Seattle @ California preview
Haas Pavilion
Last Meeting ( Dec 29, 2018 ) Seattle 82, California 73
California is hoping to get leading scorer Matt Bradley back when the Golden Bears host the Seattle Redhawks on Tuesday in Berkeley.
Bradley, who is averaging 19.1 points per game, twisted his ankle in Cal's 72-70 win over San Francisco on Dec. 13. Both Bradley and second-leading scorer Grant Anticevich (10.3), who had an emergency appendectomy on Friday, missed the Bears' 87-56 victory over Cal State Northridge the following day.
Rather than scraping for points, however, Cal (4-4) shot a blistering 60.8 percent from the field in the win over the Matadors. Makale Foreman scored 23 points and Ryan Betley tallied 19, and the duo -- who are both senior transfers in their first season with the Golden Bears -- combined to hit 9 of 14 from 3-point range.
"Our most experienced players on our team were still here," coach Mark Fox said, referring to Foreman and Betley. "They've played a lot of games. The two most experienced guys at Cal weren't on the floor, but we had some experience out there. ... Those two guys got us off to a great start, and then it allowed us to build from there."
Betley is averaging 10.1 points per game, and Foreman is at 9.9. Bradley's status for Tuesday's game was unclear.
The Golden Bears also got their first look at guard Jarred Hyder, a transfer from Fresno State. He finished with six points and three assists in his Cal debut, after averaging 9.1 points and 3.1 assists for the Bulldogs last season.
"Having Jarred back is huge. It's going to allow us just to have a lot more versatility. It's going to take him time to get comfortable, and it may take him a few weeks, but at least we have him on the court, and it's great to see," Fox said.
California added this game to the schedule on Thursday.
The Golden Bears, who are playing their final game before Pac-12 play begins, are shooting 45.3 percent -- including 32.4 percent from long range.
Shooting has been Seattle's biggest problem, said coach Jim Hayford, despite the Redhawks' 78-54 win over NAIA power College of Idaho on Thursday.
Seattle (5-4) shot 44.4 percent on Thursday but is at only 41.8 percent for the season, including 27.9 on 3-pointers.
"To score 78 points and still just be shooting the ball pathetically, our guys just need to go get in the gym, and take it on themselves with pride, because we're a lot better shooters than we've shown. ... We're missing wide-open shots," Hayford said.
Guards Riley Grigsby (17.4 ppg) and Darrion Trammell (17.0) lead the Redhawks. Grigsby is shooting 47.3 percent from the floor and 43.2 percent from long range, and Trammell is at 42.5 and 33.3 respectively.
Seattle will face a Cal defense that is allowing teams to shoot 44.4 percent, and the Golden Bears are among the worst in the nation in allowing teams to hit 39.1 percent from long range.
--Field Level Media