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The biggest difference for Gabe Bealer was his breath — he was out of it.
For a player who averages 8 minutes per game, playing 26 minutes as a starter is a huge leap, a sprinter suddenly running a 5K.
"This is really like the first time I played a lot, and I got winded really quick," Bealer said after Utah's win last week at Colorado. "So that was something I had to adjust to. I had to catch my second wind."
The other parts came easier, as the guard made just his second career start. For the third consecutive game, he hit three baskets, including two 3-pointers in a first-half Utah blitz from deep. Replacing the suspended Devon Daniels in the lineup and having to play a career-high minutes, Bealer (8 points, 4 rebounds) made only four mistakes when the coaching staff reviewed the tape.
"We look at it pretty closely: He's doing a nice job," coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "Gabe gives us a little more of the 3-point threat which we haven't done a great job shooting threes. It spreads the floor out a little bit."
With Daniels' status still uncertain, he may be in line for another start when the Utes play host to Cal Thursday at the Huntsman Center.
The senior guard — wait, hold that thought: Bealer and the Utes will be petitioning the NCAA this spring for an extra year of eligibility (he sat out his sophomore year and enrolled early at Utah). On Senior Day Saturday, he won't be honored alongside Lorenzo Bonam. Utah is crossing its fingers that he'll be back.
Potentially, that means one more year of a player who has remained an enigma to most outside the program. Bealer has played sparingly since joining the Utes from City College of San Francisco (the same junior college as Delon Wright), never playing more than 18 minutes before his start at Colorado. He didn't play against Cal at all, despite a double overtime game.
In those bits and pieces, some of what he's shown has been intriguing. He's shooting 35 percent from 3-point range, and he has the athleticism to attack the rim. But often, his preparation of making 200 shots in practice or on his own per day is left on the bench.
Bealer's had difficult competition: He was picking up scraps after Jordan Loveridge and Dakarai Tucker last year for time, and this season Daniels' rise has staved off his own. It wasn't what he imagined when he first came to Utah as a redshirt during the 2014-15 season.
"It was real tough, real tough," Bealer said. "Especially for two years, when you come into this year thinking you're going to have more of a role, and then you ride the bench when you think it's going to be different. It's real tough."
Bealer said his approach later in the season has been to try to "buy in" to the coaching staff and pay more attention on details: who he's defending, how he's establishing position, where his teammates are. Trust was one of his biggest issues when he moved up to Division I — Bealer said it took time for him to learn to trust others on the floor and play a bit beyond himself.
Shooting is what he feels fuels his performances. While at times he's come into a game nervous and hoping to get some stats, he's found a bit more of a rhythm in his stroke.
"I'm feeling a little more confident now that I'm getting more of a chance to play and have a bigger role rather than just cheering," he said. "Just go out there and shoot it. I try not to think. I try to get in the gym and work on my shot so when my time comes, I'm ready."
While Daniels suspension is indefinite and Bealer can't be certain he'll keep his starting role he's more confident now than ever that his time is just arriving.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
California at Utah
At the Huntsman Center
Tipoff • 9 p.m.
TV • ESPNU
Radio • ESPN 700 AM
Records • Cal (19-9, 10-6); Utah (18-10, 9-7)
Series history • Cal leads 14-13
Last meeting • Feb. 2, 2017 at Cal; Cal 77, Utah 75 (2OT)
About the Golden Bears • With a win in either of its games this week, Cal can clinch the No. 4 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas and a first-round bye. … Sophomore forward Ivan Rabb (14.6 ppg, 10.7 rpg) is tied with Kyle Kuzma for Pac-12 lead in double-doubles (15 each). … Cal leads the league and ranks 12th nationally in both field goal percentage defense (.392) and scoring defense (62.3 ppg).
About the Utes • Utah is hosting a "blackout" promotion in which fans are encouraged to wear black to the game. … The Utes are one game behind Cal in the Pac-12 standings, needing a win to clinch at least the Pac-12 5-seed and needing a sweep and two Cal losses to get the 4-seed. … Utah's last two meetings with Cal have gone to overtime, with Utah getting a win in the Pac-12 Tournament last year, and the Golden Bears winning in Berkeley earlier this year.