Pac 12 Basketball: Arizona escapes against talented Cal Bears
Gabe York came alive as Arizona won a hard fought Pac 12 basketball game versus California.
The McKale Center is one of the toughest places to play in the country and the Arizona Wildcats rarely lose in their building. Earlier this season, the Oregon Ducks (who will be the number one seed in the upcoming Pac-12 tournament), pulled off a big time victory in Tuscon, ending the Wildcats 49-game home winning streak.
So was it possible for the Wildcats to actually lose two games in their home arena in the same season for the first time since 2013?
The Stanford Cardinal still have a chance to shock the nation on Saturday, but Arizona’s toughest task was the Cal Bears and they passed the test with an 11-0 run in the final 1:36 to win 64-61 on Thursday night.
The Wildcats didn’t put forward their best performance and they struggled to keep Cal (Ivan Rabb in particular) off the glass, but they showed guts and toughness down the stretch. Even though the class of the Pac-12 doesn’t nearly have as much talent as they had last year, Sean Miller‘s unit defends and never gives up.
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And they will need as much effort and strong energy as possible if they are going to make waves in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament and the Big Dance in the next couple of weeks.
Gabe York show
York was no where to be found in the first half. He went into halftime with zero points, took one shot from the field and was erased from the game by Cal’s effective defense.
And then the light turned on in the final 20 minutes. The senior guard scored all of his game high 19 points and shot an efficient 8-of-12 from the field, including a clutch three with 20 seconds left that put the Wildcats up one.
As a matter of fact, York hit all three of his three pointers in the final three minutes of the game, showing off his clutch gene and his ability to weather the storm.
This was an impressive performance by York, but he has truly been a key piece for Miller and company all season long. The West Covina native is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals and is no longer just a spot up three point shooter. York has developed into an all around player with the skills to put the ball on the floor, defend and make his teammates better.
If Arizona is going to make any long run in March, York is going to have to play like he played in the second half for 40 minutes moving forward.
Where is the depth?
York, Kaleb Tarczewski (10 points and 12 rebounds) and Ryan Anderson (18 and 10 rebounds) were terrific on Thursday, but where was the help?
Allonzo Trier shot 2-of-9 from the field, scored seven points and had three giveaways while four players off the bench scored four combined points.
Like I mentioned above, Arizona doesn’t have the luxury of Stanley Johnson, T.J. McConnell, Brandon Ashley and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson anymore. This team doesn’t have great talent so they need to put together collective efforts in order to win games.
Sure, they defeated a white hot Cal team but they were on their home floor and that won’t be the case come tournament time.
If the bench is not producing and Trier (who has been their best player for the majority of this season) is off his game, how will they be able to compete on a neutral floor against team’s with stronger rosters.
Let’s not overlook Cal
Before losing a heartbreaker, the Bears won seven games in a row with wins over Oregon, Oregon State and USC. Plus, they have already beaten Arizona at home, Utah, Colorado and Saint Mary’s this season with possible quality wins still remaining in the Pac 12 tournament.
Cuonzo Martin‘s team did have a rough non-conference slate – losing to San Diego State and Richmond while having issues on the defensive end of the floor – but their starting unit has the highest potential in the entire country.
Jaylen Brown, who dealt with foul trouble all night long, is a future lottery pick. Rabb (15 points and 12 boards) is scary good on the glass and has great touch around the rim. Tyrone Wallace is a great playmaker when he doesn’t over dribble, Jabari Bird can really shoot it (especially during their winning streak) and Jordan Mathews gives the team punch off the bench.
And don’t forget about Sam Singer, who gives the offense a calming presence, and the team’s revised defense.
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If Cal can fix their late game execution issues and get out in transition more consistently, they will be a trendy pick to do major damage in the Big Dance.