Cal Men's Basketball Tips Off Against Cal State Bakersfield
Things to watch for tonight, plus a few notes from last week's media session
Tonight, a team that went 13-19 last year and features 10 new players on the roster will take the court at Haas Pavilion. Their fans will see what kind of instant chemistry the coaching staff has been able to instill in the run-up to tipoff.
Of course, I am talking about the Cal-State Bakersfield Roadrunners.
Like Cal, the Roadrunners were competent last year but fell short of challenging for the top of the conference. They are expected to finish near the bottom of the Big West this season, and reloaded in the offseason primarily with JUCO recruits and a few interesting freshmen. Cal is favored by 12.5 points, and has a 92% win confidence per ESPN. So while Cal should win and have a chance to try several different lineups this evening, it will be an interesting comparison to see how composed the two teams are as they execute their schemes for the first time in a true game situation.
There are two Bakersfield players worth keeping an eye on. Guard CJ Hardy started at San Francisco City College before transferring to West LA College last year. In LA, he averaged 21 points and was named the California State JUCO Player of the Year. Fellow guard Jemel Jones was the 2024 JUCO Division II National Player of the Year with South Suburban College in Chicago. He averaged 34 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game (!!) while leading his team to a 34-3 record.
For Cal, I have already talked about the roster and who I expect to start tonight. Nick provided an excellent look at the upcoming season. Here’s a few things to watch for tonight.
Lineup strategies
How will Sissoko, Dort and Curtis anchor the interior? Will you see a big lineup with both Sissoko and Dort? Will they go small at times and have Ola-Joseph, Petraitis or someone else play the interior role?
My sense tells me we’re going to see guard-heavy rotations, with one big man in the lineup. Multiple comments during last week’s media session (more below) support this theory. Think about last year’s core lineup with Aimaq as the only big man, surrounded by Celestine, Kennedy and Tyson also attacking the basket.
How much will Jeremiah Wilkinson play?
The top freshman recruit on the roster, Wilkinson is a building block type of player for Madsen’s program. He is drawing rave reviews in the fall camp. Will the coaching staff defer the guard minutes to the upperclassmen of Blacksher, Tucker and Campbell? Or, will Wilkinson be heavily in the mix early in the season?
Who gets fed the ball?
On our preview podcast, we talked about how Andrej Stojakovic has the largest delta between his recruiting upside and his on-court performance last year. Will there be a dedicated effort to get Andrej (or the other swing players) the ball often, in an attempt to establish a rhythm and unlock his true potential? Will there be a dedicated effort to feed the ball to the interior players, where the talent mismatch against Bakersfield is the most pronounced?
Turnout and fan engagement
Tonight’s game is the part of a double-header, with the Cal Women’s Team playing St. Mary’s at 6pm. It’s a random Monday in November against a random opponent. Will there be a large turnout to root on the new-look Men’s and Women’s Bears? Or, will the fanbase take a wait-and-see approach for the first few weeks?
Media Notes
Last Tuesday, Coach Madsen was joined by players Jovan Blacksher Jr. and Joshua Ola-Joseph for a Q&A session with media. Here are a few highlights;
Madsen, on team preparation;
”I think we have a really unselfish group, we have a group that really gets excited to make their teammates better. We have at times a group that is very fiery.”
Madsen, on the starting lineup;
”We have 8, 9, 10 players who are all capable of starting. We have no shortage of guys who can put the ball in the hole.”
Madsen, on Joshua Ola-Joseph;
”He has been great. He has such a desire to work and to learn. The athleticism, the shooting ability, the tenacity…..He can play some 4, he can play some 3, if we go small, he can play some 5.”
Joshua Ola-Joseph, on what to expect tonight;
”We should see a lot of highlight dunks. A lot of athletes….I’m hoping to get a fast break windmill dunk this year.”
Ola-Joseph, on his role and the team lineup;
”That’s my role, rebounding, hitting the shot, a swiss army knife….1 through 4 is really guards. I’m playing a lot of the 4. BJ, Rytis, we’re all guards.”
Ola-Joseph, on the hardest player to guard in practice;
”I would say BJ (Omot). He has a silky game. When he gets his shot, it’s hard to guard. He’s 6’ 8”
Jovan Blacksher Jr., on his role;
”I fit in perfect. I get guys involved, trying to get guys to do what we need in order to win. I’m older, so trying to use that to my advantage to help guys.”
Blacksher Jr., on being fully healthy and playing for Cal;
”It’s a blessing….It feels good to be on the court. That blue and gold, that’s a good color right there.”
The game tonight will be broadcast on ESPN+/ACC Extra. I’ll be live-tweeting on the @WriteforCalLive account during the game.
It’s a busy week for the Bears. Cal returns to the court at home Thursday against the Cal-Poly Mustangs.
Interested to see how we defend the three. That was such a glaring weakness last year, particularly in the non-conference schedule.
If Omot/JOJ/Petraitis can rebound effectively, we’ll be ok.