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Utah Men's Basketball Travels To Pepperdine
12/17/2000 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 17, 2000
Game #10
Utah Utes (5-4) vs. Pepperdine Waves (6-3)
Dec. 19 7:05 p.m. (PST) Firestone Fieldhouse (3,104) Malibu, Calif.
The Game at a Glance
Utah Acting Coach: Dick Hunsaker
Pepperdine Coach: Jan van Breda Kolff
Alma Mater: Weber State '77
Alma Mater: Vanderbilt '74
Season at Utah: 3rd
Record at Pepperdine: 31-12/2nd
Season Record as Acting Coach: 4-4
Overall Record: 158-122/10th
Season Rankings: Utah was 37th by A.P. and 34th by USA Today/ESPN in the polls released on Dec. 11. The Utes were ranked in the Top 25 of both polls the first five weeks of the season.
Television: KJZZ-TV in Salt Lake City (Channel 14, AT&T Cable 3). Steve Brown (play-by-play) and Mark Eaton (analyst).
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: Tied 1-1
Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 1-0/0-0/0-1
Last Meeting: Pepperdine defeated Utah, 92-88, in the NCAA Tournament on March 9, 1979.
After This
Utah hosts Southern Utah on Friday at 7:07 p.m. (MST) in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Next week the Utes host Concordia on Tuesday (Dec. 26) at 7:07 p.m. (MST) in Salt Lake City and face Texas on Saturday (Dec. 30) at 7:05 p.m. (CST) in Austin, Texas.
A Quick Look At Utah
The Utes are 5-4 on the season after snapping a three-game losing streak with an 87-63 win over Washington State on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
Utah has four players averaging nine points per game or better. Junior forward Phil Cullen leads the Utes in scoring (11.8 ppg), shooting 53.2 percent from the field and a team-best 48.8 percent from three-point range, and is second in rebounding (4.7 rpg). Cullen started Saturday after playing off the bench the previous three games. Junior guard Kevin Bradley is second on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg) and first in assists (3.0 apg). Junior guard/forward Jeff Johnsen is third in scoring (9.4 ppg). Senior center Nate Althoff is fourth in scoring (9.0 ppg) and leads the team in free throw shooting (84.1). Junior forward/center Chris Burgess leads the team in rebounding (5.8 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.
Three-Game Losing Streak Halted
With defeats to then-No. 15 Southern California on Dec. 2, Utah State on Dec. 6, and Weber State on Dec. 9, Utah had lost three consecutive nonconference games for the first time during the Rick Majerus era. The skid was ended with an 87-63 win over Washington State on Saturday. 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 streak, 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. Pepperdine Notes
Scouting Pepperdine
The Waves are 6-3 following a 76-73 loss at Southern California last Thursday and a 55-53 win over Northwestern at home on Saturday. Pepperdine is 4-0 at home this season, also getting wins over UC Santa Barbara (64-53), Pacific (91-49) and San Jose State (62-60).
Three players are averaging at least 10 points per game. Junior 6-4 guard Brandon Armstrong is first on the team in scoring (16.9 ppg), shooting 42.0 percent from three-point range. Senior 6-7 forward Kelvin Gibbs is second in scoring (15.9 ppg) and first in rebounding (8.9 rpg). Junior 6-3 guard Craig Lewis, the third-leading scorer on the team (10.4 ppg), is shooting 45.5 percent from beyond the arc. Freshman 6-3 guard Micah McKinney leads the team in assists (4.3 apg).
Pepperdine returns two starters and seven lettermen from last year's team that went 25-9 overall, won the West Coast Conference title with a 12-2 record and defeated Indiana (77-57) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Oklahoma State (75-67) in the second round. The 25 wins tied the school single-season record in the modern era.
Head Coach Jan van Breda Kolff
Jan van Breda Kolff is in his second season at Pepperdine, leading the Waves to a 25-9 record last season after succeeding Lorenzo Romar, who took over at Saint Louis and lost to the Utes in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Previously, van Breda Kolff was the head coach at Vanderbilt, where his teams went 104-81 (.562) in six years (1993-99). He took the Commodores to the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 1997, and the NIT in '94, '96 and '98. He was a three-year letterwinner at Vandy from 1972-74 and was the consensus SEC Player of the Year as a senior.
Series Notes
Utah and Pepperdine meet for the third time on Tuesday night, with the series tied 1-1. The teams last met on March 9, 1979 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles, Calif. The Waves defeated Jerry Pimm's Utes, 92-88. In the first meeting of the series, Utah came away with a 115-64 win on Dec. 1, 1966 in Salt Lake City when the Utes were coached by Jack Gardner.
Utah-Pepperdine Ties
Utah has several connections to Southern California. Two current Utes players are from the area. Chris Burgess, in his first season of playing for the Utes after transferring from Duke, is a native of Irvine, Calif., and played one season at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana before playing his final three years at Woodbridge High School. Kevin Bradley is from Los Angeles and played last season at Compton Community College. He is a graduate of Crenshaw High School. Both are playing in their home state for the second time as Utes. Utah played Southern California in the John Wooden Classic in Anaheim on Dec. 2. Second-year Ute administrative assistant Scott Garson is a native of Calabasas, Calif. He is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and worked at Pepperdine as an administrative assistant in 1998-99.
Two of the all-time greatest players in Utah history, consensus All-Americans Keith Van Horn and Andre Miller, are from the area. Van Horn, who played for the Utes 1993-97 and is in his fourth year with the New Jersey Nets, is a graduate of Diamond Bar High School. Miller, who played for the Utes 1995-99 and is in his second year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is a graduate of Verbum Dei High School in Los Angeles.
Pepperdine assistant coach Gib Arnold graduated from Brigham Young in 1995. He was an assistant at Provo (Utah) High School in 1994-95 and then jumped to the junior college ranks as an assistant at Utah Valley State College in 1995-96. Arnold also worked with the Utah All-Stars and Franklin Quest teams from 1994-96, coaching current Ute Chris Burgess during that time. Gib's father, Frank, was a long-time head coach at Brigham Young.
Team Notes
Game #9 Rewind
Phil Cullen scored a career-high 21 points as Utah defeated Washington State, 87-63, Saturday night. The Utes led Washington State by as many as 24 points in the first half and shot 60.6 percent from the floor.
Cullen, who is from Chelan, Wash., made 5-of-6 three-point attempts and grabbed six rebounds in his first start after spending three games coming off the bench. Kevin Bradley had 12 points while Britton Johnsen finished with 11 and his brother, Jeff Johnsen, had 10 for the Utes, who have won 11 in a row against Washington State.
Eddie Miller, the only senior on the WSU team, scored 17 points but just two after halftime. Marcus Moore added 14 for the Cougars.
After Cullen's three-pointer with 12:05 left in the first half, the Cougars had as many turnovers as points and trailed Utah 18-5. Cullen hit his fourth three-pointer of the first half and Utah's lead ballooned to 40-16 with 4:46 remaining until halftime.
Milton Riley's free throws midway through the second half cut Utah's lead to 60-45. But Nate Althoff scored four points in a 9-1 run to make it 69-46 with 8:27 to play. A minute later, Britton Johnsen capped another 9-1 run with a dunk to lift Utah to a 78-49 advantage.
Utah made 39-of-48 free throws, both the second-best single-game marks in school history, in the foul-plagued contest. The Utes picked an opportune time to shoot 81.3 percent from three free throw line, the second-best effort of the season. The teams combined to commit 57 fouls and shoot 80 free throws. Utah had a 31 to 21 edge on the boards and held Wazzu to 35.4 percent shooting from the field.
Inside the Numbers
Entering the Washington State game, Utah was shooting just 67.2 percent from the free throw line. The Utes improved their season percentage to 70.2 with a 39-for-48 effort (.813) against Washington State. The worst free throw shooting team of the Rick Majerus era was in 1991-92 (.688). Only one other team (1998-99, .699) has been below 70 percent.
With 126 assists and 155 turnovers on the season, Utah has a 0.81 assists-turnover ratio and has averaged 17.2 turnovers a game. A team from the Rick Majerus era has never finished the season with less than a 1.0 assists-turnover ratio. Since the turnover stat was recorded beginning in 1975-76, the only Utah team to finish with less than a 1.0 assists-turnover ratio was the 1981-82 squad that had 404 assists to 419 turnovers (0.96).
The Utes have used five 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.
The Utes haven't allowed a team to shoot better than 50 percent from the field this season, holding four of its opponents to less than 60 points. Only one team has scored more than 70 points. The Utes have also been outrebounded just twice.
Utah has shot 50 percent or better in four games this season, winning three of those games.
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 four 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 4-4, 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 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.
Utah had its second-best field goal percentage (60.6), best three-point percentage going 8-of-12 (66.7), second-best free throw percentage (81.3), and tied its second-highest assists total of the season (17) in an 87-63 win over Washington State on Dec. 16. The Utes also held the Cougars to the second-lowest field goal percentage by an opponent this season (35.4).
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 on Dec. 9. 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 35 consecutive wins after defeating Kentucky on Saturday.
Utah is 3-1 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 149-11 (.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 the Dec. 9 loss.
Cullen Coming On
Junior 6-9 forward Phil Cullen has scored in double figures in the last four games, leading the Utes in scoring in each of those contests.
After playing the previous three games off the bench, Cullen got the start against Washington State on Saturday. Cullen responded with a career-high 21 points, making a personal-best five three-pointers in six attempts. He also shot 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-6 from the line in 24 minutes. Cullen led the Utes with six rebounds in the game.
Over the past four games, Cullen has averaged 16.8 points in 21.8 minutes. He has shot 60.6 percent (20-of-33) from the field, 63.6 percent (14-of-22) from three-point range and 76.5 percent (13-of-7) from the free throw line.
Cullen scored 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.
Cullen leads the team in scoring (11.8 ppg), shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 48.8 percent from three-point range. He is also second on the team in rebounding (4.7 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 nine games. Bradley has started every game this season, playing mainly at point guard and averaging a team-best 25.0 minutes per game. He is second on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg), shooting 41.8 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from three-point range and 78.9 percent from the free throw line. Bradley is also averaging a team-best 3.00 assists per game.
Bradley had his best floor game of the season against Washington State on Dec. 16, getting five assists and one steal to just one turnover. He also had 12 points, making all six free throws and 3-of-7 field goals, in 31 minutes. Bradley also had a 3-1 assists to turnover ratio through the first four games of the season.
A native of Los Angeles, Bradley was named the conference player of the year as a senior at Crenshaw High School.
All in the Family
Utah has one of 11 brother combinations in NCAA Division I this season in Jeff and Britton Johnsen. Both of the Johnsens rank among the top six players statistically this season. Jeff (G/F, 6-4, 200), a junior, is third on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg), shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range. He is also averaging 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists, starting all but one game this season. Britton (F, 6-9, 205), a sophomore, is sixth on the team in scoring (6.3 ppg) and third in rebounds (4.4 rpg). He has also made 6-of-8 three-pointers and started three games.
Jeff 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 who resumes his Utah career 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 Johnsens, who hail from Murray, Utah, hadn't played together for four years. 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.
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 59.7 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.
Utah has an 8.1 rebounds per game advantage over the opposition this season. 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 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.
Opponents have shot just 40.6 percent from the field on the Utes this season. 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.
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 13.6 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 Four 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 four 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.
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.
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.
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).
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