BERKELEY – The California men's basketball team will face an undefeated Ole Miss squad Saturday at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio as part of the 2023 Hall of Fame Series. The neutral-site contest – played at the home of the San Antonio Spurs – will tip off at 4:30 p.m. PST/6:30 p.m. CST on SEC Network and is part of a tripleheader that includes North Carolina State vs. Tennessee and a women's matchup between Baylor and Miami.
 
GAME INFORMATION

• Date & Time: Saturday, Dec. 16 | 4:30 p.m. PST/6:30 p.m. CST
• Location: San Antonio, Texas | Frost Bank Center
• Watch: SEC Network | Kevin Fitzgerald (PxP) & Carolyn Peck (Analyst)
• Listen: 560 AM KSFO & The Varsity Network App | Chris Sylvester (PxP)
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

 
LAST TIME
Cal overcame an 11-point second-half deficit but ultimately fell 97-90 in double overtime against Butler in Indianapolis last Saturday. Jalen Cone connected on a game-tying 3-pointer with three seconds remaining in regulation and knocked down two more key buckets from beyond the arc in the first overtime period to finish with 23 points. Fardaws Aimaq posted 24 points and 16 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season and Keonte Kennedy added 20 points.
 
Jahmyl Telfort and Pierre Brooks II combined for 18 points across the two overtimes and made consecutive 3-pointers in the second extra period to extend Butler's lead to eight, 95-87. Telfort scored six straight points to give Butler a four-point lead in the first overtime before Cone responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to push the Bears back in front. A layup by Telfort tied it 83-83, and Jaylon Tyson missed on a layup with three seconds on the clock to send the game to double overtime. Tyson finished with 16 points – all coming after halftime – a team-high seven assists and five rebounds.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Ole Miss (9-0) is one of seven remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division I men's basketball, and rose to No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll on Monday. The Rebels have five wins by three points or less this season, while Cal (3-6) has lost five games by the same margin or in overtime. Cal won the only previous matchup between the two schools in the first round of the 2011 NIT, played in Berkeley.

NOTEWORTHY

• The Bears are averaging 76.3 points per game this season, a 12-point increase from their 64.3 PPG average over the previous six seasons (2017-23). It's also an 18-point jump from last season's average of 58.3 PPG.
• Cal is one of five teams nationally – and the only major-conference squad – with two players ranked in the top 10 in their conference in points and rebounds per game. Jaylon Tyson is third in PPG (19.9) and RPG (8.1) while Fardaws Aimaq is fifth in PPG (17.3) and first in RPG (10.7) in the Pac-12.
• Aimaq (24 points), Jalen Cone (23) and Keonte Kennedy (20) scored 20-plus points at Butler on Dec. 9, marking the first time Cal had three 20-point scorers in the same game since Feb. 5, 2011, against Arizona (Harper Kamp, 33; Allen Crabbe, 27; Jorge Gutierrez, 25).
• After missing the first seven games of the season with a hand injury, Kennedy has averaged 15.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 3.5 APG along with zero turnovers in 83 total minutes played (41.5 MPG) in two contests.
• Cone has matched his career high in 3-pointers made (7) three times this season. He's the only player in the country with three games of seven or more made 3-pointers and leads the Pac-12 in total 3-pointers made (33) and attempted (96).
• Tyson (19.9 PPG) and Cone (17.0 PPG) combine to average the fifth-most PPG by a guard duo in the country (36.9 PPG). Tyson and Cone are second among major-conference duos as well, trailing only USC's Boogie Ellis (21.4) and Isaiah Collier (17.0) at 38.4 PPG.
• Aimaq's rebounding prowess – he leads the Pac-12 in total rebounds and RPG – has keyed Cal's 6.7 rebounding margin, which ranks 57th nationally.
• Senior guard Devin Askew (foot) has missed the last six games due to injury.
• Cal last played in an NBA venue in 2019 at both Madison Square Garden (2K Empire Classic) and the Chase Center (Al Attles Classic).

 
UP NEXT
Cal concludes nonconference play at home against UC San Diego on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Tipoff from Haas Pavilion is at 2 p.m. PST on the Pac-12 Network.
 
STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal men's basketball, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalMBBall), Instagram (@CalMBBball) and Facebook (/CalMBBall/).