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Their respective games wouldn't be called similar, yet there's some comparisons to be made between Utah's Kyle Kuzma and Cal's Ivan Rabb.
They both average over 15 points per game and 10 rebounds per game. While Kuzma's 12 double-doubles outpace Rabb's 10 this season, both have six in Pac-12 play.
And there's this: When they watch each other on film, they see little bits of themselves.
"He's obviously the leader of their team," Rabb said of Kuzma. "They run a lot of things through him. He tries to dominate the game, and he's active, and you can tell he loves to play."
Both Kuzma and Rabb are alpha dogs for their respective teams, and Thursday's matchup at Haas Pavilion pits two of the better big men in the conference.
There's sure to be some head-to-head looks between the versatile, 6-foot-9 hybrid wing Kuzma and the physical, 6-foot-11 post specialist Rabb. And both are sure to be a focal point in the attack for their respective teams.
Saying Kuzma is "looking forward" to the matchup against the projected first-round pick might be optimistic.
"You have to put a body on him, if you don't, he's going to get a rebound," Kuzma said. "He's relentless going to the cup for rebounds. He's a pretty solid defender and really underrated guarding people in the post. We're gonna have our hands full."
This game looms large for both teams' postseason hopes. Both Utah (15-6, 6-3) and Cal (15-3, 6-3) are in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Pac-12 and locking up their opportunities at an NCAA Tournament bid. Similar to Utah, Cal's best win is against USC. Similar to Utah, the Golden Bears preach a defense-first mindset they believe will carry them.
And similar to Utah, Cal looks to its power forward to make things happen.
"He's better than a lot of other post players," David Collette said of Rabb.
In three games last season against Utah, Rabb scored in double figures in each game and had double-digit rebounds in two of them. Still, the Utes won two of the three games; the final meeting was an overtime Utah victory at the Pac-12 Tournament after Lorenzo Bonam's game-tying layup at the end of regulation
"One thing you can always count on, they execute their game plans," Rabb said of the Utes. "That layup, that was tough. It was a well-fought game, well-coached."
Rabb said he focuses on bringing two things to every game: defensive intensity and rebounding. Kuzma, while he operates with a different skillset on offense, tries to do the same.
After battling bouts of inconsistency last season, Kuzma tried to work on playing with more energy, particularly in rebounding. Now, his rebounds is one of the few things he looks at on the postgame stat sheet.
"If there's game where I don't get 10 rebounds," he said, "I get mad at myself because I wasn't really playing hard enough."
Kuzma has gotten 10 or more rebounds six times in his past seven games, but Rabb will be one of the toughest rebounders he goes against this season. While both players acknowledge the game won't be about their one-on-one matchup, they also realize if one out-performs the other, it could go a long way to winning the game.
But rather than measuring themselves against each other, they'll try to approach the matchup being the best versions of themselves.
"I prepared this summer and have been working hard for this," Kuzma said. "This year I've been more locked in."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Utah at California
P At Haas Pavillion, Berkeley, Calif.
Tipoff • 7 p.m. MST
TV • Pac-12 Networks Radio • ESPN 700 AM
Records • Utah (15-6, 6-3 Pac-12); Cal (15-6, 6-3)
Series history • Tied at 13
Last meeting • March 11, 2016 at Pac-12 Tournament; Utah 82, Cal 78 (OT)
About the Utes • Junior Kyle Kuzma has 12 double-doubles this season, tied for 14th in the nation, and has six in his past seven games. … The Utes are the third-best shooting team in the country, hitting 51.8 percent from the field. … Utah is No. 40 in the nation in total rebounds and third in the league, averaging 39.05 rebounds per game.
About the Golden Bears • The No. 14 projected pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by Draft Express, sophomore forward Ivan Rabb is averaging a team-leading 15.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. … Cal is No. 20 in the nation in shooting defense, allowing opponents to hit only 39.4 percent from the floor. … With a plus-7.9 rebound margin, Cal ranks No. 14 in the category.