On-the-bubble Bears looking to boost stock
One of Haas Pavilion’s biggest draws for NBA scouts this season came Feb. 2, when Cal sophomore Ivan Rabb went against Utah junior Kyle Kuzma.
Now, talent evaluators might get to see the duel on back-toback Thursdays.
The Bears head to Salt Lake City on Thursday, looking to stave off Utah for fourth place in the Pac-12, a seed that earns a first-round bye in the conference tournament. The fifth seed will play No. 12, with an opportunity to advance and play No. 4 next Thursday in Las Vegas.
Cal (19-9, 10-6 Pac-12) is one game ahead of the Utes (18-10, 9-7), with two games remaining in the regular season. The Bears beat Utah 77-75 in double overtime Feb. 2 and also hold the next tiebreaker over the Utes, because of Utah’s loss to Oregon State on Feb. 19.
“One thing you can’t do (against Utah): You can’t be passive offensively,” Cal head coach Cuonzo Martin said. “You have to be aggressive. You have to make plays. You have to attack the rim. You have to make them move. If you allow their big guys to hang around the rim, then it’s to their advantage. …
“If they have you doubting and second-guessing, then, they’re really good.”
Cal and Utah are quite contrasting teams, with quite similar star players.
The Bears lead the Pac-12 in scoring defense (62.2 points per game) and defensive field-goal percentage (39.2), and the Utes are second in the conference in scoring offense (79.5 points per game) and field-goal shooting (50.8 percent).
The teams are Nos. 1-2 in rebounding, mostly because of NBA-ready power forwards. Rabb, a 6-foot-11, 220-pounder, is averaging 14.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Kuzma, a 6-9, 221-pounder, is averaging 16.2 points and 10 rebounds.
“Kuzma is a good player,” Martin said. “You expect him to score points. He does a great job. It’s one of the deals, where, if he’s not making shots from outside, if he’s not scoring with low-post moves, you still have to keep him off the glass. He’s going to find ways to score. You’re not just finding one way to stop him.
“He’s a good basketball player. He’s going to find ways. He’s an aggressive player. He wants to play in the NBA. There’s a certain level, energy and passion that he plays with. You’re not stopping him.”
Similar things could be said about Rabb, who was viewed as a lottery pick last season, and is still a consensus first-round pick, should he decide to forgo his junior season for the NBA.
Rabb had 12 points and 14 rebounds against Kuzma’s 23 points and 14 rebounds in the first matchup, one of the few times the sophomore has been outproduced by his counterpart this season.
Through Tuesday, Rabb ranked among the nation’s top 30 in rebounds per game (10th, 10.7), defensive rebounds per game (14th, 7.5), double-doubles (17th, 15) and total rebounds (29th, 277).
“I have the opportunity to go or to stay,” Rabb said after Friday’s home finale. “I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but I wanted to take my time coming off the court, slap hands with the fans and take pictures with people. I wanted to soak in the moment.”
Now, he wants to soak in some NCAA Tournament moments. Getting to 20 wins and finishing fourth in the Pac-12 would all but guarantee Cal an at-large bid into the field of 68.
Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated and USA Today all had Cal joining Arizona, Oregon and UCLA in the NCAA Tournament as of Tuesday.
“I’m pretty sure a lot of people are saying we’re still in the running,” Rabb said. “… I don’t go into any game, thinking about losing, so we’ll see what happens.”