No. 4 Arizona Basketball begins Pac-12 farewell tour against Cal

BERKELEY, CA – Turning its focus to conference play, No. 4 Arizona Basketball (9-2) will begin its Pac-12 farewell tour against the Cal Golden Bears (4-7).

Following its tough, double-overtime loss to then No. 14 FAU this past weekend, No. 4 Arizona Basketball returns to the hardwood to begin conference play against the Cal Golden Bears.

Traveling to the infamous Bay Area the Wildcats begin the second half of its season by kicking off their Pac-12 slate of games.

Coming in, Arizona is heavily favored, and rightfully so. The Cal Golden Bears have struggled quite a bit this season, and they may be one of the more inferior teams in this conference this season.

We see the Wildcats dominating this one; however, nothing is ever guaranteed, and if we have learned anything, it is that winning on the road is never easy.

Hopefully, the Wildcats will be ready to go in this one and will be able to rebound after their tough loss to the Owls. Arizona will need to bring the effort and intensity from the tip if they are to win!

Getting to know the details about Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the Cal Golden Bears.

Team: Cal Golden Bears

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

Current Record: 4–7

Head Coach: Mark Madsen. A graduate of Stanford, Coach Madsen enters his 1st season as head coach of the Golden Bears where he has compiled a 4–7 record.

Before Cal, Mark was at Utah Valley from 2019-23 where he compiled a 70–51 (39–25) record with an NIT Semifinals appearance last season. Overall, Madsen is 74–58 as a head coach.

2022-23 Record: Finishing the 2022-23 season with an abysmal 3–29 (2–18) record, the Golden Bears replaced previous head coach Mark Fox with Mark Madsen.

So with Arizona Basketball taking on Cal, here is how you can watch and follow our Wildcats!

Arizona Basketball vs Cal Information and Details:

Date: Friday, December 29, 2023

Time: 8:30 P.M. MST / 7:30 P.M. PST

Television: Pac-12 Network

Location: Haas Pavilion – Berkeley, CA (11,858)

Spread: -14.0 Arizona (Don’t forget to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings to enhance your overall betting experience)

Overall Series Record: 73-30 Arizona. Having an extensive and competitive history together, the Wildcats have dominated this head-to-head matchup, winning the last 13 straight, including 17 of the last 18 meetings.

Last Meeting: Arizona walloped the Golden Bears in Berkeley last February, coming away with the dominant, 85-62 win.

Arizona Basketball Game Preview:

After falling to FAU in Las Vegas, Arizona looks to get back on track with what should be a favorable matchup against Cal.

Coming in, the Wildcats will be considered the significant favorites; however, that doesn't mean that they can lose focus in this one. As we have learned over the years, winning on the road in conference play is never easy, and Arizona will have a target on its back all season.

Traveling to the Bay Area for the last time as a Pac-12 Conference member, Arizona will need to bring the focus and intensity from the tip, and that means keying in on Cal's top scorers Jaylon Tyson, Fardaws Aimaq, and Jalen Cone.

Cal is not a particularly great team; however, they do have several athletes and they can score some points. So far, the Golden Bears are averaging 76.0 points per game on 44.0 percent shooting from the field.

If Arizona is to win this one, they will need to execute defensively and not let Cal get hot. They are not a particularly great shooting team, so they cannot let them find a rhythm and get comfortable.

Beyond that, the Cats will need to take better care of the basketball. Too many turnovers against FAU cost Arizona the win on Saturday.

Hopefully, Arizona will be ready to go in this one and will start conference play with a bang. Tip-off on Friday evening is set for 8:30 P.M. Tucson time with the game being broadcasted on Pac-12 Network!

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