Cal Basketball: Bears Seeking Third Straight Win as Colorado Pays Visit to Haas

Golden Buffaloes have won three in a row after Tuesday victory at Oregon State.

COLORADO (16-9, 9-7) at CAL (11-15, 4-11)

WHERE: Haas Pavilion, Berkeley

WHEN: Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

TV/RADIO: Pac-12 Network/810-AM

CAL-COLORADO HISTORY: Colorado leads the series 20-17, but the Bears have a 14-2 edge in games played at Berkeley . . . The teams are meeting for the first time this season. A year ago, they squared off three times, each winning on its home floor before CU beat Cal 61-58 at the Pac-12 tournament.

CAL STORYLINES: Following a 10-game losing streak, the Bears are coming off a sweep of two games in Oregon, marking the first time they’ve won consecutive conference games since the 2019-20 season and the first time they’ve done it on the road since taking two in Washington during the 2015-16 season. Cal had not swept the Oregon schools on the road since 2013-14 . . . The Bears tightened their defense in Oregon, allowing just 62.5 points per game after allowing 77.5 the previous six games. The Beavers and Ducks made just 23.5 percent from the 3-point arc compared to 40 percent by the Bears’ six previous foes.  . . . Cal had won nine straight home games before its recent skid, where the Bears dropped five in a row at Haas . . . Senior transfer Jordan Shepherd (14.6 points) scored a career-high 33 in the Saturday at Oregon. It was the most points scored by a Pac-12 player this season and the most by a Golden Bear since Don Coleman had 35 during the 2017-18 season. Shepherd talks in the video immediately above about his hand injury  . . . Sophomore guard Jalen Celestine (7.2 points) has ramped up his production, averaging 10.7 points and shooting 45 percent on 3’s the past six games . . . Junior center Lars Thiemann, who has started the past five games since Kelly suffered a season-ending ankle injury, is producing 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field in those games.

COLORADO STORYLINES: The Buffaloes won 90-54 at Oregon State on Tuesday in the first of three road games over a span of five days Colorado shot 50 percent from the field and outrebounded the Beavers 45-25. Coach Tad Boyle, looking ahead to Cal, said, "We have to have great energy Thursday and be ready to rock and roll."  . . . Sophomore forward Jabari Walker (14.5 points, conference-leading 9.2 rebounds) tied a career-high with 24 points (including 10-for-10 on free throws) and grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds for his fourth consecutive double-double and his 13th of the season. The 6-foot-9 native of Inglewood is averaging 18.0 points and 12.7 rebounds over the past four outings, and has made all 21 of his free throws the past three games . . . Fox shares his impressions of Walker in the video above. . . Walker scored 23 points in CU’s home win over Cal last season then did not play in the matchup at Berkeley . . . Senior forward Evan Battey (11.2 points) and sophomore guard Keeshawn Bathelemy (11.1 points) are the only other two CU players scoring in double figures . . . Colorado, tied for seventh in the Pac-12, has won its past three games, but two of them were over Oregon State and the other vs. Utah, teams that occupy the two bottom rungs of the conference standings . . . CU leads the Pac-12 in 3-point accuracy (35.9 percent).

CAL GAME NOTES: Click here

COLORADO GAME NOTES: Click here

Cover photo of Colorado forward Jabari Walker by James Snook, USA Today

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