SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The California men's basketball team will face Notre Dame in both teams' regular-season finale Saturday afternoon at Purcell Pavilion. The ACC Network will televise the contest, which tips off at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET.
 
GAME INFORMATION

• Date & Time: Saturday, March 8 | 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET
• Location: South Bend, Indiana | Purcell Pavilion
• Watch: ACC Network | Matt Schumacker (PxP) & David Padgett (Analyst)
• Listen: 810 AM & Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP)
• Live Stats: Statbroadcast

 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP – CAL vs. NOTRE DAME

• Series record: Series tied, 1-1
• Notre Dame (13-17, 7-12 ACC) is 10-5 at home this season, having defeated Pitt (Feb. 22) and Stanford (March 5) in its past two games inside Purcell Pavilion.
• Fighting Irish sophomore Markus Burton is averaging an ACC-leading 22.4 points per game in league play.
• Cal (13-17, 6-13) and Notre Dame have only met twice on the hardwood, both times in neutral settings - at the 1966 Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii (69-63 win) and at the 2010 Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Florida (57-44 loss).
• The Bears are 1-2 this season in the second game of their East Coast trips for ACC play, defeating NC State in Raleigh (Jan. 18) while losing at Clemson (Jan. 4) and Georgia Tech (Feb. 15).

 
STARTING FIVE
1. See You In Charlotte
Cal secured its spot in the ACC Tournament by defeating Boston College last Saturday, but there's still plenty to play for in the regular-season finale at Notre Dame. The Bears are 15th in the ACC entering Saturday's game but can climb as high as 12th with a win against the Fighting Irish. A loss against Notre Dame would lock Cal into the No. 15 seed. The Bears left the Bay Area on Monday and will be on the road for a minimum of nine consecutive days through Tuesday, March 11. A run through the ACC Tournament, hosted at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 11-15, could keep Cal away from home for 13 straight days.
 
2. Jeremiah's Ascent
Jeremiah Wilkinson has established himself as one of the most dynamic freshmen scorers to put on a Cal uniform. The left-hander is second among ACC freshmen in scoring (14.7 PPG) and has averaged 19.1 PPG since cracking the starting lineup 12 games ago on Jan. 22. The three-time ACC Rookie of the Week has scored 20-plus points nine times, including a career-high 30 against Miami, and has been a double-figure scorer 17 times in 19 ACC contests and in 24 of 30 total games.
 
3. The Big Fella
Mady Sissoko has played the best basketball of his career down the stretch this season, highlighted by a monster performance in Cal's 82-71 win over Boston College last Saturday. Sissoko – who has averaged 9.2 PPG on 63.3% shooting and 9.2 RPG in his past 15 games since Jan. 8 – had career highs of 21 points (9 of 10 shooting) and 15 rebounds to lead the Bears past the Eagles. Cal's big man is fourth among ACC players with 8.7 RPG in conference play and has pulled down 10-plus rebounds in seven of the past 10 games, including 13 at No. 14 Louisville on Wednesday. Sissoko has scored double figures 11 times in 29 games played this season after doing so just seven times in the first 124 games of his career at Michigan State (2020-24).
 
4. Lead Role
Cal will need Andrej Stojakovic to find his offensive rhythm to make a run at next week's ACC Tournament, and the sophomore guard is plenty capable. Stojakovic – one of two ACC players averaging at least 16.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.7 APG and 1.1 BPG along with Duke's Cooper Flagg – is one of the conference's most well-rounded players. He has 10 games of 20-plus points (six in ACC play), but he's averaged only 10.8 PPG on 31.1% shooting in 10 games since Jan. 15. He also missed four consecutive games (Jan. 22-Feb. 1) due to illness and injury.
 
5. Find A Way
The Bears have overcome shooting woes this season by averaging an ACC-leading 17.1 free throws made per game and grabbing 13.4 offensive rebounds per game, another league-best mark. Cal emphasizes attacking the rim, scoring 66% of its points (49.0 PPG) either in the paint or at the free throw line this season.
 
UP NEXT
Cal will play in the first round of the ACC Tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday. The Bears' tournament seed, first-round opponent and game time are yet to be determined.
 
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.
 
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