The California Golden Bears enter the 2009-10
campaign with lofty expectations, and they will try to get started on a
positive note when they entertain the Murray State Racers tonight in a Coaches
vs. Cancer matchup at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley.
Mike Montgomery's first season as head coach at Cal was a good one, as the
Bears finished third in the Pac-10 Conference and made the NCAA Tournament in
2008-09. Cal returns the majority of the roster from last year's 22-win club,
and the Golden Bears are one of the favorites to win the Pac-10 this season,
and they enter the year ranked 13th in the country, their highest ranking to
start a campaign since the 1993-94 club debuted at No. 6.
As for the Racers, they face a serious challenge in this opener, but they are
a talented squad in their own right and are considered the favorites to win
the Ohio Valley Conference. MSU finished the 2008-09 campaign with a 19-12
mark under head coach Billy Kennedy, and they return three key starters and a
few reserves from that club.
Tonight's game marks he first-ever meeting between Murray State and California
on the hardwood.
The Racers return a trio of productive players in Danero Thomas, Isacc Miles
and Ivan Aska, and each can get the job done at both ends of the floor. The
6-4 Thomas led MSU in both scoring (12.5 ppg) and steals (48) last season,
while the 6-2 Miles added 10.6 ppg and 3.8 apg, to go with 40 swipes. The 6-7
Aska burst onto the scene and was named the OVC Freshman of the Year for
2008-09 after averaging 10.3 ppg and a team-best 5.8 rpg. Tony Easley, a 6-9
center, will join Thomas and Aska in the frontcourt and he tallied 6.7 ppg and
5.4 rpg off the bench last season.
Cal was one of the top shooting teams last season, hitting 48.3 percent from
the floor, 42.7 percent from long range and 75.5 percent at the foul line.
With nearly every player back in the fold, the Bears should continue their
success in making buckets at a high rate. Leading the charge is Jerome Randle,
a 5-10 guard that paced the team in scoring (18.3 ppg) and assists (5.0 apg),
while shooting an efficient 46.3 percent from beyond the arc and 86.3 percent
at the charity stripe last season. Patrick Christopher will once again team up
with Randle out on the perimeter after ranking second with 14.5 ppg in
2008-09. Theo Robertson and Jamal Boykin return to their spots in the
frontcourt and they netted 13.1 ppg and 9.6 ppg, respectively last season. The
6-6 Robertson shot an electric 48.7 percent from three-point land, while
Boykin ripped down a team-best 6.4 rpg.
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