What Justin Cobbs will we expect to see on Saturday?
It’s difficult to put a finger on who the real Justin Cobbs is lately.
So far in 2013, Cobbs’ performances have been wildly swinging between really good and ice-cold. With the No. 2 man in the Cal offense struggling to find his groove, the Bears took a huge toll in their conference play.
The curious case of Justin Cobbs starts from his yo-yolike proclivity to taking shots. Against UCLA on Jan. 3, Cobbs jacked up 18 shots, nailing only six. Against Washington State on Jan. 12, the junior guard went silent, shooting only twice in 40 minutes of play.
But stats show that quiet Cobbs has been better for Cal than shot-crazy Cobbs — the Bears have lost all four games in which Cobbs took more than 15 shot attempts.
What Cal really needs is the Feb. 16, 2012 Justin Cobbs, who scored a career-high 28 points against Oregon. Perhaps, after a 22-point performance in the latest game against Colorado, Cobbs will have found his mojo by Saturday.
— Seung Y. Lee
How did Oregon lose to Stanford by 24 points on Wednesday?
Oregon went into Maples Pavilion on Wednesday night with a 7-0 conference record and left with a 76-52 stain.
Twenty-four points — against Stanford, the same team that lost to Belmont earlier in the season. How did it happen, and how can Cal replicate the Cardinal’s upsetting performance?
Stanford, a streaky shooting team all season long, shot lights out — 52 percent from the field, 8-for-14 from the 3-point line. Oregon wins games with its fast pace and glass prowess. On Wednesday, the Cardinal outrebounded the Ducks and played solid defense, stifling Oregon’s tempo and shooting.
Of course, a key factor was the absence of Dominic Artis, the Ducks’ starting point guard who is sidelined with a foot injury and won’t play Saturday either. While his season stats don’t jump out at you, his presence was sorely missed.
Rebounding and turnover woes have plagued Cal all season long. Winning those two battles — along with consistent 3-point shooting — could be the difference on Saturday.
— Jonathan Kuperberg