Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round) on March 10, 2026 , Loss , 66, to, 73
Final Score
Men's Basketball
66
vs No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round)
73
The University of Utah Athletics
Men's Basketball Faces Wildcats Friday
11/18/1999 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 18, 1999
Game #2
Utah Utes (1-0) vs.
Kentucky Wildcats (1-0)
Preseason NIT - Second Round Nov. 19 ? 7:04 p.m. (EST) ? Rupp Arena (23,000) ? Lexington, Ky.
Television: ESPN. Dan Schulman (play-by-play) and Bill Raftery (analyst).
Radio:
Utah Sports Network (570 K-NEWS in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations).
Bill Marcroft (play-by-play), Jeff Jonas (analyst) and Brad Stone (host).
Rankings:
Utah is 16th in the A.P. poll and 15th in the USA Today/ESPN poll.
Kentucky is 14th in the A.P. poll and 12th in the USA Today/ESPN poll.
Series Record: Kentucky leads 6-2
Utah Home/Away/Neutral: 0-0/1-1/1-5
Majerus vs. Kentucky
Overall: 0-4
At Utah: 0-4
Last Meeting: Utah lost to Kentucky, 78-69, in the NCAA Championship game on March 30, 1998.
The Game at a Glance
Utah Coach: Rick Majerus Kentucky Coach: Tubby SmithAlma Mater: Marquette ?70 Alma Mater: High Point College ?73Record at Utah: 239-64/11th Season Record at UK: 64-13/3rd SeasonOverall Record: 338-116/16th Season Overall Record: 188-75/9th Season
Utah Probable Starters
| No. | Pos. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown | |
| 50 | F | Alex Jensen | 6-7 | 225 | Sr. | 9.0 | 14.0 | Centerville, Utah | |
| 40 | F | Phil Cullen | 6-9 | 215 | So. | 9.0 | 2.0 | Chelan, Wash. | |
| 52 | C | Nate Althoff | 6-11 | 260 | Jr. | 14.0 | 7.0 | Delano, Minn. | |
| 5 | G | Tony Harvey | 6-5 | 200 | Sr. | 8.0 | 3.0 | Carson, Calif. | |
| 32 | G | Jeremy Killion | 5-11 | 190 | Sr. | 6.0 | 0.0 | San Diego, Calif. | |
Utah Off the Bench
| No. | Pos. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown | |
| 3 | G | Gary Colbert | 6-1 | 175 | So. | 2.0 | 7.0 | Alta Loma, Calif. | |
| 4 | G | Adam Sharp | 6-2 | 180 | So. | 2.0 | 0.0 | Salt Lake City | |
| 15 | F | Nick Jacobson | 6-3 | 185 | Fr. | 0.0 | 0.0 | Roseville, Minn. | |
| 21 | G | Trent Whiting | 6-0 | 180 | Jr. | 9.0 | 0.0 | Kuna, Idaho | |
| 25 | G | Brandon Sluga | 6-4 | 210 | Sr. | 2.0 | 0.0 | Taylorsville, Utah | |
| 35 | F | Jeff Johnsen | 6-4 | 200 | So. | 10.0 | 10.0 | Murray, Utah | |
| 42 | F | Mike Puzey | 6-8 | 215 | Fr. | 5.0 | 0.0 | Roy, Utah | |
Kentucky Probable Starters
| No. | Pos. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown | |
| 21 | F | Tayshaun Prince | 6-9 | 215 | So. | 9.0 | 8.0 | Compton, Calif. | |
| 40 | F | Jules Camara | 6-11 | 223 | So. | 8.0 | 5.0 | Dakar, Senegal | |
| 42 | C | Jamaal Magliore | 6-10 | 260 | Sr. | 11.0 | 9.0 | Toronto, Ontatio | |
| G | 11 | Saul Smith | 6-2 | 175 | Jr. | 8.0 | 2.0 | Athens, Ga. | |
| G | 32 | Desmond Allison | 6-5 | 214 | G | 11.0 | 7.0 | Tampa, Fla. | |
After This
The winner of the Utah/Kentucky game will advance to the Preseason NIT final four next week at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Utes or Wildcats will face the winner of the Friday night?s Maryland vs. Tulane match-up. The Preseason NIT semifinals are next Wednesday at 6:00 or 8:30 p.m. (EST) and the championship game is on Friday at 9:00 p.m. (EST).
A Quick Look at Utah
Utah (1-0) opened its regular season with a 76-43 win over Arkansas State in the first round of the Preseason NIT on Tuesday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
Ute head coach Rick Majerus welcomes back four starters and nine letterwinners in 1999-2000. Utah retains 76.3 percent of its scoring and 70.8 percent its rebounding from a team that went 28-5 overall in 1998-99, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, won the Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division title with a 14-0 record and claimed the WAC Tournament championship.
Back to lead the Utes are two three-year veterans in senior forwards Alex Jensen (6-7, 225) and Hanno M?tt?l? (6-9, 250), both were named first-team all-WAC Pacific Division in 1998-99. Jensen is the team?s leading returner in rebounds (7.6 rpg) and assists (3.4 apg), as well as the second-best scorer coming back (12.1 ppg). M?tt?l?, the Utes? top returning scorer (15.3 ppg) and second-best returning rebounder (5.4 rpg), could be out until late December with a medial collateral tear in his left knee.
Junior Nate Althoff (6-11, 260) started 30 of 32 games at center last season, averaging 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds. Althoff led the team in blocked shots (1.3 bpg) and field goal percentage (.604). Senior guard Jeremy Killion (5-11, 190) is back for his second and final year with the Utes. Killion, who was named to the WAC Pacific Division all-newcomer team after transferring from Palomar Junior College, averaged 8.9 points per game and shot 34.5 percent from three-point range last season.
Another junior college transfer who made an impact in ?98-99 was Tony Harvey (6-5, 200), who filled any position on the floor from point guard to small forward. The transfer from Cerritos Junior College played in the final 24 games of the season with Utah winning 23 in a row before losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Harvey is Utah?s third-leading returning scorer (9.0 ppg). The senior also averaged 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game and shot 35.9 percent from behind the arc last season.
The three other returning letterwinners from last season are sophomore center/forward Phil Cullen (6-9, 215) and sophomore guard Adam Sharp (6-2, 180). Cullen played in 33 games last season and started twice, averaging 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds. He has an excellent shooting touch for a big man, hitting 37.7 percent of his three-point tries as a rookie. Sharp averaged 2.3 points, 1.2 boards and 1.1 assists in 32 games ?98-99. Also back for his fourth season as a walk-on is Brandon Sluga (6-4, 210), who plays both the two guard and small forward positions.
The Utes gain an eligible non-qualifier and two returning Mormon missionaries. Gary Colbert (6-1, 175), a native of Alta Loma, Calif., will be a sophomore this season after sitting out last year under NCAA admission standards. Guard/forward Jeff Johnsen (6-4, 200) played in 32 games and started seven as a freshman in 1996-97. He averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Mike Puzey (6-8, 215) sat out the 1996-97 season as a redshirt and will be a freshman this season.
Junior college transfer Trent Whiting (G, 6-0, 180), from of Kuna, Idaho, played two seasons at Snow College. The NJCAA All-American can play either guard position. He averaged 18.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.4 steals per game in 1998-99. Freshman Nick Jacobson (F, 6-3, 185) was an honorable mention All-American and a finalist for the Mr. Basketball award in Minnesota in 1998-99, averaging 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game. He did not play in either of the exhibition games and may redshirt this season.
From the Training Room
Utah senior forward Hanno M?tt?l?, a preseason candidate for the Wooden and Naismith awards, could be sidelined until late December due to a medial collateral tear in his left knee.
M?tt?l? sustained the injury after taking a charge with 5:30 left to play in an exhibition game against the California All-Stars on Nov. 9 at the Huntsman Center.
Junior center Nate Althoff did not dress for either of Utah?s exhibition games but started against Arkansas State in the first round of the Preseason NIT on Tuesday night. He had been sidelined with a back sprain.
Other Utes have also been nursing injuries. Junior guard Trent Whiting has not missed any playing time but has been limited somewhat in the preseason with a stress reaction in his quads. Sophomore guard Adam Sharp fractured his ankle while playing during the summer. He has been able to play but is not at 100 percent.
Utah vs. Kentucky Notes
Scouting Kentucky
The Wildcats (1-0) advanced to the second round of the NIT with a 67-50 win over Pennsylvania on Wednesday night in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky led 32-28 at halftime before outscoring the Quakers 35-22 in the second half. Both teams struggled from the field, with UK outshooting Penn 40.7 to 31.0 percent. Kentucky did make 81.3 percent of its free throws and had a 43-37 edge on the boards. Freshman Marvin Stone (F/C, 6-10, 256) led UK with 12 points (4-of-6), six rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes of the bench. Jamaal Magloire had 11 points and nine rebounds, while Desmond Allison had 11 points and seven boards.
The Wildcats return eight letterwinners from last year?s team that made it to the regional finals of the NCAA Tournament, went 28-9 overall and finished second in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference with an 11-5 record.
Sophomore Desmond Allison (G, 6-5, 214) is the only returning starter. He averaged 4.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game last season. Also returning is senior Jamaal Magloire (C, 6-10, 260), who averaged 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season.
Kentucky Blues:
The Utes face a familiar foe in tournament play on Friday night at Rupp Arena. Of the eight games in the Utah/Kentucky series, six of those contests have been staged in either the NCAA Tournament or the Postseason NIT. Kentucky has won five of those tournament games from Utah and six contests overall.
Utah and Kentucky first met on March 20, 1944 in the NIT title game in New York with UK posting a 46-38 victory. The Utes returned the favor in the NIT championship game three years later with a 49-45 win on March 24, 1947
Kentucky has won the last four games in the series?all played in the ?90s?serving as Utah?s roadblock in the NCAA Tournament each time.
1993
Southeast Regional Second Round - Nashville, Tenn.
March 21 - Kentucky 83, Utah 62
1996
Midwest Regional Semifinal - Minneapolis, Minn.
March 21 - Kentucky 101, Utah 70
1997
West Regional Final - San Jose, Calif.
March 22 - Kentucky 72, Utah 59
1998
National Championship
March 30 - Kentucky 78, Utah 69
Utah Last Win Over UK
Just how long has it been since the Utes defeated the Wildcats? Rupp Arena had just opened its doors, Ute head coach Rick Majerus was working toward a national championship season as an assistant to Al McGuire at Marquette and Utah radio analyst Jeff Jonas was still in uniform as a senior point guard for Jerry Pimm. In their last visit to Lexington on Dec. 18, 1976, the Utes came away with athrilling 70-68 win in the Kentucky Classic. Utah?s other trip to Kentucky resulted in a 70-65 loss on Dec. 21, 1954.
Last Meeting
The last match-up between Utah and Kentucky was the most significant in the series. With the NCAA championship on the line, the two teams met on March 30, 1998 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Beating two No. 1 seeds in Arizona (West Regional final) and North Carolina (National semifinal) to get there, Utah surged to a 10-point halftime lead and a 12-point advantage in the second half. The Wildcats? depth overpowered the Utes down the stretch with UK prevailing, 78-69.
The two Utes on the 1999-2000 roster that played in that game are seniors Alex Jensen and Hanno M?tt?l?. Jensen went 5-for-6 from the field to score 14 points in 35 minutes. M?tt?l?, who will miss Friday?s game with a partially torn MCL, had 15 points and eight rebounds. Brittan Johnsen and Trace Caton, both freshman on that Utah team, will return from LDS church missions after this season.
The Utes were also led in that game by two future NBA Draft lottery picks. Center Michael Doleac was the No. 12 pick by the Orlando Magic in the following summer's draft. Andre Miller, named to the Final Four all-tournament team, was taken eighth by the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer. Doleac had 15 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes, while Miller posted 16 points, five boards and six assists in 37 minutes.
Senior Jamaal Magloire and junior Saul Smith are the two current Wildcats who played in that national championship game. Magloire had seven points and two rebounds in 22 minutes. Smith went scoreless in seven minutes.
Team Notes
Nation's Best Record Over the Last 100 Games
With its win over Arkansas State on Tuesday night, the Runnin? Utes can still boast of the nation's best record over the last 100 games with an 87-13 mark. Entering the season, Utah and Duke shared identical 87-13 records through their last 100 contests. However, Duke suffered two losses to open the season, falling to Stanford (80-79) and Connecticut (71-66) in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic last Thursday and Friday.
Game No. 1 Recap
Nate Althoff had 14 points and Jeff Johnsen added 10 Tuesday night in No. 16 Utah?s 76-43 victory over Arkansas State in the first round of the Preseason NIT at the Jon. M. Huntsman Center.
Althoff, who missed both exhibition games with a back sprain, started the game and went 5-of-10 from the floor and made all but one of his five free throws to post a career-high point total in 20 minutes. He also had seven rebounds, combining with the other two members of Utah?s starting front line to control the middle. Alex Jensen hauled in a game-high 14 rebounds, dished out three assists and scored nine points in 29 minutes. Phil Cullen, who filled in for Althoff at center during the exhibition season, made his third career start in place of the injured Hanno M?tt?l? at power forward. Cullen had nine points, two boards and two rejections in 22 minutes. With a sizeable height advantage, Utah outrebounded the Indians 47-29.
Johnsen played 27 minutes off the bench, posting the first double-double of his career with a career-high 10 rebounds to go with his 10 points. He also had career-highs of five assists and three steals in his first official game in over two years after serving an LDS church mission. Point guard Tony Harvey had eight points and five assists (three turnovers) in 24 minutes.
Utah outshot Arkansas State 41.9 to 31.9 percent from the floor and made 6-of-18 three-pointers. Arkansas State point guard Chico Fletcher, the only returning starter from the team that lost to the U. in the first round of last year?s NCAA Tournament, had just four points in the game, breaking a string of 33 games scoring in double figures. Jamie Rosser added 13 to lead the Indians, while C.J. Pepper had 11.
After ASU scored the first bucket of the game, Utah went on an 11-0 run and never trailed the rest of the night. The Utes held Arkansas State scoreless for spans of 5:56, 3:14 and 5:15 in the first half to build a 40-19 halftime lead. Utah kept it going in the second half, allowing just six points through the first 13 minutes of the second half. After Adam Sharp hit two free throws with 7:31 to play, Utah led 63-25.
In the Polls
Utah was ranked 15th in the USA Today/ESPN preseason poll released on Nov. 4 and 16th in Associated Press poll released on Nov. 15. Utah has been ranked in the national polls for nine consecutive weeks, dating back to last season.
Utah fell out of the rankings for the first time since the start of the 1994-95 season on Dec. 14, 1998. After a seven-week absence, the Utes returned to the national polls on Feb. 1, 1999. Utah has finished the season ranked among the top 10 teams in the nation three consecutive years.
Utes Favored to Win Inaugural MWC Championship
Both the league coaches and media overwhelmingly selected Utah to finish atop the conference and claim the first-ever Mountain West Conference men?s basketball title. New Mexico was picked second in both polls, followed by a third-place tie in the coaches' poll with UNLV and Wyoming. Colorado State was selected to finish fifth, BYU sixth and then another tie for seventh place between San Diego State and Air Force. In the media poll, UNLV was chosen to finish third, followed by Wyoming, Colorado State, BYU, San Diego State and Air Force.
Ute seniors Alex Jensen and Hanno M?tt?l? and were named to the preseason all-conference team by both the coaches and the media. The media honored M?tt?l? as the league?s top returning player.
Awesome Alex
Senior forward Alex Jensen (6-7, 225) has started all 68 games since the start of the 1997-98 season after returning from a two-year LDS church mission. Jensen is Utah?s second-leading returning scorer (12.1 ppg) and top returning rebounder (7.6 rpg) from last season. He is also an excellent defensive player who can defend all five positions on the floor. Jensen had nine points, a game-high 14 rebounds (5 offensive), three assists and one steal in 29 minutes against Arkansas State on Tuesday night.
Perhaps one of the best unknown players in the country, Jensen earned first team all-Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division honors last season and was named to the league all-defensive team. A well-rounded player, Jensen led Utah in scoring four times, rebounds 14 times and assists six times. Jensen was also voted the WAC Tournament MVP after averaging 16.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in three games, leading the Utes to the championship.
Jensen ranked ninth in the WAC in rebounds (7.6 rpg) and 16th in assists (3.4 apg) last season. The Centerville, Utah, native was also second on the Utah team in field goal percentage (.543) and was its most accurate three-point shooter (.398) in ?98-99. He scored in double figures 23 times and had 20 points or more twice. Jensen posted 10 double-doubles and one rare triple double (points, rebounds, assists) last season. His triple-double of 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Fresno State on Jan. 25 was only the second in the 30-year history of the Jon M. Huntsman Center, the other was posted by Magic Johnson of Michigan State in the semifinals of the 1979 NCAA Final Four.
Jensen ranks fourth in career offensive rebounds (259) and sixth in defensive rebounds (397) at the U.
Preseason Honors for Hanno
Hanno M?tt?l? was rated among the top players in college basketball during the preseason. Playboy magazine selected M?tt?l? to their 10-player All-America team. He was also named one of the early finalists for the Wooden and Naismith National Player of the Year awards. Basketball News named M?tt?l? as the 12th-best inside-outers in college basketball.
What the Utes Lose in M?tt?l?
Senior forward Hanno M?tt?l? (6-9, 250), out until possibly late December with a medial collateral tear in his left knee, earned first team all-Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division honors last season and was named second team all-WAC in the Mountain Division in 1997-98. The Helsinki, Finland, native started all 67 games the last two seasons, and is Utah?s top returning scorer (15.3 ppg) and second-leading returning rebounder (5.4 rpg) from 1998-99.
As a junior, M?tt?l? ranked 13th in the WAC in scoring (15.3 ppg) and was Utah?s top scorer during the conference season with an average of 16.4 points per game. He led the conference in free throw percentage (.833) and was ninth in field goal percentage (.482). M?tt?l? also made 35.4 percent of his three-point field goals (34-of-96).
M?tt?l? led the Utes in scoring a team-best 13 times, scoring in double figures in all but four of the 33 games and tossing in 20 points or more on nine occasions. He was the team?s leading rebounder in 11 games and had two double-doubles.
M?tt?l? ranks high in several career statistical categories at the U. He is 22nd all-time in scoring (1,134), seventh in defensive rebounds (305), 10th in offensive boards (145) and 12th in blocked shots (38).
Harvey, Jensen and M?tt?l? Rated Among Top 25 at Their Position
Three Utes were ranked among the top 25 players in the nation at their respective positions by Dick Vitale?s College Basketball. Tony Harvey (6-5, 200) was ranked as the 21st-best shooting guard in the nation, while Alex Jensen (6-9, 250) was rated as the 20th-best swing forward. Hanno M?tt?l? (6-9, 250) was rated at the fourth-best power forward in the country.
Ute Frontcourt Rated One of the Best in the Nation
Utah?s frontcourt of Hanno M?tt?l? (6-9, 250), Alex Jensen (6-7, 225) and Nate Althoff (6-11, 260) was ranked as the third-best in the nation by Athlon Sports. The Ute trio was rated behind UConn?s Kevin Freeman, Jake Voskuhl, Ajou Ajou Deng and Cincinnati?s Pete Mickeal, Kenyon Martin, Jermaine Tate and DerMarr Johnson.
Summer Action for M?tt?l? and Althoff
Hanno M?tt?l? played for the Finnish National Team in a four-country tournament with Lithuania, Russia and Germany in Helsinki in May. M?tt?l? ranked second in the tournament with averages of 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds. He also led the tournament in three-point field goals by going 7-of-9 (.778).
Nate Althoff played for the Nike NIT All Stars team that toured Austria and the Czech Republic for 13 days in early August. He averaged 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game during the trip. He also shot 78.6 percent from the free throw line.
Home Unbeaten Streak at 36 Games
After its season-opening win over Arkansas State on Tuesday night, Utah has tied Duke for the second-longest active homecourt winning streak in NCAA Division I. The Utes have won 36 straight games in the Jon M. Huntsman Center dating back to a Dec. 31, 1996 loss to Wake Forest. Utah?s streak, which began with an 84-63 win over Colorado State on Jan. 4, 1997, ranks behind Murray State?s (43). It is also the longest homecourt winning streak in school history.
Utah went 14-0 at home in 1998-99 to post the sixth undefeated home season in the 30-year history of the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Five of those undefeated home seasons have come under Rick Majerus: 1990-91 (16-0), 1992-93 (15-0), 1994-95 (15-0), 1997-98 (13-0), 1998-99 (14-0). The Utes are 129-10 (.928) in the Huntsman Center under Majerus and have never lost back-to-back home games.
The Utes also won 27 consecutive home games from Jan. 29, 1994 through Jan 2, 1996. The streak ended with a 65-64 loss to Fresno State on Jan. 8, 1996.
Noting the 1998-99 Season
Utah tied for the fourth-most wins in school history with a 28-5 record. The Utes? .848 winning percentage was the ninth-best all-time at Utah in seasons with 20 games or more.
Utah won 23 consecutive games to break the school record. The streak started on Dec. 19 with an 89-55 win over Loyola Marymount at the Huntsman Center and continued through the first round of the NCAA Tournament with an 80-58 win over Arkansas State on Mar. 12. The streak was halted with a season-ending 66-58 loss to Miami (Ohio) on March 14 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Utah became the first team in the history of the Western Athletic Conference to go undefeated against league foes. The U. won all of its league games during the regular season with a 14-0 record to win the Pacific Division title by five games over Fresno State and New Mexico. Utah then went 3-0 in the conference tournament to capture its third WAC Tournament title all-time.
Five Straight 25 Win Seasons
Utah joined an elite group in college basketball history by posting its fifth consecutive 25-win season in 1998-99. Only 13 times has an NCAA Division I program won 25 games in five consecutive seasons. The Utes are tied with five other programs with five straight 25-win campaigns, owning the only active streak among that group. This season, Utah could tie Syracuse?s run of six straight 25-win seasons from 1990-96 for the seventh-longest streak of 25-win seasons. UCLA tops the list with 10 consecutive 25-win seasons from 1966-76.
Twenty-Twenty Vision
For the 27th time in its history, Utah won 20 games in 1998-99. Under current coach Rick Majerus, Utah has hit for 20 wins in eight of his 10 seasons, including the last five in a row. Majerus? 20-win seasons at Utah: 1990-91 (30-4), 1991-92 (24-11), 1992-93 (24-7), 1994-95 (28-6), 1995-96 (27-7), 1996-97 (29-4), 1997-98 (30-4), 1998-99 (28-5).
Utes Move to Mountain West Conference
The 1999-2000 season marks the beginning of a new era in Utah basketball history. The Utes joined seven other institutions on July 1, 1999 in the launch of the new Mountain West Conference. It is the newest NCAA Division I conference, but the names of the members should be very familiar. The new conference?half of whose schools were charter members of the Western Athletic Conference when it was formed back in 1962?consists of Utah, Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State and Wyoming.
Craig Thompson is the conference?s first commissioner. Amy Turner is the Assistant Commissioner for Communications. The league concludes its first season of competition with the Mountain West Conference Tournament, March 9-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Of the eight teams comprising the new league, five received postseason invitations a year ago: Utah and New Mexico were in the NCAA Tournament field, each advancing to the second round, Colorado State, UNLV and Wyoming played in the NIT.
Defense, Defense, Defense
One of the trademarks of a Rick Majerus coached team is a stifling half-court defense. In 10 seasons under Majerus, Utah has ranked in the top 30 in the nation eight times in field goal percentage defense, seven times in the top 25 in scoring defense, seven times in the top 25 in scoring margin and seven times in the top 30 in rebound margin.
Utah ranked fourth in the NCAA in scoring defense last season, giving up just 55.4 points per game. The Utes have been in the top eight three times in 10 seasons. The Utes ranked ninth in the nation in rebound margin last season (8.2 rpg) and have been ranked among the top 15 teams in the country in that category five years in a row. Utah has been among the top 30 teams in the nation in field goal percentage defense five consecutive years, including four top-10 rankings. The Utes were 29th in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense last season, limiting their opponents to 39.5 percent shooting from the floor.
Thanks to their stifling defense, the U. has also ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation in scoring margin five years in a row and seven times in the last 10 years. The Utes ranked fifth in the nation in scoring margin in 1998-99, outscoring the opposition by an average of 15.9 points per game.
M?tt?l? Third Ute Academic All-American in Two Years
Hanno M?tt?l?, carrying on in the tradition of academic success under head coach Rick Majerus, was selected as a GTE second-team Academic All-American in 1998-99. M?tt?l? carried a 3.33 cumulative GPA in economics.
Utah has more Academic All-Americans than any other program in the last two years. Michael Doleac and Drew Hansen were both named to the GTE Academic All-America team as seniors in 1997-98. Doleac, biology major, was a first-team selection with 3.41 GPA. Hansen, holder of a near-perfect 3.99 GPA in political science/economics, made the third team. Because of them, Utah became the first NCAA Final Four team to have two Academic All-Americans in its starting line-up.
Classroom Champions
Three of the five starters for the Runnin' Utes?Hanno M?tt?l?, Alex Jensen and Jeremy Killion?made the U. of U. academic honor roll for the 1999 spring semester. Reserve Adam Sharp, as well as walk-ons Zac Dalton, Charles Huff, Sid Krommenhoek and Brandon Sluga, were also selected to the honor roll. M?tt?l? and Sharp were named to the Western Athletic Conference all-academic team and honored as WAC scholar-athletes.
During the 1998 fall semester, nine Utes (seven on scholarship) were named to the academic honor roll. Scholarship players making the list with at least a 3.00 GPA were M?tt?l?, Sharp, Shane Willis, Killion, Phil Cullen, Gary Colbert and Brad Crockett. Walk-ons Dalton and Krommenhoek also made the list.
All players on Utah?s roster are on track to graduate and the team?s cumulative grade point average is above a 3.00. Utah?s team GPA has been above a 3.05 in each of the last three years. Rick Majerus has had 18 players make the honor roll a combined 108 times during his tenure.
Utes on Television
A record of at least 21 Utah games will be televised this season, including all 14 Mountain West Conference regular-season games. Begining with Friday?s ESPN game at Kentucky, the Utes will be featured at least 11 times on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Regional Television. Utah?s game at Washington State on Dec. 11 will be carried nationally by Fox Sports Net.
The Utes? game at New Mexico on Feb. 19 will be broadcast regionally by ABC at 4:00 p.m. (MST). Five of Utah?s Mountain West Conference games?three of which are at home?will be televised as a part of ESPN?s ?Big Monday? line-up at 10:00 p.m. (MST). The national cable network will carry Utah?s games at San Diego State on Jan. 10, Colorado State at home on Jan. 24, New Mexico at home on Jan. 31, UNLV at home on Feb. 21 and at Wyoming on Feb. 28. ESPN will also televise the Utah?s home game against Texas on Dec. 22 at 10:00 p.m. (MST).
ESPN Regional Television, a syndicated over-the-air network under the moniker of ESPN+Plus, will feature Utah three times in its Mountain West Conference ?Game of the Week? package. KJZZ-TV is the network?s Salt Lake City affiliate. At least nine Utah games will also be televised locally by KJZZ-TV.
Majerus Featured in DIRECTV and ESPN Commercials
Utah head coach Rick Majerus has been named DIRECTV?s advertising spokesman for its college basketball pay-per-view package, ESPN FULL COURT, during the 1999-2000 season. Majerus will appear in both print ads and television commercials produced by DIRECTV throughout the 1999-2000 college basketball season. Majerus will also appear with college basketball analyst Dick Vitale in an ESPN commercial promoting the cable network?s college basketball coverage.
NCAA Tournament Returns to the Huntsman Center in March
The University of Utah?s Jon M. Huntsman Center will host NCAA Tournament West Region first and second round games in March. Four first round games will be played on March 16 and two second round games will take place on March 18.
Recognized as a site of championships, the Huntsman Center, which opened its doors in 1969, has housed numerous national championships. In 1979, the arena accommodated the NCAA Final Four?deemed one of the most successful ever held?featuring Michigan State?s Magic Johnson and Indiana State?s Larry Bird in the championship game. The arena has also hosted eight national gymnastics championships.
This marks the 13th time the Huntsman Center has hosted the NCAA Tournament. The JMHC ranks third among the nation?s arenas for the most NCAA Tournament games hosted, with 63 having been played in the building.
Utah Tradition
Utah has a 1,430-746 all-time record in its 92nd season. The U. entered the year ranking 11th in the NCAA in all-time winning percentage with a .657 mark. Utah also ranked 14th in the NCAA in all-time wins, and was one of just 16 schools that have 1,400 victories.
The Utes have won three national championships, winning the 1916 AAU championship, 1944 NCAA championship and 1947 NIT title. Utah is one of only 33 schools to win the NCAA Division I men?s basketball title.
Utah has made four trips to the NCAA Final Four: 1944 (champions), 1961 (4th), 1966 (4th) and 1998 (runner-up). Only 12 teams have more Final Four appearances than Utah. Only 11 schools have been in more championship games than the Utes.
All-time, only 14 schools have appeared in the NCAA Tournament more times than Utah. The Utes have played in the NCAAs 21 times and have a 31-24 record (.564).
Utes in the Final 1998-99 WAC/NCAA Stats
Team WAC NCAAScoring Offense: 71.3 10th - -Scoring Defense: 55.4 1st 4thScoring Margin: 15.9 1st 5thFG Percentage: .477 2nd 13thFG Pct. Defense: .395 3rd 29thFT Percentage: .699 5th - -Rebound Margin: 8.2 1st 9th3 Pt. Percentage: .345 9th - - 3 Pt./Game: 6.4 7th - -W/L Percentage: .848 1st 6th
Individual WAC NCAANate Althoff Blocks: 1.3 7th - -
Alex Jensen Rebounds: 7.6 9th - - Assists: 3.4 16th - - Jeremy Killion 3 Pt. Percentage: .345 19th - - 3 Pt./Game: 1.8 11th - -
Andre Miller Scoring: 15.8 12th - - FG Percentage: .491 8th - - Assists: 5.6 4th 26th Steals: 2.6 2nd - -
Hanno M?tt?l? Scoring: 15.3 13th - - FG Percentage: .482 9th - - FT Percentage: .833 1st - -
Utah in the Polls
| Associated Press | USA Today/ESPN | ||||
| 1. | Cincinnati (25) | 1. | Connecticut (9) | ||
| 2. | Michigan St. (24) | 2. | Michigan St. (8) | ||
| 3. | Auburn (8) | 3. | Cincinnati (8) | ||
| 4. | Ohio State (7) | 4. | Auburn | ||
| 5. | N. Carolina | 5. | N. Carolina (2) | ||
| 6. | Temple | 6. | Ohio State (2) | ||
| 7. | Florida | 7. | Temple (2) | ||
| 8. | Connecticut | 8. | Florida | ||
| 9. | Stanford (1) | 9. | Arizona | ||
| 10. | Arizona | 10. | Duke | ||
| 11. | Kansas | 11. | Kansas | ||
| 12. | UCLA | 12. | Kentucky | ||
| 13. | Syracuse | 13. | Stanford | ||
| 14. | Kentucky | 14. | UCLA | ||
| 15. | St. John?s | 15. | Utah | ||
| 16. | Utah | 16. | Tennessee | ||
| 17. | Illinois | 17. | Syracuse | ||
| 18. | Duke | 18. | Illinois | ||
| 19. | Tennessee | 19. | St. John?s | ||
| 20. | DePaul | 20. | DePaul | ||
| 21. | Texas | 21. | Purdue | ||
| 22. | Iowa | 22. | Texas | ||
| 23. | Oklahoma St. | 23. | Maryland | ||
| 24. | Purdue | 24. | Miami (Fla.) | ||
| 25. | Gonzaga | 25. | Oklahoma St. | ||
Utah?s Ranking by Week
Associated USA Today/ Press ESPNPreseason 15 15Nov. 15 16 - -
Consecutive Weeks Ranked by A.P.: 9
Last Time Not Ranked: Jan. 25, 1999
Consecutive Weeks Ranked by USA Today/ESPN: 8
Last Time Not Ranked: Jan. 25, 1999
Utah?s Preseason Rankings
Basketball News 17Blue Ribbon Yearbook 14Dick Vitale 16Sporting News 17Street & Smith?s 19
Sizing Up The MWC
Had the eight schools that now comprise the Mountain West Conference been together a year ago, the conference standings would have looked like this.
| Conf.* | Pct. | Overall | Pct. | |||
| 1. | UTAH | 14-0 | 1.000 | 28-5 | .848 | |
| 2. | New Mexico | 9-5 | .643 | 25-9 | .735 | |
| UNLV | 9-5 | .643 | 16-13 | .552 | ||
| 4. | Colorado State | 7-7 | .500 | 19-11 | .633 | |
| Wyoming | 7-7 | .500 | 18-10 | .643 | ||
| 6. | Brigham Young | 6-8 | .429 | 12-16 | .429 | |
| 7. | Air Force | 2-12 | .143 | 10-16 | .365 | |
| San Diego State | 2-12 | .143 | 4-22 | .154 |
*Note: Utah, Brigham Young, UNLV, New Mexico and San Diego State formed the WAC Pacific Division in 1998-99, while Air Force, Colorado State and Wyoming were in the Mountain Division. There were no crossover games between the two divisions.
Utes Among Top Returning MWC Players
A look at where Ute players rank statistically among the top returning players in the Mountain West Conference.
Scoring
4. Hanno M?tt?l? 15.3
Rebounds
2. Alex Jensen 7.6
Assists
6. Alex Jensen 3.4
Blocked Shots
2. Nate Althoff 1.3
3-Pt. Field Goals Per Game
5. Jeremy Killion 1.8
3-Pt. Field Goal Percentage
7. Jeremy Killion .345
Field Goal Percentage
2. Hanno M?tt?l? .482
Free Throw Percentage
1. Hanno M?tt?l? .833
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Former Runnin’ Ute Branden Carlson
Tuesday, May 19
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - College football analyst Yogi Roth
Wednesday, May 06
Utah Basketball Media Availability | 3.2.26
Monday, March 02
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Utah Basketball General Manager Wes Wilcox
Wednesday, February 25