Cal Hoops on Verge of Breakthrough, Stanford Trending up

California Golden Bears on a Late-Season Roll

The Bears have won three of their last four matchups and missed a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, nearly toppling Florida State.

If they can continue at this pace for their final nine games, they should move into the tournament field.

It’s also important to note they’re winning matchups they were projected to lose. They were underdogs in all four of their previous contests against North Carolina, Stanford, Florida State, and Miami.

If the Bears could sweep Georgia Tech and Clemson this week, it might prove enough to tilt them into the “first four” column, but they gotta defeat the Yellow Jackets.

Cal has a NET ranking of 51 and a weak strength of schedule. Their most notable victories have come against UCLA, North Carolina, and Miami. A loss against G-Tech would be a stain on their resume.

The combination of Justin Pippen, Dai Dai Ames, John Camden, and Chris Bell has led the Golden Bears, each averaging at least 12 points. Ames leads the way with 16.6.

Pippen, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, is probably their best all-around player, averaging 15.2 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds.

California began this season 11-1, its best start in 66 years. But few will remember the start without a finish

The Bears were supposed to be outmatched when they moved to the ACC,  but they crawled out of hibernation early instead.

Stanford Coach Kyle Smith Turning Around the Cardinal

As a Washington State alum, it felt like we lost a good one when Kyle Smith departed for Stanford. Smith led the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament in over 15 years.

He also finished every season with at least a .500 record during his time at WSU, and this was when the Cougs were playing in the old Pac-12.

For reference, Ernie Kent did not have a winning season during his five-year tenure as Head Coach of the Cougars.

The NCAA Tournament may be out of reach for the Cardinal this year, but if they’re going to give themselves any chance, it starts with a victory over the Tigers tomorrow.

The rest of their schedule is favorable, which could set up as an end-of-season sprint.

Regardless, Smith, now in his second year with the Cardinal, has turned around the program just like he did in Pullman. The Tree hadn’t had a winning campaign in the three seasons before he arrived.

Even in the midst of the recent skid, they’re still 14-8. Last year, they finished their campaign with a 21-14 record. It was their first 20-win season since 2019-20.

Stanford is led by guard Ebuka Okorie, one of the best players in the West. He’s averaging 21.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.

The freshman is currently ranked 10th nationally in points scored per contest. He was overlooked coming out of high school, so Smith and his staff found some gold in the sand.

Complementing him in the backcourt is Benny Gealer, who averages 10.2 points per contest.

The Tree lost Chisom Okpara at the beginning of January with a lower extremity injury. He’ll be out for the remainder of the year.

Whether the Cardinal makes the tournament this year doesn’t determine Smith’s standing. One of the primary reasons he chose Stanford is that the university provided “Superior Resources” for his autistic son, Bo.

As someone who has coached youth basketball and worked with autistic kids for six years, I know how difficult it can be—it’s a lot harder than any basketball game I’ve coached.

Smith’s a champion not because he wins on the court, but because of the Father he is off it. Hopefully, Stanford can reward his exceptional character.