The Houston Cougars will take on the California Golden Bears in Lake Tahoe on Sunday night. The Golden Bears are coming off wins over D2 Adams State and Radford. Things will pick up dramatically for them Sunday evening as they take on Houston.

Cal head coach Mark Madsen missed Wednesday’s game against Radford because of a family emergency. According to reports, he will coach Sunday versus the Coogs. In his absence Wednesday night, Pitt transfer Nojus Indrusaitis had a career-high 30 points. He will be my “Head of the Snake” in this one.

Typically, Kelvin Sampson makes guys who primarily only shoot three-pointers disappear. The Golden Bears also have an elite scorer off the bench: Michael Cooper. At times, Cooper has looked like their best player, so I’ll be interested to see how the Coogs defend the duo.

The Golden Bears haven’t shown they’re tough on the boards and have been allergic to playing defense. They definitely have some talented pieces, but I think the Coogs are too strong right now.

Cal Offensive Notes

1. Three-Point Shooting – The Golden Bears can REALLY shoot the three. It will be crucial for the Coogs to find who is hot and run them off the three-point line. In the first two games, Nojus Indrusaitis, Michael Cooper, and Jake Wilkins are each shooting over 50% from beyond the arc.
2. Assists – Senior point guard Jordan Ross and TT Carr are both averaging over 5 assists per game. Their entire team is unselfish, and they look to attack the paint and kick out to open shooters.
3. Transition Offense – Cal looks to RUN and score early in transition. They have some guys who are super athletic and look to get easy dunks. Others, such as Cooper, are looking to shoot the wide-open three-pointer. Transition defense is a key priority for Kelvin Sampson teams, so I don’t see this being a big problem tonight.

Golden Bears Defensive Notes

• M2M – 92% of the time
• At times, they blitz the pick-and-roll; other times they use drop coverage and switch. They are not good at either.
• They tend to play one-on-one in the post. I’d look to get some looks down low early and see if they adjust.
• Zone – 8% of the time
• 2-3 Zone. Love to run it vs. “BLOB” plays (Baseline-out-of-bounds).
• 1-3-1 Zone. They tried it against Adams State and gave up buckets in the middle of the paint. They also gave up wide-open three-point shots.
• Press – They have not shown a full-court press this season.

National Team Rankings

1. Three-Pointers Per Game: 12th – (14 Per Game)
2. Three-Point Percentage: 12th – (48.3%)
3. Assists Per Game: 16th – (24 APG)
4. Fast Break Points: 21st – (26)
5. Scoring Offense: 35th – (99.5 PPG)
6. Field Goal Percentage: 30th – (55.2%)
7. Rebound Margin: 207th – (1.5)
8. Field Goal Percentage (Defense): 217th – (43%)
9. Scoring Defense: 245th – (78 PPG Allowed)
10. Offensive Rebounding: 309th – (8 Per Game)

Cal Personnel (*Indicates likely starters)

*#25 – Nojus Indrusaitis – 6’5″ – JR – Guard – (Iowa State, Pitt) – 25 PPG, 3 RPG, 2.5 APG.

• Had 30 points vs. Radford last Wednesday. Set scoring career highs in his last two games (I suspect UH takes him away, as he had never scored over 20 points in a game before this season).
• Tall/lanky shooter.
• Outstanding three-point shooter (9/15, 60%). Super quick release on his shot.
• Loves to shoot the three, but isn’t bad at cutting to the paint or taking it off the bounce and shooting the mid-range jumper.
• Can get to the rim, but prefers to shoot a jumper. REALLY likes driving left to get to the basket.
• Can play point guard if needed.

*#23 – Sammie Yeanay – 6’9″ – SO – Forward – (Grand Canyon) – 12 PPG, 6 RPG, 3 APG, 2.5 SPG.

• Extremely talented, prototype-bodied forward.
• Really struggled and was in foul trouble versus Radford Wednesday night.
• Super athletic. Had a dunk that started right in front of the free-throw line and a windmill vs. Adams State.
• Nice handles and ability to get to the basket.
• Can stretch the floor and shoot the three, but hasn’t been great from beyond the arc so far this season (2-7, 28%).
• Poor pick-and-roll defender.

*#2 – Jordan Ross – 6’3″ – SR – Guard – (Saint Mary’s, Georgia) – 10 PPG, 2 RPG, 8 APG.

• LEFTY. Good size for a point guard.
• Does a great job getting his teammates involved on offense (8 assists per game).
• Likes to drive left, but can go right.
• He doesn’t shoot many threes (1/3, 33%).
• Not a major half-court scoring threat. He gets most of his scoring on the fast break or by getting downhill to the rim.

*#21 – Jake Wilkins – 6’9″ – SO – Forward – (Georgia) – 12.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2 APG.

• Son of “The Human Highlight Film” Dominique Wilkins.
• Like his dad, he’s an extremely long, thin, athletic forward.
• Has some highlight dunks of his own in the early season. Really fun to watch on the fast break.
• Primarily a “Three-and-D” guy. Likes to shoot the corner three, but struggles when contested (4/8, 50%).

*#17 – Mantas Kočanas – 6’11” – JR – Center – (Florida Atlantic) – 4.5 PPG, 4 RPG.

• Big-bodied center.
• Best around the basket on offense. No major post moves, but is good at ducking in for easy dunks/layups.
• Can step out and shoot the three-pointer (1-3, 33%).

#55 – Michael Cooper – 6’3″ – SO – Guard – (Wright State) – 20 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.5 APG.

• Three-level scoring guard off the bench. May start Sunday (he’s pretty darn good).
• Looking to bring instant offense.
• Unbelievable three-point shooter. Can make the catch-and-shoot or step-back three. Has NBA range (10-16, 63%).
• Not afraid to shoot the three in transition.
• When driving right, he likes to get to the rim. When driving left, he likes to step back and shoot the jumper.
• May try to post up a smaller defender.

#3 – Semetri “TT” Carr – 6’1″ – SO – Guard – 5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.5 APG.

• Small/lightning-quick guard. Super twitchy to get in the paint to facilitate.
• Does a good job getting his teammates involved (5.5 assists per game).
• He wants to drive to the basket but isn’t sure what he wants to do at the rim. He seems to prefer drawing a foul over making a layup.
• Not a great three-point shooter for a guard (1/3, 33%).

#1 – Jovani Ruff – 6’5″ – RS FR – Guard – 6.5 PPG, 2 RPG.

• Tall/super athletic guard off the bench.
• “Glue Guy.” Makes great hustle plays.
• Runs really hard in transition. Wants to shoot layups on the fast break. Almost everything he does around the rim is off two feet.
• Everything he’s shown so far offensively has come on hustle plays. Not much of a shooter at this point in his short career.

#12 – Dhiaukuei Manyiel Dut – 7’0″ – RS JR – Center – (Georgia State) – 1 PPG, 1.5 RPG.

• Really tall center off the bench.
• Affects shots around the rim on defense. Has great length, making shots at the rim tough.
• He is not much of an offensive threat.
• Not bad in the pick-and-roll.
• Has pretty poor footwork around the basket.

#14 – Amier Ali – 6’8″ – JR – Guard/Forward – (Arizona State, Mississippi State) – 1 PPG.

• Long/rangy guard-forward. Did not play vs. Radford last Wednesday.
• I loved him at Arizona State as a freshman. He hasn’t really improved since then, though.
• Capable three-level scorer.

#34 – Lee Dort – 6’10” – GR – Forward – (Vanderbilt) – Hasn’t Played Yet.

• Has not played this season due to a sprained ankle, but is expected back for the UH game.
• Would likely start at center if he plays.
• Defensive specialist. Averaged 8 PPG and 8 RPG last season.
• Has suffered several injuries over the years.
• Had some “off-the-court” issues while at Vandy.

My Game Plan vs. Cal

1. Make it a half-court game. The Golden Bears are looking to get easy/open shots in transition. Kelvin Sampson teams take pride in transition defense. The Coogs will need to communicate at a high level and stop the ball in transition. Nothing easy!
2. Crash the boards on both ends. Cal is not a physical team. The Coogs should have an elite advantage on the glass on both ends. I think offensive rebounds will be a major priority to create extra scoring opportunities.
3. Identify who is hot for them. They have a few guys that can score in bunches. Houston needs to identify who is heating up and make them put the ball on the floor. NO EASY CATCH-AND-SHOOT THREE-POINTERS!!!

After the game, hang with the GoCoogs gang