Cal (10-5, 1-2Â Pac-12) at No. 25Â USCÂ (15-1, 2-1 Pac-12)
California men's basketball faces its second ranked opponent of the season, and fourth in five games, to wrap up the Golden Bears' first Pac-12 road trip of the season at No. 25 USC. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in USC's Galen Center, and the game will be televised live on ESPNU and on the radio on KGO 810 AM.
Cal is seeking its first win over a ranked opponent this season, and the first over a top 25 team on the road since the Bears defeated then-No. 23 Syracuse, 73-59, in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 20, 2014.
AP Preseason All-America pick
Ivan Rabb is heating up at the start of league play, averaging 17.7 points and 17 rebounds through three games, including two over top 20 opponents. Rabb has pulled down 15 or more boards in three consecutive games, including a career-high 20 in Cal's last outing at No. 4 UCLA, for a double-double in every Pac-12 game.
Grant Mullins, who has been back in the starting lineup in the last two games, has poured in 39 points in his last two contests, including a pair of back-to-back games with five three-pointers. Sophomore transfer
Don Coleman turned in his most productive outing to date against the fourth-ranked Bruins, logging all of his career-high 15 points and five rebounds in Cal's 47-point second half on Thursday evening.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION: Cal's game at USC will be televised live on ESPNU with Roxy Bernstein and Corey Williams on the call. The California Golden Bears Sports Network has the radio call from Todd McKim and
Jay John on KGO 81- AM. Follow the Bears on social media for a behind-the-scenes look at Facebook.com/CalMensBball and on Twitter and Instagram @CalMensBball.
SCOUTING THE TROJANS
Last Meeting: Cal defeated USC 87-65 in Haas Pavilion on Feb. 28, 2016 to clinch a perfect 18-0 season record at home.
Series Record: California leads, 134-132
USC's 2016-17 Record: 15-1, 2-1 Pac-12
USC's Last Game: Topped Stanford, 72-56, at the Galen Center on Thursday
• USC is one of nine schools with one loss or less this season.
• USC's lone loss of the season was an 84-61 outing at Oregon on Dec. 30
• The Trojans are averaging 67.7 points in league play.
• Five Trojans are scoring in double figures, led by Elijah Stewart's 14.3 points per game and followed by Jordan McLaughlin (14.1), Chimezie Metu (12.9), Bennie Boatwright (10.8, currently injured) and De'Anthony Melton (10.1)
• Metu leads USC in conference play with a near double-double average on 12.3 ppg and 9.7 rebounds per game.
• McLaughlin is one of 20 on the Bob Cousy Award watch list for the nation's best point guard, while Boatwright is a Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year watch list member.
CAL RECORDS AGAINST USC
Points: 37, Rickie Hawthorne, Feb. 28, 1976
Rebounds: 20, Leon Powe, March 9, 2006
20, Ansley Truitt, March 4, 1972
FG: 14, Bob Presley, March 1, 1968
3P: 6, Billy Dreher, Feb. 17, 1991
6, Ryan Drew, March 10, 1988
6, Jerome Randle, Feb. 4, 2010
FT: 12, three times, last by Leon Powe, March 9, 2006
SERIES NOTES
Record at USC: 57-86
Last 10 meetings: 7-3
Most points, Cal: 99, 1966-67
Most points, USC: 102, 1971-72
Largest margin, Cal: 37, 1921-22
Largest margin, USC: 33, 1937-38, 1971-72
Longest Cal win streak: 7, 1987-88 to 1990-91
Longest USC win streak: 7, 1968- 69 to 1971-72
Current Streak: 2, Cal
LAST TIME OUT
Cal battled back from a 24-point deficit, pulling within five points late in the second half, but fell at No. 4 UCLA, 81-71
• Cal's 47 second-half points tied for the most by the Bears in a single half all season.
•
Ivan Rabb pulled down a career-high 20 rebounds, becoming the first Golden Bear to log 20 points since Leon Powe's 20 vs. USC on March 9, 2006.
• Rabb added 17 points for his third consecutive double-double, and seventh of the season.
•
Kingsley Okoroh finished with a career-high 13 rebounds, topping his previous high of 12.
•
Charlie Moore finished with 13 points for the Bears.
•
Grant Mullins added five 3-pointers, marking his second consecutive outing with five 3s.
•
Don Coleman scored a career-high 15 points, pouring in all 15 in the second half.
•
Kameron Rooks returned to action for the Bears with 5:07 remaining in the first half, marking his first appearance since Nov. 25, 2016. Rooks was sidelined with a knee injury for 10 games.
A CALIFORNIA WIN WOULD...
• Be Cal's first victory over an AP Top 25 opponent since Feb. 11, 2016 (83-63 win vs. No. 11 Oregon in Berkeley).
• Be Cal's first victory over a Top 25 team away from Haas Pavilion since Nov. 20, 2014 (73-59 vs. No. 23 Syracuse at Madison Square Garden).
• Be Cal's third consecutive win over USC.
BEARS BUILD ON DEFENSIVE PROWESS
With defense as a staple of head coach
Cuonzo Martin's program, California is once again emerging as a force on the floor, where the Bears rank among the nation's elite. California ranks fifth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency according to kenpom.com, and the Bears are holding opponents to 0.925 shooting efficiency, a number that's sixth in the nation.Â
Cal is also:
• 5th in defensive rebounds per game (28.7)
• 12th for field goal percentage defense (37.9 percent)
• 14th for three-point field goal defense (29.1 percent)
• 19th for scoring defense (61.7 ppg)
• 13th for total rebounds per game (41.3)Â
GLASS ACT
Ivan Rabb, who broke the Cal freshman rebounding record last season, has continued his stellar play on the glass as a sophomore. Rabb is averaging 11.0 rebounds per game and has been on a hot streak as of late with 15 or more rebounds in every single game of Pac-12 play. Rabb is averaging 17 rebounds in league action and leads the Pac-12 in rebounds both on the season and in conference play. Rabb's 17.0 league rebound average is six higher than the next closest leader, Oregon State's Drew Eubank's (11.0).
PARTY LIKE A BLOCK STAR
Kingsley Okoroh is climbing up the Cal career record charts for his prowess in protecting the rim. Okoroh has moved into No. 7 all-time with 99 career blocks. With 38 blocks this season, Okoroh has already surpassed his previous single-season high of 33 blocks across 34 games in 2015-16.
Cal Career Blocked Shots Leaders
1. David Kravish (2012-15) -- 226
2. Michael Stewart (1994-97) -- 207
3. DeVon Hardin (2005-08) -- 132
...
6. Tom Schneiderjohn (1976-79) -- 105Â
7.
Kingsley Okoroh (2014-present) -- 99
8. Brian Hendrick (1990-93) -- 98
Cal Single-Season Blocked Shots Leaders
1. David Kravish (2014)Â Â Â 73
2. David Kravish (2013)Â Â Â 63
3. Michael Stewart (1994) Â Â Â 59
...
8. DeVon Hardin (2006)Â Â Â 48
9. Michael Stewart (1996)Â Â Â 43
T10.
Ivan Rabb (2016)Â Â Â 42
T10. Francisco Elson (1999)Â Â Â 42
...
Kingsley Okoroh   38
BIRD SOARS TOWARD 1,000
Senior guard
Jabari Bird is looking to be the first Bear this season to join Cal's 1,000-point club. Bird, who currently owns 969 career points, would be the 47th Golden Bear to score 1,000 points in his Cal career. The Bears lost two 1,000-point club members last season with the departures of
Tyrone Wallace (1,613) and
Jordan Mathews (1,202).
Bird has been a spark for the Bears this season. After missing six games with a back injury, he paved the way for Cal's record-breaking win over Cal Poly with a career-high 25 points. In the span of time since he returned to action against Princeton on Dec. 6, Bird leads the Bears with 16.0 points per game, alongside 5.4 rebounds. He has scored in double figures in six of seven appearances since his return, including two 20-point outings against Seton Hall and Cal Poly and a team-high 15 against 12th-ranked Virginia. Bird was also one point shy of his first career double-double with his 22 point, nine-rebound performance vs. the Pirates.Â
NEXT UP
California returns home for a pair of games against its Evergreen State foes. The action begins with Washington at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12 in a game televised on FS1. On Saturday, Jan. 14 the Bears play host to Washington State beginning at 1 p.m. on Pac-12 Network.
