No. 18 ARIZONA AT CALIFORNIA
When: 9 p.m. Friday
Where: Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, Calif.
TV: ESPN2
RADIO: 1290-AM
How they match up
California defense vs. Arizona offense
The Bears have the nationβs sixth most efficient defense, allowing just 89.8 points per 100 possessions, deploying a rugged man-to-man defense thatβs fueled by athleticism, length and shot-blocking inside. They donβt normally lunge for steals β though Charlie Moore averages more than one per game β but are 10th nationally in field-goal percentage defense (36.4) and allow opponents to shoot just 28.9 percent from 3-point range. Virginia, then ranked 12th in the country, scored just 22 points on the Bears in the first half of a Dec. 22 game before going on to win 56-52. Inside, 7-footer Kingsley Okoroh (30 blocks) and power forward Ivan Rabb (10) can make opponents think twice about driving to the basket.
The scout says: βTheyβre long and Kingsley Okoroh and Ivan Rabb really make it difficult to score two-point baskets. Itβs more of a team-oriented defense. They help a lot. What they did to Virginia was telling. They had an opportunity to beat them. Cal is an NCAA tournament team and they have two NBA players in Bird and Rabb. They have three big scorers in Bird, (Charlie) Moore and Rabb, and they do a great job of getting the ball inside to Rabb.β
β UA associate head coach Joe Pasternack, who scouted the Bears
PROBABLE STARTERS
ARIZONAΒ
5 Kadeem Allen
Point guard
6-3 205 Sr.
Has 13 steals in past six games.
2 Kobi Simmons
Shooting guard
6-5 195 Fr.
Scored in double figures in 10 of Wildcatsβ 13 games.
1 Rawle Alkins
Small forward
6-5 220 Fr.
Has collected 18 offensive rebounds in last six games
10 Lauri Markkanen
Power forward
7-0 230 Fr.
Only player in Pac-12 to rank among top 15 iin scoring (16.1 ppg, ninth), rebounding (7.3 rpg, 13th), free-throw percentage (83.3 percent, sixth) and three-point field goal percentage (43.5 percent, eighth).
14 DusanΒ Ristic
Center
7-0 245 Jr.
Broke string of six straight double-digit scoring games against New Mexico on Dec. 20.
CALIFORNIA
13 Charlie Moore
Point guard
5-11 170 Fr.
Pac-12βs fifth-leading scorer overall and third-leading freshman scorer behind Washingtonβs Markelle Fultz (23.2) and UCLAβs T.J. Leaf (17.8).
2 Sam Singer
Shooting guard
6-4 205 Sr.
Not explosive but veteran playmaker doesnβt make many mistakes.
23 Jabari Bird
Small forward
6-6 198 Sr.
Missed six games with back injury, but averaging 16.3 points and six rebounds per game since then.
1 Ivan Rabb
Power forward
6-11 220 So.
Voted Calβs first preseason all-American since Jason Kidd in 1993-94.
22 KingsleyΒ Okoroh
Center
7-0 252 Jr.
Blocked 30 shots already this season to become Calβs eighth-leading shot blocker (91) already.
