36 Comments

Flipping the switch from a close loss team to a close win team. (I hope)

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Mark is doing an excellent job, but UC Southern Branch isn't a test of an improved defense.

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I'm a Maryland grad that drove the 375 miles to Pauley 2 weeks ago and I drove to the Rose Bowl to see California beat the livin' crap out of UC Southern Branch Traitors a month before that. Maryland is not a good team, but UC Southern Branch is absolutely atrocious. Wish I made the trip today to see The Traitors lose again. They are 1-7 in the past 19 days.

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Fabulous coaching by Mark Madsen.

So satisfying to beat legendary UCLA in their own gorgeous sparkling pavilion

And in front of thousands of their fans.

So so many Cal fans there too. Very, very thrilling !!!

So many past close contests. Now the wins will begin !!!

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the years of suffering going back to my adolescent days with Presley at center and being taunted by my UCla gym teacher were somewhat vindicated sans our "better years" much later.

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Arizona State slipped from our clutches. But we held on tight this time!

Compared to last year, Mark has given us both hope and allowed us to set expectations of the team!

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author

BANG

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Finally a solid win! Might have been start to finish? There was some luck and room for improvement, as always, but this quality win was earned.

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Solid? Maybe. UC Southern Branch sucks.

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Their offense is bad and their team is rebuilding, but earlier this season teams that were just as bad offensively were lighting our defense up. This is improvement.

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Jan 7·edited Jan 7

Well, yeah. But they are kind of in the same boat as us. We both had to rebuild (they got mostly 4-5-star players) and they were ranked much higher in KenPom. Santa Clara was probably our best win before this.

I've felt we're better than our record and this win justifies that feeling. But no one is mistaking UCLA for a tournament team.

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I am at Pauley and saw the Bears win. Try a rock fight. But Mad Dog beat UCLA!

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GO BEARS! Goodnight and farewell Pauly Pavillion!

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PAULEY. C'mon man.

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Didn't realize I was holding my breath before Cone's shot fell and I exhaled.

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So far so good…..but.

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Jan 7·edited Jan 7

Another pass to Aimaq on the perimeter where he reaches instead of going out to get it. These passes aren't incredible but it's still a pattern. I wonder if it's from when he had a foot injury? Or maybe it's just the step up in competition?

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The passes I saw that were picked off were lazy - 95% the passer's fault.

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For sure the passer carries a lot of responsibility. Could just be one of those mixed things where they established some bad habits together and need to unlearn them. Or you could be right and we just get lazy with passes.

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Fardaws needs some better footwork under the basket. He's really good at posting up outside the restricted area but is limited when inside there.

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Collars getting tight

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Again with the turnovers. Cal needs a way to stop letting opponents chain those together. Some of it looks like the receiver (Aimaq) not stepping out to grab the pass.

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Jan 7·edited Jan 7

Tyson with multiple lethal drives from the 3-point line. Beautiful. He's not nearly the size or strength of LeBron but it's something we see LeBron do a lot.

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Tyson made some super high difficulty shots

He is a master of getting to the rim and love his back door cuts

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Yes! He's not a PG but dude can move with and without the ball.

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Can we get cal off the pac 12 network! I can never watch them. Pac 12 not on direct tv or YouTube tv.

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They're on DISH satellite and streaming on FUBO.

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The answer is: yes!

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Next year should mercifully be on ESPN.

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yes, but will they cover all their games, especially the eastern ones.

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Should be on ESPN+.

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Sloppy passing on the perimeter two straight possessions (Tyson and Kennedy) again. Good response with the cut but UCLA will keep up the pressure.

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Cal's blazing hot from 3 and UCLA can't buy a bucket. That's great, but let's not think this pattern will last the whole game. Cal is getting boards, defending, and handling the ball cleanly, though.

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Hopefully Cronin’s comments about his players demotivates and not motivational

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Kind of threw some of those players under the bus

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Kind of? Hasn't he been flat out calling them incapable of learning?

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