Cal and No. 23 Syracuse Clash In Semifinals of 2K Classic Thursday

NEW YORK - California and No. 23 Syracuse clash for the third-straight season as the Golden Bears and Orange meet in the championship round of the 2K Classic, benefiting Wounded Warrior Project on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 6:30 p.m. PT at Madison Square Garden in New York. Cal enters Thursday’s contest 2-0 with convincing wins over Alcorn State and Kennesaw State.

Thursday’s game will be televised on ESPN2 with John Saunders (play-by-play), Dick Vitale (analyst) and Jeff Goodman (reporter) on the call. The radio broadcast team of Todd McKim (play-by-play) and former Cal assistant coach Jay John (analyst) will have the call on KSFO 560 AM in the Bay Area and on CalBears.com. Pre-game show starts at 6 p.m. PT.

CUONZO MARTIN ERA OFF TO STRONG START
Cuonzo Martin, who was introduced as Cal’s 16th head men’s basketball coach in program history on April 15, became the fourth consecutive Cal coach to win his debut game when the Bears defeated Alcorn State, 91-57, in the season opener. In his second game at Cal, the Bears downed Kennesaw State, 93-59.

Martin brings a track record of success that includes a conference Coach of the Year honor and postseason berths each of the past five seasons. He guided Tennessee the past three years, including a spot in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 last season, and prior to that served as the head coach at Missouri State for three years. He has directed his teams to a greater win total than the previous year at each of his coaching stops. In his seventh season as a head coach, Martin owns a 126-82 career record.

WALLACE VOTED PAC-12'S BEST
Junior guard Tyrone Wallace was voted the Pac-12 Player of the Week on Monday, after nearly averaging a double-double in wins over Alcorn State and Kennesaw State. He averaged 20 points and 9.5 rebounds, to go along with 5.5 assists per contest for the week. Against Alcorn State, Wallace had a career-best 22 points and 10 rebounds, while scoring 17 of his game-high 18 points in the second half against Kennesaw State. Wallace also contributed seven assists and nine rebounds in the win over the Owls. It is his second career Pac-12 Player of the Week honor, after capturing the season’s first award last year as well.

GETTING OFFENSIVE
Cal’s up-tempo offense has produced back-to-back point totals of greater than 90 points for the first time since 2002. That year, the Bears defeated Washington State, 90-57, and No. 23 USC, in overtime, 92-91, in consecutive games.

THE LINEUP
After combining for 47 of Cal’s 91 points vs. Alcorn State, Cal’s three returning starters – senior forward David Kravish, junior guard Tyrone Wallace and sophomore guard Jabari Bird – were responsible for a combined 39 points against Kennesaw State. Sophomore guard Jordan Mathews posted 16 points against Kennesaw State in his second game as a regular starter for the Bears, and redshirt junior forward Christian Behrens, registered a career-high 10 points vs. Alcorn State in his first career start. Cal welcomed back eight letterwinners overall to start the season. Sophomore Sam Singer dished out a career-best six assists in the win over Alcorn State, while fellow sophomore Roger Moute a Bidias posted a career-high seven points in 18 minutes vs. KSU.

THE NEWCOMERS
Several of Cal’s seven newcomers have made their debuts in the first two games. Graduate student Dwight Tarwater, a transfer from Cornell University, has totaled 21 points so far. Freshman center Kingsley Okoroh posted four points and four rebounds in 16 minutes vs. Kennesaw State. Freshmen Nick Hamilton, Cole Welle and junior Brenden Glapion have each played in the first two games.

WE MEET AGAIN
After facing off in the third round of the NCAA Tournament in San Jose, Calif. in March of 2013 and in the semifinal round of the Maui Invitational in Maui, Hawaii in November of 2013, the Golden Bears and Orange meet in the Championship Round of the 20th annual 2K Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project. Syracuse took each contest, 66-60 win in San Jose and a 92-81 victory in Maui. The two schools played one additional time, in the venue that they will play in on Thursday, Madison Square.

BIRD AND MATHEWS AGAINST SYRACUSE
Jabari Bird and Jordan Mathews combined for 29 points in last year’s meeting with Syracuse at the Maui Invitational. Both freshmen at the time, playing in their sixth collegiate game, saw extensive minutes in the contest. Bird finished with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor and a pair of three-pointers in 36 minutes. Bird also had seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Mathews collected 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting along with two assists in 22 minutes.

Senior David Kravish (19 pts. 7 rebs. combined) and junior Tyrone Wallace (21 pts., six rebs., six asts. combined) are the lone Bears to have faced Syracuse each of the last two years.

2K CLASSIC BENEFITING WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT
This is Cal’s third appearance in the 2K Classic. The Golden Bears also played Syracuse in the 2009 Championship Round of the tournament in Madison Square Garden, dropping a 95-73 decision to the Orange on Nov. 19. In the 2009 consolation game, Ohio State defeated Cal, 76-70, on Nov. 20. During the Regional Round of the 2009 tournament, California earned victories over Murray State (75-70) on Nov. 9 and Detroit (95-61) on Nov. 11 at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif. The Bears also appeared in the Regional Round of the 2004 tournament, posting a 78-61 victory over UC Riverside on Nov. 11 and dropping a 62-51 decision to Saint Mary’s on Nov. 12 at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif.

The 2K Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project is the nation’s premier season-opening college basketball tournament. Twelve teams from across the nation are competing in the event with four of the top teams in the country serving as regional hosts. Regional Round action took place from Nov. 14-17 with the four hosts (Cal, Syracuse, Iowa and Texas) advancing to the Championship Rounds, Nov. 21-22, at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The remainder of the field will participate in a round-robin series at one of two subregional sites. Thus, every participating team is guaranteed four games. Cal will face Syracuse on Nov. 21 in New York.

A LOOK AT SYRACUSE

• Posted wins over Kennesaw St. (89-42) and Hampton (65-47).
• Led by C Rakeem Christmas at 18.0 ppg. and 12.5 rpg.
• Held first two opponents to 44.5 ppg. average.
• Hall of Fame Coach Jim Boeheim is in his 39th season with Syracuse. Owns 950 career wins
• LAST MEETING: Syracuse defeated Cal, 92-81, in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational on Nov. 26, 2014.