Cal Basketball: USF Game Preview

Bears are playing on the Hilltop campus for the first time since 1997-98

CAL (5-2) vs. SAN FRANCISCO (7-2)

WHERE: War Memorial Gym, San Francisco

WHEN: Wednesday, 8 p.m.

TV/RADIO: CBS Sports Network/810-AM

CAL-SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY: Cal leads 46-31 in a series that began in the 1914-15 season. USF won 79-60 in Berkeley last season, although Cal has prevailed in seven of the past 10. This is the first matchup between the programs in San Francisco since 1997-98, when the Dons prevailed 59-50.

CAL STORYLINES: The Bears have been off since a week ago Tuesday when they beat UC Davis 72-66. Cal is 5-0 at home and 0-2 in neutral-site games, although their matchups against then-No. 1 Duke and Texas at Madison Square Garden featured by far their toughest opponents. . . . Cal’s defense, which ranks ninth in the Pac-12, allowing 67.6 points per game, will be tested by a USF team that has topped 80 points six times and twice reached 100. . . . Cal continues to lead the Pac-12 in 3-point accuracy, converting 43.4 percent to rank fourth nationally. A year ago, the Bears were seventh in the Pac-12 at just 35.0 percent. . . . Sophomore Matt Bradley, who is sixth in the conference in scoring (18.3), has made 50 percent of his 3-point attempts. Forward Grant Anticevich leads the Pac-12 at 61 percent, having made 9 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc.

SAN FRANCISCO STORYLINES: The Dons won their first seven games under first-year coach Todd Golden, who served the past three years as a top assistant to Kyle Smith. USF was 63-40 and won at least 20 games all three seasons under Smith, who now is head coach at Washington State. . . . USF won six home games and beat Southern Illinois on the road to open the season before falling 85-75 at Hawaii last Friday. The Dons also started 7-0 a year ago before losing to Buffalo in Northern Ireland. . . .

The Dons are playing their second home game in as many nights against a Pac-12 opponent after losing to Arizona State 71-67 at home on Tuesday night. . . . USF is scoring 84.9 points per game to rank ninth nationally, but had a season-low against ASU. . . . Top players are junior point guard Jamaree Bouyea (15.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.2 apg) and junior guard Charles Minlend (14.7 ppg) lead the scoring, while senior 7-footer Jimbo Lull (11.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 5-for-8 on threes) has become something of an inside-outside threat.

CAL GAME NOTES: Click here

SAN FRANCISCO GAME NOTES: Click here

* Coach Mark Fox talks in the video below about the defensive play of freshman center Lars Thiemann