Tonight is the Cal-Pacific Men's Basketball game. Here is the broadcast information:
California Golden Bears (5-3) at Pacific Tigers (6-1)
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 7:00 p.m. (PT), Stockton Arena, Stockton, Calif.
Radio: KFRC 1550 AM TV: Big West TV
This is apparently a free audio feed.
Yes, BigWest TV. What is BigWestTV? Avi knows, because Avi knows all. Oh Omnipresent Avinash, tell us how to follow tonight's game?
The only way to watch tonight's game is by subscribing to http://www.bigwest.org/tv/ I've heard the service is kinda wonky though, so you might want to post links to the audio stream for everyone else (http://www.kfrc.com/).
Jagdip Dhillon of RecordNet takes a closer look at the game from a Pacific angle:
Thomason said his team is better on defense and more athletically equipped to guard Cal's excellent backcourt, which features point guard Jerome Randle (20 points and five assists) and Patrick Christopher (14.8 points and five rebounds). The duo combined for 42 points last year against Pacific, so Demetrece Young and Joe Ford will have to find a way to slow them down.
Christopher said zone defenses have been Cal's weakness this season.
"We aren't playing our best basketball, because some of our guys have been injured," Christopher said. "Teams have been zoning us, and trying to figure that out is something we've been trying to do as a team."
Thomason has used an attacking 3-2 zone with Ford up top at times this season, but he said the Tigers would have to guard Cal one-on-one for long stretches to be competitive.
Montgomery, who spent 18 seasons at Stanford and is in his second year at Cal, said Pacific will present a well-coached challenge for his team.
"They're not going to back off at all," Montgomery said at his weekly news conference Monday. "It's a big game for them to get a Pac-10 school in Stockton. We're going to have to be ready to play."
Farudo has a scouting report on Pacific and info on Theo's return:
Coach Mike Montgomery said Monday that Robertson probably won’t start tonight. But that will happen soon, likely in the Bears’ next game — Dec. 22 at Kansas.
"Jorge gives us such a dimension off the bench," Montgomery said of sophomore Jorge Gutierrez, who has started the past six games while Robertson let his injured right foot heal. "I like Jorge because you can plug him in at the 3, you can plug him in at the 2, you can even use him at the 1. It gives you more flexibility."
That flexibility comes into play when the Bears decide to shift to a smaller lineup. Robertson is a natural small forward, but also plays at the 4. In those situations, Jamal Boykin can move to the 5, and Gutierrez can go at any of the three perimeter spots.
"I’m not saying it’s great that Theo was out, but just to let people get a chance to be out there playing," senior point guard Jerome Randle said. "With Jorge, we see he’s able to do a lot of other things other than coming off the bench giving us a lot of defense. He can score. I think he’s better for this team right now when he comes off the bench because he’s very fiery."
Gutierrez worked hard on his shot in the off-season and he entered this week ranked second in the Pac-10 in 3-point accuracy at 53.3 percent. He’s already made as many 3-pointers (8) as all last season, when he converted just 30.8 percent.
"He’s gotten better," Montgomery said. "He’s not pure. But it’s going in, so it’s good."
Randle believes the difference is merely confidence.
"I know a lot of times he second-guesses his shots. I tell him, if I create and draw the defense and you’re open for a shot and you don’t shoot the ball, I’m going to be mad," Randle said. "He takes the shot now. He’s not hesitating. He looks pretty good now. He’s making jump shots."
GO BEARS!