Cal Opens Home Stand Against Seminoles
BERKELEY – The California men’s basketball team is back in the East Bay for five of its next six ACC contests, starting Wednesday against Florida State. Tipoff between the Golden Bears and Seminoles is at 6 p.m. PT and the game will be televised on ACC Network.
Cal (9-9, 2-5 ACC) returns to Haas Pavilion fresh off a 65-62 win at NC State last Saturday, which snapped a two-game skid, while Florida State heads West riding a two-game win streak. The Seminoles are just 1-3 in true road games this season; all three of those road losses have been by 10-plus points. They are 13-5 (4-3) for the season.
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Wednesday, Jan. 22 | 6 p.m. PT
Location: Berkeley, California | Haas Pavilion
Watch: ACC Network | Dave Feldman (PxP) & Ben Braun (Analyst)
Listen: 810 AM & Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP) & Theo Robertson (Analyst)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
FAN HIGHLIGHTS
Cal will celebrate Latinx Heritage Night with a halftime performance from a Mariachi band.
500 students will receive a free Chick-fil-A gift card.
DJ Kenzo will perform live on Spieker Plaza ahead of the game.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP – CAL vs. FLORIDA STATE
Series record: Florida State leads, 1-0
Cal and Florida State clashed once prior in the 2008 Global Sports Classic championship game in Las Vegas, with the Seminoles winning 80-77. Florida State led by as many as 15 points early in the second half before Cal staged a rally in the closing minutes. Jerome Randle (26 points) led the Bears while Patrick Christopher (17) and Theo Robertson (16) added double-figure points.
FSU is 2-8 in its past 10 ACC road contests, while Cal is 6-4 in its last 10 conference home games (Pac-12 and ACC).
The Bears will need to protect the ball Wednesday. FSU leads the ACC with 15.1 turnovers forced per game – the Seminoles average a league-best 8.8 steals per game – while the Bears are 13th in the conference with 11.9 turnovers per game.
STARTING FIVE
1. #OurHaas
The Bears are entering a pivotal stretch of their ACC slate with five of their next six games being played in Haas Pavilion. Cal is 7-3 on its home court this season, including a 75-61 victory – its first ever in ACC play – against Virginia on Jan. 8, and is averaging 80.7 points per game while outscoring foes by an 8.5-point margin. Cal got hot at Haas down the stretch last season, winning six of its final eight home games in Pac-12 action.
2. Dre Day
Andrej Stojakovic has proven he’s one of the top offensive threats in the ACC in his first season as a Golden Bear, despite an uncharacteristic week in North Carolina in which he averaged just 8.0 PPG on 28.5% shooting. The sophomore guard still ranks fourth in the conference (36th nationally) with 18.9 PPG and has scored 20-plus points nine times in the past 15 games, including five times against ACC competition. Stojakovic – who is one of only five players nationally averaging at least 18.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game – found ways other than scoring to make a difference last week, including four assists at North Carolina as well as two blocks and two steals in the win at NC State.
Stojakovic’s improvements from his freshman year at Stanford to this year at Cal have been drastic. His +11.1 PPG increase from 2023-24 to 2024-25 (7.8 to 18.9) is the fourth-best improvement among all major conference players this season, while he’s also made jumps in rebounding (3.4 to 4.4 RPG), blocks (0.1 to 1.1 BPG) and his field-goal and free-throw percentages (.409, .528 to .440, .826).
3. The Big Fella
The Bears have leaned on graduate center Mady Sissoko’s leadership and steady play all season. Sissoko scored double figures in both games last week – including tying a career high with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting against the Tar Heels. He’s scored double figures seven times in 18 games in his first season as a Golden Bear compared to seven times in 124 career games at Michigan State from 2020-24. The big man leads Cal in rebounding (6.9 RPG) and has excelled on the offensive glass with 2.89 offensive boards per game, the sixth-best mark in the ACC. Sissoko posted a monster stat line with nine points, 11 rebounds and a career-high four blocks against Virginia on Jan. 8 to help Cal earn its first-ever ACC win.
4. Mo’ Buckets
Cal can generate points in a variety of ways, averaging 33.2 PPG in the paint, 21.8 PPG from 3-point range and 16.8 PPG at the free throw line. Cal’s emphasis on attacking the rim was evident in a recent home win vs. Virginia – 30 points in the paint and 27 points at the free throw line (27 of 33) – while the Bears have scored at least 30 paint points in the past five ACC games. The Bears score more than 66% of their points in the paint or at the free throw line this season.
5. Full-Team Effort
The Bears returned to the West Coast with a 65-62 win at NC State last Saturday, marking their first road win in ACC play. Five Bears scored in double figures, led by Jovan Blacksher Jr.’s 14 points – including the go-ahead bucket on a left-handed layup with one minute remaining – and a season-high 13 from DJ Campbell. Cal also cranked it up defensively, holding NC State to six fast-break points – they led the ACC with 16 fast-break points per game – and 1-of-10 shooting from 3-point range.
UP NEXT
The Bears host Miami on Saturday, tipping off at 5:30 p.m. PT in Haas Pavilion. ACC Network will broadcast the contest.
SUPPORT THE BEARS
Tickets for the 2024-25 campaign can be purchased by visiting CalBears.com/Tickets, calling 800-GO-BEARS (462-3277) or emailing goldstandard@berkeley.edu. Fans can support the Golden Bears through the Cal Men's Basketball Excellence Initiative or the California Legends Collective.