Men's Basketball Prepares For Oregon State

Dec. 23, 1999

Game #11
Utah Utes (8-2)
vs. Oregon State Beavers (7-2)
Dec. 28 7:05 p.m. (MST)
Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000)
Salt Lake City

The Game at a Glance

Utah Coach: Rick Majerus
Alma Mater: Marquette '70
Record at Utah: 246-66/11th Season
Overall Record: 345-118/16th Season

Oregon State Coach: Eddie Payne
Alma Mater: Wake Forest '73
Record at OSU: 46-74/5th Season
Overall Record: 205-183/14th Season

Television:
KJZZ-TV in Salt Lake City (Ch. 14, TCI 3). Steve Brown (play-by-play) and Frank Layden (analyst). The game will also be shown on Fox Sports Northwest.

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 26th in the A.P. poll and 24th in the USA Today/ESPN poll.

Series Record:
Utah leads the overall series with Oregon State 11-7.
Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 8-0/1-7/2-0
Last Meeting: Utah defeated Oregon State, 69-61, on Dec. 20, 1997 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.
Majerus vs. Oregon State Overall: 1-0 At Utah: 1-0

Utah Probable StartersNo. Pos. Name           Ht.   Wt.   Cl.   Ppg    Rpg   Hometown50   F   Alex Jensen    6-7   225   Sr.   13.8   7.7   Centerville, Utah13   F   Hanno Mottola  6-9   250   Sr.   24.0   6.5   Helsinki, Finland40   C   Phil Cullen    6-9   215   So.    6.7   2.8   Chelan, Wash.   32   G   Jeremy Killion 5-11  190   Sr.   12.7   1.9   San Diego, Calif. 3   G   Gary Colbert   6-1   175   So.    4.6   3.4   Alta Loma, Calif.
Utah Off the BenchNo. Pos. Name           Ht.   Wt.   Cl.   Ppg   Rpg   Hometown 4   G   Adam Sharp     6-2   180   So.   1.6   1.0   Salt Lake City 5  G/F  Tony Harvey    6-5   200   Sr.   9.0   2.0   Carson, Calif.15   F   Nick Jacobson  6-3   185   Fr.   0.0   0.0   Roseville, Minn.25   G   Brandon Sluga  6-4   210   Sr.   0.8   0.0   Taylorsville, Utah35   F   Jeff Johnsen   6-4   200   So.   7.6   3.6   Murray, Utah42   F   Mike Puzey     6-8   215   Fr.   3.3   2.1   Roy, Utah52   C   Nate Althoff*  6-11  260   Jr.   9.3   5.0   Delano, Minn.      * questionable due to injury
Oregon State Probable StartersNo. Pos. Name              Ht.   Wt.  Cl.  Ppg    Rpg   Hometown 3   F   Brian Jackson     6-9   235  Fr.  15.0   5.0   Knappa, Ore.40   C   Jason Heide       6-10  260  Jr.  12.6   5.4   Issaquah, Wash.31   G   Ramunas Petraitis 6-4   208  Sr.   6.3   2.9   Kunas, Lithuania 4   G   Deaundra Tanner   6-2   205  Jr.  14.3   4.4   Loas Angeles, Calif.25   G   Josh Steinthal    6-4   195  Jr.   9.2   1.6   Sumner, Wash.

Coming Up
The Runnin' Utes host Wisconsin-Milwaukee next Thursday (Dec. 30) and Southern Utah next Saturday (Jan. 1). Both games start at 7:05 p.m. at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

A Quick Look at Utah
The Runnin' Utes, winners of six in a row, are 8-2 after winning three games in six days at home. Utah posted a 72-48 win against Sioux Falls on Dec. 17, an 84-58 victory over Chicago State on Dec. 18 and a 79-73 win against No. 14 Texas on Dec. 22.

After sitting out the first eight games of the season with a knee injury, Hanno Mottola has led Utah in scoring the last two games. He is averaging 24.0 points, shooting 58.1 percent from the field, and 6.5 rebounds per game. Senior 6-7 forward Alex Jensen is second on the team in scoring (13.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg). Jensen is also shooting 54.7 percent from the field and 51.6 percent from three-point range. Senior 5-11 guard Jeremy Killion is also averaging double figures in scoring (12.7 ppg), and is shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 48.0 percent from three-point range. Senior 6-5 guard/forward Tony Harvey is averaging 9.0 points and shooting 90.0 percent from the free throw line. Sophomore 6-1 guard Gary Colbert leads the team in assists (4.9 apg).

Utah is outscoring the opposition 72.9 to 57.1 points per game and has a 33.5 to 29.3 edge in rebounding. The Utes are shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from three-point range and 68.3 percent from the free throw line.

Whiting to Redshirt
Utah junior guard Trent Whiting has been declared as a medical redshirt for the remainder of the 1999-2000 season. The announcement came from head coach Rick Majerus after the Utes' game against Sioux Falls on Dec. 17

Whiting has not suited-up since Dec. 3 and was limited all season by a congenital condition in his femur bones. Players are able to take a medical redshirt in the first half of the season if they have not played in over 20 percent of a team's total regular-season games. The Kuna, Idaho, native and former junior college All-American at Snow College averaged 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in five games this season. Whiting can return next season with two full years of eligibility. However, his injury may be career threatening.

Other Notes From the Training Room
Utah senior forward Hanno Mottola returned to the line-up on Dec. 18 after missing the first eight games of the season with a partial medial collateral tear in his left knee. Mottola 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. Mottola did not require surgery.

Junior 6-11 center Nate Althoff sprained his left ankle with 7:02 remaining in the first half of Utah's game against Sioux Falls last Friday. He is questionable but could be available for the Oregon State game.

Utah vs. Oregon State Notes

Scouting the Beavers
Oregon State is 7-2 after recording its third consecutive win with an 83-77 win over Wyoming at home on Dec. 20. Utah is the third Mountain West Conference team on OSU's schedule. Oregon State lost at Colorado State, 83-78, on Dec. 4. The Beavers have an eight-day layoff heading into the Utah game.

Freshman 6-9 forward Brian Jackson leads the team in scoring (15.0 ppg) and is averaging 5.0 rebounds per game. Junior 6-2 guard Deaundra Tanner is second on the team in scoring (14.3 ppg), shooting 54.5 percent from three-point range and 81.5 percent from the free throw line, and leads the team in assists (4.9 apg). Junior 6-10 center Jason Heide is second on the team in rebounds (5.4 rpg) and third in scoring (12.6 ppg).

Oregon State is outscoring the opposition 74.4 to 61.1 points per game, but has a deficit on the boards of 37.4 to 36.0 rebounds per game. The Beavers are shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from three-point range.

A Look at the Series
Utah has won seven of the last 10 games in the series, but the teams have alternated wins in the last four games.

Utah won the last meeting, 69-61, on Dec. 20, 1997. After leading just 27-26 at halftime, Utah outscored Oregon State by seven points in the second half at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore. Utah was outshot by Oregon State 49.0 to 36.4 percent but had a 40-22 advantage on the boards. Playing in his hometown, senior Michael Doleac scored 21 points and pulled down nine rebounds to lead the Utes.

Of the current players, Alex Jensen had 11 points, making 7-of-8 free throws, and four boards in 34 minutes. Hanno Mottola had four points and five rebounds. For Oregon State, Deaundra Tanner had six points and two assists, while Iyan Walker had four points and three assists in 25 minutes as a starter.

Looking Ahead

Scouting Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The Panthers are 6-3 and riding a two-game winning streak into their game at Cincinnati on Dec. 27. Before their Christmas break, UWM posted wins at home over Fairleigh-Dickinson, 76-59, on Dec. 11 and Bethune-Cookman, 84-76, on Dec. 14.

Junior 6-9 center Chad Angeli leads the team in scoring (15.7 ppg) and is second in rebounds. Freshman 6-3 forward Clay Tucker is second in scoring (13.8 ppg), shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range, and is the team's leading rebounder (5.3 rpg). Freshman 5-9 guard Ronnie Jones is shooting 46.7 percent from behind the arc and averaging 11.1 points per contest.

The Panthers are outscoring the opposition 70.7 to 66.9 points per game. They are shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three-point range.

Scouting Southern Utah
The Thunderbirds are 3-7 after losing three in a row. Most recently, SUU lost at Weber State, 69-59, on Dec. 18 and fell to Boise State, 70-57, at home on Dec. 21. Southern Utah hosts Carroll College on Dec. 29 before facing the Utes.

Junior 6-5 forward Fredrick House, a transfer from Dixie Junior College, leads the team in scoring (16.1 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg). Senior 6-7 guard Tyson Hancock is second in scoring (13.2 ppg) and rebounding, and is shooting 37.1 percent from three-point range. Junior 6-0 guard Jeff Monaco is the third T-Bird averaging double figures in scoring (11.1 ppg).

Southern Utah has been outscored 73.1 to 68.0 points per game and has been outrebounded 34.9 to 31.3 boards per game. The Thunderbirds are shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from three-point range.

Noting the Utes

Game #10 Rewind
Hanno Mottola scored a career-high 32 points, including a crucial three-pointer, to lead Utah to a 79-73 victory over No. 14 Texas on Dec. 22 in a game televised by ESPN. Mottola, playing his second game after coming back from a knee injury, also grabbed 11 rebounds for Utah (8-2). He shot 12-of-21 from the field, 3-of-5 from three-point range and 5-of-7 from the free throw line in 32 minutes. His previous career high was 28, set last season also against Texas.

The lead changed hands nine times in the first half before Utah came back from six-point deficit with a 19-7 burst to take a 39-33 lead at halftime. A 10-0 run gave Texas a 51-49 lead midway through the second half. But the Longhorns were never able to get the lead back after Jeff Johnsen drained a three-pointer from the left baseline to make it 54-52. Mottola made a three-pointer to put the Utes up 68-62 with 1:58 left. The Utes made 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to hold off the Longhorns, who hung in until the final seconds with two long three-pointers.

Texas star Chris Mihm finished with 19 points, just above his average. Nine of his points came from the foul line. Four other Longhorns were in double figures as Gabe Muoneke scored 14 and Ivan Wagner, William Clay and Chris Owens all had 10.

Alex Jensen scored 11 points and had eight rebounds. Phil Cullen and Tony Harvey each added nine points for the Utes. Texas outshot the Utes 55.1 to 46.6 percent from the field. However, Utah made 17-of-22 free throws (77.3 percent) had a 34 to 28 edge on the boards and committed just 11 turnovers against Texas' press.

Utah now has a 5-4 edge in the series with Texas with two more games scheduled.

Odd and Ends

Tony Harvey is off to great start from the free throw line, where he is shooting 27-for-30 (90.0%). ? 50 of Jeremy Killion's 85 field goal attempts have come from three-point range.
In both of Utah's losses, it was outrebounded for the game and outscored in the second half. Utah also committed more turnovers and more fouls, and allowed the opposition more free throw attempts.
Texas had the best field goal percentage against Utah this season by going 27-of-49 from the field (55.1%) on Dec. 22.
The Utes scored above 80 for the first time this season with 84 points in their win over Chicago State on Dec. 18.
Utah shot a season-best 54.7 percent from the field against Washington State (Dec. 11).
Utah surrendered a season-low 42 points in its 35-point win over Utah State on Dec. 7. The Utes also gave up a season-low shooting night to USU, allowing the Aggies to shoot just 30.8 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from three-point range.

Lighting It Up From Downtown
Utah ranks 16th in the NCAA in three-point field goals per game (8.4) and third in three-point percentage (44.2%). Utah has shot 50 percent or better from three-point range in three of its last five games. During that span, the "Gunnin'" Utes have made 51-of-101 three-pointers (50.5%). The Utes tied a school record with 14 three-pointers against both Utah State (Dec. 7) and Washington State (Dec. 11). Utah also hit 14 trifectas in 1994 against San Diego State and in 1995 against Fresno State. Against Utah State, Utah shot 73 percent (11-of-15) from three-point range in the first half, breaking the school record of 10 three-pointers in a half set in 1993 and 1995, both times against Fresno State. Utah shot 66.7 percent (14-of-21) from three-point range for the game, which ranks as the third-best single-game percentage in the NCAA this season.

Rick's Remarks

On the Texas game -
"I thought that we played really hard. The defensive field goal percentage is not always indicative of how hard we play. We really were smart recognizing match-ups and situations. We did a nice job with our consistency of effort. We ran down the long rebounds. We got on the offensive boards and we hustled. We competed in that area. We obviously hit our free throws, which was big. They are very athletic. Their presses are somewhat like Arkansas' they're disruptive. But we did a good job of having the lead and running the clock, and spacing the floor. I thought that we played a very intense game, but also a very cerebral game. It was a terrific win. I'm very pleased with the direction we're going right now."

"Hanno's statistics speak for themselves. Hanno gave us point production tonight. The best thing about Hanno is his attitude. He did such a good job of mentally having his head in the game when he was out (with the injury)."

On facing Oregon State -
"I think that it will be a very difficult game. We looked at Brian Jackson. I think that he has the ability to be the premiere freshman or will be one of the premiere freshmen in the Pac-10. He's that good. He's got a mature body, he's very smart and he's a very heady player. Their point guard, Deaundra Tanner, is an excellent penetrator and I think he's a terrific defender. He'll challenge us with his quickness and anticipation defensively, and with his ability to score, as well as create shots for others. We had Jason Heide in our camp. He's a low post player who has a high upside. Josh Steinthal is an excellent shooter. They are always very well coached. I think that last year Eddie Payne did as good of a job as there was in the Pac-10. The most important thing for us is that we not only have the awareness and respect for Oregon State, but that we also continue to work through and build upon what it is that we're trying to do. Right now, we're excited to play another good team, and we're looking forward to that opportunity."

In the Polls
Utah moved up one spot to No. 24 in the USA Today/ESPN poll released on Dec. 19 and up two places to No. 26 in Associated Press poll released on Dec. 20. Utah has been ranked in at least one of the national Top 25 polls for 14 consecutive weeks, dating back to last season. The Utes were ranked 11 consecutive weeks in the A.P. Top 25 before falling out on Dec. 6

Utah had been ranked every week since early in the 1994-95 season before falling out on 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.

Awesome Alex
Senior forward Alex Jensen (6-7, 225) has started all 77 games since the start of the 1997-98 season after returning from a two-year LDS church mission. A preseason all-Mountain West Conference selection, Jensen is off to a great start to the season. He has Utah's second-best scoring average (13.8 ppg),while shooting 54.7 percent from the field and 51.6 percent from three-point range, and is the top rebounder (7.7 rpg). Jensen has led Utah three times in scoring, seven times in rebounds and four times in assists this season. He has also scored in double figures in all but one game, including two 20-point performances. Jensen scored a career-high 25 points with a career-best nine field goals and three 3-point field goals against Augusta State on Dec. 3. Against Washington State on Dec. 11, he had 21 points by going 7-of-10 from the field, 3-of-4 from three-point range and 4-of-6 from the free throw line. He also had a season-high nine rebounds, five assists and two steals in 38 minutes against Wazzu. Jensen is an excellent defensive player who can defend all five positions on the floor.

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.

Last season, Jensen 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). His triple-double of 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Fresno State on Jan. 25, 1999 was only the second in the 31-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 Nearing Select Company
Senior forward Alex Jensen could become the ninth Ute all-time and the fourth under Rick Majerus to record 1,000 points and 800 rebounds during their careers. Jensen currently has 998 career points and 733 career rebounds. He needs just two more points to become the 28th Ute to score 1,000 points and 67 more rebounds to become the ninth Ute to post 800 rebounds.

Jensen also ranks third in career offensive rebounds (285) and sixth in defensive rebounds (448) at the U.

Mentioning Mottola
Hanno Mottola was rated among the top players in college basketball during the preseason. Playboy magazine selected Mottola 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 Mottola as the 12th-best inside-outers in college basketball. The Mountain West Conference media selected Mottola as the preseason player of the year, while both the media and coaches placed him on the preseason all-conference team.

More on Hanno
After missing the first eight games of the season with a partial medial collateral tear in his left knee, senior forward Hanno Mottola (6-9, 250) has made his mark quickly after returning to the line-up. He had a double-double with a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds in 32 minutes against Texas on Dec. 22. He also made a personal-best 12 field goals in 21 attempts in that game. In his season debut against Chicago State on Dec. 18, Mottola scored a game-high 16 points, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, in 20 minutes.

Mottola 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. As a junior, the Helsinki, Finland, native 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). Mottola also made 35.4 percent of his three-point field goals (34-of-96). Mottola 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.

Mottola ranks high in several career statistical categories at the U. He is 22nd all-time in scoring (1,182), seventh in defensive rebounds (314), 10th in offensive boards (149) and 12th in blocked shots (38).

Slow Start, Fast Finish
Starting the season with 2-2 record was not unfamiliar territory for the Utes. Last season, Utah started the season with a 5-4 record before winning its next 23 games. After a splitting its first four game this season, Utah has won its last six. Here is a statistical comparison between Utah's start and finish to last season, as well as one between its first four games and last six games this year.

1998-99Games 1-9    FG%   3-FG%   PPG    RPG   AS/TO RatioUtah        44.6   29.7   66.0   36.2   .976Opponents   39.9   40.3   59.3   31.2   .793
Games 10-33   FG%   3-FG%   PPG    RPG   AS/TO RatioUtah         48.9   35.8   73.3   35.9   1.68Opponents    43.7   31.7   53.9   26.5   1.25
1999-2000Games 1-4    FG%   3-FG%   PPG    RPG   AS/TO RatioUtah        46.6   36.2   67.5   36.0   1.09Opponents   39.9   32.3   57.0   30.3   .959
Games 5-10    FG%   3-FG%   PPG    RPG   AS/TO RatioUtah         50.2   48.8   76.5   31.8   1.41   Opponents    42.0   31.1   57.2   28.7   .529

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.

Through seven games this season, Utah gave up an average of 56.0 points per game to rank 22nd in the nation in scoring defense as of Dec. 13. Through 10 games, Utah's opponents are shooting just 41.1 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from three-point range.

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.

Home Unbeaten Streak at 42 Games
After defeating Texas on Dec. 22, Utah has the second-longest active homecourt winning streak in NCAA Division I. The Utes have won 42 straight in the Jon M. Huntsman Center dating back to a Dec. 31, 1996 loss to Wake Forest. Utah's current streak, which began with an 84-63 win over Colorado State on Jan. 4, 1997, ranks ahead of Duke's 41 consecutive home wins. It is also the longest homecourt winning streak in school history. Murray State has the longest homecourt winning streak in the nation at 46 games. Cincinnati has the fourth-longest (34).

The Utes are 7-0 at home this season. Utah went 14-0 at home in 1998-99 to post the sixth undefeated home season in the 31-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 136-10 (.931) 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. Combining the two lengthy streaks, Utah has won 69 of its last 70 games played in the Huntsman Center.

   Current NCAA Division I Homecourt Winning Streaks        Team         Games   Next Home Game   1.   Murray State   46    Jan. 13   Eastern Illinois   2.   UTAH           42    Dec. 28   Oregon State   3.   Duke           41    Jan. 2    William & Mary   4.   Cincinnati     34    Dec. 27   Wis.-Milwaukee

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 Mottola were named to the preseason all-conference team by both the coaches and the media. The media honored Mottola as the league's top returning player.

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.

Mottola Third Ute Academic All-American in Two Years
Hanno Mottola, 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. Mottola 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 Mottola, 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. Mottola 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 Mottola, 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.

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.

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.

Summer Action for Mottola and Althoff
Hanno Mottola played for the Finnish National Team in a four-country tournament with Lithuania, Russia and Germany in Helsinki in May. Mottola 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.

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).

Harvey, Jensen and Mottola 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 Mottola (6-9, 250) was rated at the fourth-best power forward in the country. Climbing the Career Charts

 Scoring   1.   Keith Van Horn (1993-97)   2,542   2.   Billy McGill (1959-62)   2,321   3.   Josh Grant (1988-93)   2,000   4.   Mike Newlin (1968-71)   1,849   5.   Luther Burden (1972-75)   1,790   6.   Jeff Judkins (1974-78)   1,740   7.   Danny Vranes (1977-81)   1,701      8.   Tom Chambers (1977-78)   1,698   9.   Mitch Smith (1985-89)   1,628   10.   Andre Miller (1995-99)   1,618      - - -   22.   Hanno Mottola (1996-Present)   1,182   28.   Alex Jensen (1994-95, 97-Present)   998
 Blocked Shots   1.   Mitch Smith (1985-89)   157   2.   Keith Van Horn (1993-97)   126   3.   Michael Doleac (1994-98)   124   4.   Josh Grant (1988-93)   109   5.   Albert Springs (1983-87)   76   6.   Larry Cain (1989-93)   67   7.   Andre Miller (1995-99)   65   8.   Paul Afeaki (1990-92)   57   9.   Danny Vranes (1977-81)   49   10.   Tom Chambers (1977-81)   44      - - -   12.   Hanno Mottola (1996-Present)   38
 Offensive Rebounds   1.   Josh Grant (1988-93)   337   2.   Michael Doleac (1994-98)   288   3.   Alex Jensen (1994-95, 97-Present)   285   4.   Mitch Smith (1985-89)   260   5.   Keith Van Horn (1993-97)   235   6.   Andre Miller (1995-99)   189   7.   Walter Watts (1988-91)   178   8.   Brandon Jessie (1994-96)   161   9.   Byron Wilson (1990-93)   148   10.   Hanno Mttla (1996-Present)   149
 Defensive Rebounds   1.   Keith Van Horn (1993-97)   839   2.   Josh Grant (1988-93)   729   3.   Michael Doleac (1994-98)   598   4.   Mitch Smith (1985-89)   549   5.   Andre Miller (1995-99)   454   6.   Alex Jensen (1994-95, 97-Present)   448   7.   Hanno Mottola (1996-99)   314   8.   Byron Wilson (1990-93)   301   9.   Phil Dixon (1989-94)   279   10.   Walter Watts (1988-91)   275

Rick Majerus
Head Coach - 11th Season at Utah - Marquette ?70 Considered as one of the top coaches in America, Rick Majerus has entrenched the University of Utah in college basketball's power structure. The Utes' steady rise in national prominence since Majerus' arrival on the ?Hill? at the start of the 1989-90 season was crystallized by a trip to the 1998 NCAA Final Four, where Utah finished as the national runner-up.

Entering his 15th season as a college head coach, Majerus' career winning percentage of .744 was the fourth-highest among active Division I coaches and ranked 15th all-time. Among active coaches, only Roy Williams (Kansas), Jerry Tarkanian (Fresno State and John Kreese (College of Charleston) had better winning percentages. By notching his 300th career victory during the 1997-98 season, Majerus became one of just one of 12 coaches all-time to reach the 300-win plateau in 14 seasons, only five coaches have won 300 games in less time.

Majerus, who has never had a losing season, has averaged 22 wins per year over the course of his career. He has won 20 games 12 times and 30 games twice. Majerus has also guided eight teams to the NCAA Tournament and four others to the NIT.

A successful coach since the beginning, Majerus' best years have come at Utah. While leading the Utes to unprecedented success, Majerus has become the winningest coach in modern times at the U. Despite the fact that he coached just six games his first season due to heart surgery, Majerus' Utah teams have averaged nearly 24 wins a year. Take away his shortened debut season, and the Utes have won 20 games all but once, averaging 26 wins in nine full seasons under Majerus.

In each of the past five seasons, the U. has won at least 27 games, including a school-record 30 victories in 1997-98. Only 13 times has an NCAA Division I program won at least 25 games in five consecutive seasons. The Utes have claimed five consecutive Western Athletic Conference regular-season championships outright (including divisional titles the last three years) and made five straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

What Majerus' teams have accomplished since the beginning of his tenure is astounding. Consider:

In the '90s, Utah ranked eighth in NCAA Division I in both wins (250) and winning percentage (.767). Utah has averaged 25 wins over the last 10 seasons.
In the past three seasons, Utah went 87-13 to post the fourth-most wins in NCAA Division I. Utah's .870 winning percentage during that time ranked second in the nation, just a tenth of a percentage point behind the College of Charleston.
The Utes have made seven trips to the NCAA Tournament under Majerus. Utah is one of just six programs to advance to at least the second round of the NCAAs in each of the past five seasons.
Utah has advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 four times and made back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 1997 and 1998. The Utes also played in the 1998 NCAA Final Four, losing to Kentucky in the national championship game.
Majerus guided the Utes to the ninth-most wins (15) and the ninth-best winning percentage (.682) in NCAA Tournament play in the '90s. Over the past five years, Utah moved up to fourth place in NCAA Tournament wins (12) and eighth in winning percentage (.706).
Utah advanced it to the NIT Final Four in 1992, placing third.
Before departing the WAC after last season, Utah had won seven regular-season titles, including five in a row, in 10 seasons under Majerus.
Utah won the WAC Tournament championship in 1995, '97 and '99.
His players have been named All-America five times, twice consensus choices, conference player of the year six times and first team all-conference

The Majerus File

Year-by-Year at Utah

Year     Overall   Pct.  Conf. Finish   Postseason1989-90   4-2 **  .667   - -    - -     - -1990-91    30-4   .882   15-1   1st     NCAA Sweet 161991-92   24-11   .686    9-7   4th     NIT Final Four1992-93    24-7   .774   15-3   1st-T   NCAA 2nd Round1993-94   14-14   .500   8-10   5th-T   - -1994-95    28-6   .824   15-3   1st     NCAA 2nd Round1995-96    27-7   .794   15-3   1st     NCAA Sweet 161996-97    29-4   .878   15-1   1st *   NCAA Elite Eight1997-98    30-4   .882   12-2   1st *   NCAA Runner-up1998-99    28-5   .848   14-0   1st *   NCAA 2nd Round1999-2000   8-2   .800   0-0      Totals   246-66   .788   118-30      11 YearsCareer   345-118  .745   140-40      16 Years
* WAC Division Finish   ** Majerus missed most of the season due to heart surgery
Breaking Down Majerus' Career Record
     All-Time   At UtahOverall   345-118 (.745)   246-66 (.788)Home   198-28 (.876)   136-10 (.931)Away   107-68 (.611)   76-38 (.667)Neutral   40-22 (.645)   34-18 (.654)Conference Games   140-40 (.778)   118-30 (.797)Conference Tournaments   18-7 (.720)   15-6 (.714)Postseason NIT   8-4 (.667)   4-1 (.800)NCAA Tournaments   16-8 (.667)   15-7 (.682)

Career Honors

1999 District Coach of the Year
1999 WAC Pacific Division Coach of the Year
1998 National Coach of the Year (John Wooden)
1998 National Coach of the Year (Playboy)
1998 District Coach of the Year
1997 District Coach of the Year
1997 WAC Coach of the Year (Media)
1997 Utah Sports Person of the Year
1996 District Coach of the Year
1995 District Coach of the Year
1995 WAC Coach of the Year
1993 District Coach of the Year
1993 WAC Coach of the Year
1992 National Coach of the Year (Playboy)
1991 National Coach of the Year (Basketball Times)
1991 National Coach of the Year (UPI)
1991 District Coach of the Year
1991 WAC Coach of the Year
1991 Utah Sports Person of the Year
1989 National Coach of the Year (The Hoop Scoop)

Personal Information
Birthdate: February 17, 1948
Hometown: Sheboygan, Wis.
Education: Marquette, B.A., History, '70 Marquette, M.A.T., Guidance and Counseling, '79
Hired at Utah: April, 1989

Utah Tradition

Utah has a 1,437-748 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).

During the decade of the ?90s, the Utes won the eighth-most games in NCAA Division I with a 250-76 record. Utah's .767 winning percentage in the last 10 years also ranked as the eighth-best in the nation.

In the past three seasons, Utah had the second-highest winning percentage in NCAA Division I (.870), falling just a tenth of a point behind the College of Charleston (.871). The Utes have the fourth-most wins in NCAA Division I in the last three years with an 87-13

Utes in the Mountain West Conference/NCAA Stats

Team(As of Dec. 20)                                  MWC   NCAAScoring Offense           72.2   5thScoring Defense           55.3   1st   7ndScoring Margin           +16.9   1stFG Percentage             .490   2ndFG Pct. Defense           .396   2ndFT Percentage             .671   6thReb. Offense              33.4   8thReb. Defense              29.4   1stRebound Margin            +4.0   3rd3 Pt. FG/Game              8.4   1st   16th3 Pt. Percentage          .447   1st   3rd3 Pt. FG Pct. Defense     .307   5thAssists                   17.7   3rdTurnover Margin           +1.4   3rdSteals                     8.1   6thBlocked Shots              2.3   5th   
Individuals(As of Dec. 20)                                 MWC   NCAANate Althoff      Field Goal Pct.  .540   9th   Blocked Shots     1.1   7th
Gary Colbert   Assists           5.0   2nd   Assists/TO Ratio  1.6   7th   Steals            1.6   7th
Phil Cullen   Blocked Shots     0.7   13th
Tony Harvey      Scoring           9.0   23rd   3-pt. FG Pct.    .385   11th   Free Throw Pct.  .920   1st   Alex Jensen   Scoring          14.1   9th   Field Goal Pct.  .571   5th   3-pt. FG Pct.    .533   2nd   12th   3-pt. FG Made     2.8   9th   Free Throw Pct.  .719   13th   Rebounding        7.7   3rd   Offensive Reb.    2.4   7th   Defensive Reb.    5.2   3rd   Assists           3.6   6th   Assists/TO Ratio  1.9   5th
Jeremy Killion      Scoring          13.3   14th   3-pt. FG Pct.    .489   4th   3-pt. FG Made     2.6   3rd

Utah in the Polls

Associated Press            USA Today/ESPN   1.   Stanford (60)          1.   Stanford (25)      2.   Connecticut (8)        2.   Arizona (6)           3.   Arizona (1)            3.   Connecticut   4.   Cincinnati (1)         4.   Cincinnati   5.   Michigan St.           5.   Michigan St.   6.   North Carolina         6.   Auburn   7.   Auburn                 7.   North Carolina   8.   Florida                8.   Florida   9.   Syracuse               9.   Syracuse   10.   Duke                 10.   Duke   11.   Tennessee            11.   Kansas   12.   Kansas               12.   Tennessee   13.   Oklahoma State       13.   Oklahoma State   14.   Texas                14.   Texas   15.   Illinois             15.   Maryland   16.   Ohio State           16.   UCLA   17.   Maryland             17.   Illinois   18.   UCLA                 18.   Indiana   19.   Temple               19.   Temple   20.   Indiana              20.   Ohio State   21.   Oklahoma             21.   Oklahoma   22.   Gonzaga              22.   Wake Forest   23.   Wake Forest          23.   DePaul   24.   DePaul               24.   UTAH   25.   North Carolina St.   25.   Gonzaga   --   26.   UTAH
Utah's Ranking by Week             Associated Press   USA Today/ESPNPreseason      15                  15Nov. 14        16                  15Nov. 21        19                  17Nov. 28        20                  19Dec. 5         nr                  25Dec. 12        nr                  25Dec. 19        nr                  24

Consecutive Weeks Ranked by A.P. Before Droping Out 11
Last Time Ranked Nov. 28, 1999

Consecutive Weeks Ranked by USA Today/ESPN 14
Last Time Not Ranked Jan. 25, 1999

1999-2000 Standings

(As of Dec. 23)     Conf. Pct.   Overall  Pct.1.   UTAH            0-0   --      8-2   .8002.   BYU             0-0   --      7-2   .778     UNLV            0-0   --      7-2   .7784.   Colorado State  0-0   --      6-3   .6675.   Wyoming         0-0   --      7-4   .6366.   New Mexico      0-0   --      6-5   .5467.   San Diego State 0-0   --      3-5   .375     Air Force       0-0   --      3-5   .375

Upcoming Schedule

December 21-23 (Tuesday-Thursday)
Colorado State vs. Florida A&M at Pearl Harbor Classic, 3:00 p.m. (UCLA, Maine, South Florida Citadel, San Jose State, Brigham Young-Hawaii, Florida A&M)

December 23 (Thursday)
New Mexico State at New Mexico, 7:05 p.m.
Brigham Young at Fla. International, 7:30 p.m.

December 27 (Monday)
Colorado State at Sacramento State, 7:05 p.m.
Ball State at San Diego State, 7:00 p.m.

December 28 (Tuesday)
Air Force at Central Connecticut State, 7:30 p.m.
Eastern Kentucky at UNLV, 7:35 p.m.
Oregon State at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

December 29 (Wednesday)
Brigham Young at UC Santa Barbara, 7:00 p.m.
New Mexico vs. Alabama State at Lobo Invitational, 6/8:15 p.m.
(Lafayette, St. Joseph's, Alabama State)

December 30 (Thursday)
Air Force at Dartmouth, 7:00 p.m.
Washington State at Colorado State, 7:00 p.m.
Samford at Wyoming, 7:00 p.m.
Loyola Marymount at San Diego State, 7:00 p.m.
Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Utah, 7:05 p.m.
New Mexico vs. Lafayette/St. Joseph's at
Lobo Invitational, TBA

January 1 (Saturday)
Southern Utah at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

All times local to site

Utah's Record by Line-upRecord     SF       PF        C        PG       SG   1-2   Jensen   Cullen   Althoff   Harvey   Killion   1-0   Johnsen  Jensen   Althoff   Harvey   Killion   1-0   Jensen   Puzey    Althoff   Whiting  Killion   1-0   Sharp    Jensen   Althoff   Colbert  Killion   1-0   Jensen   Cullen   Althoff   Colbert  Killion   1-0   Jensen   Cullen   Althoff   Colbert  Killion   2-0   Jensen   Mottola  Cullen    Colbert  Killion

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Grand Canyon on November 25, 2025 at 10 PM

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Ole Miss / Iowa on November 26, 2025 at 7:30 PM / 10:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Cal on December 2, 2025 at 8:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Cal Baptist on December 6, 2025 at 5:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Mississippi State on December 13, 2025 at 8:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Eastern Washington on December 20, 2025 at 5:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Washington on December 29, 2025 at 9:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Arizona on January 3, 2026 at 2:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Colorado on January 7, 2026 at 7:00 PM

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Cal Poly on November 20, 2025 , Loss , 85, to, 92

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Purdue Fort Wayne on November 18, 2025 , Win , 85, to, 77

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Sam Houston State on November 15, 2025 , Win , 85, to, 79

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Holy Cross on November 10, 2025 , Win , 87, to, 69

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Weber State on November 8, 2025 , Win , 92, to, 89

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus San José State on November 3, 2025 , Win , 84, to, 75

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Oregon [Exh] on October 24, 2025 , Loss , 53, to, 73

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Nevada [Exh] on October 17, 2025 , Loss , 77, to, 80

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Butler on March 31, 2025 , Loss , 84, to, 86

The University of Utah Athletics

Men's Basketball Prepares For Oregon State

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