Led Zeppelin, Watergate and John Travolta. What do all of these things have in common? They are all reminiscent of the ‘70s. Allow me to add one more item to the list: Cal’s last faceoff against Cal State LA. That’s right, the last time these namesakes met on the court was nearly half a century ago, and now the Bears prepare to kickoff their 2021-22 season with an exhibition game against the Golden Eagles.
Suffering a blowout loss to UC Riverside the first of its three-game exhibition series, Cal State LA looks to bounce back against the Bears on Monday. The Bears ended their last season with gruesome records of 9-20 in the regular season and 3-17 in conference play, and the Golden Eagles have a slight upper hand with records of 13-16 and 8-14, respectively. The playing field seems to be quite leveled in terms of shooting percentages with both teams shooting around 43% from the field and 3-point field goal percentages hovering around 30%. Monday night should expect an even matchup between the two teams who are both eager to turn their reputations around with an early victory.
After a devastating loss in a seemingly dark horse race in the Pac-12 tournament sent the Bears into their off season, the Cal lineup boasts several familiar faces along with new ones, but perhaps most noticeably, the absence of one: Matt Bradley. It would be an understatement to say that the transfer of Bradley to San Diego State had a large impact on the Cal basketball organization; the Bears will have to obtain Bradley’s average of 18 points per game elsewhere this season. During the off season, the Bears’ administration undoubtedly put no shortage of effort into trying to fill the void left by the team’s star player.
Cal’s updated 2021-22 roster seems to be an ideal mix of experience and new talent. Battle-scarred and having already weathered storms in a Cal uniform, veteran head coach Mark Fox remains at the helm of the coaching staff and with numerous returning players including Andre Kelly and Grant Anticevich, there shouldn’t be a shortage of familiar faces on the Haas Pavilion floor come Monday night.
A jersey number to definitely keep an eye out for on the floor this season would be Kelly’s 22. A player fans should be familiar with, Kelly was one of three players to see action on the court in all 29 games last season and is out to make his senior year in a blue and gold jersey a memorable one. Boasting averages of 10.3 points and 6.4 rebounds, Kelly has a clear potential to be the Bears’ key to a successful season and Pac-12 run.
Jordan Shepherd is a noticeable new recruit this season, acquired as a transfer from Charlotte. The 6’4’’ guard landed a position on the All-Conference USA third team two years ago and is no stranger to double-figure scoring with an average of 11.9 points per game and a field goal percentage of 45.5. Personal talent aside, it will be crucial for Shepherd and the other incoming freshmen and transfers to smoothly integrate their skills into Bear basketball.
As fans once again rush into the bleachers of Haas Pavilion for the first time since Feb. 29, 2020, the Bears look to defeat an unfamiliar yet formidable opponent. The Bears and Golden Eagles are currently at a record of 1-1 against each other, a record set during a time of bell bottoms and absolutely hideous prints. The Bears look to one-up their adversary as they go head-to-head on Monday night.
