Time: 6 PM PST/9 PM EST
TV: ESPN
Radio: KFRC 1550 AM
Line: Cal by 11.5 or 12.
Streams: Post links in comments
Injury report: Max Zhang (out, collapsed lung), Kevin Parrom for Arizona will also not play due to foot pain.
"You come back to school, 10, 20 years from now and you were the team that won the Pac-10 title," senior Jamal Boykin said. "That would mean a lot to me. As I look back, the teams I remember the most are the ones that were the most successful."
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"It's great to be able to break a lot of records, but it would be even greater to build a legacy," Randle said. "Maybe it would put Cal on the map, and maybe when I come back they'll have continued to win championships. Building a legacy starts right here this week."
"Honestly, it would say a lot because we've gone through so much," Christopher said of capturing the Pac-10 title. "I think it validates so much when you do win."
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"We haven't been shy about our goals this year in trying to win the (conference) championship," [Theo Robertson] said. "This is really now the time of the year where your legacy starts to be defined and written.
Nothing more to discuss about this one. Game on.
After the jump, norcalnick lets you know about the women's game.
The Cal women also take on Arizona tonight with the hopes of winning to set up a more important battle for 3rd place in the conference on Saturday. To do so the Bears will try to replicate their most dominating conference win of the season. When Arizona visited Haas in late January they were promptly run out of the gym. Cal out rebounded Arizona by 15, had a +7 turnover margin, and punished Arizona’s zone by sinking 10 three pointers. Alexis-Gray Lawson had 39 points, nine different Bears scored, and Cal enjoyed a rare twenty point blowout victory with no drama. So what needs to happen for a similar result in Tucson? Here are some quick keys to the game:
1) Win the zone chess match. Previously Cal came in with the deliberate game plan of looking for open threes and subsequently shot 10-28, nearly double the amount they usually attempt. If Arizona’s zone is still collapsing on the inside game, Cal will have to take their chances from beyond the arc. If so, look for Rachelle Federico to again get significant minutes. If Arizona tries to extend the zone past the three point line Cal’s guards will have to attack the lane or get the ball to Stallworth, Brandon and Caldwell down low. I don’t think Arizona is capable of taking both inside and outside away, but Cal must recognize and take what the zone gives them.
2) Whyte and Ibekwe – make one of them have a bad game. Davellyn Whyte (16.5 ppg) and Ify Ibekwe (14 ppg, 11.6 rpg) make up one of the better scoring tandems in the conference, but they don’t usually get tons of help. If both are on their game Arizona can play with just about anybody. Cal held Whyte to 11 points last time and cruised to victory. Take one of them away and Arizona is in big trouble.
3) Run Arizona ragged and get them in foul trouble. Arizona essentially has a 6 player rotation, with each of the 6 averaging at least 25 minutes per game. If Cal can get a few of those players in foul trouble or push the tempo to make fatigue an issue they can put Arizona in a situation where they have to rely on minutes from an inexperienced bench.