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He's been the star of one overtime game against Cal. In another, he was one of the Utes who couldn't stop Jabari Bird on the last play a game-winning alley-oop.
Lorenzo Bonam didn't hesitate Tuesday when asked why Utah's games with the Golden Bears always seem so fiercely competitive, extending past regulation in the last two meetings.
"Cal's got heart," he said. "They play defense. They play hard. That's why we get into these battles."
It's always gritty when Utah and Cal meet: often defense and rebounding focused, and often dramatic. Thursday's upcoming battle has higher stakes than some other past meetings: Utah (18-10, 9-7) must win to stay in the tight race the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Pac-12 Tournament.
Despite a slide late in the season, the Utes can still finish fourth if everything goes their way. With USC on a four-game losing streak, Utah can clinch the No. 5 seed or better with just one win. If the Utes close the regular season 2-0 at home this week, and if Cal finishes 0-2 (the Golden Bears play Colorado at noon on Saturday), Utah despite all odds will clinch their third straight first-round bye.
"Things are somewhat clear up until this point, there hasn't been a lot of clarity," coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "I think we're dialed in and now it's about execution and a sense of urgency on the next play. As you head into March, I think that's more and more important."
Krystkowiak said the last game against Cal the first of four consecutive games Utah would lose on the road before winning at Colorado last week was "about three or four stories." From Utah's slow start (being down 18-4), to the turnover problems (19 in the game) to not being able to rebound defensively in the last few minutes, there's a handful of mistakes he would like to have back. Utah wasn't able to make shots from close range, either: The Utes' 23-for-51 mark from 2-point range remains a season low.
There was also the late-game execution: Utah wasn't able to win in regulation after fouling Cal freshman point guard Charlie Moore in the final seconds, and he tied it up. The game-winning Bird dunk will make any Ute wince.
"That was a hard way to lose, especially off an alley-oop that's probably the worst way to lose," he said. "Just to play them again is a get back, a way to redeem ourselves. Just come in harder."
Daniels still in limbo
Mum's the word on Utah's star freshman.
Krystkowiak declined to comment on if Devon Daniels, Utah's fourth-leading scorer (10.4 ppg) and one of the players who is seen as the future of the program, will be playing against Cal and Stanford this weekend. He said he had met with Daniels over the weekend for about half an hour, but hadn't come to any decisions.
"We're in a holding pattern, and we haven't made any decision with anything," Krystkowiak said. "He's been at our practices, but he's not practicing."
A four-star guard out of high school, Daniels started from the first game of the season, missing only two starts on the year so far. He's shooting 57.5 percent from the field and averaging 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists along with his point totals as a rookie.
Gabe Bealer started in his place in the last game, scoring eight points.
Bealer going for extra year
In revealing that Bonam will be the only senior honored this Saturday for Utah's final home game, Krystkowiak acknowledged that the Utes are seeking another year of eligibility for Bealer, a senior wing.
Bealer has been a little-used reserve player for most of his career, averaging just under 10 minutes and 3.3 points per contest this season. But he's come on strong as a 3-point shooting threat recently, notching 6 points at Oregon, 9 at Oregon State and 8 at Colorado.
The 6-foot-6 Bealer came to Utah from City College of San Francisco, enrolling during the 2014-15 season after suffering an injury that caused him to miss his sophomore season in junior college. Krystkowiak noted that he is always nervous when it comes to petitioning for hardship waivers (Utah was unsuccessful in getting David Collette and Sedrick Barefield eligible to start the season), but said he was "hopeful" Bealer could be cleared this spring.
"No disrespect, but things can take a long time," Krystkowiak said. "You're never surprised by decisions. But hopefully."
kgoon@sltrib.com Twitter: @kylegoon