Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round) on March 10, 2026 , Loss , 66, to, 73
Final Score
Men's Basketball
66
vs No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round)
73
The University of Utah Athletics
Utes Look For Season Sweep Of Rams
2/23/2000 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2000
SALT LAKE CITY - The Runnin' Utes are 20-5 overall and 9-2 in Mountain West Conference play, holding a two-game lead for first place in the league standings with three games remaining. After starting the season with a 2-2 record, Utah has won 18 of its last 21 games. Last weekend, the Utes lost to New Mexico 72-65 in Albuquerque on Saturday and defeated UNLV 96-52 on Monday night in Salt Lake City.
Senior 6-9 forward Hanno Mottola, who made his return to the court against UNLV after sitting out three games due to torn ligaments in his left elbow and right thumb, leads the Utes in scoring average (17.7 ppg) and is second in rebounding (4.9 rpg). Mottola also missed the first eight games of the season with a knee injury. Senior 6-7 forward Alex Jensen is second on the team in scoring average (14.4 ppg) and is tops in rebounding (7.6 rpg). Jensen is also shooting 56.7 percent from the field and 48.9 percent from three-point range. Junior 6-11 center Nate Althoff is third in scoring (10.1 ppg), second in rebounding (4.9 rpg) and leads the team in field goal percentage (61.2). Senior 6-5 guard/forward Tony Harvey is fourth on the team in scoring (9.7 ppg) and is shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range.
Utah is outscoring the opposition 72.6 to 61.2 points per game and has a 33.4 to 27.8 edge in rebounding. The Utes are shooting 49.5 percent from the field, 40.1 percent from three-point range and 72.8 percent from the free throw line.
Utah vs. Colorado State Preview
Scouting the Rams
Colorado State is 15-10 overall and tied for fifth place in the Mountain West Conference standings with a 5-5 record. The Rams have won two in a row, posting wins at San Diego State (74-46) on Feb. 12 and at Air Force (66-64) on Feb. 19.
Senior 6-8 forward Ceedric Goodwyn is fourth in the MWC in scoring (17.8 ppg). He is also second on the team in rebounds (4.4 rpg). Junior 6-3 guard John Sivesind is 16th in the league in scoring (11.7 ppg) and second in three-point field goals per game (2.6). He ranks 17th in the nation in three-point percentage (46.4) and 24th in free throw percentage (88.6). Junior 6-3 guard Ron Grady is third on the team in scoring (9.2 ppg). Junior 6-7 forward Garrett Patik is CSU's leading rebounder (5.6 rpg), ranking 12th in the conference. Freshman 6-4 guard Andy Birley ranks fifth in the nation in three-point percentage (50.6).
Colorado State ranks sixth in the conference in scoring (70.5 ppg), second in scoring defense (63.7 ppg) and seventh in rebound margin, having been outboarded 31.5 to 30.1 rpg. The Rams rank first in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (43.0) and 16th in overall field goal percentage (48.6).
Head Coach Ritchie McKay
Ritchie McKay's 19-11 record and .633 winning percentage posted in his first season at Colorado State rank as the 10th-best in school history. Forty-five universities in NCAA Division I had new head coaches in 1998-99. Only 10 of those coaches, including McKay, led their squads into postseason competition. The Rams made it to the quarterfinals of the NIT last season. McKay is in his fourth season as a head coach. He went 24-29 in two seasons at Portland State before taking over at CSU.
Series Notes
The Utes lead the overall series with the Rams 85-36 and have a 33-21 edge in games played in Fort Collins, Colo. Utah came away with a 60-48 win during its last trip to the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains on Feb. 14, 1998.
Utah has won the last 10 meetings after Colorado State had won five of six dating back to the beginning of the 1992 conference season. Colorado State's last win was 74-69 on Feb. 3, 1994 in Fort Collins, Colo. One of the most thrilling games of late in the series was an 86-82 win by the Utes in double overtime on Jan. 18, 1996 in Salt Lake City.
Last Meeting
Hanno Mottola scored 17 points and Phil Cullen came off the bench to add all of his 11 points during a decisive second-half run as Utah beat Colorado State 76-70 on Jan. 24 in Salt Lake City.
Cullen scored 11 straight over a 2:09 span as Utah took a 57-50 lead with 9:56 to play. He had a three-point play, hit consecutive three-pointers and added a pair of free throws.
Alex Jensen scored 15 points for Utah and Tony Harvey had 10. Ron Grady led the Rams with 15 points. John Sivesind and Ceedric Goodwyn each had 13 and John Ford added 12. Colorado State shot 51 percent for the game and hit 46 percent from three-point range, while Utah made 52 percent both overall and on three-pointers.
Cullen's run and a dunk by Gary Colbert off a Colorado State turnover made it seem the Utes would run away with 8:41 to play. But the Rams got four easy points, all on free throws by Sivesind after Jeff Johnsen was called for a foul and Majerus received a technical, to make it 59-55. The Utes then settled down and pulled away on Johnsen's wide-open three-pointer for a 66-57 lead with 4:59 remaining. Free throws by Grady and Goodwyn pulled Colorado State to 66-61 with 4:21 to play. Harvey added another three-pointer, Mottola banked in a 12-footer with Ford in his face and Harvey hit another pair from the line as the Utes pulled away despite missing six free throws in the final minute.
The Game at a Glance
| Utah Coach: Rick Majerus | Colorado State Coach: Ritchie McKay |
| Alma Mater: Marquette '70 | Alma Mater: Seattle Pacific '87 |
| Record at Utah: 258-69/11th Season | Record at CSU: 34-21/2nd Season |
| Overall Record: 357-121/16th Season | Overall Record: 58-50/4th Season |
Television: ESPN+Plus (KJZZ-TV 14 in Salt Lake City). Rich Waltz (play-by-play) and Irv Brown (analyst).
Radio: Utah Sports Network (570 K-NEWS in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations).
On the Internet at www.UtahUtes.com. Bill Marcroft (play-by-play), Jeff Jonas (analyst) and Brad Stone (host).
Rankings: Utah is 25th in the A.P. poll and 24th in the USA Today/ESPN poll.
Series Record: Utah leads Colorado State 85-36.
Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 48-14/33-21/4-1
Last Meeting: Utah defeated Colorado State 76-70 on Jan. 24 in Salt Lake City.
Majerus vs. Colorado State: Overall: 13-5 At Utah: 13-5
Utah Probable Starters
| No. | Pos. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown |
| 50 | F | Alex Jensen | 6-7 | 225 | Sr. | 14.4 | 7.6 | Centerville, Utah |
| 13 | F | Hanno Mottola | 6-9 | 250 | Sr. | 17.7 | 4.9 | Helsinki, Finland |
| 52 | C | Nate Althoff | 6-11 | 260 | Jr. | 10.1 | 4.7 | Delano, Minn. |
| 5 | G | Tony Harvey | 6-5 | 200 | Sr. | 9.7 | 2.6 | Carson, Calif. |
| 32 | G | Jeremy Killion | 5-11 | 190 | Sr. | 9.4 | 1.8 | San Diego, Calif. |
Utah Off the Bench
| No. | Pos. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown |
| 3 | G | Gary Colbert | 6-1 | 175 | So. | 3.9 | 2.4 | Alta Loma, Calif. |
| 4 | G | Adam Sharp | 6-2 | 180 | So. | 1.4 | 0.7 | Salt Lake City |
| 15 | F | Nick Jacobson | 6-3 | 185 | Fr. | 0.0 | 0.0 | Roseville, Minn. |
| 25 | G | Brandon Sluga | 6-4 | 210 | Sr. | 0.8 | 0.0 | Taylorsville, Utah |
| 35 | F | Jeff Johnsen | 6-4 | 200 | So. | 5.9 | 3.8 | Murray, Utah |
| 40 | F/C | Phil Cullen | 6-9 | 215 | So. | 5.7 | 2.1 | Chelan, Wash. |
| 42 | F | Mike Puzey | 6-8 | 215 | Fr. | 2.7 | 2.8 | Roy, Utah |
Colorado State Probable Starters
| No. | Pos. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown |
| 45 | F | Ceedric Goodwyn | 6-8 | 230 | Sr. | 17.4 | 4.4 | Lubbock, Texas |
| 40 | F | Garrett Patik | 6-7 | 210 | Jr. | 4.1 | 5.6 | Buffalo, Wyo. |
| 3 | G | Ron Grady | 6-3 | 185 | Jr. | 9.2 | 2.9 | Beaverton, Ore. |
| 10 | G | Aki Palmer | 5-9 | 175 | Jr. | 7.9 | 1.9 | Fort Collins, Colo. |
| 32 | G | John Sivesind | 6-3 | 195 | Jr. | 11.7 | 3.0 | Sioux Falls, S.D. |
Coming Up
Utah plays at Wyoming on Monday at 10:04 p.m. (MST) on ESPN. The Utes return home to close out the regular-season with "Senior Night" against Air Force next Saturday at 7:37 p.m. (MST).
From the Training Room
Senior 6-9 forward Hanno Mottola, suffering from torn ligaments in his left elbow and right thumb, returned to action Monday against UNLV after missing three games. Team doctors estimate that Mottola is 70 percent recovered from the injuries. At the present time, it does not appear that surgery will be necessary. Mottola suffered the thumb injury in the first half and the elbow injury in the second half of Utah's game at Air Force on Jan. 29. He came back to finish the game and remained in the lineup for Utah's next two games against New Mexico and UNLV. It was then determined that rest was necessary for Mottola to recover from his injuries.
Junior 6-11 center Nate Althoff hyperextended his right knee and bruised the patella early in the first half of Monday's game against UNLV. Althoff did return to finish the game.
Twenty-Twenty Vision
With its win on Monday, Utah assured itself of a 20-win season for the 28th time in school history. 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) and 1999-2000 (20-5).
The Nation's Most Dominant Team in League Play the Last Five Years
As the Utes moved from the WAC into the Mountain West Conference, they took three impressive records with them. Utah's conference record over the past six years en route to a 9-2 record this season and five straight regular-season titles is 80-11 (.879), which is the best mark over that period of time in NCAA Division I. Utah is also the nation's most dominant team in conference games at home the past six years with a 46-1 (.979) record.
After a win over UNLV on Feb. 21, the Utes have won 36 consecutive league games at home, which is the nation's longest current streak. Kansas had a string of 44 consecutive conference home wins snapped by Nebraska on Feb. 10, 1999. Utah's last home conference loss was to Fresno State (65-64) on Jan. 8, 1996.
Before its 72-66 loss to UNLV on Feb. 5, Utah had won 25 consecutive regular-season conference games dating back to a 62-56 loss at Wyoming on Feb. 12, 1998. The Utes had also won 23 consecutive conference games overall following a 54-51 loss to UNLV on March 5, 1998 in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament. For the first time in the history of the WAC, Utah won all 14 regular season games and all three games in the conference tournament last season. The Utes won their first six league games this season.
Utah has not lost back-to-back conference games since the 1993-94 season when it lost to Colorado State (74-69) on Feb. 3 and Wyoming (60-55) on Feb. 5 on the road.
Utah Tradition
Utah has a 1,449-751 all-time record in its 92nd season. The U. entered the year ranking 11th in the NCAA in all-time winning percentage with a .657 mark. Utah also ranked 14th in the NCAA in all-time wins, and was one of just 16 schools that have 1,400 victories.
The Utes have won three national championships, winning the 1916 AAU championship, 1944 NCAA championship and 1947 NIT title. Utah is one of only 33 schools to win the NCAA Division I men's basketball title.
Utah has made four trips to the NCAA Final Four: 1944 (champions), 1961 (4th), 1966 (4th) and 1998 (runner-up). Only 12 teams have more Final Four appearances than Utah. Only 11 schools have been in more championship games than the Utes.
All-time, only 14 schools have appeared in the NCAA Tournament more times than Utah. The Utes have played in the NCAAs 21 times and have a 31-24 record (.564).
During the decade of the '90s, the Utes won the eighth-most games in NCAA Division I with a 250-76 record. Utah's .767 winning percentage in the last 10 years also ranked as the eighth-best in the nation.
The past three seasons, Utah had the second-highest winning percentage in NCAA Division I (.870), falling just a tenth of a point behind the College of Charleston (.871). The Utes had the fourth-most wins in NCAA Division I the past three years with an 87-13 record.
Utah Sports Radio Network
| Blanding | KUTA | 790 AM |
| Delta | KNAK | 540 AM |
| Las Vegas | KSHP | 1400 AM |
| Price | KOAL | 1080 AM |
| Richfield | KSVC | 980 AM |
| Salt Lake City | K-NEWS | 570 AM |
| St. George/Cedar City | KSGI | 1450 AM |
| Vernal | KVEL | 920 AM |
KALL-910 AM in Salt Lake City carries the Utah Coach's Show on Tuesdays from 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Utah vs. Wyoming Preview
Scouting the Cowboys
Wyoming is 16-10 overall and in fourth place in the Mountain West Conference with a 6-5 record. The Cowboys have won three in a row, winning at New Mexico (99-93) on Feb. 14, at San Diego State (71-57) on Feb. 19 and against Air Force at home (61-51) on Monday.
Sophomore 6-8 center Josh Davis ranks 11th in the MWC in scoring (14.0 ppg), third in rebounding (8.5 rpg) and third in blocked shots (1.5 bpg). Senior 6-2 guard Anthony Blakes is 12th in the league in scoring (13.8 ppg) and sixth in rebounds (6.1 rpg). He is also averaging 3.3 assists per game. Senior 6-7 forward LeDarion Jones is the third Cowboy averaging double figures in scoring (13.4 ppg). Junior 6-8 forward/center Ugo Udezue, a preseason all-Mountain West Conference pick, underwent knee surgery after the fifth game and is out for the season
Wyoming ranks second in the MWC in scoring (82.7 ppg) and eighth in scoring defense (77.9 ppg) and is third in rebound margin (41.1-38.9 rpg). The Cowboys are also shooting 43.5 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from three-point range and 70.3 percent from the free throw line.
Head Coach Steve McClain
Steve McClain is in his second season at Wyoming after posting an 18-10 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the WAC Mountain Division with a 7-7 record in 1998-99. He also led the Cowboys to the second round of the NIT last season with an 81-77 defeat of USC. Before taking the post at UW, he was an assistant coach at TCU under Billy Tubbs from 1994-98. He helped lead the Horned Frogs to the 1998 NCAA Tournament and a No. 15 final A.P. ranking.
Series Notes
The Utes lead the overall series with Wyoming 81-65, but have just a 28-42 record in games played in Laramie, Wyo. Utah has not won in Laramie since Jan. 28, 1993 (64-45), losing in its last four trips.
Utah and Wyoming did not meet during the 1996-97 and 1998-99 seasons when the old rivals were placed in separate divisions of the 16-team WAC. The Utes have won 11 of the last 16 meetings, but Wyoming has taken four of the last eight contests. Utah took 10 of the 17 games with Wyoming during the '90s.
Last Meeting
Alex Jensen had 19 points and tied a season-high with 14 rebounds as Utah survived its worst shooting game of the season to beat Wyoming 69-61 on Jan. 22. The Utes shot 39 percent (23-of-59) but the defense produced an answer to every threat by the resilient Cowboys, who lost for the fourth time in their last five games.
Nate Althoff scored 13 points and tied a career-high with nine rebounds, and Jeremy Killion had 14 points for Utah. LeDarion Jones led the Cowboys with 19 points and Marcus Bailey added 12.
Utah led 37-32 at halftime and the Cowboys rallied three times from at least five points down in the second half. But Wyoming couldn't score when it counted the most. After the Cowboys pulled within 63-61 on a basket by Bailey with 2:42 to play, they didn't score again.
Jensen came up with some huge plays against Wyoming, including his block of Chris McMillian's layup with 1:19 on the clock and the Utes leading 66-61. Jensen drew cheers on a steal while falling with 7:47 to play, igniting a fastbreak that Jeff Johnsen capped with a three-point play for a 58-52 lead. But Wyoming answered on a finger-roll under the basket by Josh Davis and two free throws by McMillian.
Killion's three-pointer with 4:12 remaining gave Utah a 61-54 lead. Again, the Cowboys came back as McMillian hit two free throws and Jones capped a three-point play to make it 61-59 with 3:25 left. That's when Mottola, who was tentative after getting two fouls in the game's first three minutes, got involved. He hit an eight-foot turnaround and took a feed from Jensen for a layup and, after being fouled, a free throw.
Utes in the Mountain West Conference/NCAA Stats
Team
| (As of Feb. 22) | MWC | NCAA | |
| Scoring Offense | 72.8 | 5th | |
| Scoring Defense | 61.1 | 1st | 18th |
| Scoring Margin | +11.7 | 1st | 22nd |
| FG Percentage | .496 | 1st | 7th |
| FG Pct. Defense | .430 | 3rd | |
| FT Percentage | .728 | 1st | |
| Reb. Offense | 33.4 | 6th | |
| Reb. Defense | 27.8 | 1st | |
| Rebound Margin | +5.6 | 1st | |
| 3 Pt. FG/Game | 7.20 | 2nd | |
| 3 Pt. Percentage | .403 | 2nd | 4th |
| 3 Pt. FG Pct. Defense | .356 | 6th | |
| Assists | 16.08 | 2nd | |
| Turnover Margin | -0.36 | 7th | |
| Assists/TO Ratio | 1.11 | 2nd | |
| Steals | 6.68 | 8th | |
| Blocked Shots | 2.72 | 5th |
Individuals
| (As of Feb. 22) | MWC | NCAA | ||
| Nate Althoff | ||||
| Scoring | 10.2 | 17th | ||
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 17th | ||
| Field Goal Pct. | .612 | 1st | 19th | |
| Free Throw Pct. | .766 | 6th | ||
| Blocked Shots | 0.90 | 8th | ||
| Gary Colbert | ||||
| Assists | 3.21 | 8th | ||
| Assists/TO Ratio | 1.38 | 5th | ||
| Phil Cullen | ||||
| Blocked Shots | 0.52 | 15th | ||
| Tony Harvey | ||||
| Scoring | 9.7 | 22rd | ||
| 3 Pt. FG Pct. | .429 | 7th | ||
| Free Throw Pct. | .776 | 4th | ||
| Assists | 2.68 | 14th | ||
| Alex Jensen | ||||
| Scoring | 14.4 | 9th | ||
| Rebounds | 7.6 | 4th | ||
| Field Goal Pct. | .567 | 3rd | ||
| Free Throw Pct. | .745 | 10th | ||
| Assists | 3.16 | 9th | ||
| Assists/TO Ratio | 1.58 | 4th | ||
| 3 Pt. FG Pct. | .489 | 2nd | 11th | |
| 3 Pt. FG Made | 1.76 | 7th | ||
| Jeremy Killion | ||||
| Scoring | 9.4 | 24th | ||
| 3 Pt. FG Pct. | .371 | 13th | ||
| 3 Pt. FG Made | 1.56 | 11th |
Utah in the Polls
| Associated Press | USA Today/ESPN | |||
| 1. | Stanford (69) | 1. | Stanford (28) | |
| 2. | Duke | 2. | Duke | |
| 3. | Cincinnati | 3. | Cincinnati (3) | |
| 4. | Arizona (1) | 4. | Arizona | |
| 5. | Michigan State | 5. | Michigan State | |
| 6. | Ohio State | 6. | Ohio State | |
| 7. | Tennessee | 7. | Tennessee | |
| 8. | Temple | 8. | Auburn | |
| 9. | Florida | 9. | Oklahoma State | |
| 10. | Oklahoma State | 10. | Florida | |
| 11. | Auburn | 11. | Syracuse | |
| 12. | Tulsa | 12. | Temple | |
| 13. | Syracuse | 13. | Tulsa | |
| 14. | Texas | 14. | Indiana | |
| 15. | LSU | 15. | Texas | |
| 16. | Indiana | 16. | Kentucky | |
| 17. | Iowa State | 17. | LSU | |
| 18. | Kentucky | 18. | Iowa State | |
| 19. | Maryland | 19. | Maryland | |
| 20. | Oklahoma | 20. | Oklahoma | |
| 21. | Purdue | 21. | Connecticut | |
| 22. | Connecticut | 22. | Vanderbilt | |
| 23. | Kansas | 23. | Kansas | |
| 24. | Vanderbilt | 24. | UTAH | |
| 25. | UTAH | 25. | Purdue |
Utah's Ranking by Week
| Associated | USA Today/ | ||
| Press | ESPN | ||
| Preseason | 15 | 15 | |
| Nov. 14 | 16 | 15 | |
| Nov. 21 | 19 | 17 | |
| Nov. 28 | 20 | 19 | |
| Dec. 5 | nr | 25 | |
| Dec. 12 | nr | 25 | |
| Dec. 19 | nr | 24 | |
| Dec. 26 | 21 | 24 | |
| Jan. 2 | 18 | 22 | |
| Jan. 9 | nr | 24 | |
| Jan. 16 | 22 | 20 | |
| Jan. 23 | 19 | 19 | |
| Jan. 30 | 19 | 19 | |
| Feb. 6 | 21 | 20 | |
| Feb. 13 | 21 | 20 | |
| Feb. 20 | 25 | 24 |
| Consecutive Weeks Ranked by Associated Press | 6 |
| Last Time Not Ranked | Jan. 10, 2000 |
| Consecutive Weeks Ranked by USA Today/ESPN | 23 |
| Last Time Not Ranked | Jan. 25, 1999 |
Noting the Utes
Game #25 Rewind
Hanno Mottola, out the last three games with torn ligaments in his right thumb and left elbow, came back to score a game-high 20 points in a reserve role and sparked a huge first-half surge as No. 25 Utah beat UNLV 96-52 on Monday night. The victory gave the Utes (20-5, 9-2 MWC) a two-game lead over UNLV (16-7, 7-4 MWC) with three league contests remaining. The Rebels fell into a second-place tie with New Mexico.
Phil Cullen added a career-high 19 points, making 6-of-7 field goals and all five of his three-point attempts. Alex Jensen scored 11 and hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. Kaspars Kambala, the only UNLV player in double figures, had 10 points.
Mottola hadn't played since a 72-66 road loss to the Rebels on Feb. 5, which ended Utah's streak of 25 straight conference victories. And the Utes seemed even more vulnerable after losing 72-65 at New Mexico on Saturday. No question the Utes are a different team with Mottola, who drew a standing ovation when he checked in with 14:02 remaining in the first half and the Utes leading 10-6. The cheers grew louder with 11:40 on the clock when Mottola made his first field goal on a feed from Jeff Johnsen for a 20-9 lead. And from there, Mottola simply took over. He hit a turnaround jumper on the right baseline. He split the lane for a finger-roll layup. He completed a three-point play. And after Mottola hit two free throws with 4:55 before halftime, Utah's lead grew to 40-18. Mottola had 15 points in the first half, hitting 4-of-6 from the field and 7-of-7 from the foul line.
Meanwhile, Utah's defense started forcing turnovers and shut down the UNLV attack. The Rebels shot 25 percent (8-of-32) in the first half and any hope of a comeback was buried by a 14-0 Utah run early in the second half.
Dalron Johnson's basket cut UNLV's deficit to 50-27 with 17:30 to play. But Cullen and Mottola made back-to-back three-pointers and Tony Harvey had two baskets to stretch the lead to 64-27 with 12:38 remaining.
Utah, which shot 54.1 percent from the field for the game, also utilized strong rebounding and solid free throw shooting. The Utes outboarded the Rebels 50-26 and made 22-of-23 from the line.
Putting Monday's Performance Into Perspective
The Utes scored a season-best 96 points and posted its most decisive win of the season (44 points) over UNLV on Monday night. It was Utah's most decisive win since defeating San Diego State by 48 points (86-38) on Feb. 11, 1999.
Also against UNLV, Utah also set season-high marks for field goals made (33), free throw percentage (95.7) and rebounds (50). The Utes haven't pulled down 50 rebounds in a game since getting 56 against Azusa Pacific on Dec. 12, 1997. Utah also limited UNLV to 30.6 percent shooting from the field, the lowest mark by a Ute opponent this season. It was the Utes' best defensive effort since also holding New Mexico to 30.6 percent field goal shooting on March 6, 1999.
Rick's Remarks
On playing Colorado State - "Colorado State played terrific against us here, and we're going to be very leery about going in there. They do an outstanding job defensively and they're very well coached. I like the way they share the ball, although they have some stars. (John) Sivesind is one of the better three-point shooters in the country--forget about the league, he's one of the best in the country. (Ceedric) Goodwyn, in my estimation, is an NBA draft pick. He's has all the tools and ability, as well as a terrific body. He also plays with great heart. We're fully aware of how good this team is and we are looking forward to that challenge."Odd and Ends
Utah has shot 52 percent or better from the field in 12 games overall and five of 11 conference games this season. Most recently, Utah shot 54.1 percent from the field (33-of-61) against UNLV on Feb. 21. The Utes are 14-1 when they shoot better than 50 percent this season.
Utah had its worst shooting game of the season against UNLV on Feb. 5, converting just 38.2 percent (21-of-55) from the field and 21.4 percent (3-of-14) from three-point range.
Utah shot a season-best 62.8 percent (27-of-43) from the field against Air Force on Jan. 29, helped by a 72.7 percent effort (16-of-22) in the second half. The Utes accomplished this while attempting a season-low 11 three-pointers.
The Utes broke out of a shooting slump with a 52.5 percent effort from the field (21-of-40) and 52.9 percent night from three-point range (9-of-17) against Colorado State on Jan. 24. Before that game, Utah had not shot above 53 percent from the field for five games or above 53 percent from three-point range for six games.
Utah has shot 50 percent or better from three-point range in six games this season: Stony Brook (50.0), Utah State (66.7), Washington State (50.0), Chicago State (52.4), Oregon State (60.0) and Colorado State on Jan. 24 (52.9).
Three Utes have shot roughly half of their field goals from three-point range. Jeremy Killion has taken 105 of his 180 attempts, Tony Harvey has shot 84 of 172 and Phil Cullen has attempted 64 of 116 field goals from beyond the arc. Alex Jensen has taken over one-third of his field goal attempts from three-point range (90 of 215).
Utah's 20-point loss at Louisville was its worst since suffering a 101-70 loss to Kentucky in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament on Mar. 21, 1996. The Utes have not lost a game by more than 16 points (87-71 at New Mexico on Feb. 1, 1997) since then. Utah has lost just three games by 20 points or more during Rick Majerus' 11-year tenure.
With its win over San Diego State on Jan. 10, Utah improved to 27-11 in conference openers (16-3 home/11-8 road) since joining the Western Athletic Conference in 1962.
Oregon State shot 55.6 percent (30-of-54) against the Utes on Dec. 28, the highest percentage by a Utah opponent this season. Texas had the second-best shooting night by an opponent this season, making 55.1 percent (27-of-49) of its field goals.
Eleven players have started for the Utes this season in eight different lineups.
The Utes have scored above 80 points five times this season: Chicago State on Dec. 18 (W, 84-58), Oregon State on Dec. 28 (W, 87-77), New Mexico on Jan. 31 (W, 82-70), San Diego State on Feb. 10 (W, 83-65) and UNLV on Feb. 21 (W, 96-52). All five games were played at home.
Utah has held three opponents below 50 points and 12 opponents below 60 points this season.
Utah surrendered a season-low 42 points in its 35-point win over Utah State on Dec. 7. The Utes also allowing the Aggies to shoot just 30.8 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from three-point range.
In the Polls
Utah fell four spots to No. 24 in the USA Today/ESPN poll released on Feb. 20 and descended four places to No. 25 in Associated Press poll released on Feb. 21. Utah has been ranked in the USA Today/ESPN poll Top 25 poll for 23 consecutive weeks, dating back to last season. The Utes have been ranked 19 out of the last 23 weeks by A.P. Utah was out of the A.P. Top 25 poll for one week before climbing back in on Jan. 17.
Utah had been ranked in the national polls every week since early in the 1994-95 season before falling out in December of 1998. Utah has finished among the top 10 teams in the nation three consecutive years.
An Efficient Attack With Long-Strike Capability
Utah ranks fourth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (40.3) and seventh in overall field goal percentage (49.6) as of Feb. 22. Ranking among the top three-point shooting ball clubs in the nation is a rare occurrence for a Rick Majerus-coached Ute team. The previous best three-point shooting team during Majerus' 11-year tenure at Utah was in 1993, when the Utes finished 10th (41.0 percent) in the NCAA rankings.
However, running an efficient offense is nothing new at the U. Traditionally propelled by a strong inside game, the Utes have finished the season ranked in the top 25 in the nation in field goal percentage the last five consecutive years and six times overall during the Majerus era. Utah ranked 13th in the NCAA in field goal percentage (47.4) in 1998-99 and was fifth in 1996-97 (49.6).
This season, Utah shot 50 percent or better from three-point range in four of six games from Dec. 7 through Dec. 28. The "Gunnin'" Utes tied a school record with 14 three-pointers against both Utah State (Dec. 7) and Washington State (Dec. 11). Against Utah State, Utah shot 73 percent (11-of-15) from three-point range in the first half, breaking the school record of 10 three-pointers in a half set in 1993 and 1995, both times against Fresno State. The Utes continued their hot shooting by going 12-of-20 (60.0%) from downtown against Oregon State on Dec. 28. Utah also made 52.9 percent of its three-point tries (9-of-17) against Colorado State on Jan. 24. However, Utah did not shot above 40 percent from three-point range for five consecutive games before making 42.1 percent (8-of-19) against UNLV on Feb. 21.
Defense, Defense, Defense
One of the trademarks of a Rick Majerus coached team is a stifling half-court defense. In the last 10 seasons under Majerus, Utah has ranked in the top 30 in the nation eight times in field goal percentage defense, seven times in the top 25 in scoring defense, seven times in the top 25 in scoring margin and seven times in the top 30 in rebound margin.
Through 25 games this season, Utah has given up an average of 61.1 points per game to rank 18th in the nation in scoring defense as of Feb. 22. The Utes have also outscored the opposition by an average of 11.7 points per game to rank 22nd in the NCAA in scoring margin.
Utah ranked fourth in the NCAA in scoring defense last season, giving up just 55.4 points per game. The Utes have been in the top eight three times in 10 seasons. The Utes ranked ninth in the nation in rebound margin last season (8.2 rpg) and have been ranked among the top 15 teams in the country in that category five years in a row. Utah has been among the top 30 teams in the nation in field goal percentage defense five consecutive years, including four top-10 rankings. The Utes were 29th in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense last season, limiting their opponents to 39.5 percent shooting from the floor.
Thanks to their stifling defense, the U. has also ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation in scoring margin five years in a row and seven times in the last 10 years. The Utes ranked fifth in the nation in scoring margin in 1998-99, outscoring the opposition by an average of 15.9 points per game.
Awesome Alex
Senior forward Alex Jensen (6-7, 225) has started all 92 games since the start of the 1997-98 season after returning from a two-year LDS church mission. A preseason all-Mountain West Conference selection, Jensen has lived up to his billing. During the conference season, Jensen ranks eighth among the league players in scoring (15.7 ppg), second in field goal percentage (58.9) and third in rebounding (8.7 rpg). In 11 conference games, he has led the Utes four times in scoring, eight times in rebounding and six times in assists.
On the season, Jensen has Utah's second-best scoring average (14.4 ppg), shooting 56.7 percent from the field and 48.9 percent from three-point range to rank 11th in the country. He is the team's top rebounder (7.6 rpg). Jensen has led Utah seven times in scoring, 17 times in rebounds and 10 times in assists this season. He has also scored in double figures in all but four games--including four 20-point performances--and has had seven rebounds or more in 15 games.
Jensen posted his fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes against UNLV on Feb. 21. He also had double-doubles in back-to-back games recently. Jensen finished with team-highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds at UNLV on Feb. 5. He went 5-of-8 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line in 37 minutes. In the previous game, Jensen had a career-high 26 points and 12 rebounds against New Mexico on Jan. 31. He went 8-of-10 from the field, 2-of-4 from three-point range and 8-of-11 from the free throw line, and had three assists in 38 minutes against the Lobos. In another outstanding performance, he had 20 points--shooting 8-of-10 from the field, 2-of-4 from three-point range and 2-of-4 from the free throw line--and 9 rebounds in 37 minutes at Air Force on Jan. 29. The Centerville, Utah, native had a season-best 14 rebounds against Wyoming on Jan. 22 and made a career-best nine three-pointers against Augusta State on Dec. 3. Jensen is also an excellent defensive player who can defend all five positions on the floor and has excelled in the role as the team's defensive stopper.
Perhaps one of the best unknown players in the country, Jensen earned first team all-Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division honors last season and was named to the league all-defensive team. His triple-double of 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Fresno State on Jan. 25, 1999 was only the second in the 31-year history of the Jon M. Huntsman Center, the other was posted by Magic Johnson of Michigan State in the semifinals of the 1979 NCAA Final Four.
Jensen Joins 1,000 Point/800 Rebound Club
This season, senior forward Alex Jensen became the ninth Ute all-time and the fourth under Rick Majerus to record 1,000 career points and 800 career rebounds. Jensen currently has 1,221 points and 847 boards in four years at Utah. The Centerville, Utah, native became the 28th Ute to surpass the 1,000-point plateau with 10 points against Oregon State on Dec. 28. He had 12 rebounds against New Mexico on Jan. 31 to surpass the 800-rebound benchmark. Jensen currently ranks 20th in career scoring, ninth in total rebounds, second in offensive rebounds (317) and fifth in defensive rebounds (530) at the U.
Mentioning Mottola
Hanno Mottola was rated among the top players in college basketball during the preseason. Playboy magazine selected Mottola to their 10-player All-America team. He was also named one of the early finalists for the Wooden and Naismith National Player of the Year awards. Basketball News named Mottola as the 12th-best inside-outer in college basketball. The Mountain West Conference media selected Mottola as the preseason player of the year, while both the media and coaches placed him on the preseason all-conference team.
1999-2000 Standings
| (As of Feb. 22) | Conf. | Pct. | Overall | Pct. | |
| 1. | UTAH | 9-2 | .818 | 20-5 | .800 |
| 2. | UNLV | 7-4 | .636 | 16-7 | .696 |
| New Mexico | 7-4 | .636 | 15-11 | .577 | |
| 4. | Wyoming | 6-5 | .545 | 16-10 | .615 |
| 5. | BYU | 5-5 | .500 | 16-7 | .696 |
| Colorado State | 5-5 | .500 | 15-10 | .600 | |
| 7. | Air Force | 3-7 | .300 | 7-16 | .304 |
| 8. | San Diego State | 0-10 | .000 | 5-18 | .217 |
This Week's Schedule
February 22 (Tuesday)
Florida Atlantic at UNLV, 7:35 p.m.
February 24 (Thursday)
*San Diego State at Air Force, 8:00 p.m.
*BYU at Colorado State, 7:00 p.m.
February 26 (Saturday)
*Air Force at UNLV, 7:35 p.m.
*BYU at Wyoming, 4:07 p.m.
*Utah at Colorado State, 1:04 p.m. (ESPN+Plus)
*San Diego State at New Mexico, 7:05 p.m.
February 28 (Monday)
*Utah at Wyoming, 10:04 p.m. (ESPN)
Last Week's Results
February 14 (Monday)
*Wyoming 99, New Mexico 93
February 17 (Thursday)
*New Mexico 78, BYU 74
February 19 (Saturday)
*Wyoming 71, San Diego St. 57
*New Mexico 72, Utah 65
*Colorado State 66, Air Force 64
*BYU 83, UNLV 82
February 21 (Monday)
*Wyoming 61, Air Force 51
*Utah 96, UNLV 52
Climbing the Career Charts
Scoring
| 1. | Keith Van Horn (1993-97) | 2,542 | |
| 2. | Billy McGill (1959-62) | 2,321 | |
| 3. | Josh Grant (1988-93) | 2,000 | |
| 4. | Mike Newlin (1968-71) | 1,849 | |
| 5. | Luther Burden (1972-75) | 1,790 | |
| 6. | Jeff Judkins (1974-78) | 1,740 | |
| 7. | Danny Vranes (1977-81) | 1,701 | |
| 8. | Tom Chambers (1977-78) | 1,698 | |
| 9. | Mitch Smith (1985-89) | 1,628 | |
| 10. | Andre Miller (1995-99) | 1,618 | |
| - - - | |||
| 17. | Hanno Mottola (1996-Present) | 1,382 | |
| 20. | Alex Jensen (1994-95, 97-Present) | 1,221 |
Blocked Shots
| 1. | Mitch Smith (1985-89) | 157 |
| 2. | Keith Van Horn (1993-97) | 126 |
| 3. | Michael Doleac (1994-98) | 124 |
| 4. | Josh Grant (1988-93) | 109 |
| 5. | Albert Springs (1983-87) | 76 |
| 6. | Larry Cain (1989-93) | 67 |
| 7. | Andre Miller (1995-99) | 65 |
| 8. | Paul Afeaki (1990-92) | 57 |
| 9. | Danny Vranes (1977-81) | 49 |
| 10. | Hanno Mottola (1996-Present) | 46 |
Total Rebounds
| 1. | Billy McGill (1959-62) | 1,106 | |
| 2. | Keith Van Horn (1993-97) | 1,074 | |
| 3. | Josh Grant (1988-93) | 1,066 | |
| 4. | Mitch Smith (1985-89) | 1,036 | |
| 5. | Danny Vranes (1977-81) | 951 | |
| 6. | Ken Gardner (1968-71) | 892 | |
| 7. | Michael Doleac (1994-98) | 886 | |
| 8. | Tom Chambers (1977-81) | 876 | |
| 9. | Alex Jensen (1994-95, 97-Present) | 847 | |
| 10. | Mike Sojourner (1972-74) | 733 |
Offensive Rebounds
| 1. | Josh Grant (1988-93) | 337 |
| 2. | Alex Jensen (1994-95, 97-Present) | 317 |
| 3. | Michael Doleac (1994-98) | 288 |
| 4. | Mitch Smith (1985-89) | 260 |
| 5. | Keith Van Horn (1993-97) | 235 |
| 6. | Andre Miller (1995-99) | 189 |
| 7. | Walter Watts (1988-91) | 178 |
| 8. | Hanno M?tt?la (1996-Present) | 164 |
| 9. | Brandon Jessie (1994-96) | 161 |
| 10. | Byron Wilson (1990-93) | 148 |
Defensive Rebounds
| 1. | Keith Van Horn (1993-97) | 839 |
| 2. | Josh Grant (1988-93) | 729 |
| 3. | Michael Doleac (1994-98) | 598 |
| 4. | Mitch Smith (1985-89) | 549 |
| 5. | Alex Jensen (1994-95, 97-Present) | 530 |
| 6. | Andre Miller (1995-99) | 454 |
| 7. | Hanno Mottola (1996-99) | 354 |
| 8. | Byron Wilson (1990-93) | 301 |
| 9. | Phil Dixon (1989-94) | 279 |
| 10. | Walter Watts (1988-91) | 275 |
Mottola Effective When Healthy
Despite battling injuries all season, senior forward Hanno Mottola (6-9, 250) is Utah's leader in scoring average (17.7 ppg) and has led the Utes in scoring in nine of the 14 games he has played in this season.
Mottola made his second triumphant return from injury this season against UNLV on Monday. Coming off the bench after missing three games due to torn ligaments in his left elbow and right thumb, Mottola scored a game-high 20 points in 19 minutes. He shot 5-of-7 from the field, 1-of-3 from three-point range and 9-of-9 at the free throw line.
The Helsinki, Finland, native also missed the first eight games of the season with a partial medial collateral tear in his left knee. Mottola successfully made his return on Dec. 18. In a five game stretch from Dec. 22-Jan. 6, he scored 131 points in 152 minutes, shooting 45-of-72 from the field and 9-of-14 from three-point range. Mottola had a double-double with a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds against Texas on Dec. 22. He also made a personal-best 12 field goals in 21 attempts in that game. He had a double-double with 20 points, making 6-of-10 field goals, and 10 rebounds against Southern Utah on Jan. 1. For his efforts, he was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week (Dec. 21-Jan. 2) on Jan. 3. Mottola closed out his hot streak with a game-high 27 points--making 8-of-12 field goals, 2-of-3 three-pointers and 9-of-12 free throws--in 31 minutes at Louisville on Jan. 6.
Mottola would rank fourth in the conference in scoring if he had played enough games to qualify. The Mountain West and NCAA statistics requirement is 75 percent of games played.
Mottola earned first team all-Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division honors last season and was named second team all-WAC in the Mountain Division in 1997-98. As a junior, the Helsinki, Finland, native ranked 13th in the WAC in scoring (15.3 ppg) and was Utah's top scorer during the conference season with an average of 16.4 points per game. Mottola led the Utes in scoring a team-best 13 times, scoring in double figures in all but four of the 33 games and tossing in 20 points or more on nine occasions. He was the team's leading rebounder in 11 games and had two double-doubles.
Mottola ranks high in several career statistical categories at the U. He is 17th all-time in scoring (1,382), seventh in defensive rebounds (354), eighth in offensive boards (164) and 10th place in blocked shots (46).
Let's Hear It For Harvey
Senior guard/forward Tony Harvey (6-5, 200) has significantly improved his play since the start of the Mountain West Conference season, so much so that he has started the last four games at point guard after primarily playing off the bench since early December.
Harvey has scored in double figures in eight of the 11 league games--including seven in a row heading into Monday's game against UNLV. Harvey equalled a career high with 19 points to go with five rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes against New Mexico on Feb. 19. He made 7-of-17 shots from the field overall and 5-of-10 from three-point range. Harvey had 14 points--thanks in part to making four three-pointers--in the second half alone against the Lobos.
Also since being inserted into the starting line-up, Harvey also had 14 points against both San Diego State (Feb. 10) and Brigham Young (Feb. 12). He had a perfect shooting night against SDSU, making all five field goals, his only three-point attempt and each of his three free throws in 26 minutes. During the conference season, the Carson, Calif., native is averaging 11.9 points per game while shooting 52.3 percent from the field overall to rank eighth in the Mountain West and 53.7 percent (22-of-41) from three-point range to rank first in the league.
Take Note of Nate
Junior 6-11 center Nate Althoff is another Ute who has stepped-up his play in recent weeks. Althoff was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week on Feb. 14 after leading the Runnin' Utes to two wins in league play over San Diego State (Feb. 10) and BYU (Feb. 12).
In the two games, the Delano, Minn., (Delano HS) product scored 37 points (18.5 ppg) and pulled down eight boards. Althoff shot an astounding 80 percent from the field (12-for-15) and 86.7 percent from the free throw line (13-for-15).
Althoff was the Utes' leading scorer in an 83-65 victory over San Diego State on Feb. 10 with a career-high 22 points. He went 6-for-8 from the field and made a personal-best 10-of-11 free throws. In a 77-62 win vs. BYU on Feb. 12, Althoff hit 6-of-7 shots from the field and went 3-for-4 from the foul line for 15 points and grabbed five rebounds.
The Utes' "Big Man" followed-up his player of the week honor with 17 points (8-of-12 FG), a game-high eight rebounds and two blocked shots in 21 minutes against New Mexico last Saturday. On Monday night against UNLV, Althoff came back from a first half knee injury to score seven points (3-of-4 FG) and grab seven rebounds in 12 minutes.
Althoff currently leads the MWC and ranks 19th in the nation in field goal percentage at 61.2 (82-for-134). He has improved his shooting percentage in conference play to 65.3 (47-for-72). Althoff has had two 20-point games and 10 double-figure scoring games this season.
Utes Lead the Nation with 51-Game Home Winning Streak
Utah retained the longest active homecourt winning streak in NCAA Division I with a 96-52 win over UNLV on Feb. 21. The Utes have won 51 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 also the longest homecourt winning streak in school history.
No other team in the nation has won more than 30 consecutive homes games. Cincinnati had sent 42 consecutive opposing teams home with a loss before losing to Temple (77-69) on Feb. 20. Duke, which had won 46 straight at home, lost to Maryland (98-87) on Feb. 9.
The Utes are 16-0 at home this season. Utah went 14-0 at home in 1998-99 to post the sixth undefeated home season in the 31-year history of the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Five 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). The Utes are 145-10 (.935) 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 wins sandwiched in between the two losses, Utah has won 91 of its last 93 games played in the Huntsman Center.
Jensen Poised to Close Out Undefeated Home Career
Senior Alex Jensen is one win away from closing out his Utah career without tasting the bitterness of a loss at the Huntsman Center. The Utes went 15-0 during Jensen's freshman season in 1994-95. Since returning from his two-year LDS Church mission, Jensen has been in the line-up for 43 consecutive contests in the Huntsman Center, playing all but the first eight games of Utah's 51 consecutive home wins. Jensen could finish his career as the only four-year Utah player to never lose a home game. Jensen will take to the Huntsman Center hardwood, along with the rest of Utah's senior class, for the final time against Air Force on March 4.
Getting Defensive in the Mountain West
Although the Utes don't rank among the top teams in the nation in rebound margin this season, they have continued to be a dominant team on the boards in league play. Utah has not been outrebounded in 44 consecutive conference games, including the first 11 games this season. The last time the Utes faced a deficit on the boards in league play was 32-27 in a WAC contest at Tulsa on Feb. 22, 1997. In the Mountain West conference, Utah ranks first in rebound margin with a 5.6 rpg edge over the course of the entire season and a 7.9 rpg advantage in league games. The Utes are 16-2 when they outrebound their opponents this season.
Utah cranked it up defensively to start the conference season. Utah's first three Mountain West Conference opponents shot just 38.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range combined. The Utes held San Diego State to 38.0 percent field goal shooting (19-of-50) on Jan. 10, BYU to 40.0 percent field goal shooting (16-of-40) on Jan. 15 and Wyoming to a 39.0 percent effort from the field (23-of-59) on Jan. 22. BYU's 40 field goal attempts was the lowest by a Ute opponent this season. The Utes also held BYU without a field goal for the final 7:50 and Wyoming scoreless for the final 2:42 to seal victories.
Against BYU on Feb. 12, the Utes held the Cougars to 41.2 percent shooting from the field and a 38.1 percent night from three-point range. Utah also had a 35-21 edge on the boards. Utah held UNLV to 30.6 percent shooting, the lowest mark by an opponent this season, on Feb. 21. The Utes also had a 50-26 edge on the boards in the 96-52 victory.
Utah's Record When. . .
| Leading At Half | 18-2 |
| Trailing At Half | 0-3 |
| Tied At Half | 2-0 |
| Leading With 5:00 Remaining | 19-0 |
| Trailing With 5:00 Remaining | 1-4 |
| Tied With 5:00 Remaining | 0-1 |
| In Overtime | 0-0 |
| Utah Outrebounds Opponent | 16-2 |
| Rebounds Are Even | 2-0 |
| Opponent Outrebounds Utah | 2-3 |
| Utah Commits More Turnovers | 7-5 |
| Opponent Commits More Turnovers | 13-0 |
| Utah Has More Free Throw Attempts | 13-1 |
| Opponent Has More Free Throw Attempts | 7-4 |
| Utah Shoots 50% or Better | 14-1 |
| Utah Shoots Less Than 50% | 6-4 |
| Opponent Shoots 50% or Better | 4-2 |
| Opponent Shoots Less Than 50% | 16-3 |
| Utah Shoots Better Than Opponent | 18-1 |
| Field Goal Shooting Equal | 1-0 |
| Opponent Shoots Better Than Utah | 1-4 |
| Utah Bench Outscores Opponent Bench | 16-3 |
| Opponent Bench Outscores Utah Bench | 3-1 |
| Utah Scores Less Than 60 | 1-2 |
| Utah Scores Between 60-69 | 3-2 |
| Utah Scores Between 70-79 | 11-1 |
| Utah Scores Between 80-89 | 4-0 |
| Utah Scores Between 90-99 | 1-0 |
| Utah Scores 100 or More | 0-0 |
| Opponent Scores Less Than 60 | 11-1 |
| Opponent Scores Between 60-69 | 5-0 |
| Opponent Scores Between 70-79 | 4-3 |
| Opponent Scores Between 80-89 | 0-1 |
| Opponent Scores 90 or More | 0-0 |
| On Mondays | 5-0 |
| On Tuesdays | 3-0 |
| On Wednesdays | 1-1 |
| On Thursdays | 2-1 |
| On Fridays | 2-1 |
| On Saturdays | 7-2 |
| On Sundays | 0-0 |
| On ABC | 0-1 |
| On ESPN | 4-1 |
| On ESPN+Plus | 2-0 |
| On Local Television | 6-3 |
| Consecutive Games with a 3-Point FG | 51 |
| Consecutive Games Oppon. Under 100 points | 124 |
| Consecutive Games Oppon. Under 90 points | 113 |
| Utah's Last Overtime Game | Mar. 5, 1999 vs. Tulsa (W, 64-61) |
Runnin' Utes Enjoy Another Successful Semester in the Classroom
Six members of the Utah basketball team were named to the academic honor roll for the 1999 fall semester. Starter Hanno Mottola (economics), a second team GTE Academic All-American in 1998-99, heads the list. Reserves Jeff Johnsen (pre-communications), Mike Puzey (pre-physical therapy), Adam Sharp (finance) and Brandon Sluga (exercise and sports science), as well as transfer Chris Burgess (pre-communications) also made the honor roll.
Just short of meeting honor roll criteria were seniors Alex Jensen (finance) and Jeremy Killion (communications). All four seniors are on track to graduate. Killion and Mottola are expected to receive their degrees in May, while Jensen is on pace to finish during the summer semester. Mottola has been nominated for Academic All-America honors once again. He is a strong candidate to become the fourth Academic All-American during Rick Majerus' 11-year tenure at the U.
Majerus has had 19 players make the honor roll a combined 114 times during his tenure.
Majerus Records 350th Career Victory
Head coach Rick Majerus captured his 350th career win with a 56-49 victory at Brigham Young on Jan. 15. Majerus' career mark is 357-121 in 16 seasons. He also has a 258-69 record in 11 seasons at Utah.
Only four coaches in the history of college basketball have won 350 games in fewer seasons than Majerus. Nolan Richardson (Tulsa/Arkansas), Denny Crum (Louisville), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and John Thompson (Georgetown) reached the 350 career wins plateau in 15 seasons. Jerry Tarkanian (Long Beach State/UNLV), Billy Tubbs (Southwest Texas State/Lamar/Oklahoma), Bob Huggins (Walsh/Akron/Cincinnati) and Everett Case (North Carolina State) also posted their 350th career win during their 16th season.
Majerus became just the third coach at the U. to win 250 games with Utah's 70-55 win at San Diego State on Jan. 10. Vadal Peterson went 385-230 from 1927-53 and Jack Gardner, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, went 339-154 from 1953-71.
Majerus Named to Wisconsin's Best of the 20th Century
Runnin' Ute head coach Rick Majerus was honored as one of the "Best of the 20th Century" in his home state of Wisconsin by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The Sheboygan, Wis., native was one of 10 individuals listed under Top Coaches/Managers. Ranked seventh on the list, Majerus was joined by Curly Lambeau, D. Wayne Lucas, Bud Grant and Marv Harshman.
NCAA Tournament Returns to the Huntsman Center in March
The University of Utah's Jon M. Huntsman Center will host NCAA Tournament West Region first and second round games in March. Four first round games will be played on March 16 and two second round games will take place on March 18.
This marks the 13th time the Huntsman Center has hosted the NCAA Tournament. The JMHC ranks third among the nation's arenas for the most NCAA Tournament games hosted, with 63 having been played in the building.
Recognized as a site of championships, the Huntsman Center, which opened its doors in 1969, has housed numerous national championships. In 1979, the arena accommodated the NCAA Final Four--deemed one of the most successful ever held--featuring Michigan State's Magic Johnson and Indiana State's Larry Bird in the championship game. The arena has also hosted eight national gymnastics championships.
Utes Favored to Win Inaugural MWC Championship
Both the league coaches and media overwhelmingly selected Utah to finish atop the conference and claim the first-ever Mountain West Conference men's basketball title. New Mexico was picked second in both polls, followed by a third-place tie in the coaches' poll with UNLV and Wyoming. Colorado State was selected to finish fifth, BYU sixth and then another tie for seventh place between San Diego State and Air Force. In the media poll, UNLV was chosen to finish third, followed by Wyoming, Colorado State, BYU, San Diego State and Air Force.
Ute seniors Alex Jensen and Hanno Mottola were named to the preseason all-conference team by both the coaches and the media. The media honored Mottola as the league's top returning player.
Of the eight teams comprising the new league, five received postseason invitations a year ago: Utah and New Mexico were in the NCAA Tournament field, each advancing to the second round, Colorado State, UNLV and Wyoming played in the NIT. The league concludes its first season of competition with the Mountain West Conference Tournament, March 9-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Rick Majerus
Considered as one of the top coaches in America, Rick Majerus has entrenched the University of Utah in college basketball's power structure. The Utes' steady rise in national prominence since Majerus' arrival on the "Hill" at the start of the 1989-90 season was crystallized by a trip to the 1998 NCAA Final Four, where Utah finished as the national runner-up.
Entering his 15th season as a college head coach, Majerus' career winning percentage of .744 was the fourth-highest among active Division I coaches and ranked 15th all-time. Among active coaches, only Roy Williams (Kansas), Jerry Tarkanian (Fresno State and John Kreese (College of Charleston) had better winning percentages. By notching his 350th career victory with a 56-49 win at Brigham Young on Jan. 15, Majerus became one of just nine coaches all-time to reach the 350 wins plateau in 16 seasons, only four coaches have won 350 games in fewer seasons than Majerus.
Majerus, who has never had a losing season, has averaged 22 wins per year over the course of his career. He has won 20 games 12 times and 30 games twice. Majerus has also guided eight teams to the NCAA Tournament and four others to the NIT.
A successful coach since the beginning, Majerus' best years have come at Utah. While leading the Utes to unprecedented success, Majerus has become the winningest coach in modern times at the U. Despite the fact that he coached just six games his first season due to heart surgery, Majerus' Utah teams have averaged nearly 24 wins a year. Take away his shortened debut season, and the Utes have won 20 games all but once, averaging 26 wins in nine full seasons under Majerus.
In each of the past five seasons, the U. has won at least 27 games, including a school-record 30 victories in 1997-98. Only 13 times has an NCAA Division I program won at least 25 games in five consecutive seasons. The Utes have claimed five consecutive Western Athletic Conference regular-season championships outright (including divisional titles the last three years) and made five straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
What Majerus' teams have accomplished since the beginning of his tenure is astounding. Consider:
In the '90s, Utah ranked eighth in NCAA Division I in both wins (250) and winning percentage (.767). Utah has averaged 25 wins over the last 10 seasons.
The past three seasons, Utah went 87-13 to post the fourth-most wins in NCAA Division I. Utah's .870 winning percentage during that time ranked second in the nation, just a tenth of a percentage point behind the College of Charleston.
The Utes have made seven trips to the NCAA Tournament under Majerus. Utah is one of just six programs to advance to at least the second round of the NCAAs in each of the past five seasons.
Utah has advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 four times and made back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 1997 and 1998. The Utes also played in the 1998 NCAA Final Four, losing to Kentucky in the national championship game.
Majerus guided the Utes to the ninth-most wins (15) and the ninth-best winning percentage (.682) in NCAA Tournament play in the '90s. Over the past five years, Utah moved up to fourth place in NCAA Tournament wins (12) and eighth in winning percentage (.706).
Utah advanced it to the NIT Final Four in 1992, placing third.
Before departing the WAC after last season, Utah had won seven regular-season titles--including five in a row--in 10 seasons under Majerus.
Utah won the WAC Tournament championship in 1995, '97 and '99.
His players have been named All-America five times--twice consensus choices--conference player of the year six times and first team all-conference 16 times.
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Former Runnin’ Ute Branden Carlson
Tuesday, May 19
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - College football analyst Yogi Roth
Wednesday, May 06
Utah Basketball Media Availability | 3.2.26
Monday, March 02
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Utah Basketball General Manager Wes Wilcox
Wednesday, February 25