Cal Basketball: Bears Forge An Historic Stretch of Ball Security

With Stanford coming to Haas on Friday night, Cal has given up its lowest 4-game turnover total since at least 2010-11.

Cal’s work-in-progress defense will be tested Friday night by a Stanford team that put up 100 points in a win over Arizona last month and scored 90 a week ago to beat Washington.

But the Bears’ offense has benefitted recently from a four-game stretch of ball security better than any the program has produced the past 14 seasons and unmatched by any Pac-12 team this season.

The Bears (7-12, 3-5) and Cardinal (10-8, 5-3) tip off at 7 p.m. Friday night at Haas Pavilion. The game will be televised by FS1.

Cal has coughed up just 21 turnovers the past four games, with no more than seven in any game and a season-low four in its win over Washington State last Saturday.

Only one other Pac-12 team has assembled a four-game stretch with fewer than 31 giveaways, and that was Oregon 26. Stanford’s lowest turnover total over any four games is 36. Arizona has done no better than 40 over four games.

Over their first 15 games, the Bears gave up 13.4 turnovers per outing. The improvement to 5.25 represents the best four-game span Cal has recorded dating back to at least the 2010-11 season.

Coach Mark Madsen credits the difference to two things, starting with continuity in the lineup. The Bears used six different starting fives over their first 12 games, but have settled into the static group.

“Early in the season we had a lot of people coming and going with injuries, eligibility. We were thrusting people into new roles, playing people in positions that maybe have never done that,” he said. “Guys are settling into their roles better.”

The reality is that other than senior Davin Askew — now out for the season with a foot injury — the Bears have no true point guards among their veteran players. Jaylon Tyson, a natural wing, has most often handled the ball, with fellow senior transfer Jalen Cone and freshman Rodney Brown Jr., also taking turns.

The second component, Madsen believes, is simply the fact that ball security has been a priority emphasized daily in practice. “Guys have really embraced that it’s an important thing, to take care of the ball,” he said.

Cone agrees players have taken a more urgent approach to fixing the problem as the season unfolded.

“We were playing kind of careless basketball, being relaxed,” Cone said. “I think guys know what’s at stake this season and guys are playing harder and playing with more enthusiasm. Playing with more togetherness and really trusting each other.

“It’s a new group and there were some growing pains, but us building that team camaraderie and playing together and trusting one another has helped us take care of the basketball.”

Madsen said cutting down on turnovers provides dual benefits, not only leading to more shot attempts but limiting the easy ones for the opposition.

"If you have 10 live-ball turnovers, guess what . . . that’s eight to 10 layups at the other end that are undefended, or minimally defended,” he explained. “So, by taking care of the ball you’re going to hopefully get a shot up and it actually helps your defense.”

Cover photo of Cal guard Jaylon Tyson by Darren Yamashita, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo