the Arena in Oakland
A Quick Look at the Golden Bears
Cal concludes its three-game homestand with Monday's game against Coppin State. This will be the first meeting between the schools, and Cal's first game against a school from the MEAC since the Bears beat Howard, 86-61 in the first round of the 1996 Golden Bear Classic. After Monday's game, Cal will take a 12-day break for fall final exams before resuming its schedule Dec. 19 at Brigham Young.
With a victory over Coppin State, Cal would improve to 5-1 on the year, giving the Bears their best start since the 1994-95 team began 7-0. Last year, Cal did not pick up its fifth win until the second game of Pac-10 play, an 84-70 victory at Oregon State on Jan. 5.
So far on the homestand, the Bears have defeated both Houston (87-72) and Rhode Island (71-64).
As they have been in four of their five games this season, Cal was led by senior guard Geno Carlisle against URI. Carlisle has perhaps his best game of the year when he tied a season high with 26 points, making 9-of-15 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range. Carlisle also had a five rebounds, three assists and a steal.
But it was his play down the stretch that sealed the game for the Bears. With Cal ahead by just 54-53 and less than five minutes to go, Carlisle scored six straight points on a pair of layups and two free throws and the Bears were not seriously threatened the rest of the way.
Cal also received a strong performance from senior guard Thomas Kilgore. Kilgore had been struggling from the floor, making just 34.3 percent of his attempts entering the URI contest. However, he was 3-for-6 shooting, including 1-for-1 from three-point range, and made all seven of his free throws for 14 points.
On the inside, sophomore forward Sean Lampley continues to put up big numbers. The nation's No. 4-ranked rebounder, Lampley is averaging 12.3 boards per game. He has had at least 10 rebounds three times, including a career-high 18 against Houston, and has led the Bears in all four contests he has played.
Probable Starters & Key Reserves
POS NO NAME HT YR PPG RPG NOTES
F 33 Mike Gill 6-6 Sr 11.4 5.4 First career double-double at Hawaii (14-10); team MVP in '98
F 21 Sean Lampley 6-7 So 16.2 12.3 4th in NCAA in rebounding; career-high 18 rebounds vs. Houston
C 41 Francisco Elson 7-0 Sr 7.4 5.8 Scored career-high 13 points vs. Houston (6-8 FG, 1-5 FT)
G 15 Thomas Kilgore 6-2 Sr 10.2 3.8 Leads team with 12 steals; 4 steals vs. Hawaii & Houston
G 25 Geno Carlisle 6-3 Sr 22.4 2.6 Had at least 25 points 3 times: 26 vs. Hawaii & URI, 25 vs. DePaul
G 3 Dennis Gates 6-3 Fr 4.0 0.6 Had 5 steals vs. Eastern Washington; 12 points vs. Houston (4-6 3P)
F 23 Carl Boyd 6-5 Jr 6.0 3.8 11 of 19 rebounds have been on offensive end
F 40 Shahar Gordon 6-10 Fr 2.0 3.0 Captain of Israeli Junior National Team last summer
F/C 45 Solomon Hughes 6-11 Fr 2.0 0.5 Gained eligibility from NLI Appeals Committee last Thursday
Head Coach: Ben Braun (Wisconsin '75) - 39-25 at Cal (3rd year) & 372-260 overall (22nd year)
Cal on the Radio
All California games will be broadcast on KABL Radio (960 AM) in San Francisco and KATD Radio (990 AM) in Concord with Roxy Bernstein calling the action. Each broadcast begins 20 minutes prior to tip-off with the Cal Basketball Pregame Show. After the game, head coach Ben Braun will recap the action on the Cal Basketball Postgame Show. In addition to the radio, broadcasts can be heard on the Internet at www.broadcast.com.
www.calbears.com
All Cal releases, results, statistics, box scores, schedules and coach and player information, as well as historical data, is available on the Internet at www.calbears.com. Game recaps and statistics are updated after each contest. The site also includes information on all 27 of Cal's teams.
Cal Radio on Telephone
All Cal basketball radio broadcasts during the 1998-99 season are available nationwide via telephone through TRZ Telephone Broadcast Services. Fans may access the Cal games from anywhere in the country by dialing 800-846-4700, extension 5918. The cost is 50 cents for the first minute, with decreasing rates for each addition minute.
Arena in Oakland
While Haas Pavilion is under construction on campus, Cal will play all of its home games at the Arena in Oakland. Recently renovated and expanded to 19,200 seats, the facility also serves as host to the NBA's Golden State Warriors. Cal played its first game in Oakland in 1974 and has an all-time mark of 29-18 there. The building, which was originally built in 1966, served as host of the men's NCAA West Regionals in 1990 and '95 and the women's regionals in 1998.
Cal Coach Ben Braun
Ben Braun (Wisconsin '75), who was named the 14th head coach in Cal history on Sept. 15, 1996, is in his third year in Berkeley and 22nd season as collegiate head coach. He agreed to a new eight-year contract with Cal in October 1997 that extends through the 2004-05 season. His record at Cal stands at 39-25, while his career mark, which includes 11 years at Eastern Michigan and eight seasons at Siena Heights College, is 372-260. The 1997 Pac-10 Coach of the Year and a finalist for '97 National Coach of the Year honors, Braun led the Bears to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1997. At EMU from 1985-96, the three-time MAC Coach of the Year guided the Eagles to three NCAA Tournaments and one NIT appearance with an overall record of 185-132. A native of Chicago, Braun played one year of basketball at Wisconsin-LaCrosse before transferring to Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a teaching degree in English with a minor in African-American studies in 1975. He received his master's degree in guidance and counseling from Siena Heights.
Coppin State Scouting Report
A Look at Coppin St. (1-5)
Coppin State, which will not play a home game until it hosts Morgan State Dec. 12, won its first game of the year Thursday with a 66-56 victory over Georgia State in the first round of the PowerBar Invitational in Honolulu. However, the Eagles fell to Cal State Northridge, 75-59, Friday. In addition their trip to Hawaii, Coppin State has already been to Fresno State, Oregon, Syracuse and Oklahoma this season. Senior Fred Warrick is the team's top scorer at 19.5 ppg.
Cal-Coppin State Series History
This will be the first game between Cal and Coppin State.
Coppin State Head Coach Fang Mitchell
Ron "Fang" Mitchell is in his 13th season at Coppin State, having compiled a 227-133 record. In 1997, he nearly led the Eagles to the NCAA Sweet 16. As the No. 15 seed, Coppin State beat second-seeded South Carolina, then lost to Texas, 82-81.
Probable Starters
Pos No Name Ht Wt Yr Ppg Rpg
F 23 Greg Hamond 6-6 210 Jr 3.8 1.7
F 33 Fred Warrick 6-5 185 Sr 19.5 5.0
C 40 Dorian Pena 6-6 220 Sr 5.5 6.3
G 11 Rasheem Sims 6-2 165 Fr 4.2 2.5
G 24 Jerel Seamon 6-3 180 Sr 8.7 3.2
Golden Bear Notes
Carlisle, Defense Lead Cal over Rhode Island, 71-64
Senior guard Geno Carlisle tied a season high with 26 points, including six straight late in the game, to lead Cal to a 71-64 victory over Rhode Island Saturday afternoon. The Bears trailed most of the first half, but Carlisle scored 11 points over the last 3:51 to give Cal a 35-34 lead at intermission. The Bears led by as many as nine points in the second half. After URI cut Cal's lead to 54-53 with 4:33 to play, Carlisle made back-to-back layups and a pair of free throws to push the Bears back up by seven. Senior guard Thomas Kilgore was the only other Bear in double figures with 14 points.
Lampley Ranks Fourth Nationally in Rebounds
Sophomore Sean Lampley posted double-doubles in each of his first three games this season, and as a result, he ranks fourth in the nation in rebounding. The 6-7 forward, who missed the opener while recuperating from a hand injury, grabbed 10 boards vs. Eastern Washington, a then-career-high 14 rebounds at DePaul and a current career-best 18 boards vs. Houston. Despite getting just seven caroms against Rhode Island, Lampley still led the team vs. the Rams. Lampley is trying to become the first Cal player to average at least 10 rpg for a full season since Brian Hendrick (10.7 rpg) in 1991-92.
NCAA Rebounding Leaders (through Sunday, Dec. 6)
Name G Reb Avg
1. Darren Phillip, Fairfield 6 84 14.0
2. Ken Kavanagh, Manhattan 4 51 12.8
3. K'zell Wesson, LaSalle 5 63 12.6
4. Sean Lampley, California 4 49 12.3
5. Ian Mcginnis, Dartmouth 5 60 12.0
5. Ryan Moss, Arkansas-LR 4 48 12.0
5. A.J. Bramlett, Arizona 3 36 12.0
Golden Bear Breakdown
By Class
Senior (4) - Geno Carlisle, Francisco Elson, Mike Gill, Thomas Kilgore
Junior (3) - Carl Boyd, Robbie Jones, Raymond King
Sophomore (1) - Sean Lampley
Freshman (3) - Dennis Gates, Shahar Gordon, Solomon Hughes
By Height
7-0 - Francisco Elson
6-11 - Solomon Hughes
6-10 - Shahar Gordon
6-7 - Sean Lampley
6-6 - Mike Gill
6-5 - Carl Boyd
6-3 - Geno Carlisle, Dennis Gates, Robbie Jones
6-2 - Thomas Kilgore
5-10 - Raymond King
Games* Career Starts
Francisco Elson 32 19
Raymond King 31 12
Sean Lampley 31 14
Geno Carlisle 27 24
Thomas Kilgore 26 20
Robbie Jones 25 10
Mike Gill 24 19
Carl Boyd 5 3
Dennis Gates 5 0
Shahar Gordon 5 0
Hughes 2 0
Points* Career Avg.
Geno Carlisle 506 18.7
Thomas Kilgore 322 12.4
Sean Lampley 291 9.4
Mike Gill 254 10.6
Raymond King 177 5.7
Francisco Elson 173 5.4
Robbie Jones 50 2.0
Carl Boyd 30 6.0
Dennis Gates 20 4.0
Shahar Gordon 10 2.0
Hughes 4 2.0
Rebounds* Career Avg.
Sean Lampley 190 6.1
Francisco Elson 155 4.8
Mike Gill 92 3.8
Geno Carlisle 80 3.0
Raymond King 76 2.5
Thomas Kilgore 64 2.5
Robbie Jones 43 1.7
Carl Boyd 19 3.8
Shahar Gordon 15 3.0
Dennis Gates 3 0.6
Hughes 1 0.5
Assists* Career Avg.
Raymond King 92 3.0
Thomas Kilgore 73 2.8
Geno Carlisle 65 2.4
Sean Lampley 51 1.6
Mike Gill 26 1.1
Francisco Elson 17 0.5
Robbie Jones 13 0.5
Shahar Gordon 7 1.4
Carl Boyd 5 1.0
Dennis Gates 3 0.6
Hughes 0 0.0
*Cal statistics only
Defense Key to Bears Success
Since his arrival at Cal in September 1996, head coach Ben Braun has emphasized defense to his Golden Bear teams. In his first season in Berkeley, his Bears led the Pac-10 in scoring defense - a factor that played a major role in Cal's run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Last year, with a roster that featured seven newcomers, Cal again ranked near the top of the conference, this time coming in second in scoring defense. And the 1998-99 season has started out no different. So far, the Bears are limiting opponents to just 39.1 percent from the floor, 27.7 percent from three-point range and to 66.8 ppg overall. In addition, Cal owns a +5.6 per game turnover differential, has blocked 25 shots (5.0 per game) and picked off 49 steals (9.8 per game). No opponent has made more than 33.3 percent of its three-point attempts in any game, and the Bears have forced at least 20 turnovers four times (all wins).
Bears Increase Theft Rate
Last season, guard Thomas Kilgore ranked third in the Pac-10 with an average of 2.14 steals per game, becoming only the third player in school history to average at least 2.0 steals (Jason Kidd in both 1993 and '94 and Gene Ransom in '78 are the others). This year, Kilgore is ahead of his '97-98 pace with 12 steals (3.0 per game), including four against both Hawaii and Houston. However, he has some competition for the team lead, as senior forward Mike Gill is right behind with 11 steals (2.8 per game). In addition, freshman guard Dennis Gates has eight steals, including five vs. Eastern Washington. As a team, the Bears have accumulated 49 steals (9.8 per game) with a high of 13 against EWU.
Cal Making Most of Three-Point Opportunities
Last year, Cal struggled from three-point range, shooting only 30.5 percent from beyond the arc to rank last in the Pac-10. But this season, the Bears are a much improved team from long range, shooting 37.9 percent (25-66) as a group. Although not to be confused for a bunch of long-range bombers, Cal does have four players capable of being dangerous three-point threats. Senior guard Geno Carlisle paces the squad with nine treys on the year (22 attempts, 40.9%), while senior forward Mike Gill (5-11, 45.5%), senior guard Thomas Kilgore (5-12, 41.7%) and freshman guard Dennis Gates (5-15, 33.3%) are right behind. The Bears had their best night from beyond the arc against Houston when they went 9-for-18 (50.0%).
Hughes Gains Eligibility for 1998-99 Season
Cal freshman Solomon Hughes received official clearance to play from the National Letter of Intent Appeals Committee last Thursday, and Hughes was in uniform when the Bears hosted Houston that night. A 6-11, 225-pound center/forward from Carson, Calif., Hughes originally signed a National Letter in Intent with Tulane in November 1996. However, he never enrolled at the school, opting to attend Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia last year. In the spring of 1998, Hughes signed a letter to attend Cal, although he had not received a release from Tulane. Under National Letter of Intent policy, Hughes would have had to sit out the 1998-99 season and lose a year of eligibility. After the National Letter of Intent Steering Committee initially upheld that rule, the NLI Appeals Committee overturned that decision, making Hughes eligible immediately. Considered one of the top post prospects in the country coming out of high school, Hughes averaged 19 points and 12 rebounds at Bishop Montgomery HS in Torrance, Calif., during the 1996-97 season. Hughes has been working out with the Cal team since practice began in mid-October. He had a block in two minutes of action against Houston, but improved to four points and a rebound in 13 minutes vs. Rhode Island.
Second Half Surges the Norm for Cal
So far this season, Cal has scored more points in the second half than in the first half in every game. The Bears are averaging 37.8 ppg over the first 20 minutes, but raise that rate to 41.2 ppg after intermission. Cal's highest first half output came against Eastern Washington when the Bears scored 46 points. However, they topped that with a season-best 48 points in the second half.
Pac-10 Standings
Pac-10 Overall
USC 0-0 5-0
Arizona 0-0 4-0
California 0-0 4-1
Oregon 0-0 3-1
Oregon State 0-0 3-1
Stanford 0-0 4-2
Washington 0-0 4-2
UCLA 0-0 4-2
Arizona State 0-0 3-4
Washington St. 0-0 3-4
This Week in the Pac-10
Dec. 7 - Coppin State at California; Stanford vs. George Washington
Dec. 8 - Washington at Gonzaga; BYU at Washington State; Stephen F. Austin at Arizona State
Dec. 9 - Loyola Marymount at USC
Dec. 12 - Portland State at Oregon; UNLV at UCLA; USC at Kansas
Pac-10 Teleconferences
The Pac-10 will hold media-only teleconferences with Pac-10 head coaches nine times throughout the 1998-99 season. Media should call the Pac-10 office at 925-932-4411 to obtain the number. To listen to the teleconference on a taped replay, call 402-633-6900. Below are the teleconference dates for this season:
Wednesday, Dec. 16
Tuesday, Jan. 12
Tuesday, Jan. 19
Tuesday, Jan. 26
Tuesday, Feb. 2
Tuesday, Feb. 9
Tuesday, Feb. 16
Tuesday, Feb. 23
Tuesday, March 2
The order of coaches is as follows:
10:35 a.m. Henry Bibby, USC
10:42 a.m. Kevin Eastman, WSU
10:49 a.m. Steve Lavin, UCLA
10:56 a.m. Ernie Kent, Oregon
11:03 a.m. Ben Braun, Cal
11:10 a.m. Lute Olson, Arizona
11:17 a.m. Eddie Payne, OSU
11:24 a.m. Rob Evans, ASU
11:31 a.m. Bob Bender, Washington
11:38 a.m. M. Montgomery, Stanford
11:45 a.m. Selected player
Carlisle Coming Up Big in Clutch
Senior guard Geno Carlisle may be leading Cal with 22.4 ppg this season, but it is the manner in which he has put up those numbers that tells the whole story. Carlisle has scored 31 of his 112 points in the final five minutes of games or 27.7 percent of his total in the last 12.5 percent of games. He had six points down the stretch in a 71-60 victory at Hawaii, and although Cal eventually lost, Carlisle scored seven of his 25 points in the last five minutes at DePaul. Perhaps his biggest contribution came Saturday against Rhode Island, when he totaled nine of his 26 points in the last five minutes, including six straight to extend Cal's 54-53 lead to 60-53. Overall, Carlisle is shooting near 50 percent from the floor (37-75, 49.3%) and is at 41.7 percent (9-22) from three-point range. Those numbers are much higher than last year, when he shot 43.3 percent from the floor and 34.2 percent from behind the arc.
Haas Pavilion to Open for '98-99 Season
Cal will open the 1998-99 season in a new on-campus arena - the Walter A. Haas Jr. Pavilion. The facility, which is being built on the site of the former Harmon Gym, will have a capacity of 12,300 - up from 6,578 in Harmon - and is named in honor of Walter and Evelyn Haas, who donated a lead gift of $10 million. Construction on the $50 million project got underway in the summer of 1997. The Bears played in Harmon Gym for 64 seasons (1933-97) and compiled a 588-300 record there. The final game at the facility came on March 6, 1997 when Cal defeated Arizona State, 84-66.
Golden Bear Notes
Cal will play in the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, next November; in addition to Cal and host Alaska-Fairbanks, the other teams in the tournament are Wichita State, Houston, TCU, Texas A&M, Montana State and George Washington ... 20 of Cal's 28 games will be televised this year ... senior center Francisco Elson and freshman center Shahar Gordon attended Pete Newell's Big Man Camp in Hawaii over the summer ... also during the summer, Carl Boyd was a member of the Dream Team that captured the title in the San Francisco Pro-Am League.
Updated Player Profiles
Carl Boyd
Started Cal's first three games this season ... had a good all-around debut at Hawaii with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists ... scored 11 points (3-5 FG, 5-5 FT) in 16 minutes vs. Eastern Washington.
Career Highs
Points: 11 vs. Eastern Washington, 11/25/98
Rebounds: 5 at Hawaii, 11/15/98 & vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Assists: 3 at Hawaii, 11/15/98
Blocks: 0
Steals: 2 at DePaul, 11/28/98
Geno Carlisle
Carlisle has led Cal in scoring 4 times, including a high of 26 at Hawaii and vs. Rhode Island ... also scored 25 points at DePaul ... starts at point guard after playing off-guard last year ... had a career-high 6 assists vs. Houston.
Career Highs
Points: 31 at UCLA, 2/14/98
Rebounds: 6 vs. USC, 1/17/98 & vs. Stanford, 2/4/98
Assists: 6 vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Blocks: 1 many times, last vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Steals: 3 at Oregon State, 1/5/98 & vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Francisco Elson
Elson had one of the best games of his career with 10 points (all in 2nd half) and eight rebounds at Hawaii ... also tied a career high with 3 blocks in that game ... had an even better outing vs. Houston with 13 points and 9 rebounds.
Career Highs
Points: 13 vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Rebounds: 17 vs. Virginia Commonwealth, 12/29/97
Assists: 4 at Oregon State, 1/5/98
Blocks: 3 many times, last vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Steals: 2 many times, last vs. Rhode Island, 12/5/98
Dennis Gates
Gates is a defensive specialist who is third on the team with 8 steals ... had a high of 5 steals vs. Eastern Washington ... scored 12 points (4-6 3P) vs. Houston.
Career Highs
Points: 12 vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Rebounds: 3 vs. Eastern Washington, 11/25/98
Assists: 2 vs. Eastern Washington, 11/25/98
Blocks: 2 at DePaul, 11/28/98
Steals: 5 vs. Eastern Washington, 11/25/98
Mike Gill
Gill recorded the first double-double of his career with 14 points and a career-best 10 rebounds at Hawaii ... has scored in double figures 3 times ... second on team with 11 steals ... also third on team with 5.4 rpg ... 5-for-11 (45.5%) on 3-pointers.
Career Highs
Points: 18 vs. St. Mary's, 11/29/97 & vs. USC, 1/17/98
Rebounds: 10 at Hawaii, 11/15/98
Assists: 3 vs. Stanford, 2/4/98 & vs. Rhode Island, 12/5/98
Blocks: 3 vs. Eastern Washington, 11/25/98
Steals: 5 vs. St. Mary's, 11/29/97
Solomon Hughes
Hughes received clearance from the National Letter of Intent Appeals Committee Thursday to be able to play during the 1998-99 season ... missed the first three games while waiting on the results of the appeal ... played 13 minutes vs. URI.
Career Highs
Points: 4 vs. Rhode Island, 12/5/98
Rebounds: 1 vs. Rhode Island, 12/5/98
Assists: 0
Blocks: 1 vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Steals: 1 vs. Rhode Island, 12/5/98
Shahar Gordon
Gordon scored 4 points against both Hawaii and Eastern Washington ... fourth on team with 7 assists with at least one in each game ... 75.0% (6-8) free throw shooter.
Career Highs
Points: 4 at Hawaii, 11/15/98 & vs. E. Washington, 11/25/98
Rebounds: 7 vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Assists: 3 vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Blocks: 1 vs. Eastern Washington, 11/25/98
Steals: 1 vs. Rhode Island, 12/5/98
Robbie Jones
Walk-on has played in 2 of 5 games ... had 2 points, 3 rebounds and an assist in 7 minutes at Hawaii.
Career Highs
Points: 11 vs. Oregon, 3/7/98
Rebounds: 4 many times, last vs. Oregon, 3/7/98
Assists: 3 vs. Oregon, 3/7/98
Blocks: 1 vs. Arizona, 1/31/98 & at USC, 2/12/98
Steals: 3 vs. Oregon, 3/7/98
Thomas Kilgore
Kilgore leads Cal with 19 assists (3.8 per game), including 5 at DePaul and 6 vs. Houston ... had 4 steals at Hawaii and vs. Houston ... had 14 points vs. Rhode Island (3-6 FG, 1-1 3P, 7-7 FT) ... shooting 84.2% (16-19) from free throw line.
Career Highs
Points: 21 at Washington State, 1/24/98
Rebounds: 6 vs. Eastern Washington, 11/25/98
Assists: 8 at Washington State, 1/24/98
Blocks: 1 vs. Washington St., 2/19/98 & vs. Oregon St., 3/5/98
Steals: 5 many times, last vs. Washington State, 2/19/98
Raymond King
King has seen limited action in 4 games ... best game was against Eastern Washington when he had 2 points and 2 assists in 16 minutes.
Career Highs
Points: 21 vs. Portland State, 12/18/97
Rebounds: 7 vs. New Hampshire, 12/28/97
Assists: 6 vs. Virginia Commonwealth, 12/29/97
Blocks: 0
Steals: 5 at Houston, 12/9/97
Sean Lampley
Lampley missed the Hawaii opener with a partially torn ligament in his right hand ... however, has posted double-doubles 3 times: 16-10 vs. Eastern Washington; 20-14 at DePaul; 21-18 vs. Houston ... the 18 rebounds were a career high, while the 21 points tied a career best.
Career Highs
Points: 21 at Arizona, 2/26/98 & vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Rebounds: 18 vs. Houston, 12/3/98
Assists: 5 vs. USC, 1/17/98
Blocks: 3 at USC, 2/12/98 & vs. Oregon, 3/7/98
Steals: 2 vs. New Hampshire, 12/28/97 & vs. Wash. St., 2/19/98
