Utes Travel To In-State Rival BYU

Jan. 12, 2000

Utah Utes (12-3, 1-0 MWC)
vs.
Brigham Young Cougars (12-2, 1-0 MWC)

Jan. 15 -- 1:07 p.m. (MST)
Marriott Center (22,700)
Provo, Utah

Television: ESPN+Plus (KJZZ-TV - Ch. 14 in Salt Lake City). Rich Waltz (play-by-play) and Irv Brown (analyst).
Radio: Utah Sports Network (570 K-NEWS in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations). On the Inter- net at www.UtahUtes.com. 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 all-time series with Brigham Young 113-112
Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 66-46/43-62/3-5
Last Season: Utah won both regular season games and beat BYU in the WAC Tournament (81-62) on Mar. 4.
Majerus vs. Brigham Young Overall: 14-8 At Utah: 14-8

Coming Up
Utah returns to the Huntsman Center to host Wyoming on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 1:07 p.m. (MST) and Colorado State on Monday, Jan. 24 at 10:04 p.m. (MST).

A Quick Look at Utah
The Runnin' Utes are 12-3 overall and 1-0 in Mountain West Conference play after a 70-55 win at San Diego State on Monday. Utah has won 10 of its last 11 games.

After sitting out the first eight games of the season with a knee injury, Hanno M?tt?l? has led Utah in scoring six of the last seven games. He is averaging 21.6 points while shooting 59.8 percent from the field and 61.1 percent from three-point range (11-of-18). M?tt?l? is also averaging 5.4 rebounds per game. Senior 6-7 forward Alex Jensen is second on the team in scoring average (13.7 ppg) and is tops in rebounding (6.7 rpg). Jensen is also shooting 57.0 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from three-point range. Senior 5-11 guard Jeremy Killion is also averaging double figures in scoring (10.7 ppg) while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 44.3 percent from three-point range. Sophomore 6-1 guard Gary Colbert leads the team in assists (4.4 apg).

Utah is outscoring the opposition 72.3 to 59.4 points per game and has a 32.5 to 28.5 edge in rebounding. The Utes are shooting 50.1 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from three-point range and 71.0 percent from the free throw line.

The Nation's Most Dominant Team in League Play the Last Five Years
As the Utes move from the WAC into the Mountain West Conference, they take three impressive records with them. Entering the 2000 conference season, Utah's conference record over the past five years en route to winning five straight regular-season titles was 71-9 (.888), which is the best record over that period of time in NCAA Division I. Utah has also been the nation's most dominant team in conference games at home in the past five years with a 40-1 (.976) record. The Utes have won 30 consecutive league games at home, which is the nation's longest current streak. Kansas had a string of 44 consecutive conference home wins snapped by Nebraska on Feb. 10, 1999. Utah's last home conference loss was to Fresno State (65-64) on Jan. 8, 1996.

Majerus Goes for 350th Career Win on Saturday
Head coach Rick Majerus will take a 349-119 career mark in 16 seasons and a 250-67 record in 11 seasons at Utah into the Utes' game at Brigham Young on Saturday.

Only four coaches in the history of college basketball have won 350 games in fewer seasons than Majerus. Nolan Richardson (Tulsa/Arkansas), Denny Crum (Louisville), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and John Thompson (Georgetown) reached the 350 career wins mark in 15 seasons. Jerry Tarkanian (Long Beach State/UNLV), Billy Tubbs (Southwest Texas State/Lamar/Oklahoma), Bob Huggins (Walsh/Akron/Cincinnati) and Everett Case (North Carolina State) posted their 350th career win during their 16th season.

Majerus became just the third coach at the U. to win 250 games with Utah's 70-55 win at San Diego State on Jan. 10. Vadal Peterson went 385-230 from 1927-53 and Jack Gardner, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, went 339-154 from 1953-71.

Utah vs. Brigham Young Preview

Scouting Brigham Young
The Cougars are 12-2 overall and 1-0 in the Mountain West Conference following a 77-75 win at UNLV on Monday night. Junior 6-9 forward Mekeli Wesley ranks fourth in the MWC in scoring (18.2 ppg) and seventh in rebounds (6.1 rpg). Junior 6-3 guard Terrell Lyday, a transfer from Fresno Community College, is sixth in the league in scoring (17.6 ppg) and is shooting 45.5 percent (35-of-77) from three-point range. Sophomore 6-4 guard Michael Vranes is third on the roster in scoring (8.6 ppg).

Brigham Young ranks third in the Mountain West in scoring (72.3 ppg) and third in scoring defense (63.9 ppg). It also ranks third in the conference in both field goal percentage (47.4) and three-point field goal percentage (42.6).

Series Notes
Utah has a 113-112 advantage in the series over its oldest rival, however, Brigham Young has a 62-43 advantage in games played in Provo, Utah. Dating back to 1995, Utah has won 10 consecutive games over BYU, which is the longest winning streak by any team in the series. Before Utah's recent run, the Cougars had won 8 of 10 dating back to the 1991 WAC Tournament. Alex Jensen, who was a freshman in 1994 before serving an LDS church mission, is the only Utah player who has lost to BYU.

Last Season
Utah swept the regular-season series from Brigham Young, winning 75-54 on Jan. 9 in Salt Lake City and 71-46 on Feb. 6 in Provo, Utah. The teams last met in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament on March 4 in Las Vegas, Nev., with Utah winning 81-62. Hanno M?tt?l? had 15 points and Phil Cullen made 5-of-8 field goals and 2-of-4 three-pointers to get 12 points and seven rebounds. Alex Jensen and Tony Harvey each contributed 10 points. Silester Rivers scored a game-high 23 points, making 8-of-11 field goals, in 32 minutes. Mekeli Wesley had 13 points. Utah outshot the Cougars 52.6-42.6 percent from the field and made 7-of-9 three-pointers. The Utes also had a 34-22 edge on the boards.

The Game at a Glance

Utah Coach: Rick Majerus	Brigham Young Coach: Steve Cleveland
Alma Mater: Marquette '70	Alma Mater: UC Irvine '76
Record at Utah: 250-67/11th Season	Record at BYU: 33-39/2nd Season
Overall Record: 349-119/16th Season	Overall Record: 33-39/2nd Season

Utah Probable Starters

No.	Pos.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Ppg	Rpg	Hometown
50	F	Alex Jensen	6-7	225	Sr.	13.7	6.7	Centerville, Utah
13	F	Hanno M?tt?l?	6-9	250	Sr.	21.6	5.4	Helsinki, Finland
52	C	Nate Althoff	6-11	260	Jr.	9.7	4.7	Delano, Minn.
32	G	Jeremy Killion	5-11	190	Sr.	10.7	1.9	San Diego, Calif.
3	G	Gary Colbert	6-1	175	So.	4.5	3.2	Alta Loma, Calif.

Utah Off the Bench

No.	Pos.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Ppg	Rpg	Hometown
4	G	Adam Sharp	6-2	180	So.	1.7	0.8	Salt Lake City
5	G/F	Tony Harvey	6-5	200	Sr.	8.2	2.2	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, Utah
35	F	Jeff Johnsen	6-4	200	So.	6.8	3.6	Murray, Utah
40	C	Phil Cullen	6-9	215	So.	5.9	2.7	Chelan, Wash.
42	F	Mike Puzey	6-8	215	Fr.	2.5	2.2	Roy, Utah

Brigham Young Probable Starters

No.	Pos.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Ppg	Rpg	Hometown
25	F	Eric Nielsen	6-8	205	So.	4.3	4.0	Salt Lake City
15	F	Mekeli Wesley	6-9	235	Jr.	18.2	6.1	Provo, Utah
24	G	Terrell Lyday	6-3	185	Jr.	17.6	4.0	Fresno, Calif.
4	G	Todd Christensen	6-1	185	Jr.	6.8	0.7	Salt Lake City
13	G	Michael Vranes	6-4	190	So.	9.6	4.4	Taylorsville, Utah

Noting the Utes

Game #15 Rewind
Junior center Nate Althoff scored a career-high 20 points and the Utes used a 26-5 run toward a 70-55 win over San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference opener for both teams on Monday night.

The Utes (12-3) had no trouble getting their ninth straight win over the Aztecs (5-9), even though leading scorer Hanno M?tt?l? sat out more than 14 minutes of the second half with foul trouble. He finished with just four points, 20 under his average. Alex Jensen scored 18.

Utah's biggest lead in Monday's game was 25 points following its 26-5 run that spanned halftime. Althoff had two three-point plays and a field goal as Utah went from 18-14 ahead to 37-19 at halftime, including scoring the last five points of the half. The Utes then scored the first seven points of the second half, taking a 44-19 lead following a three-point shot and a layup by Jensen and two free throws by Althoff. The closest the Aztecs got the rest of the way was 54-43 with 8:22 left following back-to-back shots by Danny Abramowitz, including a three-pointer. Myron Epps scored 16 for San Diego State and Marcelo Correa had 13.

Althoff's previous career-high was 14 in a win against Arkansas State on Nov. 16. He had a perfect shooting night, going 8-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line, and 7 rebounds in 29 minutes against SDSU.

Utah outshot the Aztecs 52.1-38.0 percent from the field but made just 8-of-22 three-pointers. The Utes also had a 32-26 advantage on the boards. Majerus improved 17-1 against San Diego State since taking over at Utah before the 1989-90 season.

Odd and Ends

Utah's 20-point loss at Louisville was its worst since suffering a 101-70 loss to Kentucky in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament on Mar. 21, 1996. The Utes have not lost a game by more than 16 points (87-71 at New Mexico on Feb. 1, 1997) since then. Utah has lost just three games by 20 points or more during Rick Majerus' 11-year tenure.
With its win over San Diego State, Utah improved to 27-11 in conference openers (16-3 home/11-8 road) since joining the Western Athletic Conference in 1962.
Three Utes have shot over half of their field goals from three-point range. Jeremy Killion has taken 70 of his 113 attempts, Tony Harvey has shot 48 of 94 and Phil Cullen has attempted 39 of 74 field goals from beyond the arc.
Oregon State shot 55.6 percent (30-of-54) against the Utes on Dec. 28, the highest percentage by a Utah opponent this season. Texas had the second-best shooting night by an opponent this season, making 55.1 percent (27-of-49) of its field goals.
Utah has shot 50 percent or better from three-point range in five games this season: Stony Brook (50.0), Utah State (66.7), Washington State (50.0), Chicago State (52.4) and Oregon State (60.0).
In all three losses, Utah was on the road, outrebounded and committed more turnovers.
The Utes have scored above 80 points twice this season with 84 in their win over Chicago State on Dec. 18 and 87 in their win over Oregon State on Dec. 28.
Utah has held three opponents below 50 points and 10 opponents below 60 points this season.
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.

Rick's Remarks

On playing Brigham Young -
"I think BYU's an outstanding club. Obviously, we always have the scenario where we tried to recruit a lot of their players. They have terrific talent and Lyday might be every bit as good, if not better, than Bigelow. They're playing really well with veteran players and a good blend of an inside and outside game. I think they'll play real hard and they'll be a very formidable opponent. I can't say enough about how good they are and how well they play together."

In the Polls
Utah fell two spots to No. 24 in the USA Today/ESPN poll released on Jan. 9 and descended eight places to No. 26 in Associated Press poll released on Jan. 10. Utah has been ranked in at least one of the national Top 25 polls for 17 consecutive weeks, dating back to last season. The Utes had been back in the A.P. Top 25 poll for two consecutive weeks before falling out. Utah has been ranked 13 out of the last 17 weeks by A.P.

Utah had been ranked in the national polls every week since early in the 1994-95 season before falling out in December of 1998. 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 82 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 (13.7 ppg), shooting 57.0 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from three-point range, and is the top rebounder (6.7 rpg). Jensen has led Utah three times in scoring, nine times in rebounds and four times in assists this season. He has also scored in double figures in all but two games--including two 20-point performances--and has had seven rebounds or more in eight games.

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. Most recently, he had 18 points while making 7-of-8 field goals and 4-of-5 three-pointers against San Diego State on Jan. 10. 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. 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 Entering 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 1,066 career points and 757 career rebounds. He became the 28th Ute to surpass the 1,000-point plateau with 10 points against Oregon State on Dec. 28. The Centerville, Utah, native needs 43 more rebounds to become the ninth Ute to post 800.

Jensen currently ranks 21st in career scoring, ninth in total rebounds, second in offensive rebounds (291) and fifth in defensive rebounds (466) at the U.

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.

He's Baaaack. . .
After missing the first eight games of the season with a partial medial collateral tear in his left knee, senior forward Hanno M?tt?l? (6-9, 250) has quickly made his mark after returning to the line-up. He has led the Utes in scoring in six of the seven games since his return, averaging 21.6 points per game. In the five games prior to the San Diego State game on Jan. 10, he scored 131 points in 152 minutes, shooting 45-of-72 from the field and 9-of-14 from three-point range. M?tt?l? had a double-double with a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds against Texas on Dec. 22. He also made a personal-best 12 field goals in 21 attempts in that game. He had a double-double with 20 points, making 6-of-10 field goals, and 10 rebounds against Southern Utah on Jan. 1. For his efforts, he was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week (Dec. 21-Jan. 2) on Jan. 3. M?tt?l? closed out his hot streak with a game-high 27 points--making 8-of-12 field goals, 2-of-3 three-pointers and 9-of-12 free throws--in 31 minutes at Louisville on Jan. 6.

M?tt?l? 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). 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 18th all-time in scoring (1,285), seventh in defensive rebounds (332), ninth in offensive boards (156) and 12th in blocked shots (42).

Lighting It Up From Downtown
Utah ranks second in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.433) according to the NCAA statistics released on Jan. 11. As a result of their marksmanship from long range, the Utes also rank seventh in the NCAA in overall field goal percentage (.501).

Utah shot 50 percent or better from three-point range in four of six games from Dec. 7 through Dec. 28. The "Gunnin'" Utes tied a school record with 14 three-pointers against both Utah State (Dec. 7) and Washington State (Dec. 11). 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. The Utes continued their hot shooting by going 12-of-20 (60.0%) from downtown against Oregon State on Dec. 28.

However, the Utes have not shot better than 41.2 percent from three-point range in its last four games. Against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Dec. 30), Southern Utah (Jan. 1), Louisville (Jan. 6) and San Diego State (Jan. 10), the Utes have shot a combined 23-for-65 (35.4%) from behind the arc.

Defense, Defense, Defense
One of the trademarks of a Rick Majerus coached team is a stifling half-court defense. In the last 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 15 games this season, Utah has given up an average of 59.4 points per game to rank 21st in the nation in scoring defense as of Jan. 11. Utah's opponents are also shooting just 42.2 percent from the field and 34.4 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 45 Games
After defeating Southern Utah on Jan. 1, Utah retained the second-longest active homecourt winning streak in NCAA Division I. The Utes have won 45 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 42 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 (38).

The Utes are 10-0 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 139-10 (.933) 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 and 13 wins sandwiched in between two losses, Utah has won 85 of its last 87 games played in the Huntsman Center.

Whiting Transfers
Junior guard Trent Whiting, who was previously declared a medical redshirt for this season, has been granted his release from the University of Utah. Whiting has transferred to Brigham Young to attend school as a non-scholarship player. He will sit out this season as a medical redshirt and be eligible to play for BYU as a senior after the 2000 fall semester ends. Mountain West Conference rules stipulate that he loses a year of eligibility, meaning that Whiting's BYU career will start in mid-December 2000 and end in March 2001.

Whiting played his last game for the U. on Dec. 3 and was limited all season by a congenital condition in his femur bones. 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.

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.

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).

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.

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 was also 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 is carrying 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 also televised Utah's home game against Texas on Dec. 22.

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 High	Utah Low	Category	Opponent High	Opponent Low
89 vs. Loyola Marymount (Dec. 19)	49 vs. Indiana (Nov. 24)	Points Scored	82 by Fresno St. (Feb. 20)	38 by San Diego St. (Feb. 11)
51 vs. Azusa Pacific (Nov. 14)	23 vs. Indiana (Nov. 24)	Points/First Half	42 by Fresno St. (Feb. 20)	14 by High Point (Dec. 30)
51 vs. Loyola Marymount (Dec. 19)	23 vs. New Mexico (Feb. 1)	Points/Second Half	41 by UTEP (Feb. 25)	19 by San Diego St. (Feb. 11)
35 vs. Azusa Pacific (Nov. 14)	19 vs. Indiana (Nov. 24)	Field Goals	29 by Fresno St. (Feb. 20)	13 by Arizona St. (Nov. 23)
72 vs. San Diego St. (Jan. 16)	40 vs. Arizona St. (Nov. 23)	Field Goals Att.	61 by Loyola Marymount (Dec. 19)	36 by Wake Forest (Dec. 28)
70.0 vs. San Jose St. (Jan. 23)	34.4 vs. Utah St. (Nov. 18)	Field Goal Pct.	54.1 by San Jose St. (Jan. 23)	25.0 by Arizona St. (Nov. 23)
12 vs. Loyola Marymount (Dec. 19)	0, Two Times	3-Pt. Field Goals	10 by Michigan (Nov. 25)	0 by High Point (Dec. 30)
34 vs. San Diego St. (Jan. 16)	9 vs. San Jose St. (Jan. 23)	3-Pt. Field Goals Att.	24 by Loyola Marymount (Dec. 19)	7 by Indiana (Nov. 24)
28 vs. Fresno St. (Feb. 20)	4 vs. High Point (Dec. 30)	Free Throws	20 by UTEP (Jan. 30)	4 by San Diego St. (Jan. 16)
38 vs. Long Beach St. (Dec. 5)	5 vs. High Point (Dec. 30)	Free Throws Att.	29 by Texas (Dec. 12)	8 by Saint Francis (Dec. 22)
90.0 vs. Ripon (Jan. 2)	50.0 vs. Long Beach St. (Dec. 5)	Free Throw Pct.	100.0 by Wake Forest (Dec. 28)	40.0 by San Diego St. (Feb. 11)
21 vs. Long Beach St. (Dec. 5)	4 vs. Arizona St. (Nov. 23)	Offensive Rebounds	15 by Loyola Marymount (Dec. 19)	2 by Ripon (Jan. 2)
32 vs. Arizona St. (Nov. 23)	13 vs. San Jose St. (Jan. 23)	Defensive Rebounds	29 by Utah St. (Nov. 18)	11 by Saint Francis (Dec. 22)
45 vs. Long Beach St. (Dec.5)	19 vs. San Jose St. (Jan. 23)	Total Rebounds	39 by Tulsa (Mar. 5)	16 by Ripon (Jan. 2)
29 vs. Fresno St. (Jan. 25)	9 vs. Long Beach St. (Dec. 5)	Assists	21 by Fresno St. (Feb. 20)	3 by UTEP (Jan. 30)
9 vs. Loyola Marymount (Dec. 19)	1 vs. Michigan (Nov. 25)	Turnovers	20 by San Diego St. (Feb. 11)	6 by Miami-Ohio (Mar. 14)
9 vs. Loyola Marymount (Dec. 19)	1 vs. Michigan (Nov. 25)	Blocked Shots	7 by Fresno St. (Feb. 25)	0 by Saint Francis (Dec. 22)
12 vs. San Diego St. (Feb. 11)	2 vs. UTEP (Jan. 30)	Steals	13 by Weber St. (Dec. 9)	1 by Utah St. (Nov. 18)

Nate Althoff - 52
C 6-11 260 Jr. 1L
Delano, Minn. (Delano HS)

Fast Facts: Returning starter at center ... returned to action against Southern Utah (Jan. 1) after missing four games with a sprained left ankle ... missed both of the exhibition games with a back sprain ... returned to the starting line-up against Arkansas State (Nov. 16) and started the first 8 regular-season games ... started at San Diego State (Jan.10) ... has started 9 games in all this season ... one 20-point game and five double-figure scoring games ... has led Utah 3 times in scoring and 2 times in rebounds.

Last Game: Career-best 20 points, shooting 8-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line, with a team-high 7 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in 29 minutes at San Diego State (Jan. 10).

Season: 7 points (3-6 FG, 1-1 FT) and 2 rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench at Louisville (Jan. 6) ... 13 points (5-6 FG, 3-3 FT) and 8 rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench against Southern Utah (Jan. 1) ... 2 points (1-4 FG, 2-3 FT) and 1 steal in 11 minutes before spraining his left ankle with 7:02 remaining in the first half against Sioux Falls (Dec. 17) ... 7 points (3-3 FG), 5 rebounds, career-high 2 steals and 1 blocked shot in 25 minutes at Washington State (Dec. 11) ... 6 points (1-2 FG, 4-4 FT), game-high 7 rebounds and a blocked shot in 21 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7) ... 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) ... 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	20 vs. San Diego State (1/10/00)
Rebounds	9, Two Times
Assists	3, Two Times
Steals	2, Two Times
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 all but 1 game and started the last 10 contests ... has posted 51 assists, 29 turnovers, 49 points and 29 rebounds in 10 games as a starter ... has led the team in assists 5 times.

Last Game: Scoreless (0-1 3-FG) with 3 assists, 1 rebound and 1 steal in 12 minutes at San Diego State (Jan. 10).

Season: 4 rebounds and 1 assist (4 turnovers) in 29 minutes at Louisville (Jan. 6) ... 15 points (2-6 FG, 1-2 3-FG), 3 assists and 1 rebound in 24 minutes against Southern Utah (Jan. 1) ... 4 points (2-2 FG), 6 rebounds and 4 assists in 29 minutes against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Dec. 30) ... career-high 13 points (4-8 FG, 1-3 3-FG, 4-6 FT), 6 assists (2 turnovers), 2 rebounds and 1 steal in 29 minutes against Oregon State (Dec. 28) ... 6 points (2-6 FG, 2-2 FT), 4 assists and 2 boards in 25 minutes against Texas (Dec. 22) ... 9 points (3-5 FG, 2-2 3-FG), 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in 29 minutes against Chicago State (Dec. 18) ... 4 points (2-3 FT), 4 assists, a career-high tying 4 steals and 2 rebounds in 25 minutes against Sioux Falls (Dec. 17) ... career-high 10 assists (5 turnovers), 5 points (2-3 FG, 1-1 3-FG), 4 rebounds and 1 steal in a career-best 31 minutes at Washington State (Dec. 11) ... 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) ... 9 assists (1 turnover), 3 points (3-5 FT) and 4 rebounds in 29 minutes against Augusta State (Dec. 3) ... played a team-high 25 minutes against Stony Brook (Nov. 29) ... 7 points (3-6 FG), 5 rebounds, 4 assists (1 turnover) and career-best 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	13 vs. Oregon State (12/28/99)
Rebounds	7 vs. Arkansas State (11/16/99)
Assists	10 vs. Washington State (12/22/99)
Steals	4, Two Times
Blocked Shots	1, Three Times

Phil Cullen - 40
C/F 6-9 215 So. 1L
Chelan, Wash. (Chelan HS)

Fast Facts: Has 13 career starts ... started 11 games this season: 5 at power forward and the last 6 at center ... 2 double-figure scoring games.

Last Game: 5 points (2-3 FG, 1-2 3-FG), 3 rebounds, 1 blocked shots and 1 steal in 9 minutes at San Diego State (Jan. 10).

Season: 4 points (1-2 FG, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds and 2 steals in 11 minutes at Louisville (Jan. 6) ... 5 points (2-5 FG, 1-2 FT), 5 rebounds and a career-high 3 assists in 12 minutes against Southern Utah (Jan. 1) ... 4 points (2-3 FG), 1 rebound and 1 blocked shot in 12 minutes against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Dec. 30) ... 3 points (1-3 FG, 1-2 3-FG), 1 board, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot in 20 minutes against Oregon State (Dec. 28) ... 9 points (3-5 FG, 2-4 3-FG) 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 27 minutes against Texas (Dec. 22) ... started at center for the first time this season against Chicago State (Dec. 18) ... 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 3-FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 22 minutes against the Cougars ... 12 points (4-9 FG, 1-3 3-FG, 3-6 FT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots in 25 minutes against Sioux Falls (Dec. 17) ... 6 points (2-5 3-FG) in 27 minutes as a starter at Washington State (Dec. 11) ... 3 points (1-4 FG, 1-2 3-FG), 4 rebounds and 1 blocked shot in 18 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7) ... 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	3 vs. Southern Utah (1/1/00)
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: Started the first 4 games at point guard ... has come off the bench since then ... 6 starts during his career at Utah ... 5 double-figure scoring games this season ... did not surpass the 10-point plateau for 6 games before getting 12 points at San Diego State (Jan. 10) ... has led Utah in assists the last 3 games and 6 times overall.

Last Game: Led Utes with 5 assists (0 turnovers) at San Diego State (Jan. 10) ... also had 12 points (4-10 FG, 2-5 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 4 rebounds and 3 steals in 30 minutes against the Aztecs.

Season: Game-high 6 assists, 2 points (1-4 FG, 0-2 3-FG), 2 rebounds and a blocked shot in 27 minutes at Louisville (Jan. 6) ... 5 points (1-4 FG, 1-3 3-FG, 2-3 FT), a game-high 5 assists and 3 rebounds in 24 minutes against Southern Utah (Jan. 1) ... 6 points (1-4 FG, 3-4 FT), 4 assists and 3 boards in 21 minutes against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Dec. 30) ... 8 points (2-6 FG, 3-5 FT) and 3 assists in 24 minutes against Oregon State (Dec. 28) ... 9 points (2-8 FG, 4-5 FT), 2 rebounds and 3 assists in 26 minutes against Texas (Dec. 22) ... 9 points (2-7 FG, 4-4 FT), 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 24 minutes against Chicago State (Dec. 18) ... 11 points (3-9 FG, 4-4 FT) 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 19 minutes against Sioux Falls (Dec. 17) ... 9 points (3-5 FG, 2-3 3-FG), 3 assists and 1 rebound in 19 minutes at Washington State (Dec. 11) ... 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) ... 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, Six Times
Blocked Shots	1, Four 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 82 games since the start of the 1997-98 season ... named to the preseason all-MWC team by both the coaches and media ... two 20-point games, 13 double-figure scoring games and 1 double-double this season ... had scored in double figures 12 consecutive games before getting 7 points at Louisville (Jan. 6) ... has led Utah in rebounds in 9 games this season ... 8 games with 7 rebounds or more.

Last Game: 18 points (scoring 16 in the second half) by making 7-of-8 field goals and 4-of-5 three-pointers at San Diego State (Jan. 10) ... also had6 rebounds and 1 assist in 27 minutes against the Aztecs.

Season: 7 points (3-7 FG, 1-3 3-FG), 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 30 minutes at Louisville (Jan. 6) ... 15 points (5-9 FG), making a career-best 5 three-point field goals in 7 attempts, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 31 minutes against Southern Utah (Jan. 1) ... 18 points (7-10 FG, 1-3 3-FG, 3-4 FT), 7 rebounds and 3 assists in 31 minutes against Wisconsin-Milwaukee ... 10 points (4-8 FG, 1-2 FT), 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 37 minutes against Oregon State (Dec. 28) ... 11 points (3-9 FG, 5-6 FT), 8 rebounds and 3 assists in 36 minutes against Texas (Dec. 22) ... 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3-FG), 9 rebounds and 3 assists in 29 minutes against Chicago State (Dec. 18) ... 11 points (7-10 FT), 3 boards and 5 assists in 24 minutes against Sioux Falls (Dec. 17) ... 21 points (7-10 FG, 3-4 3-FG, 4-6 FT) a game-high 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in 38 minutes at Washington State (Dec. 11) ... 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) ... career-high 25 points and his 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 ... 5 double-figure scoring games this season.

Last Game: 6 points (1-4 FG, 4-5 FT), team-high 5 assists to match a career best and 2 rebounds in 21 minutes at San Diego State (Jan 10).

Season: 5 points (1-3 FG, 3-4 FT), 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 16 minutes at Louisville (Jan. 6) ... 7 points (3-4 FG, 1-2 FT), 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 21 minutes against Southern Utah (Jan. 1) ... 2 points (1-4 FG), a career-high 3 blocked shots, 3 rebounds and 2 steals in 20 minutes against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Dec. 30) ... 5 points (2-3 FG, 1-1 FT) and 5 boards in 13 minutes against Oregon State (Dec. 28) ... 5 points (2-4, 1-1 3-FG) and 1 board in 15 minutes against Texas (Dec. 22) ... 9 points (4-6 FG, 1-2 3-FG), 3 assists and 2 rebounds in 22 minutes against Chicago State (Dec. 18) ... 10 points (5-11 FG) and 6 rebounds in 25 minutes against Sioux Falls (Dec. 17) ... 6 points (3-6 FG), 4 rebounds and 2 steals in 17 minutes at Washington State (Dec. 11) ... 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 3-FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 25 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7) ... 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, Two Times
Steals	3 vs. Arkansas State (11/16/99)
Blocked Shots	3 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (12/30/99)

Jeremy Killion - 32
G 5-11 190 Sr. 1L
San Diego, Calif. (Palomar HS)

Fast Facts: Has started 47 of 48 games the last two seasons at shooting guard ... two 20-point games and 7 double-figure scoring games this season ... had scored in double figures 4 consecutive games before facing Texas (Dec. 22) ... has scored 3 points in the last three games.

Last Game: 3 points (1-5 3-FG) and 2 rebounds in 35 minutes at San Diego State (Jan. 10).

Season: 3 points (1-5 3-FG), 2 assists and 1 rebound in 33 minutes at Louisville (Jan. 6) ... 3 points (1-4 FG, 1-2 FT), 2 rebounds and 2 steals in 29 minutes against Southern Utah (Jan. 1) ... 8 points (2-4 FG, 1-3 3-FG, 3-3 FT), a career-high 5 assists and 3 steals in 29 minutes against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Dec. 30) ... 16 points (6-7 FG, 4-5 3-FG), tied a career-high with 4 assists and 2 steals in 33 minutes against Oregon State (Dec. 28) ... 7 points (3-5 FG, 1-3 3-FG), 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 34 minutes against Texas (Dec. 22) ... 13 points (4-5 FG, 1-2 3-FG, 4-4 FT) and 4 assists in 23 minutes against Chicago State (Dec. 18) ... game-high 15 points (5-9 FG, 2-3 3-FG) and 2 steals in 26 minutes against Sioux Falls (Dec. 17) ... career-high 24 points and tied career-highs with 9 field goals and 6 three-point field goals at Washington State (Dec. 11) ... made 9-of-17 field goals and 6-of-13 three-point field goals in 33 minutes against Wazzu ... 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 ... 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	24 vs. Washington State (12/11/99)
Rebounds	6 vs. Indiana (11/24/98)
Assists	5 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (12/30/99)
Steals	3 vs. Arkansas State (3/12/99)
Blocked Shots	1, Four 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 ... had started all 67 games the past two seasons before suffering a knee injury in the preseason ... has played and started the last 7 games ... led Utah in scoring the first 6 games back ... five 20-point games and six double-figure scoring games ... two double-doubles this season and seven in his career ... scored 20 points or more in five contests from Dec. 22-Jan. 6 ... scored 131 points in 152 minutes, shooting 45-of-72 from the field, 9-of-14 from three-point range and 32-of-42 from the free throw line during that stretch ... named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 3.

Last Game: 4 points (1-5 FG, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 18 minutes at San Diego State (Jan. 10).

Season: Game-high 27 points (8-12 FG, 2-3 3-FG, 9-12 FT), 2 rebounds and 1 blocked shot in 32 minutes at Louisville (Jan. 6) ... double-double with a game-high 20 points (6-10 FG, 8-10 FT), 10 rebounds and 2 assists in 28 minutes against Southern Utah (Jan. 1) ... led all scorers with 23 points (10-16 FG, 1-2 3-FG, 3-3 FT), 5 rebounds and 2 steals in 30 minutes against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Dec. 30) ... game-high 29 points (9-13 FG, 3-3 3-FG, 8-10 FT), 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in 31 minutes against Oregon State (Dec. 28) ... double-double with a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds in 32 minutes against Texas (Dec. 22) ... also made a personal-best 12 field goals in 21 attempts and went 3-of-5 from three-point range and 5-of-7 from the line against UT ... played 20 minutes as a starter in his first game back ... scored a game-high 16 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 2 boards and 2 assists against Chicago State (Dec. 18) ... missed the first eight games this season ... sustained a partially torn medial cruciate ligament in his left knee against the California All-Stars on Nov. 9 ... the injury did not require surgery.

Career Highs

Points	32 vs. Texas (12/22/99)
Rebounds	12 vs. Long Beach State (12/5/98)
Assists	5 vs. UTEP (2/25/99)
Steals	2, Four 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: Scoreless (0-1 FG) with 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 9 minutes at San Diego State (Jan. 10).

Season: 3 rebounds in 5 minutes against Southern Utah (Jan. 1) ... 2 points (1-1 FG) and 3 rebounds in 12 minutes against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Dec. 30) ... 1 rebound in 3 minutes against Oregon State (Dec. 28) ... 2 points (1-1 FG), 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 11 minutes against Chicago State (Dec. 18) ... career-high 9 rebounds, 6 points (3-4 FG), 1 assist and 1 steal in a career-best 19 minutes against Sioux Falls (Dec. 17) ... 6 points (3-3 FG), 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 13 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7) ... first career start with 2 points (1-1 FG) and 1 rebound in 13 minutes against Augusta State (Dec. 3) ... career-high 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) ... 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	9 vs. Sioux Falls (12/17/99)
Assists	1, Four 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: Played in 32 games last year as a redshirt freshman ... has started 1 game and played in 13 this season.

Last Game: 2 points (1-1 FG), 3 assists and 1 steal in 10 minutes at San Diego State (Jan. 10).

Season: 2 assists and 1 steal in 9 minutes against Southern Utah (Jan. 1) ... 4 points (2-2 FG) and 2 rebounds in 16 minutes against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Dec. 30) ... 3 points (1-1 3-FG), 1 assist, 1 blocked shot and 2 steals in 10 minutes against Oregon State (Dec. 28) ... 3 points (1-2 3-FG), 3 rebounds and 1 steal in 18 minutes against Chicago State (Dec. 18) ... 1 point (1-2 FT), 2 rebounds and 2 steals in 18 minutes against Sioux Falls (Dec. 17) ... 2 points (1-2 FG), 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 22 minutes against Utah State (Dec. 7) ... 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 15 games in his career.

Season: Has played in 4 games ... scoreless (0-1 FG) in 2 minutes against Chicago State (Dec. 18) ... scoreless (0-1 FG) in 3 minutes against Sioux Falls (Dec. 17) ... 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.

Record	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
5-1	Jensen	M?tt?l?	Cullen	Colbert	Killion
1-0	Jensen	M?tt?l?	Althoff	Colbert	Killion

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Utah vs. Brigham Young Preview

Noting the Utes

Rick's Remarks

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round) on March 10, 2026 , Loss , 66, to, 73

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on March 7, 2026 , Loss , 75, to, 101

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Colorado on March 3, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 92

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Arizona State on February 28, 2026 , Loss , 60, to, 73

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #4/5 Iowa State on February 24, 2026 , Loss , 59, to, 75

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus UCF on February 21, 2026 , Loss , 71, to, 73

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at West Virginia on February 18, 2026 , Win , 61, to, 56

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Cincinnati on February 15, 2026 , Loss , 65, to, 69

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #3/3 Houston on February 10, 2026 , Loss , 52, to, 66

The University of Utah Athletics