Cal faces uphill climb in ACC tournament for Selection Sunday chances

The Golden Bears need to win the ACC tournament to have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament field.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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California's basketball team has a tough road ahead in the ACC tournament if it wants to make the NCAA Tournament. The Bears, the ninth seed, face an uphill climb starting with a second-round matchup against eighth-seeded Florida State. Even if they get past the Seminoles, they would likely have to take down top-ranked Duke to have a chance at an at-large bid. Cal has struggled with its 3-point shooting lately, but head coach Mark Madsen believes his team has multiple ways to attack opponents.

Why it matters

Cal is looking to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016. The Bears have exceeded preseason expectations by finishing with a winning record in the ACC, but they need to make a deep run in the conference tournament to have a shot at an at-large bid to the Big Dance.

The details

The Bears (21-10, 9-9) are the ninth seed in the ACC tournament and will face eighth-seeded Florida State (17-14, 10-8) in the second round on Wednesday. Beating the Seminoles likely won't be enough to improve Cal's NET ranking enough for an at-large bid, so the Bears would then likely need to take down top-ranked Duke in the next round. The Blue Devils will be missing two starters, but they are still the heavy favorites. Cal has struggled with its 3-point shooting lately, hitting just 24% from beyond the arc in its past three games.

  • Cal faces Florida State in the ACC tournament second round on Wednesday.
  • If Cal beats Florida State, it would likely face top-ranked Duke in the next round.

The players

Mark Madsen

The head coach of the California men's basketball team.

Dai Dai Ames

A guard for California who was named to the All-ACC third team and leads the Bears in scoring at 16.9 points per game.

Justin Pippen

A transfer from Michigan who is Cal's second-leading scorer at 14.2 points per game and tops the team in assists and steals.

Caleb Foster

The starting point guard for Duke who had surgery on a broken right foot and will miss the ACC tournament.

Patrick Ngongba II

The starting center for Duke who remains sidelined with soreness in his right foot.

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What they’re saying

“We need to start by winning this game against Florida State. That's the task ahead of us. If we can beat Florida State, there's a pathway to the NCAA Tournament.”

— Mark Madsen, Head Coach (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Dai Dai can do so many different things. One of the things that makes Dai Dai great is his ability to always be an attack mode. That's helped himself and that's really helped our team throughout the season.”

— Mark Madsen, Head Coach (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

If Cal beats Florida State in the ACC tournament, it would likely face top-ranked Duke in the next round.

The takeaway

Cal has exceeded preseason expectations by finishing with a winning record in the ACC, but the Bears face a steep uphill climb to make the NCAA Tournament field. Winning the ACC tournament is likely their only path, as they will need to beat both Florida State and Duke to keep their March Madness hopes alive.