Utah, Utah State Set To Renew Men's Hoops Rivalry

Dec. 4, 2000

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The Game at a Glance

Utah Acting Coach: Dick Hunsaker (Weber State `77)

3rd season at Utah.
Record as Acting Coach: 3-2

Utah State Coach: Stew Morrill (Gonzaga `74)

Record at Utah State: 47-20 (3rd Season).
Overall Record: 265-158 (15th Season).

Rankings
Utah is 22nd in the A.P. Poll and 22nd in the USA Today/ESPN Poll.

On the Air
Television: SportsWest (KSL-TV in Salt Lake City). Tom Kirkland (play-by-play) and Craig Hislop (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

Utah leads 126-86
Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 76-32/50-54/0-0
Last Meeting: Utah defeated Utah State, 77-42, on Dec. 7, 1999 in Salt Lake City.

A Quick Look At Utah
The Utes are 4-2 on the season after losing to Southern California, 65-60, last Saturday in the John Wooden Classic at Anaheim, Calif. Last Tuesday, Utah defeated Cardinal Stritch, 93-47, in Salt Lake City.

Utah has four players averaging nine points per game or better. Junior forward/guard Jeff Johnsen (10.8 ppg) and junior guard Kevin Bradley (10.8 ppg) are tied for the team lead in scoring. Johnsen is shooting 59.5 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three-point range (7-of-14) and 82.4 percent from the line. Johnsen, Bradley and junior guard Travis Spivey also lead the Utes in assists (2.7). Junior forward Phil Cullen is third on the team in scoring (9.5 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.2 rpg). Senior center Nate Althoff is fourth on the team in scoring (9.2 ppg). Junior forward/center Chris Burgess leads the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg).

Through five games, the Utes have outscored the opposition 73.2 to 56.2 points per game, shooting 48.6 percent from the field, 40.4 percent from three-point range and 68.0 percent from the free throw line. Utah has outrebounded its opponents 36.7 to 28.0, but has a 0.78 assists/turnover ratio.

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.

Scouting Utah State
The Aggies are 4-1 and riding a two-game winning streak. After losing to Austin Peay in overtime, 80-76, in the Top of the World Classic at Fairbanks, Alaska, on Nov. 19, Utah State defeated Colorado-Colorado Springs at home, 68-61, on Nov. 25 and Idaho State on the road, 59-55, on Nov. 29.

Three players are averaging double figures in points. Senior 6-6 forward Shawn Daniels leads the team in scoring (14.4 ppg), shooting 58.9 percent from the field, and rebounding (6.4 rpg). Junior 6-3 guard Tony Brown is averaging 12.6 points and a team-best 3.2 assists per game. Senior 5-10 guard Bernard Rock is averaging 10.8 points and 4.2 boards.

Utah State has outscored its opponents 69.6 to 65.8 points per game and has a 35.0 to 31.0 advantage on the boards per contest. The Aggies are shooting 50.0 percent from the field, 44.1 percent from three-point range and 63.0 percent from the free throw line. Utah State has also committed 91 turnovers (18.2 avg.) to 72 assists on the season.

Last Meeting with the Aggies
Utah defeated Utah State last season, 77-42, on Dec. 7 in Salt Lake City. The Utes tied a school record with 14 three-pointers in the game and set the mark for three-pointers in a half with 10 in the first 20 minutes. The last seven baskets the Utes scored in the first half were from beyond the arc.

Jeremy Killion led Utah with 21 points. Of the players back this year, Jeff Johnsen had 10 points, shooting 4-of-6 from the field and making both three-point attempts. None of the Aggies reached double figures in points, with Tony Brown leading the team with nine. Utah outshot Utah State 52.9 to 30.8 percent from the field and converted 14-of-21 three-pointers (66.7 percent).

Scouting Weber State
The Wildcats take a 3-2 record into their game at UC Riverside on Tuesday. Last weekend, Weber State lost to Princeton, 65-60 in overtime, and defeated Anderson University, 81-73, in the First Merchants Classic hosted by Ball State University.

Sophomore 6-10 center Stephan Bachman leads the team in scoring (14.6 ppg) and free throw percentage (89.5). Junior 6-5 forward Chris Woods is second on the team in scoring (10.2 ppg) and first in rebounding (7.2 rpg). Weber State has recently gained the services of sophomore 6-8 forward/center Pat Danley and sophomore 6-2 guard Jermaine Boyette, both are newcomers to the team. Danley played against Anderson University last Saturday and Boyette will be eligible to play his first game against UC Riverside on Tuesday.

Weber State has outscored its opponents 75.8 to 66.8 points per game and has a 37.2 to 29.0 advantage on the boards. The Wildcats are shooting 46.1 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from three-point range and 69.7 percent from the free throw line.

Team Notes

Game #6 Rewind
Phil Cullen had 18 points, including four of the Utes' 10 three-pointers in a 65-60 loss to No. 15 Southern California last Saturday in the John Wooden Classic at Anaheim, Calif. Britton Johnsen added 11 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double as the Utes held a 44-34 rebounding edge.

Brian Scalabrine and David Bluthenthal combined for 16 consecutive points in the second half to hold off a Ute rally. Scalabrine finished with 18 points and Bluthenthal added 16 points and 12 rebounds as USC remained undefeated in four games. Both players had four three-pointers each as USC hit 10 of 20 from long range.

Down the stretch, Utah overcame most of its 13-point deficit with 3:49 remaining. The Utes used an 8-0 run to get within five, then Johnsen hit a three-pointer to cut USC's lead to three with 20.4 seconds left. USC missed four of five free throws in the final 1-1/2 minutes before Brandon Granville made two with 18.8 seconds to go.

USC led by two early in the second half when Scalabrine and Bluthenthal took over the scoring. Scalabrine sandwiched baskets around 11 straight points by Bluthenthal, including three from beyond the arc, to keep the Trojans ahead 46-38 with 13:13 remaining.

Utah used some timely three-pointers to get within three on a trey by Kevin Bradley with 9:52 left. But ultimately, the Utes staggered on 36 percent shooting. USC ran off 10 unanswered points, including six by Sam Clancy, to take a 62-49 lead with 3:49 to play.

Rick Majerus Sidelined with Knee Injury Until January
Head coach Rich Majerus will not 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. His therapist, Keith Kleven, has advised him to take the next four weeks off to undergo a rigid, structured therapy program. Majerus will spend the next two weeks at Kleven's clinic. In recent weeks, Majerus had been experiencing severe complications from a late September knee operation.

Dick Hunsaker Directing 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 3-2, directing the team since the second game of the season.

Hunsaker was the associate head coach under Majerus at Ball State from 1987-89. 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.

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.

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 in the game and shot a season low 41.7 percent from the floor.
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 shot 52.2 percent and held Memphis to a 31.8 percentage in the second half to outscore the Tigers 32-26 and post a 61-58 win.
Cardinal Stritch, an NAIA school, jumped out to a 9-2 lead over the Utes four minutes into their game on Nov. 28 in Salt Lake City. However, Utah recovered to build a 40-28 halftime lead and played much better in the second half to outscore the Crusaders 53-19. The Utes cranked it up defensively in the second half, holding Cardinal Stritch to 28.6 percent shooting, while making field goals at a 58.8 percent clip on the offensive end of the court themselves. With 10 turnovers at halftime, Utah made just six in the second half for its lowest single-game total this season (16). Utah also shot a season-high 85.7 percent from the free throw line.
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 season-low 36.7 percent from the field and went just 5-of-10 from the free throw line in a 65-60 loss to No. 15 Southern California in the John Wooden Classic on Dec. 2.
The Utes have used three different starting line-ups this season with eight different players starting at least one game. As the coaching staff continues to look for a standard rotation, 10 players are averaging at least 11 minutes a game, while no player is averaging more than 25 minutes per contest.

Utes Hold the Nation's Longest Home Winning Streak
Utah owns the longest active homecourt winning streak in NCAA Division I. Following its 93-47 win over Cardinal Stritch on Tuesday, the Utes have won 54 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 33 consecutive home wins heading into a home game with Florida on Wednesday.

Utah is 2-0 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 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 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.

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.

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 six games this season, Althoff is fourth on the team in scoring (9.2 ppg) and second in free throw percentage (81.8). His best game was a 15-point, five-rebound performance against Memphis in the third-place game of the Puerto Rico Shootout. 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.

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.

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