Scouting the Pac-12 Basketball Arenas: Cal's Haas Pavilion

Scouting the Pac-12 Basketball Arenas: Cal’s Haas Pavilion

A look at the history, characteristics, and some key stats of each facility

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Posted on October 11, 2020


  By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports

Each Pac-12 basketball arena has unique characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages, ranging from its capacity to the way it’s structured and its history and tradition.

In this 12-part series, I look at what makes each facility unique, and recount some of the key moments and stats* in the Pac-12 Era. We continue in this eighth installment with Stanford’s Maples Pavilion.

Haas Pavilion

Built: 1999
Capacity: 11,877
Elevation: 171 feet

Overall Record: 111-47
Overall Conference Record: 49-32
Overall Nonconference Record: 62-15

Renovated in 1999, Haas Pavilion replaced Harmon Gym which was originally constructed in 1933. The steep design of the stands and right-on-top-of-you student section creates one of the most visually appealing buildings on the West Coast.

At full tilt, the crowd noise is deafening and the home court advantage tangible.

Cal coach Mark Fox on the sidelines at Haas Pavilion. | Sean Rayford/AP via sfchronical.com

That atmosphere held the day in 2014 when an unranked Cal Bears squad took down undefeated and No. 1 Arizona on a last-second shot from Justin Cobbs. The sea of yellow-clad fans that stormed the court that night capped a legendary game that may never be forgotten.

The victory over the Wildcats was the first time the Bears defeated a No. 1 team at Haas Pavilion, but the program is no stranger to taking down ranked Pac-12 opponents.

Since 2011-12, California has eight such wins, including an upset over No. 10 Oregon in 2013.

Mike Montgomery was responsible for two of those victories, Cuonzo Martin notched four, Wyking Jones managed to get one, and last year Mark Fox took down No. 20 Colorado in his first season.

The consistent upsets over ranked conference opponents has secured Cal its 8-11 record against the Top 25, and provided Fox with a strong recruiting pitch to focus on.

And while the Bears are 10-0 when ranked, the building has yet to be the site of a matchup between two Top 25 programs. Still, based on Fox’s first year and the recruiting momentum building, it’s likely the university cracks its way into the Top 25 within the next three to five years.

Putting aside the expectations for the new decade, the desert schools have had the most success since 2011-12. UA and ASU have posted a combined 11-5 mark and are the only tandem above .500.

Stanford and Oregon are the only other members of the Conference of Champions with winning records at Haas.

On the other end of the spectrum, the mountain schools have struggled mightily. The Buffs are 1-6 in the arena, and the Utes are only nominally better at 2-5.

But perhaps most surprising, Oregon State is winless in Berkeley since the Pac-12 expanded.

Outside the Conference, the Bears don’t have a signature win over a ranked foe. However, the victories over San Diego State, St. Mary’s, Nevada, and UNLV are nothing to scoff at. And in 2014, Montgomery led his team to a win over Arkansas in the NIT.

The elephant in the room, though, are the shocking defeats to Central Arkansas by 27 in 2017 and Portland State by 25 in the same season.

However, with NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012, 2013, and 2016 to go along with NIT invitations in 2014 and 2017, it’s safe to say Fox is sitting on a dormant volcano waiting to erupt.

Records vs. Top 25 and When Ranked

Record vs. Top 25: 8-11
Record vs. Top 25 When Unranked: 8-11
Record vs. Top 25 When Ranked: 0-0

Record When Ranked: 10-0

Highest Home-Game Rankings

Highest Ranking for Home Game: No. 14 (2015)
Victory over Highest Ranked Team: No. 1 Arizona (2014)

Highest Ranked Opponent: No. 1 Arizona (2014)

Noteworthy Wins

Noteworthy Conference Wins: No. 1 Arizona (2014); No. 10 Oregon (2013); No. 11 Oregon (2016); No. 12 Arizona (2016); No. 21 Washington (2015); No. 21 Utah (2016); No. 21 Colorado (2020); No. 25 Washington (2019)

Noteworthy Nonconference Wins: Nevada (2013); Arkansas (2014 NIT); St. Mary’s (2015); San Diego State (2018); UNLV (2019)

Blemish Losses

Central Arkansas by 27 (2017)
Portland State by 25 (2017)
Seattle University by 9 (2018)
UC Riverside by 8 (2017)
Cal State Bakersfield by 7 (2017 NIT)
Cal State Bakersfield by 3 (2014)

Record of Pac-12 Teams at Haas Pavilion

Arizona: 6-2
Arizona State: 5-3
Stanford: 5-4
Oregon: 4-3
UCLA: 3-4
USC: 2-5
Utah: 2-5
Washington: 2-5
Washington State: 2-5
Colorado: 1-6
Oregon State: 0-7