With apologies to Big Game, this really is a big game for both of these teams. They both seem destined to be involved in a season-long dogfight among middle-of-the-pack ACC teams. A Stanford win could get them into a tie for 4th place in the ACC at the close of action today - a loss could drop them as far as a tie for 11th. Getting a win to get to 4-3 in ACC play would also be a big lift going into a tough trip to Miami & FSU next week. Stanford is favored by 4.5 and the over/under is 145.5 - making the implied score 75-70.5.
Both teams go into this game with 14-5 records. Cal is 2-4 in ACC play and 0-3 in road games. Breaking each teams records down by Quad 1-4 wins & losses: Stanford is 4-2/2-0/3-3/5-0, while Cal is 2-4/0-1/5-0/6-0 (their 14th win was over Div II Dominican). Little separates the two teams in most rating systems. Stanford & Cal ratings are: 77 & 76 (Kenpom), 70 & 68 (Bart Torvik), 55 & 64 (Massey), 85 & 81 (ESPN BPI), and 68 & 60 (NET). Various sources that publish ACC "power ratings" have Stanford ranked 8, 9, or 10 - Cal is ranked 10 or 11. So these teams seem to have much more in common than each being the one-time home of the peripatetic Andrej Stojakovic.
In terms of teams stats, again the teams are remarkably similar - especially when comparing stats for the ACC games only, where Cal & Stanford have faced the same opposition. Stanford has a slight edge in both scoring and rebounding margins. Stanford has had some real struggles on the boards in ACC games, but maybe the big guys will have a somewhat easier time today after going up against 6 of the top 7 ACC rebounding teams in the past 3 weeks. One stat where Cal has a decided edge is free throw percentage - 80.0-71.6. Hopefully that won't be the difference in what should be a tight game.
If you watched Cal in Stanford's three victories over them last season, you won't recognize much about this year's team. The only two returnees in their current rotation are Lee Dort & DJ Campbell. A third returnee, Rytis Petraitis is out for the season (another similarity between these teams as they both have lost a key player, Petraitis & Chisom Okpara, to injury).
Expected starting line-up for Cal:
#7 Dai Dai Ames (6'2/190 Jr G) Like Stojakovic, Ames is a 3-for-3 guy - a year at Kansas State, a year at UVa (where he started for the Cavs in a losing effort at Maples last season). Leads the Bears with 17.4ppg (8th in ACC) & 49.4% shooting (#9 ACC)
#10 Justin Pippin (6'3/190 So G) Scottie's kid. Sierra Canyon HS grad who spent his freshman year at Michigan. Leads team with 4.1apg (#12 ACC), scores 14.6ppg, has 2.1 steals/game (#2 ACC).
#34 Lee Dort (6'10/235 Sr F) 7.8rpg (#10 ACC), scores 8.0ppg. Also averages more than 3 fouls/game.
#2 John Camden (6'8/220 Gr F) Like Cammann & Okorie, a grad of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Played at Memphis, Va Tech, & Delaware. 13.4ppg. 2.6 3s/game (#6 ACC) on 39.2% shooting (#3 ACC).
#22 Chris Bell (6'7/195 Sr F) De La Salle grad, spent 3 years at Syracuse where he started 75 games (another guy who experienced a loss at Maples last season). 12.0ppg. Leads ACC with 90.1% on free throws.
Cal is pretty reliant on their starting five. Ames, Pippin, & Camden are all in the top-25 in the ACC for minutes/game. Every starter averages at least 24 minutes/game. Ames, Pippin, Camden, & Bell have combined for 148 3s - the rest of the team has 21.
Other players in the rotation are:
#3 TT Carr (6'1/170 Fr G) Redwood HS (Mill Valley) grad
#8 Milos Ilic (6'10/240 Gr C) Transfer with 4 years at Loyola Md.
#1 DJ Campbell (6'3/205 Sr G) Missed 10 games with a groin injury and now averaging 13 min/game - down from 26 last season.
#21 Nolan Dorsey (6'5/210 Gr G) Played at New Mexico (1 season), Holy Cross (2), & Campbell (2), where he was Coastal Athletic Association Defensive PoY.
Even in seasons where these teams seem to be mismatched, this rivalry typically results in very competitive games. And this season, they seem to be pretty evenly matched. There should be another large & loud crowd at Maples today. You've gotta love Mark Madsen, but hopefully Stanford can continue to make his life miserable with their 6th straight win (& 7th consecutive at Maples) over the Bears.
Both teams go into this game with 14-5 records. Cal is 2-4 in ACC play and 0-3 in road games. Breaking each teams records down by Quad 1-4 wins & losses: Stanford is 4-2/2-0/3-3/5-0, while Cal is 2-4/0-1/5-0/6-0 (their 14th win was over Div II Dominican). Little separates the two teams in most rating systems. Stanford & Cal ratings are: 77 & 76 (Kenpom), 70 & 68 (Bart Torvik), 55 & 64 (Massey), 85 & 81 (ESPN BPI), and 68 & 60 (NET). Various sources that publish ACC "power ratings" have Stanford ranked 8, 9, or 10 - Cal is ranked 10 or 11. So these teams seem to have much more in common than each being the one-time home of the peripatetic Andrej Stojakovic.
In terms of teams stats, again the teams are remarkably similar - especially when comparing stats for the ACC games only, where Cal & Stanford have faced the same opposition. Stanford has a slight edge in both scoring and rebounding margins. Stanford has had some real struggles on the boards in ACC games, but maybe the big guys will have a somewhat easier time today after going up against 6 of the top 7 ACC rebounding teams in the past 3 weeks. One stat where Cal has a decided edge is free throw percentage - 80.0-71.6. Hopefully that won't be the difference in what should be a tight game.
If you watched Cal in Stanford's three victories over them last season, you won't recognize much about this year's team. The only two returnees in their current rotation are Lee Dort & DJ Campbell. A third returnee, Rytis Petraitis is out for the season (another similarity between these teams as they both have lost a key player, Petraitis & Chisom Okpara, to injury).
Expected starting line-up for Cal:
#7 Dai Dai Ames (6'2/190 Jr G) Like Stojakovic, Ames is a 3-for-3 guy - a year at Kansas State, a year at UVa (where he started for the Cavs in a losing effort at Maples last season). Leads the Bears with 17.4ppg (8th in ACC) & 49.4% shooting (#9 ACC)
#10 Justin Pippin (6'3/190 So G) Scottie's kid. Sierra Canyon HS grad who spent his freshman year at Michigan. Leads team with 4.1apg (#12 ACC), scores 14.6ppg, has 2.1 steals/game (#2 ACC).
#34 Lee Dort (6'10/235 Sr F) 7.8rpg (#10 ACC), scores 8.0ppg. Also averages more than 3 fouls/game.
#2 John Camden (6'8/220 Gr F) Like Cammann & Okorie, a grad of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Played at Memphis, Va Tech, & Delaware. 13.4ppg. 2.6 3s/game (#6 ACC) on 39.2% shooting (#3 ACC).
#22 Chris Bell (6'7/195 Sr F) De La Salle grad, spent 3 years at Syracuse where he started 75 games (another guy who experienced a loss at Maples last season). 12.0ppg. Leads ACC with 90.1% on free throws.
Cal is pretty reliant on their starting five. Ames, Pippin, & Camden are all in the top-25 in the ACC for minutes/game. Every starter averages at least 24 minutes/game. Ames, Pippin, Camden, & Bell have combined for 148 3s - the rest of the team has 21.
Other players in the rotation are:
#3 TT Carr (6'1/170 Fr G) Redwood HS (Mill Valley) grad
#8 Milos Ilic (6'10/240 Gr C) Transfer with 4 years at Loyola Md.
#1 DJ Campbell (6'3/205 Sr G) Missed 10 games with a groin injury and now averaging 13 min/game - down from 26 last season.
#21 Nolan Dorsey (6'5/210 Gr G) Played at New Mexico (1 season), Holy Cross (2), & Campbell (2), where he was Coastal Athletic Association Defensive PoY.
Even in seasons where these teams seem to be mismatched, this rivalry typically results in very competitive games. And this season, they seem to be pretty evenly matched. There should be another large & loud crowd at Maples today. You've gotta love Mark Madsen, but hopefully Stanford can continue to make his life miserable with their 6th straight win (& 7th consecutive at Maples) over the Bears.