CAL MEN'S BASKETBALL GOLDEN BEARS HIGHLANDERS 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 OVERALL BIG WEST OVERALL PAC-12 VS -- Wyking Jones -- Dennis Cutts RANK HEAD COACH RANK HEAD COACH FRIDAY Haas Pavilion BROADCAST LIVE STREAM LIVE STATS November 10 Berkeley, Calif. Pac-12 Networks Pac-12.com/live CalBears.com SCHEDULE NEED TO KNOW Overall: 0-0 • Pac-12: 0-0 California men’s basketball officially enters the Wyking Jones era on Friday when the Golden Bears begin Home: 0-0 • Away: 0-0 • Neutral: 0-0 their 2017-18 campaign against the UC Riverside Highlanders. Action is set for 9 p.m., live from Haas Pavil- ion and on the Pac-12 Networks as part of the “Full Court Friday” special. DATE OPPONENT (TV) TIME NOV. 6 PROVIDENCE (EXHIBITION) W, 81-52 The men’s game is the nightcap of a doubleheader with Cal women’s basketball, who host Saint Mary’s NOV. 10 UC RIVERSIDE 9 PM at 5 p.m. NOV. 12 CAL POLY 1 PM NOV. 16 MAUI INV: WOFFORD 6 PM The Bears make their official debut following an 81-52 romp of NAIA opponent Providence in Monday’s exhi- Nov. 20 Maui Inv: Wichita St. % 2 pm bition game. Cal’s veteran trio of Don Coleman (20 points), Marcus Lee (17 points) and Kingsley Okoroh (14 Nov. 21 Maui Inv: TBD % TBD Nov. 22 Maui Inv: TBD % TBD points) all scored in double figures. Okoroh paved the way with a triple-double that included 10 blocks and NOV. 28 CSUN 8 PM 10 rebounds with just one foul in 30 minutes of action, and Lee added a double-double with his 12 boards. DEC. 2 SAINT MARY’S (CA) 8 PM DEC. 6 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 7 PM Six newcomers also saw time in Monday’s exhibition -- Darius McNeill, Jacob Orender, Austin McCullough, Dec. 9 at San Diego State 2 pm Jules Erving, Deschon Winston and Grant Anticevich. McNeill earned the start and led the entire squad in DEC. 16 CAL STATE FULLERTON 1 PM minutes with 35, and he and Anticevich each scored 8 points, the highest among the newcomers. Dec. 19 at Seattle 7 p.m. DEC. 21 PORTLAND STATE 8 PM TICKETS & PROMOTIONS: Tickets for the game can be purchased in advance via CalBears.com or by calling Dec. 30 at Stanford* 7 pm (800) 462-3277. The first 150 students to enter Haas Pavilion will receive a Cal beanie courtesy of Sequoia JAN. 4 USC* 7 PM Equities. JAN. 6 UCLA* 3 PM Jan. 11 at Washington* 8 pm Jan. 13 at Washington State* 1 pm HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION: Friday’s game airs live on the Pac-12 Networks, with color commentary and JAN. 17 ARIZONA* 6 PM analysis from Alex Faust and Ben Braun. The California Golden Bears Sports Network will offer play by play JAN. 20 ARIZONA STATE* 7 PM and analysis, as well as post-game interviews, from Todd McKim and Jay John live on KGO 810 AM. Live Jan. 25 at UCLA* 7 pm stats, full broadcast details and more can be accessed via the Cal men’s basketball schedule page on Cal- Jan. 28 at USC* 1 pm Bears.com, and fans can follow the Bears on social media via @CalMBball on Twitter and Instagram, and FEB. 1 OREGON* 6 PM at Facebook.com/CalMBball. FEB. 3 OREGON STATE* 5 PM Feb. 7 at Colorado* 8 pm Feb. 10 at Utah* 6 pm BY THE NUMBERS FEB. 18 STANFORD* 5 PM FEB. 22 WASHINGTON STATE* 8 PM FEB. 24 WASHINGTON* 1 PM Though he’ll be making his debut for the Golden Bears, Marcus Lee already has 100 collegiate March 1 at Arizona State* 6 pm 100 games under his belt from his three years at Kentucky. Lee has 24 career starts. March 3 at Arizona* TBD Mar 7-10 2018 Pac-12 Tournament^ TBA The Golden Bears have more than nine years of head coaching experience among their % at Maui Jim Maui Invitational (Maui, Hawai’i) assistant coaches, with both Tim O’Toole and Chris Walker each at the helm of Fairfield and ^ T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, Nev.) 9 Texas Tech, respectively, in previous seasons. * Pac-12 Conference game Home games in BOLD All times listed PT and subject to change 2018 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year candidate Kingsley Okoroh set a school single- season record for blocked shots last season. With 74 blocks in 34 appearances, Okoroh TEAM INFORMATION 74 topped David Kravish’s record of 73. COACHING STAFF Head Coach .......................... Wyking Jones (LMU ‘95) In their exhibition against Providence, the Golden Bears limited the Argos to just 14 points in Record at Cal/Career Record: 0-0 (1st season) 14 the paint. Meanwhile, Cal scored 48 of its 81 points in the paint. Associate Head Coach ............Tim O’Toole (2nd season) Assistant Coach ..................Chris Walker (1st season) Assistant Coach ............Theo Robertson (1st season) With just two returning letterwinners (Kingsley Okoroh, Don Coleman) the Bears have the Starters Returning/Lost ..........................................1/4 2 smallest number of returning letterwinners in the country. James Madison also returns only two Letterwinners Returning/Lost .................................2/8 letterwinners. Assistant Director of Athletic Communications (Men’s Basketball contact): Mara Rudolph Cell: 510-384-6574 // Email: [email protected] // 349 Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, CA 94720 2 GAME 1: UC RIVERSIDE QUICK FACTS BEAR NECESSITIES: CAL'S STORYLINES GENERAL INFORMATION SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS Duke 7 Location: Berkeley, CA Last Meeting: Cal won, 78-61, on Nov. 11, 2004, but Kentucky 7 Founded: 1868 the win was later forfeited due to Cal’s use of an 5. CALIFORNIA 6 Enrollment: 40,173 ineligible player. Montana 6 Colors: Blue (282) & Gold (116) Series Record: UC Riverside leads, 1-0, after Cal Idaho 6 Nickname: Golden Bears forfeited its win in the 2005 season due to an Northwestern State 6 Mascot: Oski ineligible player. Holy Cross 6 • UC Riverside returns four starters from a squad UNIVERSITY PERSONNEL that went 7-21 last season and finished 8th of nine in the Big West. CAL IN THE PAC-12 PRESEASON POLL Chancellor: Carol Christ • Chance Murray is UC Riverside’s top returning The Golden Bears were projected to finish 11th in Director of Athletics: H. Michael Williams scorer (10.2 ppg) and rebounder (5.2 rpg). the Pac-12 in 2017-18, according to a preseason Senior Women’s Administrator: Jenny Si- • Dikymbe Martin leads all Highlander returners in vote by media who regularly cover the conference. mon-O’Neill assists at 2.6 apg. Conference: Pacific-12 • The Highlanders posted an 81-65 victory in an Arizona is the favorite to win the conference, exhibition over Stanislaus State. followed by USC and UCLA in the top 3. Washington COACHING STAFF State is predicted to finish behind the Bears at Head Coach: Wyking Jones (1st season as HC) LAST TIME OUT 12th. Loyola Marymount, 1995 The Golden Bears defeated the Providence Argos, 81-52, Assoc. Head Coach: Tim O’Toole (2nd season) in an exhibition. Cal’s worst finish in the last decade came in 2007- 08, when the Bears went 17-16 overall and 6-12 in Fairfield, 1987 • Kingsley Okoroh logged a triple-double with 14 the Pac-10 to earn 9th place. Assistant Coach: Chris Walker (1st season) points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks. Villanova, 1992 • Marcus Lee added a double-double on 17 points Assistant Coach: Theo Robertson (1st season) and 12 rebounds, plus two blocks, one assist and OKOROH ON KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR AWARD one steal. California, 2010 WATCH LIST • Don Coleman tallied a game-high 20 points. Kingsley Okorh is on the shortlist of the best • The Golden Bear defense limited Providence to TEAM INFORMATION collegiate centers in the nation. The Cal big man just 14 points in the paint, while scoring 48 in the was named one of 20 players on the 2018 Kareem Starters Returning/Lost: 1/4 paint. Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 2/8 • The Bears shot 81.3 percent (13-16) from the Facility: Walter A. Haas, Jr. Pavilion (11,858) charity stripe. Okoroh enters his senior season following Pac-12 NCAA Tournament Appearances: 19 All-Defensive Honorable Mention laurels last year. 1946, 57, 58, 59, 60, 90, 93, 94, 96, 97, 2001, CH-CH-CHANGES He logged 74 blocks to become Cal’s single-season 02, 03, 06, 09, 10, 12, 13, 16 After a busy offseason, the Golden Bears boast blocked shots leader. The Derby, England native Best NCAA Tournament Showing: Champions (‘59) among one of the youngest squads in the country, started 24 contests in 2016-17 -- appearing in all Best NIT Tournament Showing: Champions (‘99) ranking among the Top 10 in the following 34 games -- en route to averaging a career-best in categories: points (4.6) and rebounds (5.5). During his junior 2016-17 IN REVIEW season, Okoroh also averaged 2.2 blocks per a 2016-17 Overall Record: 21-13 Fewest Returning Starts From 2016-17 game and recorded four or more blocks in six Home: 15-4 | Away: 3-6 | Neutral: 3-3 Rank Team Total outings, while also setting single-game career- 2016-17 Pac-12 Record: 10-8/T5th 1. Pitt 3 highs with five blocks against Wyoming and 13 rebounds against No. 4 UCLA. 2016-17 Pac-12 Tournament Finish: T3rd, Lost in 2. Chattanooga 11 the semifinals to Oregon (73-65) 3. Little Rock 12 The list will be narrowed down to 10 candidates Postseason: NIT First Round Iowa State 12 5.