CAL BEAT With Bird out, shots don’t go in

SPOKANE, Wash. — Cal was perhaps never more in need of Jabari Bird than in Friday’s 77- 66 loss to Hawaii in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

As the Bears’ clanged jumpers mounted, their most clutch shooter nursed an ailing back. Cal’s offense appeared discombobulated much of the game, in part because Bird was scratched from the starting lineup moments before tip- off.

“It’s just so random,” Bird said after the game. “I don’t even know what to think about it. It just happened. Right now, I’m just concerned about getting healthy and thinking about next year.”

Bird dealt with back spasms during Thursday’s shootaround. To prepare for his first career NCAA Tournament game, the junior iced, stretched and took Advil.

But he still felt a severe tightness in his back during warm- ups Friday. As players lined up for pregame introductions, Bird told head coach Cuonzo Martin that he wasn’t ready. Martin plugged guard Jordan Mathews into the starting lineup as Bird headed to the locker room.

He underwent treatment for the entire first half. When lifting and anti- inflammatories didn’t work, Bird was iced by the team trainer. He could hardly walk by the start of the second half, so the Vallejo native parked at the end of Cal’s bench and barked words of support to his teammates.

“Of course it impacts you,” Martin said. “When he’s not on the floor, you can collapse a little bit more.”

Added forward Ivan Rabb: “I thought he was going to come back later in the game, but he never did. He wouldn’t sit out if it wasn’t a significant injury, so I respect it.”

Over his last 11 games, Bird went 30- for- 55 ( 54.5 percent) from beyond the arc. He hit three secondhalf three- pointers last week in Cal’s Pac- 12 quarterfinal win over Oregon State. The next day, Bird twice netted go- ahead baskets late in the Bears’ overtime loss to Utah.

The two players who earned more minutes in Bird’s absence, forward Roger Moute a Bidias and guard Stephen Domingo, went a combined 0- for- 9 from the field. Each time the Bears inched within striking distance in the second half, they missed shots.

“Horrible, mentally and physically,” Bird said when asked how he felt. “You just took a tough ( loss). ... But physically, I just didn’t have it today.” Martin not worried: In the postgame news conference, Martin had a curious answer when asked about his future with the program.

“Well for me, I’m fine,” he said. “My situation will be what I determine it will be, so I am fine.”

Cal is taking a closer look at whether Martin fulfilled his duties as a mandatory reporter of sexual- harassment allegations against assistant coach Yann Hufnagel, who was fired Monday. If that review yields troubling revelations, Martin could be facing disciplinary action.

Friday’s first- round exit also figures to make him a less intriguing candidate for another head coaching job. UNLV, Rutgers and Oklahoma State are a few of the Division I programs with openings. Rabb, Brown decisions: Freshmen Rabb and Jaylen Brown, both projected lottery picks in June’s NBA draft, have no timetable for deciding whether to turn pro.

NCAA rules changes afford the forwards more time to make a choice. College players can now attend the pre- draft NBA combine camp May 11- 15 in Chicago, as well as workouts for franchises, while staying in school until the May 25 deadline to apply for the draft.

When Azzi was a freshman, she had a tripledouble against BYU but was unsatisfied with how the team played. “Tara, we need to be running more sprints,” she said. Says VanDerveer: “What player says that?”

During the championship season, Azzi badly sprained her ankle and probably shouldn’t have played against Long Beach State. She spent all night in the trainers’ room icing her ankle — and played.

“That team was on such a mission to win a national championship,” Azzi said. “It wasn’t just me. Whatever happened, we were going to battle through it.” coach’s will, a coach’s desire. For me, I felt it was our responsibility to do something for her.”

Now she’s got to devise a way to beat VanDerveer and her team. The Dons have to rebound, hit their threes and play strong transition defense, she said. “They’re a very good defensive team, which is a little unlike some of the Stanford teams of old.”

Stanford has already lost to a WCC team on its homecourt. Santa Clara won 61- 58 in November. But Azzi said, “They’re a better team now.”