Game Preview: What UVA Basketball fans need to know about Cal

Two things to know right off the top about Cal: the leading scorer is Dai Dai Ames, who to me is the one the UVA Basketball program let get away, and Isaiah Wilkins is on the coaching staff, and if you’re a regular reader, you know how pissed off him not being retained got me.

OK, then, so, Cal (13-2, 1-1 ACC, NET: 59), is in town Wednesday night – late night: 9 p.m. ET start, I guess to accommodate the folks from the Left Coast, because 9 p.m. ET is still 6 p.m. PT.

One Quad 1 win – UCLA, 80-72, on Nov. 25, at a neutral site.

Lost by 20 at home to Louisville last week.

Then beat Notre Dame, and drove Micah Shrewsbury to the point of wanting to throttle somebody in the process.

The coach at Cal is Mark Madsen, who was 13-19 and 14-19 in his first two seasons in Berkeley.

The rotation

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Ames is the leading scorer, at 17.6 points per game, with good underlying numbers – 49.5 percent from the field, 44.9 percent from three.

The point guard is Justin Pippen, a 6’3” sophomore who is the son of another baller named Pippen.

This Pippen is only 6’3”; he averages 14.8 points and 4.2 assists, shooting 40.3 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent from three.

The forwards can also score: 6’7” senior Chris Bell, who played three years at Syracuse (14.8 ppg, 47.2% FG, 37.8% 3FG) and 6’8” senior John Camden, who played his first two seasons at Virginia Tech (13.8 ppg, 4.8 rebounds/g, 43.9% FG, 39.4% 3FG).

The starting center is 6’10” senior Lee Dort (8.8 ppg, 7.9 rebounds/g, 62.0% FG).

Key bench guys:

• 6’1” freshman guard Semetri Carr: 9 ppg, 18.2 minutes/g, 40.0% FG, 30.4% 3FG
• 6’5” senior forward Nolan Dorsey:8 ppg, 16.4 minutes/g
• 6’10” senior center Milos Ilic:1 ppg, 3.6 rebounds/g, 13.1 minutes/g

Analytics

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Data: KenPom; rankings: among 365 D1 teams

Topline

• Offense: Cal-1.144 PPP (82), UVA-1.227 PPP (16)
• Defense: Cal-1.028 PPP (74), UVA-0.998 PPP (39)
• Tempo: Cal-67.6 (224), UVA-66.7 (262)
• Bench minutes: Cal-28.4% (291), UVA-37.0% (83)

Keys to Odom Ball

• Threes (offense): Cal-38.0% (26), UVA-37.6% (35)
• Threes (defense): Cal-31.2% (82), UVA-30.5% (58)
• Rebounds (offense): Cal-27.4% (292), UVA-40.5% (8)
• Rebounds (defense): Cal-69.3% defense (165), UVA-69.4% (159)
• Turnover rate (offense): Cal-14.1% (23), UVA-15.6% (80)
• Turnover rate (defense): Cal-17.7% (167), UVA-16.9% (201)

Game Details

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Cal (13-2, 1-1 ACC, NET: 59) at Virginia (12-2, 1-1 ACC, NET: 25)
Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: ACCN (Mike Corey/Cory Alexander)

Forecast

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• KenPom: Virginia 79-68
• BartTorvik: Virginia 79-67
• ESPN BPI: Virginia +10.9