Bears Roar Back into ACC Action Against Pitt!

Eakin Howard/KLC Fotos

Jovan Blacksher Jr. and the Golden Bears commence the 2025 calendar year in Pittsburgh.

MBB12/30/2024 4:20 AM | By: Cal Athletics

Cal Kicks Off New Calendar Year With Road Challenge

BERKELEY – The California men’s basketball squad begins the 2025 calendar year and the majority of its inaugural ACC schedule at Pittsburgh on New Year’s Day. The game is set to start at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh and will be broadcasted on ACC Network.
 
Both teams played their conference debuts on Dec. 7, with Cal (7-5, 0-1 ACC) losing to their rival Stanford at home while Pitt (10-2, 1-0) surpassed Virginia Tech away from home. The Golden Bears are aiming to regain their momentum as they transition into ACC competition, having secured only one victory since December began. Pitt has triumphed in three consecutive matches and remains unbeaten at home (7-0) as they approach Wednesday’s encounter.
 
GAME DETAILS

• Date & Time: Wednesday, Jan. 1 | 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET
• Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Petersen Events Center
• Watch: ACC Network | Dave Leno (PxP) & Tim Welsh (Analyst)
• Listen: 810 AM & Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP)
• Live Stats: Statbroadcast

INSIDE THE MATCHUP – CAL vs. PITT

• Series record: Cal leads, 2-1
• The Bears and Panthers haven’t faced each other on the court since Pitt won 63-50 in a Round of 32 battle in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Cal claimed victory in the first two encounters between the teams in 1949 and 1950.
• Pitt is receiving votes in the recent AP Top 25 Poll and was positioned 18th as recently as Dec. 2.
• The Panthers feature two of the ACC’s top eight scorers in Ishmael Leggett (17.5 PPG, 6th) and Jaland Low (16.6 PPG, 8th).
• Pitt amassed over 20 victories in each of the last two seasons and ranks fourth in the ACC in conference wins since the commencement of the 2022-23 season.

STARTING FIVE
1. Conference Play Approaches
The Bears are set to engage in a substantial portion of their inaugural ACC season starting on New Year’s Day against Pitt, followed by another away game at Clemson on Jan. 4. Excluding fellow ACC newcomer and rival Stanford, Cal has participated in genuine away games against only four of its conference competitors (UNC, SMU, Virginia, Wake Forest) and holds a 1-4 record historically in such matchups. The Bears commenced ACC action with an 89-81 loss to Stanford on Dec. 7 but remain on track for their best overall start since the 2016-17 season.
 
2. Multiple Scoring Methods
Cal possesses the capacity to score quickly, ranking fourth in the ACC with an average of 78.9 points per game, and has demonstrated its ability to find scoring opportunities in various manners. Cal averages 34.0 points per game in the paint, 24.8 points from beyond the arc, and 17.6 points at the charity stripe. A focus on penetrating the defense has led to the Bears achieving over 65% of their points in the paint or at the free throw line, while they are also formidable from long range, ranking fourth in the ACC with a 36.5% shooting accuracy from 3-point territory. Cal has successfully made 10 or more 3-pointers four times in their last six games.
 
3. Dre Day
Andrej Stojakovic has emerged as one of the leading offensive players in the ACC during his first season as a Bear, positioning himself third in the conference with an average of 19.1 points per game. The sophomore guard attained a career-high 31 points against Northwestern State on Dec. 14, marking his sixth game scoring over 20 points in the last nine contests. Stojakovic’s improvement from his freshman year at Stanford to his sophomore year at Cal has been significant, transcending just scoring. His rebounding has increased (3.4 to 4.8 RPG) and blocking (0.1 to 1.3 BPG) have also seen enhancements alongside boosts in scoring (7.8 to 19.1 PPG) and shooting efficiency (.409/.327/.528 to .442/.359/.833).
 
4. Agent Zero
Freshman Jeremiah Wilkinson has maximized his early chances in Cal’s backcourt, averaging 16.3 points per game with seven double-digit scoring performances in his last eight games. Wilkinson ranks fifth among ACC freshmen in scoring (11.8 PPG) while logging the lowest minutes per game (20.0) amongst the six ACC rookies averaging over 10 PPG. The Georgia native is adept at scoring from diverse locations on the court, boasting a 58.8% success rate on 2-point attempts and hitting multiple 3-pointers in five outings (34.7% from deep).
 
5. Strength In Numbers
Cal relies on a broad roster, utilizing 9-10 players in their rotation even with two of their starting players from earlier in the season (DJ Campbell and BJ Omot) recovering from injuries that kept them out for most nonconference play. The Bears will enter ACC competition with Campbell active, as the junior guard made a promising return in the nonconference finale against San Diego State on Dec. 21, accumulating seven points, two rebounds, and a steal in 20 minutes of play. The Bears’ bench averages 26.1 points per game, the fifth highest in the ACC, and six players have achieved at least four double-digit scoring outings over the 12 games played.
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will travel from Pittsburgh to Clemson, South Carolina, to meet the Tigers on Saturday in a game that will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN2. The tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET at Littlejohn Coliseum.
 
HOW TO WATCH
Access to ACC Network and ACC Network Extra (ACCNX) is dependent on your television service provider (cable, satellite, telco, or streaming service). Viewers can still watch games via a subscription to ESPN+, even if they do not have access to ACC Network. Those with ACCNX access can view the streaming channel on the same device (smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, connected streaming devices, or espn.com/watch) used to view ACC Network. ESPN+ is a paid streaming service that can also be viewed on any streaming device.
 
SUPPORT THE BEARS
Tickets for the 2024-25 season are available for purchase at CalBears.com/Tickets, by calling 800-GO-BEARS (462-3277), or via email at [email protected]. Fans can back the Golden Bears through the Cal Men’s Basketball Excellence Initiative or the California Legends Collective.
 
STAY CONNECTED
For additional updates on Cal men’s basketball, follow the Bears on X (@CalMBBall), Instagram (@CalMBBball), and Facebook (/CalMBBall/).