The University of California, Berkeley men’s basketball team is set to face two ranked opponents in early November, beginning with No. 10 Houston in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, followed by No. 21 USC at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley.
The Golden Bears will take on Houston at 5:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, November 8, 2026, as part of the inaugural Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic. Three days later, on Wednesday, November 11, Cal will host USC at 8 p.m. PT at Haas Pavilion.
Historically, California holds a 3-4 series record against Houston, including victories in their last two meetings, such as a 95-70 win in Fairbanks, Alaska. Against USC, Cal leads the all-time series 138-134 and won their most recent encounters, including an 82-74 win in Los Angeles during their Pac-12 tenure.
Coming into these challenging matchups, the Golden Bears have started the season with strong offensive performances. Junior guard Nojus Indrusaitis recently scored a career-high 30 points against Radford, making six three-pointers and contributing to a program-record 17 three-pointers overall in an 84-70 win. In the season opener against Adams State, Cal posted 115 points—the highest since 2007—with sophomore guard Michael Cooper scoring 24 points and collecting six three-pointers, and forward Sammie Yeanay adding 21 points.
Head coach Mark Madsen is in his fourth season leading the team and recently reached 50 wins with the program. The roster features nine newcomers, including five transfers and four freshmen. This marks the third season for California in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Additionally, Cal Athletics recently announced a landmark jersey patch partnership with Dialpad, marking the largest corporate partnership in Golden Bears history and making Cal the first ACC school to have a jersey patch sponsor.
CSB Take
The upcoming games against highly ranked Houston and USC represent crucial tests for the California Golden Bears men’s basketball team. Building on impressive early-season performances by players such as Nojus Indrusaitis and Michael Cooper, the Bears will gauge their competitiveness against top-tier opponents. Coach Mark Madsen’s continued leadership and the infusion of new talent position the team for potential growth as the season advances within the ACC and nationally.
Source: Original report
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