Cal Bears: Jabari Bird Named Pac-12 Player of the Week
Cal Bears junior guard Jabari Bird has been named the Pac-12’s Player of the Week following two great performances against the Oregon-based Pac-12 schools.
The Cal Bears ran their record on their home court in Haas Pavilion to 16-0 with two wins this past week, thanks in large part to huge contributions from their junior guard, Jabari Bird. Cal was able to gain a semblance of revenge against Oregon and Oregon State, both of whom they lost to earlier in the season on the road. For his efforts in those two games, Bird has been awarded the Pac-12’s Player of the Week.
After starting his third season a little slowly (averaging 8.7 points per game on 42 percent shooting and 33 percent three-point shooting over the season’s first 23 games), Bird exploded on Tuesday against the then-11th-ranked Oregon Ducks, who were also the number-one team in the nation in RPI at the time. Bird dropped in 24 points to set a new career-high, and nailed four three-pointers to lead the Bears to an 83-63 upset victory. In addition, he pulled down six rebounds, handed out two assists, recorded two steals and a block, and played a lot of the second half with four fouls.
He followed that performance with another outstanding game on Saturday against the Oregon State Beavers. Bird filled up the net for 23 points while making making nine of his 14 shot attempts, as well as making a season-high matching five three-pointers, leading Cal to an 83-71 win. These two games marked the first time in Bird’s career that he has scored 20-plus points in back-to-back contests. He also added seven rebounds and a season-high-tying four assists, plus a pair of dazzling dunks on consecutive possessions in the second half.
In the pair of games, Bird averaged 23.5 points per contest on 16-of-28 shooting (64.3 percent), including nine-of-12 from beyond the arc (75 percent). He was the team’s leading scorer in both contests. He has upped his season averages to 9.9 points per game and 45.1 percent shooting, as well as 37.4 percent from three-point range. Cal is 13-2 when their 6’6″ guard scores in the double-digits this season.
More from Golden Gate Sports
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
- Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
- 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
- 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve
Bird is the second Golden Bear to win the Pac-12’s Player of the Week award this season, joining senior point guard Tyrone Wallace. Wallace won the award in the first week of the season with a 20-point (nine-for-12 shooting), six-rebound, and eight-assist performance against Rice in the first game of the campaign.
The Cal Bears are 17-8 overall on the season, including the staggering 16-0 record at home. They are also 3-1 against ranked opponents, beating 11th-ranked Oregon, the 12th-ranked Arizona Wildcats (which earned a court-storming from Bears’ fans), and the 21st-ranked Utah Utes, while falling only to the fifth-ranked Virginia Cavaliers by a single point. Cal is 7-5 in the conference, sitting fifth in what will be a very tight Pac-12 race to the finish.
Next: Cal Bears NFL Draft Profile: Stefan McClure
The season rolls on for the Bears on Thursday against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle, Washington. The game can be seen on Fox Sports 1. After that, Cal has five regular season games left before conference tournament play begins, and then March Madness, during which Cal figures to be just one of many representatives for the Pac-12 in the NCAA Tournament.