14. Cal Bears - 7-7 (0-3)
This season, it was a strong start for the Bears, going 6-1. They’ve since lost 6 of 7 games, including at home to Cornell, giving up 88 points. The defense has been their main issue, allowing 80+ points in all three ACC defeats.
The schedule wasn’t overly kind to Cal in the past week, taking on two of the top teams. In the first game, they had a 16-point lead in the first half versus Pittsburgh. They couldn’t hold on in the end, falling 86-74. Jeremiah Wilkerson had 24 points off the bench, while Andrej Stojakovic went for 19 on 10/12 from the FT line.
Stojakovic had another big game against Clemson, scoring a career-high 30 points on 11/15 from the field. It wasn’t enough for the Bears to hold on, losing 80-68 to go to 0-3 in league play. They have an all-league player on the roster, but the lack of a consistent supporting cast combined with the defensive issues, has plagued them.
In Cal’s defense, the road losses to Pitt and Clemson are understandable, so they’re better than their winless ACC record. They’re back at home for the next couple of games, taking on Virginia and Virginia Tech. Those are two of the worst offenses in the league, so if the defense struggles against them, Cal will really struggle to win in the conference.