The Cal Men's Basketball Team concluded their regular season with a matchup against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, NC. Staying on the East Coast, they made the short trip to Charlotte for the ACC Tournament, which kicks off on Tuesday. Cal finished tied for 9th/10th place in the league standings with Stanford, but clinched the 9th seed thanks to their season sweep over The Cardinal.
In a recent Zoom call with West Coast reporters, Coach Madsen shared insights on the team's end-of-season performance, their ACC and NCAA Tournament outlook, and preparations for their Wednesday clash with Florida State. Here are some key takeaways:
When asked about the team's reliance on three-point shooting and their struggles with two-point shots, Coach Madsen emphasized balance: "We’ve never been a team solely focused on threes. Against Wake Forest, we mixed it up with inside plays, mid-range shots, and open threes. We aim to be versatile, not a one-trick pony."
Addressing how other games impacted Cal's seeding, Madsen acknowledged the complexity: "There were many moving parts. While we were aware of the conference happenings, our focus was on defeating Wake Forest.
Despite a strong first half, we faltered in the second. We stayed informed through our coaches' huddle."
Reflecting on losses to Pitt and Wake Forest, Madsen noted, "The Pitt loss stung because we didn’t execute well. We’ve had intense film sessions and strong practices since.
Against Wake Forest, we excelled defensively in the first half but struggled with second-chance points and fouls in the second. Now, it’s about bouncing back and correcting those mistakes."
Florida State edged out Cal 63-61 in January, a game that seemed like a bad loss at the time as FSU was 2-6 in the conference. However, the Seminoles have since turned things around, going 8-2 and eyeing NCAA contention.
On preparing for the rematch, Madsen said, "FSU is explosive from the three-point line. McCray can penetrate the paint.
They're long, athletic, and force turnovers. They switch defenses effectively, and we’re preparing for that.
Last time, turnovers hurt us, and it was a close game."
In ACC All-Conference news, Dai Dai Ames earned third-team honors, finishing 15th in overall voting. Ames was also second in Most Improved Player voting, jumping from 8.7 points per game last year at Virginia to 16.7 as a key offensive leader for Cal.
Justin Pippen received an Honorable Mention, finishing 22nd in votes. After limited playtime at Michigan last year, Pippen thrived at Cal, averaging 14 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds per game this season.