After losing its third straight game Wednesday night against visiting Oregon, the Cal men’s basketball team (16-12, 6-9 Pac-12) will hope to earn a victory in its final home game of the year. The Bears will host Oregon State (17-10, 8-7 Pac-12) Sunday afternoon on Senior Day, marking the last home game for senior forward David Kravish.
Cal has oscillated between two extremes for most of the season, following up a seven-game win streak with a six-game slump. The Bears then won five games in a row after being routed by then-No. 7 Arizona in late January. As Cal approaches the final handful of games, the Bears will hope for some semblance of the consistency that has evaded the team all season.
“I don’t know if there’s added urgency, just playing basketball games,” said head coach Cuonzo Martin. “Every game is important. I think you play and you compete, and the most important game right now is Oregon State.”
The Bears will head into their matchup with the Beavers on the heels of another double-digit defeat, this time to Oregon, which boosted its NCAA tournament hopes with its 80-69 win at Haas Pavilion. Cal, which has lost its last three games by an average of 12.3 points, was unable to contain Ducks’ senior guard Joseph Young, who finished the night with 25 points.
“Continue to compete and continue to play hard. Go back and watch film and continue to learn from it. There are always correctable errors, and I think that’s the biggest key,” Martin said.
Despite accruing a 15-1 record at home this season, Oregon State has struggled on the road, going 2-7 and dropping its last four road games by an average of 17.5 points. The Beavers have only one returning starter this season, Berkeley native junior guard Langston Morris-Walker. Morris-Walker has played more minutes this year than during his first two seasons.
Though many pegged Oregon State to finish as a Pac-12 bottom dweller, the Beavers are currently sixth in the standings, surpassing last season’s win total by earning their 17th victory against Colorado last week. Oregon State has clinched only its third winning season since 1990 — the last time the Beavers earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Oregon State is led by junior guard Gary Payton II — son of the NBA great — who leads the conference and is second in the country with three steals per game. Payton II is also averaging a team-high 13.2 points per game and leads the Beavers in rebounds. Sophomore guard Malcolm Duvivier leads the team in assists and is second in steals.
The Bears have not faced Oregon State since last January, when Cal came back from a 14-point deficit in the first half to defeat the Beavers and emerge with a narrow 88-83 win.
“We have a lot of capable players. Each game poses a different challenge. I’m confident in whoever is in the lineup (and) whoever is on the floor,” Kravish said. “I’m confident in that person’s ability to make the play they need to make and be in the position they need to be in. Any combination of guys is good for me.”
Michelle Lee covers men’s basketball. Contact her at michellelee@dailycal.org.