Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Grand Canyon on November 25, 2025 at 10 PM
10 PM
Men's Basketball
vs Grand Canyon
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
![Oregon [Exh]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/crop?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Futahutes.com%2Fimages%2Flogos%2Foregon.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
![Nevada [Exh]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/crop?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Futahutes.com%2Fimages%2Flogos%2FNevadaAthletics_Navy.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
The University of Utah Athletics
Men's Basketball Takes On Cardinal Stritch
11/27/2000 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2000
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Utah is 18th in the A.P. Poll and 20th in the USA Today/ESPN Poll.
Utah Coach: Rick Majerus Cardinal Stritch Coach: Dennis Fox
Alma Mater: Marquette `70 Alma Mater: Ball State `72
Record at Utah: 264-74/12th Season Record at Cardinal Stritch: 181-117/10th Season
Overall Record: 363-126/17th Season Overall Record: 361-229/20th Season
Television: None
Radio: Utah Sports Network (KALL-910 AM in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations). On the Internet at www.UtahUtes.com. Bill Marcroft (play-by-play), Mark Rydalch (analyst) and Brad Stone (host).
Series Record: Utah leads 1-0
Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 1-0/0-0/0-0
Last Meeting: Utah defeated Cardinal Stritch 83-45 on Dec. 16, 1993 in Salt Lake City
A Quick Look At Utah
The Utes are 3-1 on the season after winning two of three games in the Puerto Rico Shootout Thursday through Saturday of last week. In the tournament, Utah defeated American-Puerto Rico (94-37) on Thursday, lost to Georgia (65-60) on Friday in the semifinals and defeated Memphis (61-58) on Saturday in the third-place game.
Utah has four players averaging nine points per game or better. Senior center Nate Althoff leads the team in scoring (10.0 ppg) and free throw percentage (82.8). Junior forward/guard Jeff Johnsen (9.8 ppg), junior forward/center Chris Burgess (9.8 ppg) and junior guard Kevin Bradley (9.8 ppg) are tied for second on the team in scoring. Johnsen is shooting 76.5 percent from the field and 80.0 percent from the line. Burgess is second on the team in rebounding (5.0 rpg). Bradley leads the Utes in assists (3.75) with a 3-to-1 assists to turnover ratio. Junior forward Phil Cullen is fifth on the team in scoring (8.2 ppg) and first in rebounding (6.2 rpg). Sophomore guard/forward Trace Caton leads the team in three-point field goal percentage (66.7), making 6-of-9.
Through four games, the Utes have outscored the opposition 71.5 to 56.2 points per game, shooting 50.0 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from three-point range and 67.3 percent from the free throw line. Utah has outrebounded its opponents 32.5 to 28.5, but has 46 assists to 75 turnovers.
Utah welcomes back one starter and three other letterwinners from last season, as well as two return missionaries who played on the 1998 Final Four team. Utah went 23-9 overall, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and tied for the inaugural Mountain West Conference championship with a 10-4 record in 1999-2000.
Rick Majerus Back on the Sideline Tuesday
Head coach Rick Majerus did not accompany the team to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for last week's Puerto Rico Shootout due to complications from recent knee surgery. He will be back on the bench for Utah's game against Cardinal Stritch on Tuesday.
Majerus, who underwent knee surgery in late September, was advised by his doctors not to make the trip due to excessive swelling in his right knee and the difficulties of making the long flight to San Juan in his condition. He rehabilitated his knee and received medical attention while the team was playing in the tournament.
Assistant coach Dick Hunsaker, who is in his third year on the Utah staff, served as the acting head coach during the Puerto Rico Shootout, directing the Utes to a 2-1 record.
Scouting Cardinal Stritch
The Crusaders are 5-1 heading into Monday night's game against Westminster College. Recently, CSU lost to Wisconsin-Stout (81-77) on Nov. 17 before defeating Huron (85-79) on Nov. 18 and Mount St. Clare (69-68) on Nov. 21.
Jeff Kreiling leads the team in scoring (14.2 ppg) and rebounds (9.2 rpg). Bill Neubauer is second on the team in scoring (13.7 ppg), shooting 44.0 percent (11-of-25) from three-point range, and second in rebounding (5.5 rpg). Scott Rember leads the Crusaders in assists (5.5 apg).
Cardinal Stritch has outscored its opponents 76.8 to 69.2 points per game. It is shooting 47.0 percent from the field, 45.0 percent from three-point range and 67.6 percent from the free throw line.
Team Notes
Puerto Rico Shootout Rewind
Britton Johnsen's tip-in in the final minute cemented Utah's 61-58 victory over Memphis in the third-place game of the Puerto Rico Shootout. Jeff Johnsen, getting a new career high, and Nate Althoff each scored 15 points and Chris Burgess added 12 for the Utes.
Utah, which trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half, tied the score at 44 with 11:51 remaining in the second half. Capitalizing on Memphis turnovers, the Utes used a 6-0 run for a 50-44 lead before the Tigers knotted the game at 50 with seven minutes remaining. Utah again spurted ahead before the Tigers rallied to cut the lead to 59-58 with 47 seconds remaining on a pair of free throws by Scooter McFadgon. A jumper by Utah's Kevin Bradley missed the mark, but Johnsen tipped in the miss to seal the win for the Utes.
Georgia overcame a nine-point deficit to Utah 65-60 on Friday in the semifinals. Althoff and Burgess each scored 12 points for Utah.
Utah led 45-36 with 12:13 remaining, but Georgia used a 12-2 run to take a 48-47 lead with 8:43 left. Utah fought back to tie it three times before Georgia scored five straight points to take a 57-52 lead with 3:42 left. Althoff completed a three-point play to cut the lead to two with 3:22 showing, but Georgia pulled away from there.
Trace Caton scored a career-high 19 points and Utah closed the first half with a 39-6 run Thursday, powering the Utes to a 94-37 rout of American-Puerto Rico in the first round of the Puerto Rico Shootout.
Utah's 94-point outburst against American University was the second-most points it has scored since a 96-52 win over UNLV on Feb. 21, 2000. The 57-point win was Utah's second-largest margin of victory since 1950, bettered only by a 105-38 win over Chicago State on Dec. 20, 1994.
The Utes outrebounded their Division II opponent 45-15. Burgess had 11 points for Utah, which used 13 players, each playing at least 11 minutes. Kevin Bradley had 10 points and six assists. Utah opened a 10-point lead with 11:44 left in the half on a 3-point shot by Bradley. From there, the Utes went on a 39-6 run to end the half with a 59-16 lead.
Burgess Named to Puerto Rico Shootout All-Tournament Team
Junior forward/center Chris Burgess was named to the Puerto Rico Shootout all-tournament team. In the three-game tournament, Burgess averaged 11.7 points, shooting 56.5 percent from the field, and 6.0 rebounds while playing 24.0 minutes per game. He also had five steals and four blocked shots. He led Utah with 12 points and eight rebounds against Georgia in the semifinals. The Duke transfer in his first season with the Utes also had 12 points, two boards, three steals and two blocked shots in 22 minutes against Memphis in the third-place game.
Burgess, a native of Irvine, Calif., plays his first game college game close to home this Saturday as Utah faces Southern California in the Wooden Classic.
Utes Hold the Nation's Longest Home Winning Streak
Utah owns the longest active homecourt winning streak in NCAA Division I. Following its opening night win over Idaho State (71-65) last Friday, the Utes have won 53 straight in the Jon M. Huntsman Center dating back to a Dec. 31, 1996 loss to Wake Forest. Utah's current streak began with an 84-63 win over Colorado State on Jan. 4, 1997. It is the longest homecourt winning streak in school history. Michigan State has the second-longest active streak in the nation with 31 consecutive home wins heading into a home game with North Carolina on Wednesday.
The Utes were 17-0 at home in 1999-2000 to record the seventh undefeated home season in the 31-year history of the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Six 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), 1999-2000 (17-0). The Utes are 147-10 (.936) 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 consecutive wins sandwiched in between the two losses, Utah has won 93 of its last 95 games played in the Huntsman Center.
Burgess and Spivey Receive Preseason Accolades
A couple of Ute newcomers, junior center Chris Burgess (6-10, 245) and junior guard Travis Spivey (6-1, 205), have received numerous preseason accolades.
Noting some of the sources, Burgess, in his first year on the court with the Utes after transferring from Duke, is predicted to be the Mountain West Conference's "Newcomer of the Year" by the league media, Basketball News and Preview Sports. The Basketball News and Preview Sports also placed Burgess on their all-conference first team. Spivey, who started as a freshman at Georgia Tech and was a second team NJCAA All-American at Salt Lake Community College last season, was predicted to be the "Newcomer of the Year" in the Mountain West Conference and first team all-league by The Sporting News. The Basketball News also placed him on its Mountain West Conference preseason first team.
Take Note of Nate
Senior 6-11 center Nate Althoff stepped up his play considerably during the 1999-2000 season. The Delano, Minn. (Delano HS) product was fourth on the team in scoring (9.5 ppg) and and third in rebounding (4.7 rpg) last season, and is the leading returner in both categories. Althoff had two 20-point games and 13 double-figure scoring games last season.
Through four games this season, Althoff leads the team in scoring (10.0 ppg) and free throw percentage (82.8). In the 2000-01 preseason publications, Althoff was listed as a second-team all-conference pick by the Basketball News and "The Best Player over 6-10" by The Sporting News.
Althoff led the Mountain West Conference in field goal percentage (60.1) in 1999-2000, also setting the Utah single-season record. He improved his shooting percentage to 64.8 during the conference season, which was also a league-best mark. Althoff ranked 22nd in the MWC in scoring (9.5 ppg), 16th in rebounds (4.7 rpg), eighth in blocked shots (0.89 bpg) and 11th in free throw percentage (71.1). With a 60.6 career field goal percentage, he is on track to break the Utah record.
Preseason Publication/Internet Polls
Despite the loss of four starters and two other letterwinners from last season, the prognosticators haven't hesitated to place Utah in their preseason Top 25 polls this season. Here's a look of where the Utes rank in the various polls: Blue Ribbon, 21st, CBS SportsLine.com, 17th, ESPN.com, 13th, Dick Vitale's, 20th, FoxSports.com,17th, Preview Sports, 18th, Street & Smith's, 16, and The Sporting News, 14th. Utah is also the consensus preseason favorite to win the Mountain West Conference championship.
Media Picks Utes to Win Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference released its preseason media poll and all-conference team Oct. 4 during Basketball Media Day at the Las Vegas Four Seasons Hotel, in Las Vegas, Nev.
The league media selected Utah to claim the Mountain West Conference title for the second straight season, awarding the Utes 18 of a possible 32 first-place votes. Wyoming was picked second in the poll garnering seven first-place votes, followed by UNLV with six first-place tallies. BYU finished fourth and was the only other team to receive a first-place nomination. New Mexico was selected fifth, followed by Colorado State, San Diego State and Air Force. The preseason all-conference team includes Wyoming's Josh Davis and Ugo Udezue, BYU's Terrell Lyday and Mekeli Wesley, and UNLV's Kaspars Kambala. Top returnee honors went to UNLV senior forward/center Kaspars Kambala, while Utah center/forward Chris Burgess, a transfer from Duke, was tabbed newcomer of the year.
All in the Family
Utah has one of 11 brother combinations in NCAA Division I this season in Jeff and Britton Johnsen. The Johnsens, who hail from Murray, Utah, haven't played together for four years. Jeff (G/F, 6-4, 200), a junior this season, began his career at Utah in 1996-97 before going on a two-year LDS Church mission to Fresno, Calif. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 32 games last season with five starts. Britton (F, 6-9, 205), who resumes his Utah career as a sophomore this season, played for the Utes in 1997-98 before going on his LDS Church mission to Houston, Texas. He averaged 3.5 points and 1.0 rebounds in 21 games as a freshman. The last season the Johnsens played together, they led Murray High School to the Utah 4A state title in 1996.
Rick Majerus has literally made his program a family affair at Utah. The Johnsens are the fifth set of brothers to play for Majerus spanning his 12-year career at the U. However, they are the first to play together.
Three Utes with National Championship Game Experience
Utah has three players on its 2000-01 roster that have played in an NCAA championship game. Two of them played for Utah in the 1998 national championship game, which resulted in a 78-69 loss to Kentucky. Britton Johnsen and Trace Caton, who are returning from two-year LDS church missions and will be sophomores this season, played as freshmen in that game. Johnsen had seven points (3-for-4 FG, 1-for-2 3FG) and four rebounds in 16 minutes, while Caton missed his only field goal attempt in five minutes. Senior center Nate Althoff was a freshman on that `97-98 Utah team, but did not play in the national championship game.
Chris Burgess, while still at Duke, played in the 1999 national championship game. Burgess was scoreless and did not attempt a shot while the Blue Devils lost to Connecticut, 77-74.
20/20 Vision
For the 28th time in its history, Utah won 20 games in 1999-2000. Under current coach Rick Majerus, Utah has hit for 20 wins in nine of 11 seasons, including the last six 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), 1999-2000 (23-9).
One of the Nation's Elite Programs in Recent Years
- Under the guidance of head coach Rick Majerus, Utah won the eighth-most games in NCAA Division I during the 1990s. The Utes had a 250-76 record from 1989-99, placing them behind Kansas (286-60), Kentucky (282-63), Duke (271-78), North Carolina (270-78), Arkansas (260-83), Connecticut (259-75) and Arizona (256-67).
- Utah also ranked eighth in the nation in winning percentage (.767) in the `90s. Kansas had the best winning percentage at .827, followed by Kentucky (.817), Arizona (.793), College of Charleston (.784), Duke (.777), North Carolina (.776) and Connecticut (.775).
- In the last five seasons, the Utes had the fourth-most wins in NCAA Division I with a 137-29 record. Utah's .825 winning percentage over the last five years also ranks fourth in the nation, falling behind the College of Charleston (.855), Kentucky (.846) and Kansas (.831). The Utes are tied with Cincinnati (.825) and rank ahead of such programs as Duke (.809), Connecticut (.806), Stanford (.797), Arizona (.788) and Princeton (.786).
Utah Signs Three Recruits In Early Period
The Utes have signed Chris Jackson, a 7-0, 230-pound center from Los Alamos, N.M., Martin Osimani, a 6-3, 200-pound guard from Hialeah, Fla., and Eric Osmundson, a 6-4, 190-pound guard from San Diego, Calif., to national letters of intent.
Jackson averaged 20.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.5 blocked shots and 2.0 steals per game last season for Los Alamos High School. He earned honorable mention All-America and New Mexico 3A Player of the Year honors. An excellent student, Jackson scored 1580 points on his SAT and is vying for a National Merit Scholarship. He has a 4.30 GPA and is expected to enroll the U. with enough class credits to bypass most of his freshman-year course work.
Osimani, a combination guard, is originally from Uruguay and played for its Junior National team in the summer of 2000. He averaged 9.0 points and 5.0 assists, and shot 40 percent from three-point range last season for Champagnat Catholic High School. He scored 930 points on his SAT and is an honor roll student with a 3.50 GPA. The Hoop Scoop ranked him as the 66th-best player in the nation among those in the 2000-01 senior class.
Osmundson, a point guard, averaged 16.9 points and 5.0 assists per game as a junior at St. Augustine High School. He was named first team Division III in California and second team all-Western League. He is an honor roll student with a 4.00 GPA.
Considered 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 16th season as a college head coach, Majerus' career winning percentage of .742 was the fifth-highest among active Division I coaches and ranked 15th all-time. Among active coaches, only Jerry Tarkanian (Fresno State), John Kreese (College of Charleston), Roy Williams (Kansas) and Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) had better winning percentages. By notching his 350th career victory with a 56-49 win at Brigham Young on Jan. 15, 2000, Majerus became one of just nine coaches all-time to reach the 350 wins plateau in 16 seasons, only four coaches have won 350 games in fewer seasons than Majerus.
Majerus, who has never had a losing season, has averaged 23 wins per year over the course of his career. He has won 20 games 11 times and 30 games twice. Majerus has also guided nine 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. Bringing stability to the Utah program, Majerus is one of only 19 coaches who have been at their current school 10 years or longer among the top 10 conferences.
Over a five-year stretch from 1994-99, the U. won at least 27 games each year, 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), tied for the inaugural Mountain West Conference title in 2000 and made six 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).
- Over the last five seasons (1995-2000), the Utes had the fourth-most wins with a 137-29 record and the fourth-best winning percentage (.825) in NCAA Division I.
- The Utes have made eight 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 six 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.
- During the Majerus era, Utah has the 10th-most wins (16) and the 12th-best winning percentage (.667) in NCAA Tournament play. OVer the last five years, Utah moves up to third place in NCAA Tournament wins (12) and ninth in winning percentage (.706).
- Utah advanced to the NIT Final Four in 1992, placing third.
- Utah has won eight regular-season conference titles--including six in a row--in the 11 previous 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 seven times and first team all-conference 18 times.
Utah: 85, Cal Poly: 92 | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Friday, November 21
ESPN+ Feature | Utah Basketball's James Okonkwo
Thursday, November 20
Utah: 85, Purdue Fort Wayne: 77 | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, November 19
Utah Basketball Media Availability | 11.17.25
Monday, November 17