C. for its fourth Sweet 16 appearance in five years, despite shooting 39 percent from the field and missing 15 free throws.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here is staff writer Elliott Almond’s preview of the Cal women’s NCAA tournament opener Saturday against Fresno State:

Lindsay Gottlieb expects Cal’s last game to help the Bears prepare for Fresno State in the NCAA tournament opener Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.

The Bears fell to UCLA 70-58 in the Pac-12 tournament semifinals while shooting a paltry 29.5 percent for the game and missing all 11 3-point shots in the first half.

“We talked about never being comfortable and understanding that great teams will come out and give us their best game — and we have to always be ready for that,” Gottlieb said.

Fresno State coach Raegan Pebley expects Cal (28-3) to be more than ready.

“They only lost three games and they’re still averaging in the 70s in points per game,” she said. “I have a hard time saying that they’re not a very good shooting team or on a downhill slide with their shooting percentages. You have to look at their body of work.”

Based on a season of success, the second-seeded Bears should roll over the No. 15 Bulldogs in a 1:20 p.m. game at United Spirit Arena.

But Fresno State (24-8) has plenty of postseason experience, playing in its sixth consecutive tournament. The undersized Bulldogs are looking for their first tournament victory against a team President Barack Obama has chosen to reach its first Final Four.

Click here for the rest of this story.

Brittany Boyd (15) and Cal open NCAA play against Fresno State. (Nhat V. Meyer/Staff)

First, my picks for the all-time five-man teams (plus one reserve) at Cal & Syracuse:

CAL: PG Jason Kidd; SG Phil Chenier; SF Lamond Murray; PF Shareef Abdur-Rahim; C Darrall Imhoff; 6th man Kevin Johnson.

SYRACUSE: PG Pearl Washington; SG Dave Bing; SF Carmelo Anthony; PF Derrick Coleman; C Rony Seikaly; 6th man Billy Owens.

So, is there anyone on the current team poised to deliver the kind of performance Saturday that will earn him a permanent place in Cal lore?

I want your vote on which player will have to muster an extraordinary game for the Bears to upset the Orange on Saturday evening:

– Allen Crabbe

– Justin Cobbs

– Richard Solomon

– David Kravish

– Tyrone Wallace

– Robert Thurman

– Someone else

I’ll be curious to get your consensus.

Cal and Oregon fans may create a bright gold-and-yellow blur Saturday in HP Pavilion and on national television for Saturday’s round of 32 doubleheader.

The Pac-12 Conference foes combined their promotional efforts as both try to pull off upsets to reach the Sweet 16. They’re calling it “Light Up San Jose.”

Cal is asking fans to wear gold when the No. 12 Bears face No. 4 Syracuse. Likewise Oregon is telling its fans to wear yellow as the No. 12 Ducks face No. 4 Saint Louis in Saturday’s opener.

It’s created a unique instance of Pac-12 cooperation amid fan bases. “That’s exciting to have a lot of Pac-12 fans here and having Oregon cheering for us,” Cal junior guard Justin Cobbs said. “We really appreciate that and we’ll be there for them, also.”

In an email sent by Cal athletics to ticketholders, fans were given a five-item checklist of how to approach Saturday’s game. Included was a request to arrive in time for Oregon’s 4:10 p.m. game against St. Louis.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim is impressed by Cal’s Allen Crabbe, the Pac-12 Player of the Year, but perhaps even more so by Justin Cobbs.

“Their guards are good, really good,” Boeheim said. “Crabbe is a tremendous shooter, one of the best shooters in the country.

“And their point guard made so many big plays (Thursday) night, really big plays,” he said, referring to Cobbs’ performance in the Bears’ 64-61 NCAA tournament win over UNLV.

“That game would have gone the other way, but he made some huge plays down the stretch, getting in the lane and getting the ball to the big guys.

“Two really good players.”

Click here for the rest of this Cal-Syracuse notebook.

Under any circumstances, facing the Syracuse defense is a challenge for an unfamiliar opponent. “You hear about it,” senior guard Brandon Triche said, “but our zone is going to be way different than they expect.”

The version Cal sees Saturday evening in their third-round NCAA tournament matchup at HP Pavilion may be the best the Orange has ever put on the floor.

“Yeah, I think it is one of our better defensive teams,” said coach Jim Boeheim, in his 37th season. “We pride ourselves on defense … and this year we’re probably a little better than the norm.”

For the 12th-seeded Golden Bears (21-11) to climb past the Orange (27-9) and into their first Sweet 16 since 1997, they will have to be smart, quick and decisive on offense against a 2-2-1 zone alignment with few holes.

Click here for the rest of my story.

THE SERIES: Syracuse leads 1-0. The Orange beat Cal 95-73 at Madison Square Garden during the 2009-2010 season.

ETC: Allen Crabbe needs 27 points to pull even with Brian Hendrick (1990-93) for 10th on Cal’s career scoring list with 1,556 points. Crabbe, who scored 19 against UNLV, has 1,529 for his career. … Syracuse’s 81-34 win over Montana on Thursday was its first in four NCAA games played in California. … Jim Boeheim and Mike Montgomery have combined to coach 68 college seasons and have won a total of 1,83 games.

WHAT’S NEXT: A victory would send the Bears to the Sweet 16 round in Washington D.C., beginning next Thursday. Cal has not advanced to the regional semifinals since 1997.

Cal (21-11, 12-6 Pac-12)

Syracuse (27-9, 11-7 Big East)

*Assists

Click here for my game story and here to read Mark Purdy’s column on Robert Thurman.

FINAL SCORE: Cal 64, UNLV 61. The Bears (21-11) survive a flurry of missed free throws in the final 4o seconds to advance to Saturday’s game against either Syracuse or Montana. Cal was just 4 for 12 from the FT line in the final 40 seconds. Crabbe scored 19 points, Thurman had 12 on six dunks.

3:33 2nd H: Cal leads 56-50. Thurman with 12 points on six dunks.

8:46 2nd H: UNLV has missed its last 11 FGAs and doesn’t have  a basket since 16:28. But Cal offense also stalling — it’s 48-43 Bears.

11:26 2nd H: Cal leads 48-40 after 3-pointer by Cobbs. Crabbe picked up his third PF with 13:40 left on a touch foul vs. Bennett, shooting a 3-pointer. Crabbe sat and Bennett made all three FTs. Cal staying in zone throughout and UNLV either passive or quick-shooting.

Read the rest of this entry »

TIPOFF: 4:27 p.m. Thursday at HP Pavilion in San Jose. TV/Radio: truTV/910-AM.

When push came to shove this season, a Cal basketball team without much innate aggression learned to give as much as it takes.

Rediscovering their physical side after back-to-back defeats will be critical when the Golden Bears open NCAA Tournament play Thursday afternoon against UNLV at HP Pavilion.

“We have to be the aggressor from the beginning,” sophomore forward David Kravish said. “That’s how we went on the run that got us to this point. Whether they were bigger, faster or could shoot better than us, we kept them moving backward while we kept moving forward.”

The lesson of aggression was not easily absorbed by the Bears (20-11), who lost 76-75 at home to the Runnin’ Rebels (25-9) on Dec. 9 in Berkeley when Quintrell Thomas converted an airball into the game-winning putback.

Strong and fast, UNLV will test Cal with defensive pressure and aggressive offensive rebounding. The Rebels boast 250 steals and 197 blocked shots and will work hard to impose their will.

“I don’t think we have physical kids by nature,” Cal coach Mike Montgomery said. “It’s hard for them to change the way they are naturally.”

Click here for the rest of this story.

ABOUT THE RUNNIN’ REBELS: UNLV is 23rd in the RPI computer ratings, thanks partly to playing in the top-ranked Mountain West Conference, partly thanks to a nonconference record that includes a 76-75 win at Cal and losses to Oregon and North Carolina. … UNLV will have two players available for Cal who had no impact in the first meeting. Junior F Mike Moser played just 5 minutes on Dec. 9 before dislocating his elbow. Khem Birch, a transfer from Pitt, wasn’t yet eligible. He recently was named MWC Defensive Player of the Year. Along with all-MWC first-team pick and conference freshman of the year Anthony Bennett, and 6-9 senior F Quintrell Thomas, who had the game-winning putback vs. Cal last time, the Rebels will challenge Cal with a physical and athletic frontcourt. The Rebels have two dangerous shooters in freshman Katin Reinhardt and sophomore Bryce DeJean-Jones, and senior PG Anthony Marshall has more than 1,200 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in his career.

Read the rest of this entry »

FINAL SCORE: Utah 79, Cal 69.  The Utes score the first five points of the OT period and never trail. They made 13 of 16 FTs to ice the win. “In overtime their confidence went sky high and we kind of put our chin to our chest,” Cal coach Mike Montgomery conceded. The Bears (20-11) dropped their second straight — they haven’t won a game since beating Colorado on March 2 — and head into Selection Sunday just the littlest bit unsure. Said Montgomery, when asked if the Bears deserve a spot in the field: “I’ll give my stock answer … as if my opinion means anything to anybody: The answer to your question is yes.” Cobbs scored 26 points and Crabbe had 21. DuBois led the Utes (15-17) with 21 points and freshman Jordan Loveridge had 20. 

OVERTIME: DuBois hits a 3-pointer from the left wing with 4 seconds left to tie the score at 59-all and we have overtime.

0:17.7 2nd H: That’s why you call timeout — Loveridge misses the third and Crabbe rebounds. He’s fouled and shoots 1 and 1 — hits first, and second for a 59-56 lead.

0:17.7 2nd H: Loveridge makes first two FTs. Cal calls timeout leading 57-56. At 28.2 seconds, Crabbe had two FTs — missed the second. Kind of big right now.

0:17.7: Utah’s Jordan Loveridge shooting 3 FTs with Utah trailing 57-54.

3:39 2nd H: Two free throws by Crabbe and a layup by Wallace and Cal leads 52-50.

6:30 2nd H: Freshman Jordan Loveridge hits consecutive 3-pointers and Utah leads 50-48. Utes have outscored Cal 14-4 over the past 5 minutes to overcome Bears’ eight-point lead.

11:30 2nd H: Cal ran off eight straight points and led 44-36 after a jumper by Kreklow with 13:58. Utah failed to score on nine consecutive possessions. But it’s now 44-38 after a layup by Brandon Taylor, who will shoot one FT after the timeout.

Read the rest of this entry »