Cal Men's Basketball Enters the Cone Zone as they dismantle Santa Clara
The return of Keonte Kennedy also elevated several Bears on the day
Prior to Saturday’s afternoon matchup between the California Golden Bears and Santa Clara Broncos, Cal Men’s Basketball was greeted with a significant reinforcement. Keonte Kennedy, a graduate transfer from Memphis made his season debut for Cal and was nothing short of spectacular.
Kennedy’s energy, focus, attention to detail, and injection of life was paramount for the Bears who were coming off three straight close losses in San Juan Capistrano. Alongside Jalen Cone, Fardaws Aimaq, and birthday boy Jaylon Tyson, the Bears strangled the Broncos into submission and generated a 29-14 lead with 7 minutes to the half.
While Santa Clara was without leading scorer Carlos Marshall Jr due to an undisclosed injury, it didn’t matter as Cal blitzed the Bay Area counterparts from the tip. Kennedy’s energy, Aimaq’s composure, Cone’s sharpshooting, and Tyson’s takeover ability were on full display as the Bears raced to a 45-31 halftime lead.
Behind a spirited crowd, Cal tied their win total from last year against an ascending WCC team and did so in convincing fashion, dismantling the Broncos 84-69. The Bears only committed seven total turnovers during the game, shot 36% from three point range (and was as high as 50% in the first half on significant volume), created timely turnovers, and cashed in from the foul line at a 13 of 14 clip.
Themes and Takeaways
Cal enters the Cone Zone
Jalen Cone was an assassin for Cal all night. Coming into the Santa Clara game, Cone was shooting only 31% from the field and 27% from three point range, but torched the Broncos for a season high 26 points. Cone would not be denied at any level of scoring, shooting 8/11 from the field and a marksman like 7/10 from three point range. Couple that with his poise and his stellar assist from the cover photo, Cone was steady for the Bears throughout the night which is what this team needs going forward. In recent games, it was apparent that he was pressing, forcing the action, and subsequently turning the ball over, and tonight he drew all that back and just played his game.
“The guys are starting to put some things together…..we still got some more growing to do [but] it’s just a great team, great guys to play around [with]” - Jalen Cone postgame
Keonte Kennedy makes Cal play with their head on fire
The Bears defense throughout the first set of games this season was nothing short of a disaster at times. Turnovers on offense left transition defense exposed, off ball rotations on shooters were lacking, and teams were being more physical consistently against Cal.
Enter Keonte Kennedy stage left.
Kennedy exhibited a swagger, charisma, and vibe that Cal needed at this juncture, and was the main catalyst in setting the tone against Santa Clara. He was hustling all over the court, getting in position for rebounds, deflecting passes and getting up in opposing players faces without a second doubt in regards to his wrist. Kennedy ended the night with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and went a perfect 6/6 from the free throw line and helped hold Broncos star Adama Bal to 2/10 shooting at one point in the first half.
And yet his highlight of the night was this posterizer by Kennedy as he drove baseline against Santa Clara’s Jake Esminger to cap off the thrilling win.
*Here’s my call from KSCU Student Radio on the Kennedy poster!
Jaylon Tyson and Fardaws Aimaq played within themselves
Much like Jalen Cone in recent weeks, Tyson and Aimaq were pressing with the absences of Kennedy, Jalen Celestine, and Devin Askew. In the Santa Clara game, their poise and execution could not have been better. Aimaq “controlled the paint” exclaimed Mark Madsen postgame and put up a steady 15 points on 7/15 from the field. Aimaq had one of his best defensive games in a Cal uniform, rendering rising Santa Clara center Christoph Tilly rather invisible for most of the game. Outside of backup C Francisco Caffaro getting going on the offensive glass, Aimaq dominated the matchup in the paint.
In the same vein, birthday boy Jaylon Tyson is no stranger to taking big games over when the moment requires it. Santa Clara had cut the lead to 65-59 late in the second half, but after a scuffle between him and Kosy Akametu, Tyson said this game is mine by scoring the next seven and Cal would never look back.
Tyson and Aimaq combined for 36 points on 15/27 shooting, corralled 15 rebounds, and most importantly only had three combined turnovers during the game. This type of performance will win you a lot of Pac 12 games and will have you threatening the behemoths of Arizona, it’s just a matter if they can keep that consistency.
A performance like Cal’s against Santa Clara can and should bolster them as they get towards the end of non conference play. Sure they didn’t have to play against Santa Clara’s best player, but Cal fans have no empathy being down several players themselves. The Bears set the tone early, often, and consistently throughout this 40 minute beatdown. They’ll need more of it if they want to upend Butler in the legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse next.
Final Stats
I rewatched this game last night and it was sheer joy. I would like to draw your attention to a special moment: At the moment in the second half when Tyson was single handedly rallying the team back from Santa Clara getting within 6 points and having momentum, he gets into a tussle with a Santa Clara player. You will remember that moment. Go back and watch that right as they pull the players apart, Fardaws Aimaq very calmly and deliberately walks himself right up to that player and the Santa Clara team and just stands there. OH MY GOD. He walks up and stands there and with his mere presence is saying: "Don't you even think of going after my guy Tyson"! It's one of the most subtle and significant moments in the game to me.
That energy, esprit de corps, toughness, and Band of Brothers in that moment just speaks volumes. It's not that every team doesn't stick up for one another. There is something different in the energy of this team. Tyson, Kennedy, Aimaq, Cone, even Larson and the rest of the gang. They play with a purpose and resolve and toughness that I admire.
I saw the word "Enters" and thought Cone entered the transfer portal.