Utah Men's Basketball Hosts Washington State Saturday Night

Dec. 13, 2000

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Game #9
Utah Utes (4-4) vs.
Washington State Cougars (4-2)
Dec. 16 - 7:07 p.m. (MST)
Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000)
Salt Lake City

A Quick Look At Utah
The Utes are 4-4 on the season after losing a pair of games to instate rivals last week. Utah fell to Utah State, 58-57, last Wednesday in Logan, Utah, and to Weber State, 79-77, last Saturday in Salt Lake City.

Utah has four players averaging nine points per game or better. Junior forward Phil Cullen leads the Utes in scoring (10.6 ppg), playing off the bench the last three games. Junior guard Kevin Bradley (10.4 ppg) is second on the team in scoring and first in assists (2.8 apg). Senior center Nate Althoff (9.4 ppg) and junior guard/forward Jeff Johnsen (9.4 ppg) are tied for third in scoring. Althoff leads the team in free throw shooting (82.5), while Johnsen is shooting a team-best 54.3 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range (8-of-18). Junior forward/center Chris Burgess leads the team in rebounding (6.2 rpg).

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.

Utes' Homecourt Winning Streak Halted
Utah's best-in-the-nation 54-game homecourt winning streak came to an end with a 79-77 loss to Weber State last Saturday night. The Utes hadn't lost a game in the Huntsman Center since Dec. 31, 1996 to Wake Forest in a showdown between Keith Van Horn and Tim Duncan, the top two picks in the following summer's NBA Draft.

Utah's winning streak, the longest in school history, began with an 84-63 win over Colorado State on Jan. 4, 1997. Michigan State now claims the longest active streak in NCAA Division I with 34 consecutive wins heading into a home game with Kentucky on Saturday.

Utah is 2-1 at home this season. 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 148-11 (.931) in the Huntsman Center under Majerus and have never lost back-to-back home games.

The Utes also won 27 consecutive home games from Jan. 29, 1994 through Jan 2, 1996. The streak ended with a 65-64 loss to Fresno State on Jan. 8, 1996. Combining the two lengthy streaks and 13 consecutive wins sandwiched in between the two losses, Utah had won 94 of its last 96 games played in the Huntsman Center before last Saturday's loss.

For Three Consecutive Losses, It's Been a While
With defeats to then-No. 15 Southern California on Dec. 2, Utah State on Dec. 6, and Weber State on Dec. 9, Utah has lost three consecutive nonconference games for the first time during the Rick Majerus era. Utah's most recent nonconference losing streak of three games or more came in 1988-89, the final season under Lynn Archibald, when Utah dropped four consecutive games to Florida on Nov. 27 (77-68), Cal State-Fullerton on Dec. 1 (59-57), Santa Clara on Dec. 3 (66-60) and Colorado on Dec. 6 (68-65).

The last time the Utes dropped three consecutive games overall was during the 1993-94 season. During that skid, the Utes fell to Fresno State on Feb. 17 (95-86), Air Force on Feb. 19 (91-89 in OT) and Brigham Young on Feb. 26 (73-70). Utah had a four-game losing streak during the 1989-90 conference season from Jan. 13 through Jan. 25. That losing streak took place during Majerus' first lengthy absence from the Utah bench. Joe Cravens served as the acting head coach for 24 games that year while Majerus recovered from heart surgery.

Utah vs. Washington State Notes

Scouting Washington State
The Cougars are 4-2 following a 67-54 win over Montana on Tuesday night in Pullman, Wash. Last week, Wazzu lost at Portland, 70-66, on Tuesday and defeated Maryland-Eastern Shore at home, 80-54, on Saturday. Washington State is 1-1 on the road this season.

Freshman guard Marcus Moore, after dropping 25 points on Montana, leads the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and assists (3.8 apg). Sophomore guard David Adams is second in scoring (11.2 ppg) and three-point percentage, making 11-of-28 (.393). Sophomore guard Jerry McNair, who is averaging 22.7 minutes per game off the bench, is third on the team in scoring (11.0 ppg) and leads the Cougars in three-point shooting, going 13-of-31 (.419). Junior guard/forward Framecio Little leads the Cougars in rebounding (5.8 rpg), followed by junior 6-10 center J. Locklier, a transfer from Miami of Ohio.

Washington State returns three starters and six lettermen from last year's team that went 6-22 overall and 1-17 to place last in the Pac-10 Conference. However, returning starter Mike Bush, a junior guard, will not play until Dec. 23 due to academic concerns.

Head Coach Paul Graham
Paul Graham is in his second season at Washington State. 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).

Series Notes
Utah and Washington State meet for the 13th time on Saturday with Utah leading 11-1. The series dates back to a 45-44 Utah win on Dec. 17, 1938 in Pullman, Wash. The Cougars' only win in the series came in Salt Lake City, 33-32, on Dec. 14, 1946. Since then, the Utes have won 10 straight. Utah won, 78-66, last season on Dec. 11 in Pullman.

Utah-Washington State Connections
Phil Cullen is a native of Chelan, Wash. Rick Majerus scheduled the series to get Cullen a game close to home at least once during his career at Utah. During last year's game in Pullman, Wash., about 125 of Cullen's friends and relatives drove over to attend the game.

A two-sport standout in basketball and baseball at Chelan High School, Cullen was named the Associated Press Washington Athlete of the Year as a senior. Cullen also signed a professional baseball contract with the Washington's professional baseball organization, the Seattle Mariners, last summer after being drafted in the 32nd round. Prior to agreeing to terms with the Mariners, Cullen worked out for team officials at Safeco Field.

Washington State freshman guard E.J. Harris and Utah junior guard Kevin Bradley are both natives of Los Angeles and graduates of basketball powerhouse Creshaw High School.

Last Meeting
The Utes defeated the Cougars, 78-66, on Dec. 11, 1999 in Pullman, Wash. Jeremy Killion, who graduated, scored a career-high 24 points with six three-pointers in that game. Killion helped the Utes hit 14-of-28 threes, tying the school single-game record for three-pointers made. Utah shot 54.7 percent from the field for the game.

Of the players returning this season, Nate Althoff had seven points and five boards. Phil Cullen and Jeff Johnsen scored six points each. Milton Riley had eight points, four rebounds and two assists for the Cougars.

Washington State scored the first six points before Utah ran off 16 straight and was never threatened again. The Utes led 45-30 at halftime and by 23 points with 6:10 left in the game. The Cougars then scored 13 unanswered points to close within 10 with 59 seconds left.

Team Notes

Game #8 Rewind
Jeff Johnsen missed a leaner in the lane just before the buzzer as the Weber State survived a furious comeback attempt by the Utes to get a 79-77 win on Saturday night at the Huntsman Center, snapping the nation's longest homecourt winning streak at 54 games.

Jermaine Boyette scored a game-high 27 points for Weber State. Boyette hit a bank shot and Stephan Bachmann made a turnaround jumper to give Weber State a 78-71 lead with 2:25 to play, but the Wildcats missed 3-of-4 free throws and didn't make another field goal. With Utah trailing 79-75, Chris Burgess made a layup. The Utes got a final possession when the Wildcats knocked the ball out of bounds with 4.2 seconds left, setting up Johnsen's last shot.

Burgess and Phil Cullen each scored 15 for the Utes, who had not lost to Weber State at home since 1978, a span of nine games. Jake Shoff had 13 points and Damon King added 11 for the Wildcats, who didn't score a field goal for more than six minutes during the second half but made 12 straight free throws to maintain the lead.

Rick Majerus Sidelined with Knee Injury Until January
Head coach Rich Majerus is not expected to rejoin the team until the first week of January in an effort to recover from knee surgery. Majerus coached the Utes in their first game of the regular season against Idaho State on Nov. 17, but has been away from the team since the Puerto Rico Shootout (Nov. 23-25) due to excessive pain and swelling in the knee. Majerus had been experiencing severe complications from a late September knee operation. In late November, his therapist, Keith Kleven, advised him to take the next five weeks off to undergo a rigid, structured therapy program. Majerus has spent the past three weeks at Kleven's clinic.

Dick Hunsaker Directing the Utes
Dick Hunsaker, in his third year at Utah, is serving as the acting head coach in the absence of Rick Majerus until the first of the year. His record as Utah's acting head coach is 3-4, directing the team since the second game of the season. The wins and losses will still be credited to Majerus' record during his absence.

Hunsaker was the associate head coach under Majerus at Ball State from 1987-89. Hunsaker was the head coach at Ball State from 1989-93. He compiled a 97-33 record with the Cardinals, giving him the seventh-best four-year coaching record in NCAA history. During his stay in Muncie, Ind., Ball State made two trips to the NIT and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He led the Cardinals to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1990. Hunsaker posted four 20-win seasons at BSU. His teams also captured two Mid-American Conference championships and placed second twice. Hunsaker has a 148-61 (.708) record as a college head coach.

Hunsaker came to Utah from Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., where he had been the head coach since 1995. During his three years at Manchester, he posted a 51-27 record and led the Spartans to three of the 10 winningest seasons in the college's 85-year history.

Utes Dealing with Rare Occurrence of No Returning All-Conference Selections
For just the second time since Rick Majerus took over the Ute basketball program, Utah doesn't feature a single returning all-conference selection on the roster.

Discounting Majerus' first season (1989-90), the only time the Utes haven't returned a first or second team all-conference selection was in 1993-94. That season resulted in the only non-winning season of the Majerus era with Utah going 14-14 overall and 8-10 in the Western Athletic Conference.

In 1991-92, Josh Grant was back for his fourth season with the Utes as the reigning WAC Player of the Year and the only returning all-conference honoree on the roster. However, he took a medical redshirt after helping the Utes win the first three games of the season. Without their leader, Utah finished 24-11 overall and 9-7 in conference play.

Growing Pains
Despite only one starter and three other lettermen returning from last season, prognosticators didn't hesitate to place Utah in their preseason Top 25 polls. However, Rick Majerus and his staff have cautioned all along that this 2000-01 Utah team has some growing to do before it will be capable of living up to those lofty expectations. Here's proof that Utah is a team that is maturing, but one still very much trying to find its way.

On opening night with Rick Majerus still on the bench, Utah shot 66 percent in the first half to lead Idaho State 42-20 at intermission. The Utes built the lead to 46-20 with 18:24 to play and still led by 23 points (50-27) with 15:02 left before seeing their cushion dwindle down to just five points (66-61) with 1:02 left. Utah held on for a 71-65 win.
Against Georgia in the second round of the Puerto Rico Shootout, 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 got within two points with 3:22 showing, but Georgia pulled away from there for a 65-60 win. The Utes committed a season-high 22 turnovers.
Utah had a slow start against Memphis in the third-place game of the Puerto Rico Shootout, falling behind 7-0 early and trailing 22-10 with 9:04 to play before halftime. But, the Utes righted the ship to close within 32-29 at halftime. After shooting 36.4 percent in the first half, Utah warmed-up to 52.2 and held Memphis to a 31.8 percentage in the second half to outscore the Tigers 32-26 and post a 61-58 win.
Utah had a commanding 44 to 34 advantage on the boards and shot 44.0 percent from three-point range, however, the Utes also shot 36.7 percent from the field and went just 5-of-10 from the free throw line in a 65-60 loss to then-No. 15 Southern California in the John Wooden Classic on Dec. 2.
In spite of shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from three-point range in the first half to build a 38-33 lead, Utah shot just 20.8 percent in the second half, making just five field goals and getting only five points in the final 10 minutes, in a 58-57 loss at Utah State on Dec. 6. On the upside, the Utes committed a season-low 11 turnovers and had a 35 to 30 edge on the boards.
For the second consecutive game, Utah was unable to score on the final play in a 79-77 loss to Weber State at home on Dec. 9. The Utes shot 50.0 percent from the field and had a 37 to 31 edge on the boards. However, Utah committed 18 turnovers, which led to 23 Weber State points and shot just 65.8 percent from the free throw line in 38 trips.
The Utes have used four different starting line-ups this season with eight different players starting at least one game. As the coaching staff continues to look for a regular rotation, 10 players are averaging at least 10 minutes a game, while no player is averaging more than 25 minutes per contest.

Cullen Coming On
Junior 6-9 forward Phil Cullen has come off the bench to score in double figures in each of the last three games. He led the Utes in scoring in all three contests. Cullen scored season-high 18 points, making 6-of-10 shots from the field and 4-of-7 three-pointers, in 18 minutes against Southern California on Dec. 2. He had 13 points, a blocked shot and three steals in 26 minutes against Utah State on Dec. 6. Cullen followed that up with 15 points, making all four field goals, both three-pointers and 5-of-6 free throws, in 19 minutes against Weber State on Dec. 9. He also had four boards against the Wildcats.

The Chelan, Wash., native leads the Utes in scoring (10.6 ppg), shooting 50.0 percent (27-of-54) from the field and 42.9 percent (15-of-35) from three-point range. He is also second on the team in rebounding (4.5 rpg).

Bradley Providing Good Production
Junior 6-0 guard Kevin Bradley, a relatively unheralded transfer from Compton Community College, has raised some eyebrows with solid play through eight games. Bradley has started every game this season, playing mainly at point guard and averaging a team-best 24.2 minutes per game. He is second on the team in scoring (10.4 ppg), shooting 41.7 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from three-point range and 69.2 percent from the free throw line. Bradley is also averaging a team-best 2.75 assists per game.

Bradley, a native of Los Angeles, was named the conference player of the year as a senior at Crenshaw High School.

Take Note of Nate
Senior 6-11 center Nate Althoff stepped up his play considerably during the 1999-2000 season, and hopes to continue that progress this 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 eight games this season, Althoff is third on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg) and first in free throw percentage (82.5). His best game was a 15-point, five-rebound performance against Memphis in the third-place game of the Puerto Rico Shootout. He has scored in double-figures three times. With 77 career blocked shots, Althoff is fifth on Utah's all-time chart.

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.

Defense, Defense, Defense
One of the trademarks of a Utah team during the Rick Majerus era is a stifling half-court defense. In the past 11 seasons under Majerus, Utah has ranked in the top 30 in the nation eight times in field goal percentage defense, eight times in the top 25 in scoring defense, seven times in the top 25 in scoring margin and eight times in the top 30 in rebound margin.

Utah ranked 20th in the NCAA in scoring defense last season, giving up 61.8 points per game. This season, the Utes are giving up just 59.2 points per game. The Utes are one of just eight teams to appear in the top 10 in the NCAA in scoring defense at least four times in the last 11 years. Utah is also one of just four teams to rank in the top 25 in the nation in scoring defense at least nine times in the last 11 years.

The Utes ranked 26th in the nation in rebound margin (4.8 rpg) last season and have been ranked been ranked among the top 30 teams in the nation in rebound margin in each of the last six years. Utah has a 7.9 rebounds per game advantage over the opposition this season. Utah is one of just seven schools to rank in the top 10 at least three times in the last five years. Only Navy's four appearances rank ahead of Utah.

Utah has not been outrebounded in 47 consecutive conference regular-season games. The last time the Utes came out on the short end of a rebound battle in league play was 32-27 in a WAC contest at Tulsa on Feb. 22, 1997. Utah led the Mountain West Conference in defensive rebounds (28.9 rpg) and rebound margin (4.8 rpg) in 1999-2000.

Utah is one of just eight schools to rank in the top 30 in the nation in field goal percentage defense four of the last five years. Utah has also been in the top 10 in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense four times during the Rick Majerus era. Opponents have shot just 41.2 percent from the field on the Utes this season.

Thanks to their stifling defense, the U. has also ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation in scoring margin four times in the last five years and seven times in the last 11 years. Utah has outscored its opponents by an average of 12.4 points per game this season. In the last five years, the Utes are one of just eight teams with four appearances in the top 25, bettered only by Cincinnati's streak of five consecutive years. Utah is also one of just six teams to rank in the top 10 at least three times in the last five years.

Burgess Named to Puerto Rico Shootout All-Tournament Team, Has Started Last Three Games
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 on the court 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 has started the last three games for the Utes, getting seven points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes against Southern California in the Wooden Classic on Dec. 2. It was his first college game in his home state. He had a Utah career-high 15 points while making 6-of-8 field goals, eight rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals in 30 minutes against Weber State on Dec. 9.

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), 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.

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.

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 included 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.

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 Third Winningest Basketball School the Past Five Years
When it comes to basketball, the University of Utah has established itself among the nation's elite in recent years. Combined, the Ute men's and women's programs went 248-64 the past five seasons for a .795 winning percentage, which ranks third-best in the country. Utah ranks behind Connecticut (.866) and Stanford (.796), and ahead of Duke (.787).

Utah's men and women swept the inaugural Mountain West Conference regular-season championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season. The women also won the Mountain West Tournament championship, while the men made it to the second round of the NCAAs before falling to eventual national champion Michigan State.

The Ute men went 137-29 under head coach Rick Majerus from 1995-2000, winning the regular-season conference title and making it to the NCAA Tournament each season. Utah also made it to three Sweet 16s and was the national runner-up in 1998. Under head coach Elaine Elliott, the Ute women went 111-35 the past five years, capturing five league regular-season titles and playing in four NCAA Tournaments and one NIT.

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.

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