After blowing Montana away to open the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, Syracuse will take on 12th-seeded California at 9:40 p.m. on Saturday in the third round in San Jose, Calif. The Golden Bears (21-11) advanced with a 64-61 win over UNLV, highlighted by Allen Crabbe’s game-high 19 points. Crabbe, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound guard, earned Pac-12 Player of the Year honors after leading the conference in scoring with 18.7 points per game this season. Point guard Justin Cobbs provides Cal with another offensive threat as he averages 15.4 points per game and 4.8 assists per game.

The Daily Orange broke down Saturday’s matchup with Jonathan Kuperberg, who covers the Golden Bears for The Daily Californian.

The Daily Orange: What makes Crabbe tough for opponents to stop and how do you think he matches up with Syracuse’s zone defense?

Jonathan Kuperberg: Crabbe has always been a great outside shooter, but this season his mid-range game has been even more effective. Teams can’t just run him off the 3-point line anymore. He curls around screens at the elbow, and as the No. 1 option, his teammates are always looking for him. Tentative by nature, Crabbe is finally starting to be aggressive. Cal should put him at the free throw line against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone and not just settle for 3-pointers, as the Bears won’t be able to pull off the upset just from hot outside shooting.

The D.O.: Besides Crabbe, who else will need to have a big night for Cal to pull the upset on Saturday?

JK: To beat Syracuse, everyone on Cal will have to play well. All-Pac-12 second-teamer Justin Cobbs needs to take care of the ball and provide a scoring punch to complement Crabbe. The Bears need to make open shots and not just take 3s because they are open. Forward Richard Solomon (8.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg) is key. He is an emotional player and tends to disappear in games if he has a rough start. But when he is energized early, such as in the win over UNLV, Solomon gives his team a huge boost on both sides of the court.

The D.O.: Cal led the Pac-12 in field goal percentage defense (39.6 percent) during the year. What led to that success, and how do you think the Golden Bears will approach the Orange defensively?

JK: It seemed to be mainly a mental approach. The players finally bought into coach Mike Montgomery’s defensive philosophy and realized that they could win games through defense when their shots were not falling. Cal has mixed in its sort of 1-2-2 zone with man defense but played almost exclusive zone against UNLV. The Bears are not a deep team — Crabbe and Cobbs play heavy minutes — so their zone can hide players in foul trouble. Trust Montgomery to pick the right kind of defense for the right spot. The players just need to stay focused.

The D.O.: Being about an hour from Cal’s campus, how much of a factor do you think home-court advantage could play for the Bears in this one?

JK: I don’t think it’s that much of an advantage. There were probably more Cal fans than any other fan base on Thursday, but they were not so loud that they made a difference in the game. The advantage is in the fact that the team can go back to Berkeley and has more flexibility in scheduling and practice. If Cal wins, it won’t be because the game is in San Jose.

The D.O.: What needs to happen for the Golden Bears to top the Orange and advance to the Sweet Sixteen?

JK: The Bears basically need to do everything well. Crabbe and Cobbs must have big games, and at least another player or two will need to step up on the offensive end, for surely Syracuse’s defense will be shaded toward Cal’s top duo. The Bears can’t let the Orange run away with the game. Cal, having won many close games throughout the season, knows how to finish, so if the Bears can start strong and keep the game close, an upset could happen.

Published on March 22, 2013 at 5:24 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu