Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Nevada [Exh] on October 17, 2025
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Men's Basketball
vs Nevada [Exh]
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Men's Basketball Set to Start 1998-99 Season
6/21/1999 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
November 11, 1998
UTAH (0-0) vs. AZUSA PACIFIC (0-0)
Saturday, Nov. 14-7:35 p.m.
Huntsman Center (15,000)
Salt Lake City
PROBABLE UTE STARTERS
F-50 Alex Jensen (6-7, 215, Jr)
F-40 Phil Cullen (6-9, 200, Fr)
C-13 Hanno Mottola (6-10, 240, Jr)
G-32 Jeremy Killion (6-0, 197, Jr)
G-24 Andre Miller (6-2, 203, Sr)
OFF THE BENCH
G-4 Adam Sharp (6-2, 184, Fr)
G-11 Ben Heusser (5-11, 177, Fr)
F-20 Brad Crockett (6-4, 208, Fr)
F-41 Tyson Johnston (6-10, 233, Fr)
PROBABLE AZUSA PACIFIC STARTERS
F-4 Kevin Dailey (6-4, 185, Jr)
F-30 Damian Raibon (6-4, 185, Fr)
C-45 Justin Leslie (6-8, 210, Jr)
G-44 Jason Boswell (6-2, 175, Sr)
G-55 T.J. Walker (6-0, 190, Sr)
QUICKLY: The Runnin' Utes open the 1998-99 season by hosting Asuza Pacific, Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7:35 p.m. in the Huntsman Center ... Utes are 8-1 in season openers under RICK MAJERUS ... only opening game loss was to Kansas (68-79) in 1995-96 ... Utes are ranked 10th by Associated Press and 12th by USA Today/ESPN in pre-season polls.
RICK'S REMARKS ON THE UTES: "I think the guys are making progress. It's hard to evaluate because the teams we've played haven't been really good. We lack cohesiveness but there is probably a reason for that with seven guys who have never played a Division I game. I think the concern I have is that the veteran players stay sharp and focused and that the young players take on the challenge. I think we still don't understand the importance that defense and rebounding play in Utah Basketball. We are going to play a very good Azusa Pacific team that lost in the semifinals of their national tournament. They have a point guard, T. J. Walker, who the NBA is looking at. They have size and experience and I am certainly not looking by that game. I can remember Alaska Anchorage beating Michigan in this building due to a lack of respect."
MAJERUS' MARK: Ute coach RICK MAJERUS begins his 10th season at the helm of the Runnin' Utes. Majerus has posted a 210-59 (.781) mark as Ute coach, the best record of any coach in the modern era of Utah basketball. He is in his 14th year as a major college head coach and has a 309-111 career record. His .736 career winning percentage ranks him seventh in the country among active coaches and 21st all-time. Majerus has won six WAC titles and made six trips to the NCAA Tournament, reaching the "Sweet 16" four times, the "Elite Eight" twice and the "Final Four" once.
UTES AMONG THE TOP TEAMS IN THE 90'S: The Runnin' Utes have been one of the most successful college basketball teams in this decade. Under coach RICK MAJERUS the Utes have posted a 222-71 record for a .758 winning percentage in the 1990's. Utah is ranked 8th in the nation in winning percentage and 9th in total victories during the decade. Kansas ranks as the nation's best during that time in both categories with a 263-50 record for an .840 winning percentage.
ANDRE TIME: ANDRE MILLER will lead the Ute attack this season. The 6-2, senior guard was a non-qualifier as a freshman but became one of the first athletes to take advantage of a new NCAA rule allowing non-qualifiers an extra year of eligibility if they graduated in four years. Miller received his degree in sociology last June and the Utes will be the better for it this season. Miller is the team's top returning scorer. Last season he was second on the team in scoring averaging 14.2 points per game. He also averaged 5.4 rebounds and led the team in assists with a 5.2 per game average. Andre had an outstanding NCAA Tournament. He was named the MVP of the West Region after Utah knocked off defending champion Arizona 76-51. In that game Miller became the first player since Magic Johnson to hit for a triple double when he scored 18 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and passed for 13 assists. He also was named to the "Final Four" all-Tournament team as the Utes made it to the NCAA Championship game. For the six NCAA games Andre averaged 16.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.
ANDRE HONORS: ANDRE MILLER is a candidate for the Wooden and Naismith Player of the Year Awards. He has also been named to most pre-season All-American teams including garnering first team honors on the Associated Press and Playboy Magazine pre-season teams. He is rated by most pre-season publications as one of the top two point guards in the nation.
ANDRE ON CAREER SCORING CHART: ANDRE MILLER is ranked 23rd on the Ute career scoring chart with 1,098 points. He needs 33 points to pass CHAS MENATTI (1972-76) to move into 22nd place on the list.
ANDRE'S ASSISTS: Miller is tied for third place on the career assist list with PACE MANNION (1980-83). Both have 535 career assists. With his first assist of the season Miller will move into third place by himself. He needs 69 assists to pass SCOTT MARTIN (1978-81) to move into second place on the list. Current Utah radio color man JEFF JONAS (1974-77) is the Utes' career assist leader with 736 during his career.
JENSEN, MOTTOLA RETURN: Also returning from the Utes 1997-98 team that made the NCAA Championship game are starters ALEX JENSEN (6-7, 215, Jr) and HANNO MOTTOLA (6-10, 240, Jr). Jensen averaged 6.8 points and 5.8 rebounds while Mottola scored 12.5 points per game and pulled down 5.3 rebounds. Both started all 34 games last season.
UTE SORE SPOTS: Sophomore center NATE ALTHOFF is nursing a broken little finger on his right hand which should keep him out of action two to three weeks.
UTES WIN BOTH EXHIBITION GAMES: The Utes played a pair of exhibition games last Friday and Monday coming away with wins in both outings. Against the California All-Stars on Friday Utah came away with an 89-85 victory as ANDRE MILER led the way with 17 points. Juco transfer JEREMY KILLION hit for 15 points from his guard spot while ADAM SHARP scored 14 points. HANNO MOTTOLA had 13 points and ALEX JENSEN hit for 11. Jensen was the top rebounder with 10 boards ... against a team from Hungary on Monday the Utes were not contested as they cruised to a 50-point 85-35 win. MOTTOLA broke loose for 29 points while freshman forward PHIL CULLEN hit for 18. JENSEN was again tops on the board with 11 rebounds.
A LOOK AT THE COUGARS: Azusa Pacific is an outstanding small college team ... last year the Cougars were 34-5 on the season, a school record for wins and advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA National Tournament ... seven players, including two starters return from that team ... top returnee is point guard T.J. WALKER who averaged 15.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists last season. The other returning starter is guard JASON BOSWELL, an outstanding three-point shooter ... SERIES RECORD: Utah leads in the series 2-0 ... last year the Utes came away with a 78-58 win in the Huntsman Center. ANDRE MILLER led the Utes with 17 points while ALEX JENSEN grabbed 10 rebounds.
UTES IN THE HUNTSMAN CENTER: The Utes have won 21 straight games in the Jon M. Huntsman Center dating back to the 1996-97 season. Last year the Utes were 13-0 in the JMHC. Last loss in the building was to Wake Forest (70-59) on Dec. 31, 1996.
RADIO: The Utah-Azusa Pacific game will be broadcast live on K-news (570 AM) radio and the Utah Sports Network. CHRIS TUNIS will call the play-by-play with JEFF JONAS adding color commentary. Tunis is filling in for regular play-by-play announcer BILL MARCROFT who is doing the Utah-New Mexico football game in Albuquerque. BRAD STONE handles pre and post game and halftime duties.
TV: None
USA TODAY/ESPN PRE-SEASON POLL
1. Duke 32-5 2. Stanford 30-5 3. Connecticut 32-5 4. Michigan State 22-8 5. Maryland 21-11 6. Kentucky 33-4 7. Temple 21-9 8. Kansas 35-4 9. Tennessee 20-9 10. Xavier 22-8 11. North Carolina 34-4 12. UTAH 30-4 13. UCLA 24-9 14. Washington 20-10 15. Cincinnati 27-6 16. Purdue 28-8 17. Indiana 20-12 18. Oklahoma State 22-7 19. Arkansas 24-9 20. Arizona 30-5 21. New Mexico 24-8 22. Syracuse 26-9 23. Massachusetts 21-11 24. TCU 27-6 25. Rhode Island 25-9
ASSOCIATED PRESS PRE-SEASON POLL
1. Duke 32-4 2. Connecticut 32-5 3. Stanford 30-5 4. Kentucky 35-4 5. Michigan State 22-8 6. Maryland 21-11 7. Temple 21-9 8. Kansas 35-4 9. Tennessee 20-9 10. UTAH 30-4 11. North Carolina 34-4 12. UCLA 24-9 13. Oklahoma State 22-7 14. Washington 20-10 15. Cincinnati 27-6 16. Purdue 28-8 17. Xavier 22-8 18. Arizona 30-5 19. Arkansas 24-9 20. New Mexico 24-8 Syracuse 26-9 22. Indiana 20-12 23. Rhode Island 25-9 24. Massachusetts 21-11 25. TCU 27-6
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