Men's Basketball Faces Weber St. on Saturday, Dec. 9

Dec. 7, 2000

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Utah takes a week off for final exams. The Utes will resume their schedule against Washington State on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 7:07 p.m. (MST) in Salt Lake City. Following that match-up, Utah heads to Malibu, Calif., to play Pepperdine on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 7:07 p.m. (PST).

A Quick Look At Utah
The Utes are 4-3 on the season after losing to Utah State, 58-57, on Wednesday in Logan, Utah, and to Southern California, 65-60, last Saturday in the John Wooden Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

Utah has four players averaging nine points per game or better. Junior guard Kevin Bradley (11.1 ppg) leads the Utes in scoring, while junior forward Phil Cullen is second (10.0 ppg). Junior guard/forward Jeff Johnsen (9.5 ppg) is third on the team in scoring, shooting 56.1 percent from the field, 47.1 percent from three-point range (8-of-17) and 82.4 percent from the line. Senior center Nate Althoff is fourth on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg). Junior forward/center Chris Burgess leads the team in rebounding (6.0 rpg). Bradley and junior guard Travis Spivey lead the Utes in assists (2.71).

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.

First Consecutive Nonconference Losses in Six Years
Utah has lost consecutive nonconference games for the first time since the 1994-95 season with back-to-back defeats on the road to then-No. 15 Southern California last Saturday and to Utah State on Wednesday. In 1994-95, the Utes fell to Maryland (90-78) on Nov. 22 and Michigan (73-69) on Nov. 23 in the Maui Classic.

The last time the Utes dropped back-to-back games overall was last season when they fell on the road to Colorado State (60-49) on Feb. 26 and Wyoming (88-61) on Feb. 28. The Utes have yet to lose three consecutive nonconference games during the Rick Majerus era, which dates back to the 1989-90 season. Utah's most recent nonconference losing streak of three games or more came in 1988 under Lynn Archibald when it lost four consecutive games Nov. 27 through Dec. 6.

Utah vs. Weber State Notes

Scouting Weber State
The Wildcats are 3-3 following an 89-68 loss 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. Earlier in the season, the Wildcats fell to Southern Utah, 78-69, in Cedar City on Nov. 20.

Sophomore 6-10 center Stephan Bachman leads the team in scoring (15.0 ppg) and field goal percentage (67.3). Junior 6-5 forward Chris Woods is second in scoring (10.0 ppg) and leads the team in rebounding (6.7 rpg). Sophomore 6-0 guard Stevie Morrison leads the team with an average of 3.5 assists per game.

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. Boyette, who sat out last year after playing at Salt Lake Community College in 1998-99, scored 14 points in 19 minutes against UC Riverside in his first game as a Wildcat. Danley has played in the last two games.

Series Notes
Utah and Weber State meet for the 29th time in a series that dates back to Dec. 7, 1972. Utah has won 12 of the 14 games played in Salt Lake City, including the last nine. Before WSU defeated the U. 84-72 last season on Dec. 1 in Ogden, Utah, the Utes had won five in a row over the Wildcats by an average of 21.8 points dating back to a 71-54 win on Dec. 10, 1994 in Salt Lake City.

Utah-Weber State Connections
Utah acting head coach Dick Hunsaker graduated from Weber State in 1977 and was a three-year starter at point guard for the Wildcats. He was an assistant coach at Weber State from 1977-87 before joining Rick Majerus as associate head coach at Ball State.

Ute junior center Cameron Koford spent two years at Weber State before serving a two-year Mormon mission to Louisville, Ky. Koford sat out the 1996-97 season as a partial qualifier academically, then played in 21 games as a sophomore in 1997-98. Against the Utes on Nov. 19, 1997, Koford had career highs of six points and 12 rebounds in 15 minutes.

Joe Cravens, in his second season at Weber State's head coach, was an assistant to Rick Majerus at Utah for three seasons. During the 1989-90 season, Cravens filled in as acting head coach when Majerus had heart surgery and posted a 12-12 record. Cravens departed Utah after the 1991-92 season to become the head coach at Idaho, where he went 43-40 in four years. In his first meeting with Utah as the Weber State head coach last season, Cravens got an 84-72 win on Dec. 1 in Ogden, Utah. Also on the Utah staff with Majerus and Cravens was graduate assistant Kirk Earlywine, who is now a full-time assistant to Cravens at Weber State.

Last Meeting
Weber State snapped a five-game losing streak to the Utes, posting an 84-72 win on Dec. 1, 1999 in Ogden, Utah. The Wildcats scored 58 points and shot 72.4 percent in the second half to overcome a 31-26 halftime deficit. Four Wildcats scored in double figures with departed seniors Eddie Gill and Harold Arceneaux getting 25 and 15 points, respectively, for WSU. Stephan Bachman and Ivan Gatto both scored 14 points.

Three Utes scored in double figures, led by 15 points from departed senior Alex Jensen. Jeff Johnsen had 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. Nate Althoff missed just one of his six field goal attempts to also score 11. Mike Puzey had eight points and three rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench.

Weber State opened the second half with a 14-6 run and took the lead for good at 38-37 on a three-pointer by Shawn Moore with 16:43 to play. The Utes hurt themselves with 17 turnovers and gave up 16 offensive rebounds. Utah outshot Weber State 53.1 to 47.5 percent for the game, but was outrebounded 36 to 30.

Battle for the Old Oquirrh Bucket Continues
The Old Oquirrh Bucket (named after the Oquirrh Mountains to the west of Salt Lake City) is the symbol of in-state basketball supremacy in Utah. The trophy is awarded every year to the in-state college team (Utah, BYU, Southern Utah, Utah State and Weber State) which has the best win-loss record against Beehive State competition. Weber State won the trophy last season, posting a 3-1 record against in-state foes. This season, Utah fell to Utah State, 58-57, in Logan on Wednesday. Weber State lost to Southern Utah, 78-69, in Cedar City on Nov. 20.

Team Notes

Game #7 Rewind
Utah missed four shots in the final 28 seconds as Utah State held on for a 58-57 win on Wednesday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah

With 28 seconds left, Utah set up a play for Travis Spivey, who drove into traffic and attempted a six-foot jump shot. Curtis Bobb got the rebound for Utah State and called a timeout as he was falling out of bounds. Bobb was fouled on the inbounds play, but missed both free throws. Utah then cleared the lane for Bradley, who missed on a finger roll and a tip attempt. Teammates Jeff Johnsen and Mike Puzey also missed put-backs before the buzzer sounded.

Bradley and Phil Cullen each scored 13 points for Utah, and Nate Althoff added 12. Tony Brown scored 18 points and Shawn Daniels had 15 to lead the Aggies.

Daniels scored eight points during a 10-1 run in the second half that gave Utah State a 58-53 lead. Utah drew within a point on Bradley's three-pointer and Althoff's free throw.

Utah led 38-33 at the half following five consecutive three-point shots, three by Cullen off the bench. The taller Utah team outrebounded Utah State 18-9 in the first half and 35-30 overall. The Utes also committed a season-low 11 turnovers to Utah State's 13. However, after shooting 53.8 percent from the field in the first half, Utah went 5-of-24 (.208) from the field in the second half and made just 3-of-11 (.273) three-pointers. The Aggies outshot the Utes 43.2 to 38.0 percent for the game.

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. In recent weeks, Majerus had been experiencing severe complications from a late September knee operation. 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.

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 3-3, 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.

Alluding to the fact that the team is still in search of a leader after a 58-57 loss at Utah State on Dec. 6, acting head coach Dick Hunsaker commented, "This time of the season, we realize how new we are together. It's been a difficult time (without head coach Rick Majerus). I think we have some unfair expectations based, in part, on Rick's reputation. We might be that good, but we're not that good yet."

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.
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. 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 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.
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.

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 seven games. Bradley has started every game this season, playing mainly at point guard and averaging a team-best 24.3 minutes per game. He leads the team in scoring (11.1 ppg), shooting 45.2 percent from the field, 40.6 percent from three-point range and 75.0 percent from the free throw line. Bradley is also averaging a team-best 2.71 assists per game with a 1.46 assists/turnover ratio.

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. 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 seven games this season, Althoff is fourth on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg) and first in free throw percentage (82.4). 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.

Utes Hold the Nation's Longest Home Winning Streak
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 string of wins, which is the longest in NCAA Division I, began with an 84-63 win over Colorado State on Jan. 4, 1997. It is also the longest homecourt winning streak in school history. Michigan State has the second-longest active streak in the nation with 34 consecutive home wins heading into a home game with Kentucky on Dec. 16.

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 148-10 (.937) 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 94 of its last 96 games played in the Huntsman Center.

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 56.4 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 an 8.1 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 40.3 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 14.5 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
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 two games for the Utes, getting seven points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes against Southern California in the Wooden Classic in his first college game in his home state. He also had four points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes against Utah State.

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 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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