Cal Takes Win Streak On Road
BERKELEY – The California men’s basketball team will ride its three-game win streak into Dallas to face SMU on Wednesday night. Tipoff at Moody Coliseum is at 6 p.m. PT/8 p.m. CT and the contest will be broadcasted on ACC Network and 810 AM.
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Wednesday, Jan. 29 | 6 p.m. PT/8 p.m. CT
Location: Dallas, Texas | Moody Coliseum
Watch: ACC Network | Jay Alter (PxP) & Debbie Antonelli (Analyst)
Listen: 810 AM & Varsity Network App | Justin Allegri (PxP)
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
INSIDE THE MATCHUP – CAL vs. SMU
Series record: SMU leads 2-1
The Golden Bears and Mustangs will clash Wednesday for the first time as ACC counterparts and for the fourth time ever.
SMU won the past two meetings between the programs, most recently including a 67-65 win in the 2014 NIT quarterfinals in Dallas.
The Mustangs are led by head coach Andy Enfield, who went 13-5 against Cal over 11 seasons as USC’s head coach. He’s in his first season in Dallas.
STARTING FIVE
1. Three In A Row
Cal has reeled off three straight wins – a road win at NC State followed by a home sweep of Florida State and Miami – to put itself back in the thick of the ACC standings following a 1-5 start in conference play. It’s just the third time in the past eight seasons that the Bears have won three consecutive conference games; Mark Madsen, now in his second season at Cal’s helm, has two of those three streaks.
2. Strength In Numbers
The Bears improved to 9-3 at home with their sweep of the Seminoles and Hurricanes and did so without sophomore guard Andrej Stojakovic – the ACC’s third-leading scorer (18.9 PPG) – who missed the games due to illness (FSU) and injury (Miami). Five Bears scored in double figures for a second consecutive game against FSU on Jan. 22, highlighted by tone-setting double-doubles from Mady Sissoko (14 points, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks) and Rytis Petraitis (12 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists). Cal then outlasted Miami in overtime three days later behind a combined 52 points from Jeremiah Wilkinson (30) and DJ Campbell (22).
3. Rising Star
Freshman guard Jeremiah Wilkinson was named ACC Co-Rookie of the Week for the second time this season on Monday after averaging 24.0 PPG in his first two career starts against FSU and Miami. After scoring a team-high 19 points in the win over the Seminoles, Wilkinson exploded for a career-high 30 (28 in regulation) in Cal’s overtime victory against the Hurricanes. The rookie did most of his damage from close range, shooting 61.9% (13 of 21) inside the 3-point arc while knocking down 13 of 14 free-throw attempts. Wilkinson is fifth among ACC freshmen in scoring (13.0 PPG) and has scored double figures in 14 of the past 16 games.
Prior to being inserted into the starting lineup last week, Wilkinson ranked seventh nationally in scoring among players without a start (second among freshmen).
4. Road Battles
Another challenging road test awaits Cal in Dallas, as SMU owns an 8-3 record in Moody Coliseum. Cal won its most recent road contest, defeating NC State 65-62 on Jan. 18 to spark its current three-game win streak, and bested USC in Los Angeles on Nov. 17, but has missed other opportunities for signature road wins this season. The Bears led by double figures in two eventual road losses (18-point lead at Missouri, 16-point lead at Pitt).
5. Mo’ Buckets
The Bears’ balanced attack has generated one of the program’s best offenses in recent memory, with their 76.3 points per game being the most since the 2009-10 Cal squad averaged 77.2 PPG on the way to 24 wins and the Pac-12 regular season title. The 2024-25 Bears are averaging more than 67% of their points in the paint or at the free throw line this season; they’ve scored 40-plus paint points in back-to-back games and are the ACC leaders in free throws made per game (17.5).
UP NEXT
Cal is back in the East Bay this weekend to host Syracuse at 7 p.m. PT Saturday. The contest will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
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.