I really shouldn't have photos like this. Haas should be packed, so that there is no space right on the Bench. They shouldn't be letting old, crusty alums like me down into the courtside area.

But, for whatever reason, the packed Haas that we saw against Stanford and Arizona went away for ASU. Now, I know that ASU is a bad team compared to Stanford and Arizona. And I know that we had a gut punch game against Arizona. I get that.

Still, though, this is a potential Pac-12 championship team with many exciting players and a great coach on a gorgeous Saturday in early February. The game is late enough that all the hung over students coulda still made it. And early enough that you easily could have drunk afterwards!

So, I don't know. All I do know is that when I determined that space was available, I took advantage. And got some closer shots than normal! Enjoy!

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Amidst the ongoing discussion of the Pac-12's terrible, horrible no good very bad season, it's worth remembering the massive attrition that pretty much every team has suffered through. So as a public service, here is a chart attempting to organize every player that was on the roster of a conference team last season and for reasons other than graduation, has missed time this year:

This chart is almost assuredly incomplete. I doubt I have every single player that has been injured, and there were probably some low-profile transfers that I'm unaware of. I also didn't bother including players who transferred more than a year ago because that would take too long, which removes a full roster of former Bruins, amongst many other potential impact players. If you see a player from your favorite team that needs to be added to this chart, put it in the comments and I'll edit it in. Then, whenever somebody asks you why the Pac-12 is so bad, or makes fun of the conference, you can direct them here and tell them that 80% of last year's Pac-10 all-conference 1st and 2nd team haven't played all season.

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I'll be honest - breaking down the events in Cal's 68-47 win don't really interest me. The game went almost exactly as pretty much everybody expected it to, which means that it was over very quickly. The Bears started the game on a 13-1 run and led the rest of the way by double digits. The lead was up to 18 at the half and reached 30 on a Robert Thurman dunk with 9 minutes left in the game. Nine different Bears scored, which is one more than Sun Devils who played in the game. It was over as soon as it started.

The simple reality is that Arizona St. is so depleted that Cal didn't need to do anything extraordinary to get the win. Without a point guard, the Sun Devils committed 20 turnovers, and only 5 of those were recorded as Cal steals. Play basic, solid defense and ASU will throw the ball away on their own.

Allen Crabbe led the way with 19 points, and he clearly enjoyed facing a not-particularly-intimidating zone defense rather than the typical tight man defense that most teams have used to deny him outside looks. The rest of the starters all contributed solid minutes and then enjoyed a restful 2nd half - Jorge's 28 minutes led the team, and Justin Cobbs and David Kravish didn't even have to play 20 minutes.

In fact, easily the biggest concern was the health of Crabbe and Harper Kamp, who both picked up seemingly innocuous injuries (ankle and finger respectively) but nonetheless had precautionary X-rays. Monty isn't worried about it, so there's no reason for us to worry either. The fact that both players played after their injuries and proceeded to make shots is as good a sign as any.

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Not much to say about this one - Cal took care of business in very clinical fashion, and as a result the bench got a ton of playing time. ASU turned it over 20 times, and Cal overcame some early sloppiness to pull away. The final score flattered the Sun Devils, who trailed by 30 for most of the 2nd half.

Well done Bears, and good luck in L.A. We may not be front-runners in title the race any more, but we're still right in it.

When: 2:00 pm PT
TV: CSNCA
Radio: KNEW 910
Streams: Check the comments
Gametracker

It's bounce back time. Beat the Sun Devils, then move on and pillage L.A. Go Bears!

So . . . that last game didn’t go as planned. But I have good news – our next game is Cal vs. point-guard-less U, otherwise known as Arizona St. The Sun Devils are one of a few different symbols for why the Pac-12 hasn’t been so good. A hell-storm of injuries, academic issues and transfers have left a roster bereft of depth, talent and experience. Yet despite it all ASU actually has three conference wins. Why can’t I quit you, Pac-12?

Usually I wait until after the jump to start talking stats, but for Arizona St. one number utterly defines their season: A turnover percentage of 25.7, the 8^th worst in the nation. Take that, Stetson! The Sun Devils turn the ball over once every four possessions, a stunning number for a major conference team. In an 11 point loss to Fairfield, ASU turned the ball over 35% of the time! Could you imagine watching that? But that’s what happens when you have no point guards on the roster.

ASU’s best player by a wide margin is Trent Lockett, but he’s out. That leaves just seven available scholarship players and a serious lack of guard depth. ONE OF US! Except the guards that ASU still has aren't Jorge Gutierrez or Allen Crabbe, so neener-neener.

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Well, not going to lie, that was a tough loss last night. Cal battled and fought and scratched against an athletic Wildcat team. It came down to the last moments, but, unfortunately, Cal could not pull it out. But it was an enthusiastic crowd with a energized performance.

Hopefully, Cal can carry that energy and enthusiasm over into tomorrow's game against the Arizona State Sun Devils. Arizona State is, fortunately, not that good of a team. Cal should (emphasis on the should) beat them quite handedly. But there is a difference from "on paper" and "at Haas." I'll be out there cheering on our Golden Bears tomorrow afternoon and I hope you guys will, too. The atmosphere at Haas has been electric on this homestand and I hope it continues tomorrow.

To find out more about our Devilish opponents, I spoke with resident expert House Of Sparky. We did that classic Q+A where we give them questions and they provide answers. What more could you want? See their answers to our questions after the jump. Many thanks to House Of Sparky and GO BEARS!

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THE THURMANATOR! He is here and ready to take on Arizona! Coming off the red hot victory against Stanford, Cal MBB welcomes the boys in red, white, and blue to Haas. Can the scene be as red hot as Sunday night's packed house? Who knows, but the place should still be closed to packed. And if you are heading out, do not forget to wear your gold shirt for the GOLD OUT!

To learn more about the Arizona Wildcast, we talked to our brethren over at AZDesertSwarm. They are all about all things Wildcat! All around awesome guy K_Zim was kind enough to answer some questions for us. So, check out their answers to our questions after the jump. GO BEARS and GOLD OUT!

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