The California Golden Bears host the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Flames on Wednesday night for the opening round of the 2026 National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
This will be the Bears’ first postseason berth since 2017 and, with a few wins, they could be playing three rounds of the NIT at Haas Pavilion. The winner of this first round matchup will face the winner of Colorado State vs. Saint Joseph’s on Sunday, March 22.
Wednesday will be Cal’s tenth NIT appearance and an opportunity for the Bears to reclaim some glory after a difficult loss to the Florida State Seminoles in the opening round of the ACC Tournament. Coach Mark Madsen, as he’s wont to do, took responsibility for that loss, saying he did not “get this done.”
Cal’s successful NIT record — 14-8 all time with a 1999 championship — will be tested against a trifecta of scoring guards in Elijah Crawford, Rashund Washington and Andy Johnson. Crawford is coming off a 28 point game against UNI, Washington went 9-13 from the field in the previous game against Drake and Johnson had three games during the regular season with four or more made threes.
Defensive intensity is key to a Cal victory on Wednesday, the Bears were 17-3 this season when they held their opponents to 72 points or less. Similarly, Cal was 10-1 when they kept opponents under 40 percent from the field. Notably, Justin Pippen finished with a 1.83 steals per game average and his quick hands were pivotal for the Bears during the regular season.
Pippen, recently selected for an All-ACC honorable mention, and Dai Dai Ames, recently selected for the All-ACC third team, will handle in the backcourt. John Camden and Chris Bell, both of whom scored double-digits in more than 22 games this year, will flank on the wings. Lee Dort, who ranks 54th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game, will anchor the paint.
The Bears were victorious in 21 regular season games in part because they controlled the glass, especially on defense. When the Bears allowed opponents to collect offensive rebounds, they often struggled, as was the case early against Florida State. Allowing opponents extra chances also deflates the offense and the Bears were successful when the offense was quick up the floor and unselfish.
Offensively, Cal was most successful when they utilized the Ames or Pippen drive and kicked to an open Camden or Bell. Both guards are masterful with the ball and can create easy looks for the wings. Limiting turnovers will also be key to this.
In general, when the Bears turned the ball over nine times or fewer, they were successful. Much like the offensive rebounds, the turnovers deflate an offense and often allow for easy opportunities on the other end.
Both Bell and Camden will likely have a size advantage against the Flames’ guards and both have been adept at getting to their spots and converting from mid-range.
The Bears offensive attack was quite successful this season; four players averaging double figures, multiple games with 20 or more assists and six players averaging at least one assist. To continue that success Cal will need to take care of the ball and make the extra pass.
Additionally, the Bears bench came up huge this year. Milos Ilic, who started seven games while Dort was out, was useful as he often found backdoor cutters. TT Carr had nine assists against Morgan State. DJ Campbell has provided an offensive spark at times this season.
With three potential rounds at Haas, a powerful offensive juggernaut and a coach hyper focused on success, the Bears have a chance to make some noise in the NIT.
Tip off is at 8 p.m. PST.
RedlessWardrobe said:
Would have been nice if the article told us a little bit about the opponent.
