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		Michael Duca on Cal Bears Basketball By Michael Duca January 5, 2012

	Sportstalk: The Bears 12-3 (2-0) rang in the New Year and rang UCLA's bell last Saturday night with a 85-69 blasting at Haas. Head coach Mike Montgomery credits Cal forward David Kravish with his ability to stop UCLA's 7-7 (0-2) 280 pounder Josh Smith. Kravish recalls coming out in the second half and playing hard after Monty jokingly apologizing to Kravish for putting him out there against the Bruins big man but what's this say about Kravish to stop someone like Smith? David Kravish is a very smart basketball player. He will be a very good basketball player when he is able to install about 40 pounds of groceries on his very skinny frame. He did what it took to frustrate Smith -- beat the immobile 340-pound Smith to his preferred spot almost every time down the court, forcing Smith to move with the ball -- usually, into a double-team by one of the wings. Josh Smith hasn't weighed 280 pounds since the last Presidential election. The 340-pound estimate came from Robert Thurman, who weighs 270 himself and whom Smith sent flying on one sequence with an elbow. Sportstalk: One of the big game plans that was put in place is that the Bears shut the Bruins down and played a great perimeter game shutting down the Bruins on offense and with that adjustment having a strong rebounding game. Monty said that created more ball movement opportunities after the half time break for the six players who played the second half? Cal has out-rebounded their opponents in every game they have won. The second half of the UCLA game was a near-perfect as a basketball team can play - finishing with 28 assists on 34 baskets, ball movement and finding the open man on virtually every trip down the floor. It's a team game after all, and when played well as a team, it's game that's nearly impossible to stop. Cal's squad learned what they are capable of when they fully buy into the system in that half. It will be interesting to see if they can continue it on the road. Sportstalk: Miguel lastly the Bears play against Oregon State 10-2 (0-4) and Oregon 10-4 (1-1) on the road this Thursday and Sunday can the Bears play that finesse offensive game controlling the offensive ball and on defense shutting down the Beavers and Ducks on the inside game and dominate on rebounding similar to what they did against the Bruins? Probably not. They probably can't do it again against the Bruins in Los Angeles. There's a definite home-court advantage this year; Cal has not won a true road game yet, although they did beat Georgia on a "neutral" court in Kansas City. That's the next step for this team; to assert itself on the road and beat some good teams there. This weekend will reveal much more about the Cal squad than did last weekend.