Time: 8 PM PT/11 PM ET
TV: Fox Sports Net HD/Comcast Sports Net Bay Area (click here to see if your local affiliate is carrying the game)
Radio: KNEW 910 AM
Streams: Post links in comments.
Pregame material: Mike Montgomery press conference, Harper Kamp and Richard Solomon press conference
Tonight is the Pete Newell Classic, commemorating the late great Golden Bears basketball coach. GO BEARS!
Newell served as Cal's basketball coach from 1954-60, guiding the Bears to the 1959 NCAA Championship and a national runner-up finish in 1960, the same season he was voted the national coach of the year. Cal also reached the NCAA regional final in 1957 and '58 under Newell. Overall, he led the Bears to four consecutive conference titles (1957-60) while compiling a 119-44 record.
Newell also coached the 1960 U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal at the Rome Olympics. He later served as Cal's Director of Athletics from 1960-68.
Newell was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a year later. The entire 1960 Olympic team, which included former Golden Bear Darrall Imhoff in addition to Newell as head coach, was enshrined into the Naismith Hall of Fame earlier this year. Newell also earned entry into the FIBA International Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
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Also in 1987, the playing surface at Harmon Gym was renamed "Pete Newell Court" in his honor on Dec. 21, and the floor at Haas Pavilion retains that name. A statue of Newell, created by renowned sculptor Eino, was installed in the Haas Pavilion Club Room in the fall of 2006.
After the jump, an abbreviated look at Kansas.
Numbers courtesy of Warden11 at Rock Chalk Talk.
Scouting Report (?)
Stats include games through Tuesday, December 21
against D-I teams only
| Category | Offense | Defense | D-I Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adj. Efficiency: | 119.1 6 | 83.4 2 | 100.2 |
| Adj. Tempo: | 70.1 71 | 67.9 | |
| Four Factors | |||
| Effective FG%: | 60.2 2 | 41.4 10 | 48.7 |
| Turnover %: | 18.6 63 | 22.9 84 | 21.1 |
| Off. Reb. %: | 37.7 38 | 30.3 88 | 32.8 |
| FTA/FGA: | 43.8 74 | 26.6 24 | 38.0 |
| Miscellaneous Components | |||
| 3P%: | 40.4 23 | 27.1 16 | 34.1 |
| 2P%: | 60.1 1 | 41.8 33 | 47.5 |
| FT%: | 63.6 287 | 67.5 144 | 68.3 |
| Block%: | 4.9 4 | 15.2 14 | 9.3 |
| Steal%: | 8.3 66 | 12.4 35 | 9.8 |
Whoa. That's a lot of green. Doesn't look Cal has an advantage in any category--both teams are about equally poor at making free throws, and that's about it.
Alpha Dogs:
Marcus Morris: 6'8", 225 lb, power forward. 127.6 offensive rating (60th in the nation), 67.2 eFG% (16th in the nation), 66.1 true shooting % (48th), 9.4 offensive rebound % (427th), 17.1 defensive rebound % (434th), 11.6 turnover rate (143rd), 3.4 block % (370th), six fouls drawn/40 minutes (163rd), 51.5 free throw rate (287th)
Harper Kamp, this is your chance to show off what could have been if you were healthy last year heading into Allen Fieldhouse. Cal was one quality big away from a down-to-the-wire finish against Kansas. Kamp will probably have to play the game of his life against Morris and stay on the floor with him; foul trouble means impending doom.
Josh Selby: 6'2" 183 lb, guard
Selby's stats aren't readily available yet, but in his debut against a pretty good USC defense, he put up 21 points in 27 minutes, five of eight from downtown, and the go ahead shot to sink the Trojans.
((via rusty98umvids)
Selby will probably draw Jorge Gutierrez on defense. Our two best defenders need to take away the offensive efficiency of the Jayhawks two best attackers.
Both Morris and Selby are expected to go in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft next year. Slowing them down would be a major accomplishment.
Big Contributors
Markieff Morris, 6'9", 232 lb: 115.7 offensive rating (304th), 12.5 offensive rebound % (162nd), 30.5 defensive rebound % (5th), 4.8 block % (231st), 5.7 fouls drawn (241st)
While Marcus is the main offensive weapon, the other Morris twin handles most of the dirty work. Funny thing is Markieff (at 73%) is a better foul shooter than Marcus (59%). Markhuri Sanders-Frison will have his hands full trying to keep Markieff off the glass. Help us all if Robert Thurman or Richard Solomon are called upon to play their stifling brand of post defense.
Tyshawn Taylor, 6'3", 185 lb: 57.4 eFG% (224th in the nation), 60.3 TS% (232nd), 32.0 assist rate (73rd), 3.4 steal % (241st), 58.8 FT rate (161st)
Kansas's point guard isn't a super-efficient distributor--Taylor is prone to turning over the ball as much as he is setting up Jayhawks for high percentage shots. But he is capable of nailing a shot when left alone, nailing 57% of his shots on an array of jump shots and drives to the rim.
Gary Franklin and Brandon Smith will probably take turns dealing with Taylor as best they can. Smith probably has the size to play up on him, but Franklin will probably have to concede some space to keep him in front.