For the second consecutive season, the California Golden Bears will make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Bears will be a No. 12 seed in the East Region as they play the UNLV Rebels in San Jose, California.
So what do you need to know about Mike Montgomery’s group?
1. This is the fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in five years under coach Mike Montgomery. The Bruins hadn’t made it to consecutive tournaments since the 2003 season under Ben Braun.
2. The California Golden Bears haven’t made it to the Sweet Sixteen since 1997. In that time, Cal has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including their upcoming stand in 2013.
3. Cal is led by an elite backcourt tandem of shooting guard Allen Crabbe and point guard Justin Cobbs. The team goes as these two go, as they account for 34.2 of Cal’s 67.5 points per game. They also combine for 7.4 of Cal’s 14.1 assists per contest.
4. The Bears own five victories against NCAA Tournament teams. That includes wins against Oregon, UCLA, Colorado and Arizona.
5. California enters the NCAA Tournament having won seven of their past nine games. They lost their final two, however, with both coming against non-Tournament teams.
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