Game of the Week- Saturday

The Pac-10 leading Arizona Wildcats square off against the upstart California Golden Bears in the “Game of the Week” for Saturday. UA is no stranger to this portion of RePACkaged, but for Cal this marks just its second appearance in a “Game of the Week.” And for good reason. Head coach Mike Montgomery has his young and talented Bears squad on a roll, winners of four straight games. On the other side, Arizona also comes into the game on a four game winning streak, so something has got to give in this game.

For Arizona the story is the same. Sophomore forward phenom Derrick Williams continues to light up Pac-10 opponents in his quest for conference player of the year. He certainly bolstered that candidacy again on Thursday, scoring 21 points and pulling in eight rebounds. However, Arizona seems to have found a bit of an alternate scoring threat with defending Pac-10 Player of the Week Lamont “MoMo” Jones. The increased offensive production by Jones has been a big boon for an offense that at times earlier in the season appeared occasionally one-dimensional.

Cal, on the other hand, continues its rather surprising assent to the top of the conference standings. With Washington’s loss Thursday at Oregon State, the Golden Bears now sit just a game behind the Huskies for third place in the Pac-10. Part of the reason for Cal’s turnaround from a lackluster nonconference performance is the Bears’ ability to share the scoring load. Cal has had four or more players in double figures five straight games, with junior Jorge Gutierrez leading the way Thursday against Arizona State with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

While Cal does not seem to do any one thing particularly spectacularly, it does all the little things well. Share the ball, box out, rebound, make smart decisions: all trademarks of a Montgomery-coached team.

Similarly, Arizona rarely beats itself. A high scoring offense with a solid defense makes the Wildcats a formidable challenge for Cal. That means this game may come down to fouls. The ability of either team to draw fouls, get the other team in foul trouble and knock down its free throws could be the difference in the game. Both teams do an excellent job getting to the line- Cal has shot 570 free throws on the year, while Arizona has shot 569- so it is important for both teams to provide good help on defense to try and stop penetration and draw charges.

KEY PLAYERS

Jorge Gutierrez- Gutierrez provides a double-challenge for Arizona. His increased scoring prowess has transformed him into a legitimate scoring threat on any possession. Yet defense is where Gutierrez most excels. Known as one of the best defenders in the Pac-10, Gutierrez must be able to slow down MoMo Jones. He also draws the most free throws on the team.

Derrick Williams- Williams’ presence on the “Key Players” list should be expected in every game featuring Arizona because of his ability to dominate a game. But more specifically, where Williams could really change this game is at the free throw stripe. He shoots an astounding 38.7 percent of Arizona’s free throws. If Williams can get Cal’s starting bigs- Harper Kamp and Markhuri Sanders-Frison- in foul trouble, it could be a long day for the Bears, who lack adequate frontcourt talent off the bench.