Duke Rolls By Cal, 78-57

It was a solid win but Cal is better than the score indicates

Duke and Cal had their first encounter since the 1993 Sweet Sixteen encounter when Cal, led by Jason Kidd, upset Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill’s Duke.

There was no Kidd to save Cal Wednesday night as Duke won 78-57, but Cal acquitted itself fairly well, all things considered.

There was never much doubt about which team was going to win. Duke took control early, shooting out to a 7-0 lead as Tyrese Proctor and Khaman Maluach scored three quick baskets.

Cal did fight back and hung around for a bit. Rytis Petraitis hit a three to cut it to 9-7 before Duke began to steadily build some separation.

Cooper Flagg hit a pair of free throws to push it to 13-7 and soon enough Mason Gillis, back from his illness, hit a three to give Duke a 19-9 edge.

And before too much longer, Flagg hit a three to the Blue Devils a 28-15 advantage.

And from there it was pretty much on. It could have been worse, but Duke controlled Cal pretty thoroughly.

The Bears were held to 28.6 percent in the first half and 25 percent on threes. Duke hit 13 baskets and assisted on 12 of those; Cal assisted on just three of their first-half shots.

So why do we say they did okay?

It’s not complicated.

Despite being outplayed by Duke, Cal showed the signs of a well-coached team that just ran into a better one.

They had their challenges - for instance, Duke forced them into three first-half shot-clock violations.

Yet they maintained their discipline and cohesion. For the most part, they did get off shots; they just didn't hit them. And on occasion they surprised Duke, like when they double-teamed Tyrese Proctor on an inbounds.

And while Duke has a lot more talent, it’s not like Cal is bereft.

Andrej Stojakovic shot just 4-14, but we saw a talented and clever player. If he were on Duke, with more talent around him, he’d get a lot more opportunities.

Mady Sissoko, formerly of Michigan State, was big and rugged. He was a problem for Duke.

But their best was Jeremiah Wilkinson.

Wilkinson was the only player other than Flagg to get a vote for ACC Rookie of the Year. We assumed it was a homer vote and it may have been. However, Wilkinson is really good.

In the first half, he was just 2-8 for six points. He finished 8-17 though for 21 points and wasn’t scared to take the ball in against 7-2 Khaman Maluach. He was really impressive.

Duke took a 38-23 lead into halftime. And while the Blue Devils rolled along in the second half, Cal was still physical, tough and occasionally smart. We liked that they never quit and also never truly lost their composure.

For the Blue Devils, Cooper Flagg bounced back from his illness at Clemson to rack up 27 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. His three point shot, previously seen as a weakness, has become a strength, which makes the rest of his game that much more dangerous.

Proctor, who has always been reliable defensively, has become much more consistent on offense. In his last four games, he has hit 17, 16, 23 and 18 and he’s shooting well. For instance, he’s hit 13-29 from deep in those games.

Khaman Maluach had 10 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and a block and a rare three point shot too. You don’t see this too often: he got more offensive rebounds (seven) than defensive (five).

Sion James finished with eight points and nine rebounds, highly impressive for a 6-4 guard.

Kon Knueppel finished with just six points, but it’s possible that the bug that hit Gillis and presumably Flagg, hit him too.

Bench play was useful but not exceptional although we thought Gillis did okay considering how sick he must have been and Isaiah Evans has clearly improved his defense a good bit.

The game was punctuated by a late steal and coast-to-coast drive by Cooper Flagg that ended up with a highlight dunk.

This wasn’t a flashy win, as we said. It was more workmanlike. Duke did few things wrong, a lot of things right and handled Cal well.

However, Bears coach Mark Madsen felt that with a few different plays, the game may have been much closer and he’s right. Cal is a tough-minded, well-coached team. He needs more talent, and if he gets it, the Bears are going to be a problem.

Notes - Khaman Maluach took a bit of a beating tonight but still held his ground...not sure he could have done that earlier this season...Evans was more than ready to shoot, but we loved his defensive intensity...Knueppel didn’t shoot well but he also worked hard on defense...Flagg showed no obvious after effects from his illness...Maliq Brown and Caleb Foster had quiet nights but it’s possible that they might have a touch of the bug that affected Gillis and Flagg...we like what Madsen is doing with his team and they’ll get better but he drove us crazy with his constant forays onto the court...we can’t remember a coach flouting the coach’s box so relentlessly and flagrantly...

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