BERKELEY – The California men's basketball team opens the 2025 calendar year and the bulk of its inaugural ACC slate at Pittsburgh on New Year's Day. The contest tips off at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh and will be televised on ACC Network.
 
Both squads played their conference openers on Dec. 7, as Cal (7-5, 0-1 ACC) fell to rival Stanford at home while Pitt (10-2, 1-0) bested Virginia Tech on the road. The Golden Bears are looking to regain momentum as they shift into ACC play, having won just once since the start of December. Pitt has won three in a row and is undefeated at home (7-0) heading into Wednesday's tilt.
 
GAME INFORMATION

• Date & Time: Wednesday, Jan. 1 | 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET
• Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Petersen Events Center
• Watch: ACC Network | Dave Leno (PxP) & Tim Welsh (Analyst)
• Listen: 810 AM & Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP)
• Live Stats: Statbroadcast

INSIDE THE MATCHUP – CAL vs. PITT

• Series record: Cal leads, 2-1
• The Bears and Panthers haven't clashed on the hardwood since Pitt won 63-50 in a Round of 32 matchup in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Cal won the first two meetings between the programs in 1949 and 1950.
• Pitt is receiving votes in the latest AP Top 25 Poll and was ranked 18th as recently as Dec. 2.
• The Panthers have two of the ACC's top eight scorers in Ishmael Leggett (17.5 PPG, 6th) and Jaland Low (16.6 PPG, 8th).
• Pitt won 20-plus games in each of the past two seasons and ranks fourth in the ACC in conference wins since the start of the 2022-23 season.

STARTING FIVE
1. Conference Play Arrives
The Bears will dive into the bulk of their inaugural ACC slate starting New Year's Day at Pitt, followed by another road game at Clemson on Jan. 4. Aside from fellow ACC newcomer and rival Stanford, Cal has played true road games against just four of its conference counterparts (UNC, SMU, Virginia, Wake Forest) and is 1-4 all time in such contests. The Bears started ACC play with an 89-81 loss to Stanford on Dec. 7 but are still off to their best start overall since the 2016-17 season.
 
2. This Way Or That Way
Cal can generate points in a hurry, ranking fourth in the ACC with 78.9 points per game, and has proven it can put the ball in the hoop in a variety of ways. Cal is averaging 34.0 points per game in the paint, 24.8 points from 3-point range and 17.6 points at the free throw line. An emphasis on getting to the rim has resulted in the Bears scoring more than 65% of their points in the paint or at the free throw line, but they're dangerous from deep as well, ranking fourth in the ACC at 36.5% from 3-point range. Cal has knocked down 10 or more 3-pointers four times in the past six contests.
 
3. Dre Day
Andrej Stojakovic has emerged as one of the top offensive threats in the ACC in his first season as a Bear, ranking third in the conference with 19.1 points per game. The sophomore guard scored a career-high 31 points against Northwestern State on Dec. 14, marking his sixth 20-plus scoring effort in the past nine games. Stojakovic's growth between his freshman year at Stanford and sophomore year at Cal has been drastic, and not just as a scorer. He's improved his rebounding (3.4 to 4.8 RPG) and blocking (0.1 to 1.3 BPG) along with increases in scoring (7.8 to 19.1 PPG) and shooting splits (.409/.327/.528 to .442/.359/.833).
 
4. Agent Zero
Freshman Jeremiah Wilkinson has made the most of his early opportunities in Cal's backcourt, averaging 16.3 PPG with seven double-figure scoring efforts in the past eight games. Wilkinson is fifth among ACC freshman in scoring (11.8 PPG) while playing the fewest minutes per game (20.0) of the six ACC rookies who are averaging 10-plus PPG. The Georgia native can score from multiple spots on the floor, shooting 58.8% on 2-point attempts while knocking down multiple 3-point makes in five games (34.7% from deep).
 
5. Strength In Numbers
Cal relies on a deep cast, deploying 9-10 players in its rotation even with two of its early-season starters (DJ Campbell and BJ Omot) missing most of nonconference play due to injuries. The Bears will enter ACC play with Campbell in action however, as the junior guard made an encouraging return in the nonconference finale vs. San Diego State on Dec. 21, totaling seven points, two rebounds and a steal in 20 minutes played. The Bears' bench is averaging 26.1 PPG, the fifth most in the ACC, and six players have at least four double figure scoring efforts through 12 games played.
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will trek from Pittsburgh to Clemson, South Carolina, to face the Tigers on Saturday in a nationally televised broadcast on ESPN2. Tipoff is at 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET at Littlejohn Coliseum.
 
HOW TO WATCH
Access to ACC Network and ACC Network Extra (ACCNX) is determined by your pay TV provider (cable, satellite, telco or streaming service). Viewers can still access games via a subscription to ESPN+, even without access to ACC Network. Viewers with access to ACCNX can view the streaming channel on the same device (smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, connected streaming devices or espn.com/watch) where they view ACC Network. ESPN+ is a subscription-based streaming channel that can also be viewed on any streaming device.
 
SUPPORT THE BEARS
Tickets for the 2024-25 campaign can be purchased by visiting CalBears.com/Tickets, calling 800-GO-BEARS (462-3277) or emailing goldstandard@berkeley.edu. Fans can support the Golden Bears through the Cal Men's Basketball Excellence Initiative or the California Legends Collective.
 
STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal men's basketball, follow the Bears on X (@CalMBBall), Instagram (@CalMBBball) and Facebook (/CalMBBall/).