Bears expect bigger things from Rabb
Cal’s Ivan Rabb was among 20 players named this week to the watch list for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, and now the Bears would like to see the sophomore play like the NBA’s second-leading scorer of all time.
Cal head coach Cuonzo Martin said at Friday’s Pac-12 media day in San Francisco that much of the offense will run through Rabb: “It’s about him being assertive every time down and thinking about being a scorer.”
Martin wants Rabb to get 15 to 20 shots per game, but that’s not necessarily his natural game. He averaged 12.5 points and 8.6 rebounds as a freshman, but he seems most content when he draws double teams and finds open teammates.
“Having Ivan back is huge for the program,” senior guard Jabari Bird said. “Everyone in the locker room loves Ivan. He’s a great teammate on and off the court. For somebody so talented, he’s extremely unselfish. He loves getting other guys involved, even though he knows that he can be really dominant.”
Rabb, who teammates say has added to his 6-foot-11, 220-pound frame, was expected to be an NBA lottery pick in 2016, but the Oakland native decided to return to Cal.
Martin said Rabb wanted to complete his game — adding a three-point shot to his versatile post game — and prove that he can shoulder the load for a team.
“This is his home,” Martin said. “He understands the financial gains he could have had if he would have gone into the draft, but he also understands the importance of getting his degree and doing the things he wants to do on the basketball court.”
Rabb’s maturation process has been obvious to his teammates.
“Every day he’s working on his jumper and extending his range,” senior guard Sam Singer said. “I think he’s more comfortable shooting the midrange and even three-point shots. Also, he gets to the spots he wants because he’s stronger. He’s not getting pushed around. His underrated quality is his ability to pass. He’s really good at finding the open man. We expect him to have a big year.”
Bird said: “I think his game is more polished now. Last year, being a freshman, he wasn’t physically ready against some of the bigger guys. It caught him off guard, I think. This year, he’s bigger physically and his game seems more fluid. He knows what he wants to do in the post, and we’re looking forward to him having a big sophomore year.”
As a reference, Malone averaged 18.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Louisiana Tech.
“I think his game is more polished now. ... This year, he’s bigger physically and his game seems more fluid.” Jabari Bird, on teammate Ivan Rabb