Cal Basketball: Bears Open Pac-12 Schedule Dec. 3 vs. Arizona State
Cal will open its 2020-21 Pac-12 men's basketball schedule at home against Arizona State on Dec. 3, followed by a road contest at UCLA on Dec. 6, according to the 20-game conference schedule announced by the Pac-12 on Thursday.
Those two games were among the 12 games that were added to the original Pac-12 schedule in this transitional season based on the NCAA's shift in the season's start date to Nov. 25. The remaining Pac-12 games will be played after Dec. 30.
No fans will be permitted at games through December, although the decision to not allow fans will be revisited based upon health and safety considerations in January 2021.
The Bears currenty are not practicing because a member of the Cal basketball team recently tested positive for COVID-19. The program could be shut down for up to two weeks, which will limit Cal's preparation for the coming season.
Cal's nonconference schedule has not been announced, although a game against Dixie State reportedly is among the games that will be played before the start of the Pac-12 schedule.
The week that Cal's other 18 Pac-12 games will be played was also announced Thursday, although specific dates and times for those games will be announced after selections by the league's television partners are finalized. All 20 of Cal's conference games will be televised by either Pac-12 Network, ESPN/2, ESPNU, FOX, FS1 or CBS.
The Pac-12 season will conclude March 6 or 7, ahead of the 2021 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas from March 10-13.
Cal plays USC and Arizona only once each this season, but faces the nine other Pac-12 teams twice -- once home and once away.,
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Cal's Pac-12 conference added December Games:
December 3 -- vs. Arizona State
December 6 -- at UCLA
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Cal's Pac-12 Weekly matchups
Week of Dec. 30 - Jan. 3 -- Oregon/Oregon State
Week of Jan. 6-10 -- Vs. Washington/Washington State
Week of Jan. 13-17 -- at Colorado/Utah
Week of Jan. 20-24 -- vs. USC/UCLA
Wekk of Jan. 27-31 -- at Arizona/Arizona State
Week of Feb. 3-7 -- vs. Stanford
Week Feb. 10-14 -- vs. Colorado/Utah
Week of Feb. 17-21 -- at Washington/Washington State
Week of Feb. 24-28 -- vs. Oregon/Oregon State
Week of March 6-7 -- at Stanford
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Here are the 12 Pac-12 games that were added in November and December:
Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020 – Stanford at USC
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020 – Colorado at Arizona; Oregon State at Washington State
Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020 – Arizona State at Cal; UCLA at Oregon; Washington at Utah
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020 – Washington State at Colorado; USC at Oregon State
Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 – Utah at Arizona State; Cal at UCLA; Oregon at Washington
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020 – Arizona at Stanford
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Cal went 14-18 overall and 7-11 in the Pac-12 last season in Mark Fox's first year as the Bears' head coach.
Matt Bradley, Cal's top scorer last season at 17.5 points per game, is one of two starters from last year's team, the other being forward Grant Anticevich. Center Lars Thiemann and guard Joel Brown started 18 and 17 games, respectively last year as freshmen.
The Bears are expecting immediate help in the backcourt from grad transfers Makale Foreman and Ryan Betley, and Cal is still awaiting word as to whether Jarred Hyder, a transfer from Fresno State who would be a sophomore this season, will be eligible to play this season.
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