Cal (8-21, 2-14 Pac-12) at Arizona State (19-9, 7-9 Pac-12)
California men's basketball begins its final road trip of the regular season in Tempe, Ariz., where the Golden Bears face off against the Arizona State Sun Devils Thursday evening at 6 p.m. PT. All the action from Wells Fargo Arena will be carried live on ESPNU and KGO 810 AM.
Both the Bears and Sun Devils enter the matchup on losing skids, as Arizona State has dropped three consecutive games and Cal is on a five-game losing streak. Cal has the opportunity to split the series with the Sun Devils after suffering an 81-73 loss in Haas Pavilion on Jan. 20.
The Bears enter the Grand Canyon State with three players scording in double figures in conference play, led by two freshmen.
Justice Sueing owns a team-best 15.9 points per game, and
Darius McNeill is averaging 10.1 points in Pac-12 play.
Marcus Lee, who logged a then-career-high 23 points in his last meeting with the Sun Devils, is averaging 12.1 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting a team-best 58.7 percent from the floor.
At 29 games into the season, the Bears stand to reach several season-high or record marks. Cal needs just one more steal to log 200 for the first time since the 2003-04 season, while McNeill is three three-pointers away from setting a new Cal freshman record with 63 as a rookie.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION:Â
Steve Quis and Corey Williams have the call of Thursday's Bear-Sun Devil matchup. Tune in to the action on ESPNU or via the watchESPN app and www.watchESPN.com. The California Golden Bears Sports Network will offer play-by-play and analysis, as well as post-game interviews, from Todd McKim and
Jay John live on KGO 810 AM. Live stats, full broadcast details and more can be accessed via the Cal men's basketball schedule page on CalBears.com, and fans can follow the Bears on social media via @CalMBball on Twitter and Instagram, and at Facebook.com/CalMBball.
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SCOUTING THE SUN DEVILS
Last Meeting: The Sun Devils escaped Berkeley with an 81-73 win.
• Five Golden Bears scored in double figures, led by
Marcus Lee's 23 points.
•
Darius McNeill tallied 16 points,
Justice Sueing had 12 and
Juhwan Harris-Dyson and
Don Coleman each turned in 10 points.
• The Bears only committed nine turnovers while recording 13 assists on 28 field goals.
Series Record: Series is tied, 41-41
ASU's 2017-18 Record: 19-9, 7-9 Pac-12
ASU's Last Game: Dropped a 79-75 decision at Oregon State on Saturday, Feb. 24
• Three Sun Devils are averaging double figure scoring marks in conference play: Tra Holder (16.9 points per game), Shannon Evans II (16.0) and Kodi Justice (12.2).
• Holder, Evans II, Justice and Romello White (8.4 ppg, 6.3 rebounds per game) have started every league game for ASU.
• Evans II leads the league in three-pointers (82), three-point attempts (221) and free throw percentage (87.4 percent).
• Arizona State is averaging 77.2 points in Pac-12 play.
• ASU is turning the ball over just 11.1 times per game, the second-lowest total in the Pac-12.
• The Sun Devils are on a three-game losing streak after getting swept in their most recent road trip against the Oregon Schools. Each of their last three losses have been by 10 points or less.
CAL RECORDS AGAINST ARIZONA STATE
Points: 36, Jackie Ridgle, Dec. 30, 1968
Rebounds: 18, Mark McNamara, Feb. 28, 1981
FG: 12, Leonard Taylor, Jan. 5, 1989
3P: 6,
Grant Mullins, Feb. 8, 2017
FT: 20, Dave Butler, Feb. 26, 1987
SERIES NOTES
Record at ASU: 16-25
Last 10 meetings: 4-6
Most points, Cal: 108, 1999-00
Most points, ASU: 111, 1999-00
Largest margin, Cal: 30, 1956-57
Largest margin, ASU: 36, 1978-79
Longest Cal win streak: 5, 1988-89 to 1990-91; 2009-
10 to 2011-12
Longest ASU win streak: 7, 1982-83 to 1985-86
Current Streak: 1, Arizona StateÂ
LAST TIME OUT
Cal fell to Washington, 68-51, on Saturday in Haas Pavilion
•
Darius McNeill led Cal with a conference-high 17 points, including 3-7 from beyond the arc.
•
Justice Sueing was the only other Bear to score in double figures with 12 points. He added five rebounds.
• Despite a 35-35 score at halftime, the Bears were limited to a season-low 16 second-half points.
•
Kingsley Okoroh blocked 2 shots to give him 193 for his career and move up to sole possession of 10th on the Pac-12 all-time list.
•
Don Coleman logged a career-high 6 steals to lead Cal to its seventh game of the season with 10 or more steals.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
As a team, Cal ranks in the nation's top 30 for:
• Blocked Shots  per Game -- 29th, 4.9
• Offensive Rebounds per Game -- 11th, 13.34
• Total Blocks -- 28th, 142
Individually, Cal student-athletes rank in the Top 50 for:
• Blocked Shots Per Game --
Kingsley Okoroh (41st, 2.00)
• Free Throw Attempts --
Don Coleman (41st, 185)
• Offensive Rebounds Per Game --
Marcus Lee (28th, 3.21)
• Total Blocks --
Kingsley Okoroh (38th, 58)Â
KING OF THE BLOCK
With two blocks against Washington,
Kingsley Okoroh reached a new career milestone, moving into the top 10 among the Pac-12's career leaders for blocked shots. Okoroh is in sole possession of 10th on the conference's all-time list with 193 career blocks. He also ranks 10th among the NCAA's active career leaders.
The 7-1 Okoroh has tied the Cal single-game record for blocked shots twice this season, recording 7 blocks against UC Riverside and against Portland State. He tied the number set by Michael Stewart (1994-97), which Stewart recorded thrice in his Golden Bear career. Okoroh is currently ranked third among Cal's career leaders. Stewart ranks second with 207 blocks, and David Kravish (2012-15) leads with 226 career blocked shots.
STEAL CITY
California men's basketball is on pace to finish with its best steals per game mark in more than a decade, with the Bears currently 103rd in the country with 6.9 spg. Cal last finished a season averaging 6.0 or more steals per game in 2003-04 (6.2), capping off the year with 173 steals. The Bears haven't racked up more than 200 steals in a single season since 2003-04, when Cal tallied 203. Prior to the currently running 15-season drought, Cal tallied 200 or more steals for 12 consecutive seasons, a span which included three head coaches -- Lou Campanelli, Todd Bozeman and Ben Braun.
ROOKIES IN THE RECORD BOOK
California's rookies are fast approaching some of the program's freshman-record totals. Among them:
THREE-POINT FG MADE
1. Â Â Â Allen Crabbe (2011)Â Â Â 62
2. Â Â Â
Darius McNeill (2018)Â Â Â 60Â
   Ryan Drew (1968)   60
4. Â Â Â Ryan Anderson (2007)Â Â Â 58
5. Â Â Â Shantay Legans (2000)Â Â Â 47
6. Â Â Â
Charlie Moore (2017)Â Â Â 45
...
  Â
Justice Sueing   41
POINTS
1. Â Â Â Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1996)Â Â Â 590
2. Â Â Â Ryan Anderson (2007)Â Â Â 539
3.   Jaylen Brown (2016)   498
...
5.  Â
Ivan Rabb (2016)Â Â Â 426
6.  Â
Charlie Moore (2017)Â Â Â 414
   Allen Crabbe (2011)   414
8.   Leon Powe (2004)   409
9.  Â
Justice Sueing (2018)Â Â Â 404
10.   Lamond Murray (1992)   387
FIELD GOALS MADE
1. Â Â Â Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1996)Â Â Â 206
2.   Ryan Anderson (2007)   189
3.   Brian Hendrick (1990)   175
...
6.   Lamond Murray (1992)   152
7.   Leon Powe (2004)   142
8.  Â
Justice Sueing (2018)Â Â Â 141Â
   Michael Pitts (1980)   141
10.   Allen Crabbe (2011)   139
STEALS
1. Â Â Â Jason Kidd (1993)Â Â Â 110
2. Â Â Â Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1996)Â Â Â 52
3. Â Â Â Shantay Legans (2000)Â Â Â 51
4.  Â
Justice Sueing (2018)Â Â Â 44
5.   Butch Hays (1981)   42
   Michael Chavez (1980)   42
...
  Â
Darius McNeill   33
  Â
Juhwan Harris-Dyson   31
FREE THROWS MADE
1. Â Â Â Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1996)Â Â Â 170
2.   Jaylen Brown (2016)   142
3.   Brian Hendrick (1990)   128
...
9.   Tremaine Fowlkes (1995)   94
10.   Jason Kidd (1993)   88
..
  Â
Justice Sueing (2018)Â Â Â 81
SNEAKING UP THE SEASON RECORDS
Along with setting freshman records, the Cal squad is also making its way up several categories in the single-season records:
THREE-POINT FG MADE
1. Â Â Â Jerome Randle (2010)Â Â Â 92
2.   Jordan Mathews (2016)   89
3.   Allen Crabbe (2012)   83
...
8.  Â
Jabari Bird (2017)Â Â Â 65
T9.   Allen Crabbe (2013)   64
   Ryan Anderson (2008)   64
   Bill Elleby (1992)   64
...
  Â
Darius McNeill (2018)Â Â Â 60
STEALS
1. Â Â Â Jason Kidd (1993)Â Â Â 110
2. Â Â Â Jason Kidd (1994)Â Â Â 94
3.   Gene Ransom (1978)   63
...
8.   Jorge Gutierrez (2011)   54
T9.   Anwar McQueen (1997)   52
   Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1996)   52
...
  Â
Justice Sueing (2018)Â Â Â 44
BLOCKED SHOTS
1. Â Â Â
Kingsley Okoroh (2017)Â Â Â 74
2.   David Kravish (2014)   73
3.   David Kravish (2013)   63
4.   Michael Stewart (1994)   59
5.  Â
Kingsley Okoroh   58
6.   Michael Stewart (1997)   56
7.   Jamal Sampson (2002)   54
8.  Â
Marcus Lee   51
T9.   David Kravish (2015)   49
   Michael Stewart (1995)   49
NEXT UP
Cal takes on Arizona in the regular-season finale on Saturday, March 3 at 3:30 p.m. The game airs live on the Pac-12 Networks.