The No.3-seeded California Golden Bears play the No.2-seeded Utah Runnin’ Utes in the third round of the Pac-12 tournament at MGM Grand. The game gets underway at 11:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11 and will air on FS1.
The Runnin’ Utes beat USC 80-72 in the 2. Kyle Kuzma led all scorers with 23 points on 11-for-12 shooting. The Golden Bears, meanwhile, are coming off a 76-68 win over Oregon State in the 2. Ivan Rabb had a good game and claimed his 11th double-double of the season, posting 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Rabb has been on a tear for the Golden Bears. During that stretch, he has averaged 15.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.0 steal, and 1.2 blocks.
The game should be a matchup of strength against strength, as the high-octane offense of Utah (23rd in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 114.9) takes on the stingy defense of California (13th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 97.7). Moreover, the Golden Bears are among the nation’s elite on the offensive backboards, ranking 14th in OR% at 32.9%. But the Runnin’ Utes rank 12th at corralling defensive rebounds with a DR% of 72.9%.
The two teams have split their matchups this season. The Runnin’ Utes had the upper hand in the most recent game, an 80-72 win. Rabb played a huge role in the victory by recording a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Notes
The Utah Runnin’ Utes rank 23rd for their offensive rating of 114.9. The California Golden Bears have a defensive rating of 97.7 (ranked 13th).
The California Golden Bears average 68.2 possessions per game and 1.101 points per possession. The Utah Runnin’ Utes earn fewer possessions with 68.0, but they score more points with 1.149.
The Utah Runnin’ Utes have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 10th in the country with an eFG% of 56.0%. When their opponents record a similar or higher eFG%, the California Golden Bears are winless with a 0-1 record.
Utah ranks 33rd in assists, registering 16.1 per game. California performs worse at 196th with 13.2 assists per game.
Utah ranks 61st in blocks per game with 4.4 and California ranks 34th with 4.9 blocks per game.
Utah ranks 255th in offensive rebounds, while California ranks 15th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Utah makes 5.5 steals per game. California has a solid 13-7 record when it gives up at least 5 steals.
