No. 20 Clemson Faces Unranked Cal in West Coast Clash

Both teams look to boost their NCAA Tournament resumes in Saturday night matchup.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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Twentieth-ranked Clemson will continue its West Coast road trip on Saturday night when it faces unranked California in a potential resume-boosting game for both teams. The Tigers, currently projected as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, are looking to secure their 20th win of the season and earn a Quad 1 victory against the Golden Bears, who are considered a bubble team. California has won four of its last five games and is led by Dai Dai Ames, who is averaging 17.7 points per game.

Why it matters

This game is important for both teams as they look to improve their NCAA Tournament resumes. Clemson is currently in good position to make the tournament, but a win over Cal would further solidify its status. For the Golden Bears, a victory over the ranked Tigers would be a significant boost to their chances of earning an at-large bid.

The details

Clemson (19-4, 9-1 ACC) is coming off a 66-64 win at Stanford on Wednesday, continuing its hot streak with 12 wins in its last 13 games. The Tigers are led by RJ Godfrey, who is averaging 11.8 points per game. California (17-6, 5-5) has won four of its last five games, including close wins over Miami and Georgia Tech. The Golden Bears are paced by Dai Dai Ames, who is scoring 17.7 points per game, and Justin Pippen, who is averaging 15 points and 4.4 assists.

  • Clemson and Cal will face off on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
  • Clemson is playing the second game of its ACC West Coast road trip.
  • The Tigers' only loss in their last 13 games came in overtime against NC State on January 20th.

The players

Dai Dai Ames

The leading scorer for California, averaging 17.7 points per game.

Justin Pippen

Averaging 15 points and a team-high 4.4 assists per game for the Golden Bears.

RJ Godfrey

Clemson's leading scorer, averaging 11.8 points per game.

Nick Davidson

A California native who led Clemson with 16 points in the team's win at Stanford on Wednesday.

Brad Brownell

The head coach of the Clemson Tigers.

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What they’re saying

“Dai Dai Ames has tremendous self-discipline. So he's a guy you can really trust. I knew it could go either way, but I knew the likelihood was he was going to have the composure and the discipline not to pick up that fifth foul. And he was great with that.”

— Mark Madsen, California Head Coach (Instagram)

“He handled it great. Not surprised that he played well and managed his emotions. He does have a lot of family here. I know he was excited for the trip, he and Blake Davidson both. I'm happy for him, though, that he played well.”

— Brad Brownell, Clemson Head Coach (Twitter)

What’s next

The winner of this game will look to continue building momentum as they approach the final stretch of the regular season and the start of conference tournaments.

The takeaway

This matchup between Clemson and California features two teams looking to boost their NCAA Tournament resumes, with the Tigers aiming to solidify their status as a tournament lock and the Golden Bears hoping to play their way onto the bubble. The game could come down to which team's star player - Clemson's RJ Godfrey or Cal's Dai Dai Ames - can lead their squad to victory.