The California Golden Bears find themselves in a familiar spot this winter-on the fringe of the NCAA Tournament. Despite some standout victories, like their impressive sweep of Stanford, their overall resume is still a bit thin to guarantee a spot in the Big Dance.
Cal has a 19-8 record with a #59 Net Rank, and while they've managed to climb the ranks with wins like the one against Boston College, they still have work to do. The Bears are eyeing four more wins before Selection Sunday to bolster their chances.
Their non-conference schedule hasn't done them many favors, offering only one significant win against UCLA amidst a slew of Quad 3 and Quad 4 victories. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has them sitting alongside Ohio State, USC, and San Diego State in the First Four Out category. Meanwhile, CBS Sports is among the few projecting Cal as the last team in, but only one of seven out of 127 brackets sees it that way.
To solidify their spot, the Bears need to secure victories in their remaining regular-season games, particularly against Georgia Tech and Pitt, and avoid any slip-ups. A split between tonight’s game against SMU and the upcoming match with Wake Forest might just tip the scales in their favor.
On the women’s side, Cal is in a similar predicament. ESPN lists them as one of the next four teams out. They need to win their final two home games against SMU and Clemson and likely make a deep run in the ACC tournament to punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament.
With four games in Berkeley over the next five nights, the Bears have a golden opportunity to make their case. Fans, get ready to rally behind your team!