Read more for our full Virginia vs Cal prediction and preview.
Virginia basketball heads to the Pacific Coast for an ACC battle against Cal. Both teams last played Saturday; the Cavaliers lost to Louisville, while the Golden Bears fell to Clemson.
General Information:
Teams: Virginia (8-6, 1-2 ACC) and Cal (7-7, 0-3 ACC)
Tip time: 11 p.m. EST
Watch: ESPN2
Listen: Virginia Sports Radio Network
Latest on Cal basketball:
Cal welcomes Virginia having lost three straight and six of its last seven. Last time out, the Golden Bears lost 80-68 to Clemson. Cal trailed by three at half, but the Tigers went on a 12-2 run in the second half to put the game out of reach.
For as bad — by UVA’s standards — as Virginia’s defense has been at times, the Golden Bears’ has been even worse. Cal is giving up 1.08 points per possession this year, which is 276th in the nation and dead last in the ACC. During this stretch where they’ve lost six of seven, the Golden Bears have given up at least points in five of the six losses.
However, Cal makes up for it with an offense that loves to crash the offensive glass. The Golden Bears have grabbed an offensive rebound 33.5% of the time, good for 40th in the country. With senior center Mady Sissoko 15th in the conference at 6.6 rebounds per game and junior forward Lee Dort averaging 5.6 boards per contest, the Golden Bears are effective at getting second chance opportunities.
Cal’s offense is led by sophomore guard Andrej Stojakovic, who scored 30 points in the loss to Clemson. The son of NBA legend Peja Stojakovic, Andrej ranks second in the ACC with 19.9 points per game. Just like his dad, Andrej shoots the three well, taking 4.9 per game and making them at a 36.8% clip. In addition, Andrej gets to the rim and finishes over smaller guards with his 6-foot-7-inch, 205-pound frame. The Cavs will have their hands full trying to contain him.
Latest on Virginia basketball:
The Cavaliers are coming off a 70-50 loss to Louisville on Saturday. Virginia trailed by five at halftime and two early in the second half, but the Cardinals ended the game on a 18-5 run over the last seven minutes to put the game out of reach. It was a demoralizing loss for a program and a fanbase that seemed to pick up some energy after the comeback win over NC State on Dec. 31.
The Cavaliers struggled in all facets. They shot under 40% from the field and under 20% from behind the three-point line. Virginia went 5-15 on layups and had just two bench points. Defensively, the Cavaliers failed to secure rebounds. Louisville had 14 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Virginia 42-25.
Then, interim head coach Ron Sanchez said Monday that redshirt freshman point guard Christian Bliss had made the decision to not be on the court with the team. Sanchez said Bliss had “the opportunity to step on the floor and practice,” but had chosen not to. It was a gut punch to a program that had already had a couple of gut punches this year, especially to its guards. For a team that has committed turnovers on over 18% of its possessions and has struggled to create shots, having another true point guard like Bliss could’ve been a big help.
Junior guard Isaac McKneely should have a big game tonight. A three-point specialist, McKneely should get a lot of opportunities against a Golden Bears team that struggles to defend the three. But for the Cavs to win tonight and eventually get back into the mix of things in the ACC, they need to secure the defensive rebound. It’ll be a tough game and a very late night for Virginia fans on the East Coast, but Virginia should pull it out.