Utes Battle Washington State On The Road

Dec. 8, 1999

SALT LAKE CITY - The Runnin' Utes are 4-2 following a 77-42 win over instate rival Utah State on Tuesday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Utah won two of its three games last week, defeating Stony Brook (74-45) at home on Monday, losing at Weber State (84-72) on Wednesday and upending Augusta State (69-56) on Friday at the JMHC. All four of Utah's wins have come at home this season, while both losses have occurred on the road.

Senior 6-7 forward Alex Jensen leads the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (8.0 rpg). Jensen is also shooting 58.8 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from three-point range. Senior 5-11 guard Jeremy Killion is second in scoring (11.3 ppg) and is shooting 48.3 percent from three-point range. Junior 6-11 center Nate Althoff is third in scoring (9.7 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.0 rpg). Senior 6-5 guard Tony Harvey leads the team in assists (3.3 apg).

Utah is outscoring the opposition 69.3 to 54.3 points per game and has a 34.8 to 29.8 edge in rebounding. The Utes are shooting 47.9 percent from the field, 42.7 percent from three-point range and 69.5 percent from the free throw line.

Game #7
Utah Utes (4-2) at Washington State Cougars (4-2)
Dec. 11 - 4:07 p.m. (PST) - Beasley Coliseum (12,058) - Pullman, Wash

The Game at a Glance

Utah Coach: Rick Majerus	Washington St. Coach: Paul Graham
Alma Mater: Marquette '70	Alma Mater: North Texas '74
Record at Utah: 242-66/11th Season	Record at Washington St.: 4-2/1st
Season Overall Record: 341-118/16th Season	Overall Record: 4-2 /1st Season

Television: Fox Sports Net (Aired in the Salt Lake market on Fox Sports Rocky Mountain). Bill McDonald (play-by-play) and George Raveling (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 29th in the A.P. poll and 25th in the USA Today/ESPN poll.

Series Record: Utah leads the overall series 10-1 and won the only previous game played in Pullman, Wash.

Last Meeting: Utah won 74-60 on Dec. 18, 1971 in Salt Lake City.

Majerus vs. Washington St.
Overall: 0-0, At Utah: 0-0

Utah Probable Starters

No.	Pos.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Ppg	Rpg	Hometown
50	F	Alex Jensen	6-7	225	Sr.	14.0	8.0	Centerville, Utah
52	C	Nate Althoff	6-11	260	Jr.	9.7	5.0	Delano, Minn.
4	G	Adam Sharp	6-2	180	So.	2.2	0.8	Salt Lake City
5	or	Tony Harvey	6-5	200	Sr.	8.7	2.0	Carson, Calif.
32	G	Jeremy Killion	5-11	190	Sr.	11.3	2.5	San Diego, Calif.
3	G	Gary Colbert	6-1	175	So.	3.4	4.8	Alta Loma, Calif.

Utah Off the Bench

No.	Pos.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Ppg	Rpg	Hometown
15	F	Nick Jacobson	6-3	185	Fr.	0.0	0.0	Roseville, Minn.
21	G	Trent Whiting	6-0	180	Jr.	5.0	3.0	Kuna, Idaho
25	G	Brandon Sluga	6-4	210	Sr.	1.3	0.0	Taylorsville, Utah
34	F	Matt Vivas	6-4	210	Fr.	0.0	2.0	Honolulu, Hawaii
35	F	Jeff Johnsen	6-4	200	So.	7.7	3.8	Murray, Utah
40	F/C	Phil Cullen	6-9	215	So.	4.7	2.3	Chelan, Wash.
42	F	Mike Puzey	6-8	215	Fr.	4.2	1.3	Roy, Utah

Washington State Probable Starters

No.	Pos.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Ppg	Rpg	Hometown
25	F	Milton Riley	6-7	198	Fr.	4.2	2.8	Gardena, Calif.
34	F	Chris Crosby	6-8	230	Sr.	17.2	4.7	Littleton, Colo.
4	G	Jan-Michael Thomas	6-0	179	Sr.	15.3	1.8	Inglewood, Calif.
5	G	Mike Bush	6-6	190	So.	10.2	8.8	Riverside, Calif.
23	G	David Adams	6-2	185	Fr.	9.5	3.0	Tacoma, Wash.

After This
The Runnin' Utes take a break for finals before resuming their schedule next weekend. Utah hosts Sioux Falls on Friday (Dec. 17) and Chicago State on Saturday (Dec. 18). Tip-off time for both games is 7:05 p.m. (MST) at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

1999-2000 Record

Overall	4-2
Mountain West Conference	0-0
Home/Away/Neutral	4-0/0-2/0-0

Utah Quick Facts

Location:	Salt Lake City, Utah
Founded:	1850
Enrollment:	25,781
President:	Dr. J. Bernard Machen
Faculty Representative:	Dr. Larry Gerlach
Athletics Director:	Dr. Chris Hill
Nickname:	Utes
Mascot:	"Swoop" (Red-Tailed Hawk)
Colors:	Crimson and White
National Affiliation:	NCAA Division I
Conference:	Mountain West
Arena:	Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000)

Basketball Staff

Head Coach:	Rick Majerus (Marquette '70)
Assistant Coaches (Alma Mater):
	Donny Daniels (Cal State-Fullerton '77)
	Dick Hunsaker (Weber State '77)
	Jeff Strohm (Eastern Illinois '88)
Director of Basketball Operations:
	Mike Schneider (U.S. Military Academy '70)
Administrative Assistants:
	Jason Shelton (Lipscomb '91)
	Scott Garson (UC Santa Barbara '99)

Utah Tradition
Utah has a 1,433-748 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 record.

From the Training Room: Whiting Probable for Saturday, M?tt?l? Out with Knee Injury

Junior guard Trent Whiting is probable for the game at Washington State on Saturday. The junior college All-American from Snow College has been playing in pain all season because of a congenital condition in his femur bones. Whiting, averaging 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, has played in five games and started against Augusta State on Dec. 3. However he missed that Utah State game on Tuesday and his playing time has been limited to just 17.6 minutes per game due to the injury. Whiting could play in one more game and still be able to take a medical redshirt. 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.

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.

M?tt?l? is in the fourth week of what was expected to be a six-week layoff. According to team trainer Trevor Jameson, he has started running, shooting and doing some easy cutting. Team doctors are happy with his progress and M?tt?l? 's injury will be reassessed early next week. At that time, he could either continue rehabilitation or start practicing.

Junior center Nate Althoff has been bothered by a sprained back since fall practice. He missed both exhibition games but has not missed a regular-season game.

Utah vs. Washington State Preview

Scouting the Cougars
Washington State is 4-2 after a 59-56 win over Portland on Tuesday night in Pullman, Wash. Last week, Wazzu lost at Gonzaga (73-63) on Monday and defeated Southern University (80-77) on Saturday at home.

Three Cougars are averaging double figures in scoring. Senior 6-8 forward Chris Crosby leads the team in scoring (17.2 ppg) and is second in rebounding (4.7 rpg). He is also shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 91.7 percent from the free throw line. Senior 6-0 guard Jan-Michael Thomas is second on the team in scoring (15.3 ppg) with 46 of his 75 field goal attempts coming from three-point range. Sophomore 6-6 guard Mike Bush is averaging 10.2 points per game and is the team's leading rebounder (8.8 rpg). Senior 5-11 guard Blake Pengelly, who had started the first five games and was averaging 6.8 assists per game, left the team for personal reasons before Tuesday's game against Portland.

Washington State is averaging 68.3 points per game and allowing 67.7. It also has a 34.0 to 32.2 advantage per game on the boards, but has committed 123 turnovers to 79 assists. The Cougars are shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three-point range.

Head Coach Paul Graham
Paul Graham is in his first season as a head coach. Graham was an assistant coach at Oklahoma State from 1992-99, helping guide the Cowboys to a 150-72 record, five NCAA Tournament appearances and the 1995 Final Four. He was also an assistant coach at SMU (1982-88) and New Mexico (1990-92).

The Series
Utah leads the all-time series with Washington State 10-1. The Utes took the only previous game played in Pullman, Wash., 45-44, on Dec. 17, 1938 to open the series. Washington State's only win was 33-32 on Dec. 14, 1946 in Salt Lake City. Since then, Utah has won nine straight. The teams last met on Dec. 18, 1971 in Salt Lake City with the Utes winning 74-60.

Noting the Utes

Game #6 Rewind
Jeremy Killion scored 21 points and gave a three-point shooting clinic as Utah built a big first-half lead and beat instate rival Utah State, 77-42, on Tuesday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

Killion came out hot, making his first six three-point attempts, sometimes with two Aggies trying to guard him. He didn't slow until missing a wide-open look during a fast break two minutes before halftime.

Alex Jensen and Tony Harvey each scored 12 points and Jeff Johnsen added 10 as Utah (4-2) extended its homecourt winning streak to 39 games and avenged a 62-54 loss to the Aggies (4-3) last season in Logan. Jensen also had a season-high seven assists and Harvey tied a career-high with three steals. Nate Althoff had a game-high seven rebounds and six points in 21 minutes. Tony Brown led Utah State with nine points, seven of which came in the first half.

The Utes tied a school record with 14 three-pointers in the game. They also did it in 1994 against San Diego State and in 1995 against Fresno 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 finished 14-of-21 from three-point range.

The Utes held the Aggies to 34 percent shooting (8-of-23) in the first 20 minutes. Utah's last seven baskets before halftime were three-pointers, with Killion hitting three and Harvey making two. The Utes used the barrage to extend a 20-13 lead to 41-21 at the break. Utah State never threatened and trailed by 20 to 30 points throughout the second half.

Odd and Ends
Phil Cullen and Tony Harvey are off to great starts from the free throw line. Cullen is 7-for-7 while Harvey is 14-for-15 ... 29 of Jeremy Killion's 49 field goal attempts have come from three-point range ... In both of Utah's losses, it has been outrebounded for the game and outscored in the second half. Utah has also committed more turnovers and more fouls ... Utah scored a season-high 77 points and 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 from the field against USU, allowing the Aggies to shoot just 30.8 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from three-point range) ... Utah shot a season-best 53.1 percent from the field against Weber State, but also gave up its best shooting night to an opponent (47.5 percent) ... Weber State scored the most points (58) and had the best field goal percentage (72.4) in a single-half against a Majerus-coached Utah team in the second half on Dec. 1 ... Utah's 12-point loss to Weber State (84-72) was its worse since a 13-point loss to Kentucky (72-59) Mar. 22, 1997 in the NCAA West Regional final ... Utah's most lopsided loss all of last year was eight points (66-58) to Miami-Ohio in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Mar. 14 ... After not shooting better than 41.9 percent from the field in either of its first two games, Utah shot 50.9 percent from the field against Stony Brook on Nov. 29. The Utes sank 27-of-53 shots, led by a 4-for-5 effort by Alex Jensen and 6-for-10 night by Nate Althoff. Utah also made 9-of-18 three-pointers (.500) after shooting 33.3 and 30.0 percent from beyond the arc against Arkansas State and Kentucky, respectively.

Rick's Remarks

On the Utah State game -
"I thought we played hard. It was a fun game and the effort was better. We played very hard and as a result we continued to hit shots. We maintained that effort. We became who we are and got to where we are and by defending. We defended and I was pleased with the effort in respective to the outcome. These guys have to learn everybody gets up for us. We competed the way we normally compete, the way we have competed and that's the determining factor. We played well, we defended well. We had energy and enthusiasm. We went to the floor for loose balls, we took some charges."

"We're having a tough time with the injuries and everything else right now, and we just have to get through this. Tonight was one night, it was a good night, but not any more than that. We had good practices, and I am so excited that Nate has now practiced seven consecutive days that we've had practice, and been on the court for every minute of those seven. You can see that we're playing guys into shape."

In the Polls
Utah was ranked 25th in the USA Today/ESPN poll released on Sunday and 29th in Associated Press poll released on Monday. Utah has been ranked in at least one of the national Top 25 polls for 12 consecutive weeks, dating back to last season. The Utes were ranked 11 consecutive weeks in the A.P. top 25 before falling out this week.

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.

Awesome Alex
Senior forward Alex Jensen (6-7, 225) has started all 73 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 is Utah's leading scorer (14.0 ppg), shooting 58.8 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from three-point range, and top rebounder (8.0 rpg). Jensen has led Utah in scoring three times and rebounds four times this season. He has also scored in double figures in all but one game. Jensen is also 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 ranks third in career offensive rebounds (276) and sixth in defensive rebounds (428) at the U.

Awesome Alex II
Alex Jensen is coming off of a great week. In three games against Stony Brook (Nov. 29), Weber State (Dec. 1) and Augusta State (Dec. 3), Jensen averaged 17.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He also shot 75.0 percent (18-for-24) from the field, 72.7 percent (8-for-11) from three-point range and 90.0 percent (9-for-10) from the free throw line.

Jensen scored a career-high 25 points with a career-best nine field goals and a career-best tying three 3-point field goals in the win over Augusta State. He led Utah with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes against Weber State. Against Stony Brook, he had a team-best 13 points ... making 4-of-5 shots from the field and all three 3-pointers ... seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Jensen got 12 points, a season-high seven assists and three rebounds in 27 minutes against Utah State on Tuesday.

Mentioning M?tt?l?
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. The Mountain West Conference media selected M?tt?l? as the preseason player of the year, while both the media and coaches placed him on the preseason all-conference team.

What the Utes Lose in Hanno
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).

Althoff Stepping Up
Now in his junior season, 6-11 center Nate Althoff has asserted himself as a presence in the paint. Through six games, the Delano, Minn., native, is averaging 9.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game. Althoff is also shooting 53.5 percent from the field. He has scored in double figures four times, including a career-high 14 points against Arkansas State on Nov. 16.

Last season, Althoff averaged 4.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game. Althoff has improved his numbers this season despite playing with a back sprain that kept him out of both exhibition games and has significantly limited his practice time.

Slow Start, Fast Finish
Going into the Utah State game with a 3-2 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. Here is a statistical comparison between Utah's first nine games last year, its final 24 games last year and its first five games this year.

Games 1-9

'98-99	FG%	3-FG%	PPG	RPG	AS/TO Ratio
Utah	44.6	29.7	66.0	36.2	.976
Oppon.	39.9	40.3	59.3	31.2	.793

Games 10-33

'98-99	FG%	3-FG%	PPG	RPG	AS/TO Ratio
Utah	48.9	35.8	73.3	35.9	1.68
Oppon.	43.7	31.7	53.9	26.5	1.25

Games 1-5

'99-00	FG%	3-FG%	PPG	RPG	AS/TO Ratio
Utah	46.9	37.1	67.8	35.2	1.13
Oppon.	39.4	30.3	56.8	30.4	.809

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 five games this season, Utah gave up an average of 56.8 points per game to rank 22nd in the nation in scoring defense. Through six games, Utah's opponents are shooting just 38.0 percent from the field and 28.6 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 39 Games
After defeating Utah State on Tuesday, Utah is tied for the longest active homecourt winning streak in NCAA Division I. The Utes have won 39 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, is tied with Duke's 39 consecutive home wins. It is also the longest homecourt winning streak in school history. Murray State had won 43 consecutive home games before falling to Detroit (77-68) on Dec. 4.

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 131-10 (.929) 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.

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? 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 on Television
A record of 22 Utah games will be televised this season, including all 14 Mountain West Conference regular-season games. The Utes will be featured 11 times on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Regional Television. Utah's game at Washington State on Dec. 11 will also 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. Ten Utah games will also be televised locally by KJZZ-TV.

Utah Sports Radio Network

Blanding	KUTA	790 AM
Delta	KNAK	540 AM
Las Vegas	KSHP	1400 AM
Price	KOAL	1080 AM
Richfield	KSVC	980 AM
Salt Lake City	K-NEWS	570 AM
St. George/Cedar City	KSGI	1450 AM
Vernal	KVEL	920 AM

KALL-910 AM in Salt Lake City carries the Utah Coach's Show on Tuesdays from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Utes in the Mountain West Conference/NCAA Stats

Team

(As of Dec. 6)		MWC	NCAA
Scoring Offense	67.8	7th
Scoring Defense	56.8	1st	22nd
Scoring Margin	+11.0	4th
FG Percentage	.469	3rd
FG Pct. Defense	.394	3rd
FT Percentage	.674	6th
Reb. Offense	35.2	6th
Reb. Defense	30.4	2nd
Rebound Margin	+4.8	2nd
3 Pt. FG/Game	6.6	3rd
3 Pt. Percentage	.371	3rd
3 Pt. FG Pct. Defense	.303	4th
Assists	16.2	3rd
Turnover Margin	-0.8	7th
Steals	6.6	8th
Blocked Shots	2.6	4th

Individuals

(As of Dec. 6)			MWC
Nate Althoff
	Scoring	10.4	17th
	Field Goal Pct.	.537	11th
	Rebounding	4.6	17th
	Defensive Reb.	3.4	14th
	Blocked Shots	1.4	4th

Gary Colbert
	Assists	4.0	3rd
	Assists/TO Ratio	1.8	5th
	Steals	1.5	11th

Phil Cullen
	Blocked Shots	0.6	12th

Tony Harvey
	Defensive Reb.	4.0	11th
	Assists	3.6	6th
	Assists/T.O. Ratio	1.6	6th
	Free Throw Pct.	.923	1st

Alex Jensen
	Scoring	14.4	10th
	Rebounding	9.0	2nd
	Offensive Reb.	3.0	4th
	Defensive Reb.	6.0	1st
	Field Goal Pct.	.641	2nd
	Assists	2.4	14th
	Assists/T.O. Ratio	1.5	6th
	3 Pt. FG/Game	2.0	6th
	3 Pt. FG Pct.	.556	3rd
	Free Throw Pct.	.750	12th

Jeff Johnsen
	Assists	3.0	11th
	Assists/T.O. Ratio	2.1	4th

Jeremy Killion
	Scoring	9.4	23rd
	3 Pt. FG Pct.	.381	14th
	3 Pt. FG/Game	1.6	9th

Trent Whiting
	3 Pt. FG Pct.	.417	9th

Utah in the Polls

No.	Associated Press	No.	USA Today/ESPN
1.	Cincinnati (55)	1.	Cincinnati (26)
2.	Arizona (6)	2.	Arizona (3)
3.	Stanford (9)	3.	Stanford (2)
4.	Michigan St.	4.	Kansas
5.	Kansas	5.	Michigan St.
6.	Connecticut	6.	Connecticut
7.	North Carolina (1)	7.	North Carolina
8.	Auburn	8.	Auburn
9.	Florida	9.	Syracuse
10.	Texas	10.	Florida
11.	UCLA	11.	UCLA
12.	Syracuse	12.	Texas
13.	Ohio State	13.	Duke
14.	Duke	14.	Indiana
15.	Indiana	15.	Tennessee
16.	Tennessee	16.	Ohio State
17.	Oklahoma St.	17.	Oklahoma St.
18.	Wake Forest	18.	Temple
19.	Temple	19.	Maryland
20.	DePaul	20.	DePaul
21.	Maryland	21.	Wake Forest
22.	Illinois	22.	Kentucky
23.	Kentucky	23.	Purdue
24.	Gonzaga	24.	Illinois
25.	Purdue	25.	UTAH
29.	UTAH

Utah's Ranking by Week

	Associated	USA Today/
	Press	ESPN
Preseason	15	15
Nov. 14	16	15
Nov. 21	19	17
Nov. 28	20	19
Dec. 5	nr	25

Consecutive Weeks Ranked by A.P.	11
Last Time Not Ranked	Jan. 25, 1999
Consecutive Weeks Ranked by USA Today/ESPN	12
Last Time Not Ranked	Jan. 25, 1999

Utah's Preseason Rankings

Basketball News	17
Blue Ribbon Yearbook	14
Dick Vitale	16
Sporting News	17
Street & Smith's	19

Current Homecourt
Winning Streaks

1.	UTAH	39
	Duke	39
3.	Arizona	35
4.	Cincinnati	33

1999-2000 Standings

(As of Dec. 8)		Conf.	Pct.	Overall	Pct.
1.	UNLV	0-0	- -	5-1	.833
2.	BYU	0-0	- -	4-1	.800
3.	Wyoming	0-0	- -	5-2	.714
4.	Utah	0-0	- -	4-2	.667
5.	New Mexico	0-0	- -	4-3	.571
6.	Air Force	0-0	- -	2-3	.400
	Colorado State	0-0	- -	2-3	.400
8.	San Diego State	0-0	- -	1-2	.333

Upcoming Schedule

December 8 (Wednesday)
Colorado at Colorado State, 7:00 p.m.
Long Beach State at Air Force, 7:00 p.m.
New Mexico at New Mexico State, 7:05 p.m.

December 10 (Friday)
BYU vs. Texas Southern at Cougar Classic, 7:35 p.m. (Weber State, Western Oregon, Texas Southern)

December 11 (Saturday)
Portland State at Air Force, 7:30 p.m.
Southern Utah at New Mexico, 7:05 p.m.
Wyoming vs. Montana State in Casper, Wyo., 8:00 p.m.
Utah at Washington State, 4:00 p.m.
BYU vs. Weber St./W. Oregon at Cougar Classic, 5:35/7:35 p.m.

December 12 (Sunday)
San Diego State at Oklahoma State, 2:00 p.m.

December 14 (Tuesday)
South Carolina State at Air Force, 7:00 p.m.

December 15 (Tuesday)
Austin Peay at UNLV, 7:35 p.m.

December 16 (Thursday)
South Carolina St. at San Diego State, 7:00 p.m.

December 17 (Friday)
Sioux Falls at Utah, 7:00 p.m.

December 18 (Saturday)
Colorado State at Denver, 6:00 p.m.
Texas El-Paso at New Mexico, 7:05 p.m.
Las Vegas Shootout-UNLV vs. Okla. State, 9:04 p.m. (ESPN) (Arizona vs. Nebraska)
Wyoming at Indiana, 1:00 p.m.
San Diego State at Arizona State, 2:00 p.m.
South Carolina State at Brigham Young, 7:05 p.m. (KSL-TV)
Chicago State at Utah, 7:05 p.m.

All times local to site

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 M?tt?l? (1996-Present)	1,134

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 M?tt?l? (1996-Present)	38

Offensive Rebounds

1.	Josh Grant, 1988-93	337
2.	Michael Doleac, 1994-98	288
3.	Alex Jensen, 1994-95, 97-Present	276
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 M?tt?l? , 1996-Present	145

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	428
7.	Hanno M?tt?l? , 1996-99	305
8.	Byron Wilson, 1990-93	301
9.	Phil Dixon, 1989-94	279
10.	Walter Watts, 1988-91	275

Rick Majerus
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 16 times.

The Majerus File

Year-by-Year at Utah

Year	Overall	Pct.	Conf.	Finish	Postseason
1989-90	4-2 **	.667	-	-	-
1990-91	30-4	.882	15-1	1st	NCAA Sweet 16
1991-92	24-11	.686	9-7	4th	NIT Final Four
1992-93	24-7	.774	15-3	1st-T	NCAA 2nd Round
1993-94	14-14	.500	8-10	5th-T	- -
1994-95	28-6	.824	15-3	1st	NCAA 2nd Round
1995-96	27-7	.794	15-3	1st	NCAA Sweet 16
1996-97	29-4	.878	15-1	1st *	NCAA Elite Eight
1997-98	30-4	.882	12-2	1st *	NCAA Runner-up
1998-99	28-5	.848	14-0	1st *	NCAA 2nd Round
1999-2000	4-2	.667	0-0
Totals	242-66	.786	118-30		11 Years
Career	341-118	.743	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 Utah
Overall	341-118 (.743)	242-66 (.786)
Home	194-28 (.874)	132-10 (.930)
Away	106-68 (.609)	75-38 (.664)
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)

PLAYER INFO

Nate Althoff - 52

C 6-11 260 Jr. 1L
Delano, Minn. (Delano HS)

Fast Facts: Returning starter at center ... missed both of the exhibition games with a back sprain ... returned to the starting line-up against Arkansas State (Nov. 16) ... has started all 6 regular-season games ... 4 double-figure scoring games.

Last Game: 6 points (1-2 FG, 4-4 FT), game-high 7 rebounds and a blocked shot in 21 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7).

Season: 10 points (4-9 FG) and 3 rebounds in 22 minutes against Augusta State (Dec. 3) ... 11 points (5-6 FG), 3 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in 27 minutes at Weber State (Dec. 1) ... 13 points (6-10 FG), 4 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in 21 minutes against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) ... 4 points (2-6 FG) and 6 rebounds in 28 minutes at Kentucky (Nov. 19) ... got a career-high 14 points (5-10 FG, 4-5 FT), 7 rebounds and 1 blocked shot in 20 minutes against Arkansas State (Nov. 16).

Career Highs

Points	14 vs. Arkansas State (11/16/99)
Rebounds	9, Two Times
Assists	3, Two Times
Steals	2 vs. Long Beach State (12/5/98)
Blocked Shots	5 vs. Saint Francis (12/22/98)

Gary Colbert - 3

G 6-1 175 So. HS
Alta Loma, Calif. (Etiwanda HS)

Fast Facts: A non-qualifier last season, Colbert is in his first season on the court ... Has played in 5 games, starting 1 this season.

Last Game: Made his first career start with 5 points (1-6 FG, 1-1 3-FG), 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 29 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7).

Season: Career-best 9 assists (1 turnover), 3 points (3-5 FT) and 4 rebounds in a career-best 29 minutes against Augusta State (Dec. 3) ... scoreless (0-1 3-FG) with 1 assist is 8 minutes at Weber State (Dec. 1) ... played a team-high 25 minutes against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) ... 7 points (3-6 FG), 5 rebounds, 4 assists (1 turnover) and 4 steals against the Seawolves ... 3 points (1-2 FG), 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 13 minutes against Arkansas State (Nov. 16).

Career Highs

Points	7 vs. Stony Brook (11/29/99)
Rebounds	7 vs. Arkansas State (11/16/99)
Assists	9 vs. Augusta State (12/3/99)
Steals	4 vs. Stony Brook (11/29/99)
Blocked Shots	1 vs. Utah State (12/7/99)

Phil Cullen - 40

C/F 6-9 215 So. 1L
Chelan, Wash. (Chelan HS)

Fast Facts: Has 5 career starts ... started 3 games this season at power forward.

Last Game: 3 points (1-4 FG, 1-2 3-FG), 4 rebounds and 1 blocked shot in 18 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7).

Season: 5 points (1-5 FG, 2-2 FT) and 1 rebound in 14 minutes against Augusta State (Dec. 3) ... 3 points (1-3 FG, 1-1 3-FG), 3 boards and 1 assist in 16 minutes as a starter at Weber State (Dec. 1) ... 8 points (3-7 FG), 3 rebounds and 2 steals in 24 minutes off the bench against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) ... scoreless (0-3 3-FG) and 1 rebound in 18 minutes in a starting role at Kentucky (Nov. 19) ... started against Arkansas State (Nov. 16), getting 9 points (2-7 FG, 4-4 FT), 2 boards, 2 blocks and 2 steals in 22 minutes ... started both of the exhibition games at center in place of Nate Althoff.

Career Highs

Points	14 vs. Weber State (12/9/98)
Rebounds	8 vs. Hawaii (2/13/99)
Assists	2, Two Times
Steals	3 vs. Azusa Pacific (11/14/98)
Blocked Shots	5 vs. Loyola Marymount (12/19/98)

Tony Harvey - 5

F/G 6-5 200 Sr. 1L
Carson, Calif. (Cerritos JC)

Fast Facts: Has started 4 of 6 games at point guard ... 6 career starts ... 3 double-figure scoring games this season.

Last Game: 12 points (4-7 FG, 2-3 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 2 assists and 3 steals in 21 minutes off the bench against Utah State (Dec. 7).

Season: Came off the bench to get 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-3 3-FG), 2 assists and 2 steals in 21 minutes against Augusta State (Dec. 3) ... 6 points (2-4 FG, 2-2 FT) and 1 rebound in 20 minutes at Weber State (Dec. 1) ... 6 points (1-1 FG, 4-4 FT), 2 boards and a career-high 8 assists (no turnovers) against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) ... 10 points (2-10 FG, 5-5 FT), 6 rebounds and 3 assists in 33 minutes at Kentucky (Nov. 19) ... 8 points (3-7 FG, 1-3 3-FG), 3 rebounds and 5 assists in 24 minutes against Arkansas State (Nov. 16).

Career Highs

Points	19 vs. Fresno State (1/25/99)
Rebounds	7 vs. Saint Francis (12/22/98)
Assists	8 vs. Stony Brook (11/29/99)
Steals	3, Five Times
Blocked Shots	1, Two Times

Nick Jacobson - 15

F 6-3 185 Fr. HS
Roseville, Minn. (Roseville HS)

Fast Facts: Has not played in any of the Utes' regular-season games or exhibition games ... is a redshirt candidate this season.

Alex Jensen - 50

F 6-7 225 Sr. 3L
Centerville, Utah (Viewmont HS)

Fast Facts: Has started the last 73 games since the start of the 1997-98 season ... named to the preseason all-MWC team by both the coaches and media ... 5 double-figure scoring games this season and 1 double-double.

Last Game: 12 points (5-12 FG, 2-4 3-FG), a season-high 7 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal in 27 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7).

Season: Career-high 25 points and first double-double of the season with 10 rebounds against Augusta State ... career-best marks in field goals and three-point field goals made by going 9-of-11 from the field, 3-of-5 from behind the arc and 4-of-5 from the free throw line in 33 minutes against the Jaguars ... team-high 15 points (5-8 FG, 2-3 3-FG, 3-3 FT), 5 rebounds and 3 assists in 22 minutes at Weber State (Dec. 1) ... led Utes with 13 points (4-5 FG, 3-3 3-FG, 2-2 FT) and 7 rebounds against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) ... also had 2 assists and 2 steals in 17 minutes ... 10 points (4-8 FG), 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in 39 minutes at Kentucky (Nov. 19) ... game-high 14 rebounds, 9 points (3-7 FG), 3 assists and 1 steal in 29 minutes against Arkansas State (Nov. 16).

Career Highs

Points	25 vs. Augusta State (12/3/99)
Rebounds	16 vs. Cal State-Fullerton (11/15/97)
Assists	10 vs. Fresno State (1/25/99)
Steals	5 vs. New Mexico (2/27/99)
Blocked Shots	3 vs. UTEP (1/30/99)

Jeff Johnsen - 35

G/F 6-4 200 So. 1L
Murray, Utah (Murray HS)

Fast Facts: Returned from a two-year LDS church mission last summer ... blossomed into a major contributor late in his freshman season ... started 7 games and played in 32 in 1996-97 ... has 8 career starts ... 4 double-figure scoring games this season.

Last Game: 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 3-FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 25 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7).

Season: 7 points (3-5 FG), 3 assists and 1 blocked shot in 17 minutes against Augusta State (Dec. 3) ... season-high 11 points (4-5 FG, 1-2 3-FG), 5 boards and 3 assists in 21 minutes at Weber State (Dec. 1) ... first start of the season against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) with 4 points (2-7 FG), 3 boards and 3 assists in 21 minutes ... 4 points (2-5 FG) and 2 rebounds in 23 minutes at Kentucky (Nov. 19) ... played in his first official game since the 1996-97 season against Arkansas State (Nov. 16) ... posted his first career double-double with 10 points and a career-best 10 rebounds (6 offensive) ... also had career-highs of 5 assists and 3 steals in 27 minutes.

Career Highs

Points	12 vs. Brigham Young (2/6/97)
Rebounds	10 vs. Arkansas State (11/16/99)
Assists	5 vs. Arkansas State (11/16/99)
Steals	3 vs. Arkansas State (11/16/99)
Blocked Shots	1, Three Times

Jeremy Killion - 32

G 5-11 190 Sr. 1L
San Diego, Calif. (Palomar HS)

Fast Facts: Has started 38 of 39 games the last two seasons at shooting guard ... 3 double-figure scoring games and one 20-point game this season.

Last Game: Season-high 21 points, making 7-of-9 field goals and 6-of-8 three-pointers, and 4 rebounds in 24 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7) ... tied a career-best with 6 three-pointers made against the Aggies.

Season: 6 points (2-6 FG, 2-4 3-FG), 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 26 minutes against Augusta State (Dec. 3) ... 9 points (3-8 FG, 3-4 FT), 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 35 minutes at Weber State (Dec. 1) ... 11 points (4-9 FG, 3-5 3-FG) and 3 rebounds in 17 minutes against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) ... game-high 15 points, making 6-of-8 shots from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range, in 35 minutes at Kentucky (Nov. 19) ... 6 points in 23 minutes against Arkansas State (Nov. 16).

Career Highs

Points	23 vs. San Diego State (1/16/99)
Rebounds	6 vs. Indiana (11/24/98)
Assists	4 vs. Utah State (11/18/98)
Steals	3 vs. Arkansas State (3/12/99)
Blocked Shots	1, Three Times

Hanno M?tt?l? - 13

F 6-9 250 Sr. 1L
Helsinki, Finland (Makelanrinne HS)

Fast Facts: Named to the 1999-2000 Playboy All-America team ... preseason candidate for the Wooden and Naismith awards ... named preseason all-MWC by both the coaches and media and preseason player of the year by the media ... started all 67 games the past two seasons.

Season: Sustained a torn medial cruciate ligament in his left knee against the California All-Stars on Nov. 9 ... has missed every regular-season game ... could be out until late December.

Career Highs

Points	28 vs. Texas (12/12/98)
Rebounds	12 vs. Long Beach State (12/5/98)
Assists	5 vs. UTEP (2/25/99)
Steals	2, Three Times
Blocked Shots	3 vs. UNLV (2/23/98)

Mike Puzey - 42

F 6-8 215 Fr. RS
Roy, Utah (Roy HS)

Fast Facts: Returning from a two-year LDS church mission ... was on the team as a redshirt in 1996-97 ... has started 1 game this season.

Last Game: 6 points (3-3 FG), a career-high tying 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 13 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7).

Season: First career start with 2 points (1-1 FG) and 1 rebound in 13 minutes against Augusta State (Dec. 3) ... career-highs of 8 points (3-5 FG, 2-4 FT), 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 13 minutes at Weber State (Dec. 1) ... 4 points (1-1 FG, 2-4 FT), 1 rebound, 1 assist and 2 steals in 16 minutes against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) ... scoreless in 5 minutes at Kentucky (Nov. 19) ... played in his first game at Utah against Arkansas State (Nov. 16) ... 5 points (2-4 FG, 1-3 FT) and 1 steal in 13 minutes against the Indians.

Career Highs

Points	8 vs. Weber State (12/1/99)
Rebounds	3, Two Times
Assists	1, Two Times
Steals	2 vs. Stony Brook (11/29/99)
Blocked Shots	None

Adam Sharp - 4

G 6-2 180 So. 1L
Salt Lake City (Alta HS)

Fast Facts: Has been recovering from a fractured ankle sustained over the summer ... played in 32 games as a redshirt freshman ... has started 1 game and played in 4 this season.

Last Game: 2 points (1-2 FG), 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 22 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7).

Season: 2 points (1-2 FG), 3 assists, 1 rebound and 1 steal in 18 minutes at Weber State (Dec. 1) ... 3 points (1-1 3-FG), 1 assist and 1 steal in 19 minutes against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) ... 2 points (2-4 FT) in 10 minutes against Arkansas State (Nov. 16).

Career Highs

Points	7 vs. Rhode Island (12/2/98)
Rebounds	4, Three Times
Assists	3, Four Times
Steals	3, Two Times
Blocked Shots	2 vs. Ripon (1/2/99)

Brandon Sluga - 25

G/F 6-4 210 Sr. 3L
Taylorsville, Utah (Bingham HS)

Fast Facts: Walk-on in his fourth year with the team ... has played in 13 games in his career.

Season: Has played in 2 games ... 2 points (1-2 FG) in 4 minutes against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) ... 2 points (1-1 FG) in 4 minutes against Arkansas State (Nov. 16) ... did not play in either exhibition game.

Trent Whiting - 21

G 6-0 180 Jr. TR
Kuna, Idaho (Snow College)

Fast Facts: Has been playing in pain all season because of a congenital condition in his femur bones ... because of the injury, he is probable for the game at Washington State ... has played in 5 games with 1 start ... transfer from Snow College in his first season at Utah ... one of four finalists for 1998-99 national junior college player of the year honors ... first-team NJCAA All-American last season ... can play both guard positions.

Last Game: Did not play against Utah State (Dec. 7).

Season: First start as a Ute with 1 point (0-3 FG), a career-high 6 rebounds and 1 assist in 21 minute against Augusta State (Dec. 3) ... 7 points (2-7 FG, 3-4 FT), 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 20 minutes at Weber State (Dec. 1) ... 3 points (1-3 3-FG) and 4 rebounds in 13 minutes against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) ... 5 points (2-4 FG, 1-3 3-FG) and 2 rebounds in 19 minutes at Kentucky (Nov. 19) ... solid game against Arkansas State (Nov. 16) ... 9 points, going 3-of-4 from the field and making all 3 of his three-point field goals, in 15 minutes against the Indians.

Career Highs

Points	9 vs. Arkansas State (11/16/99)
Rebounds	6 vs. Augusta State (12/3/99)
Assists	2 vs. Weber State (12/1/99)
Steals	1, Two Times
Blocked Shots	None

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PLAYER INFO

Nate Althoff - 52

Gary Colbert - 3

Phil Cullen - 40

Tony Harvey - 5

Nick Jacobson - 15

Alex Jensen - 50

Jeff Johnsen - 35

Jeremy Killion - 32

Hanno M?tt?l? - 13

Mike Puzey - 42

Adam Sharp - 4

Brandon Sluga - 25

Trent Whiting - 21

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

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