Utah Takes On Air Force Saturday

March 1, 2000

Game #28

Utah Utes (20-7, 9-4 MWC) vs. Air Force Falcons (8-17, 4-8 MWC)

March 4 - 7:07 p.m. (MST)
Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000)
Salt Lake City

A Quick Look at Utah

SALT LAKE CITY - The Runnin' Utes are 20-7 overall and 9-4 in Mountain West Conference play, holding a half-game lead for first place in the league standings over UNLV and New Mexico heading into Thursday night's games. After starting the conference season with an 8-1 record, the Utes have lost three of their last four games. All of Utah's seven losses this season have come away from the Huntsman Center, giving the Utes a 4-7 road record. The Utes are 16-0 at home this season. Utah dropped two games during its recent road trip, falling to Colorado State 60-49 on Saturday afternoon in Fort Collins, Colo., and to Wyoming 88-61 on Monday night in Laramie, Wyo.

Senior 6-9 forward Hanno Mottola, who has missed 11 games this season due to injuries, leads the Utes in scoring average (17.4 ppg) and is third in rebounding (4.7 rpg). Senior 6-7 forward Alex Jensen is second on the team in scoring average (13.9 ppg) and is tops in rebounding (7.5 rpg). Jensen is also shooting 55.3 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three-point range. Junior 6-11 center Nate Althoff is third in scoring (9.7 ppg), second in rebounding (4.8 rpg) and leads the team in field goal percentage (60.8). Senior 5-11 guard Jeremy Killion is third on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg).

Utah is outscoring the opposition 71.4 to 62.0 points per game and has a 33.8 to 28.5 edge in rebounding. The Utes are shooting 48.3 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from three-point range and 73.3 percent from the free throw line.

The Game at a Glance

Utah Coach: Rick Majerus	Air Force Coach: Reggie Minton
Alma Mater: Marquette '70	Alma Mater: Wooster '63
Record at Utah: 258-71/11th Season	Record at Air Force: 150-293/16th Season
Overall Record: 357-123/16th Season	Overall Record: 161-308/17th Season

Television: KJZZ-TV (Channel 14, Cable 3) in Salt Lake City. Steve Brown (play-by-play) and Mark Eaton (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).

Series Record: Utah leads Air Force 32-6.
Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 19-1/13-5/0-0
Last Meeting: Utah defeated Air Force 64-63 on Jan. 29 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Majerus vs. Air Force Overall: 15-1, At Utah: 14-1

Utah Probable Starters

No.	Pos.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Ppg	Rpg	Hometown
50	F	Alex Jensen	6-7	225	Sr.	13.9	7.5	Centerville, Utah
13	F	Hanno Mottola	6-9	250	Sr.	17.4	4.7	Helsinki, Finland
52	C	Nate Althoff	6-11	260	Jr.	9.7	4.8	Delano, Minn.
5	G	Tony Harvey	6-5	200	Sr.	9.2	2.7	Carson, Calif.
32	G	Jeremy Killion	5-11	190	Sr.	9.4	1.9	San Diego, Calif.

Utah Off the Bench

No.	Pos.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Ppg	Rpg	Hometown
3	G	Gary Colbert	6-1	175	So.	3.8	2.3	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	3.9	Murray, Utah
40	F/C	Phil Cullen	6-9	215	So.	5.5	2.1	Chelan, Wash.
42	F	Mike Puzey	6-8	215	Fr.	2.8	2.8	Roy, Utah

Air Force Probable Starters

No.	Pos.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Ppg	Rpg	Hometown
4	F	Miguel Garcia	6-6	215	Sr.	7.1	6.0	Orlando, Fla.
32	F	Tom Bellairs	6-6	225	Fr.	8.6	9.4	Denver, Colo.
33	F	Tyron Wright	6-4	195	Sr.	13.8	4.7	West Columbia, S.C.
22	G	Vernard Jenkins	5-9	177	Sr.	5.1	2.1	Miami, Fla.
24	G	Jarvis Croff	6-4	190	Jr.	17.2	4.5	Beaumont, Texas

Coming Up

Utah plays in the Mountain West Conference Tournament next Thursday through Saturday (March 9-11) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.n Opening Tips

The Mountain West Conference Championship Race

Entering the final weekend of league play, the winner of the inaugural Mountain West Conference championship is still to be decided. Utah and Wyoming have Thursday night off while the remaining six MWC teams are in action. All eight teams close out the regular season on Saturday. Utah (9-4 M-West) is in first place by a half-game in the league standings. UNLV and New Mexico (8-4) are tied for second place. New Mexico hosts Colorado State (7-5) while UNLV hosts San Diego State (0-12) on Thursday. On Saturday, the Lobos face the Runnin' Rebels in Las Vegas at 12:07 p.m. (PST) on ESPN+Plus while Utah hosts Air Force (4-8) at 7:07 p.m. (MST) on KJZZ-TV. With a win on Saturday over Air Force, Utah assures itself of at least a tie for the regular-season title.

If two teams tie for a position, and one holds a win-loss advantage during regular season play, that team receives the higher seed in the conference tournament. If the two teams split their games during the regular season (which Utah did with both New Mexico and UNLV), each tied team's record shall be compared against the team occupying the highest position in the standings, continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage, thereby gaining a higher seed. The Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Championship bracket will be released at 9:35 p.m. (MST) on Saturday.

Twenty-Twenty Vision

With its win over UNLV on Feb. 21, 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 (20-7).

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 9-4 record this season and five straight regular-season titles is 80-13 (.860), 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.

Mottola Named to District Academic All-America Team

Senior forward Hanno Mottola has been named to the 2000 GTE/CoSIDA District VIII Academic All-America team. It is the fourth straight season that Utah has been represented on District VIII team. Mottola, an economics major with a 3.38 GPA, was named to the team last year, following Michael Doleac in 1997, and Doleac and Drew Hansen in 1998. Mottola also earned a place on the Academic All-America second team in 1999.

Despite missing 11 games this season due to injuries, the Helsinki, Finland, native is leading the Runnin' Utes in scoring average (17.4 ppg) and is second in rebounding (4.7 rpg). Mottola is also shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range.

Also named to the District VIII team were Mark Madsen of Stanford, Mate Milisa of Long Beach State, Derek Nesland of Portland State and A.D. Smith of Oregon. The district selections will be placed on the national ballot. The 2000 GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America men's basketball team will be announced March 14.

Jensen and Mottola Earn All-District 13 Honors

Utes senior forwards Alex Jensen and Hanno Mottola were named to the All-District 13 team as selected by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The first and second team members include:

First Team	Second Team
Alex Jensen, Utah	Ceedric Goodwyn, Colorado State
Harold Arceneaux, Weber State	Mekeli Wesley, Brigham Young
Courtney Alexander, Fresno State	Brandon Wolfram, UTEP
Hanno Mottola, Utah	Eddie Gill, Weber State
Lamont Long, New Mexico	Anthony Blakes, Wyoming

Utah vs. Air Force Preview

Scouting the Falcons

Air Force is 8-17 overall and in seventh place in the Mountain West Conference with a 4-8 record. The Falcons play at Brigham Young on Thursday night before facing the Utes. Last weekend, the Academy defeated San Diego State at home, 63-55, on Thursday and at UNLV, 84-61, on Saturday.

Junior 6-4 guard Jarvis Croff ranks sixth in the Mountain West Conference in scoring (17.2 ppg) and is shooting 36.6 percent (70-of-191) from three-point range. Senior 6-4 guard/forward Tyron Wright is 11th in the league in scoring (13.8 ppg). Freshman 6-6 forward Tom Bellairs leads in the MWC in rebounding (9.4 rpg) and is also averaging 8.6 points. Freshman 5-9 guard Vernard Jenkins leads the team in assists (3.2 apg).

Air Force ranks seventh in the Mountain West in scoring (68.4 ppg), fifth in scoring defense (72.5 ppg) and sixth in rebound margin, having been outboarded 37.0-36.9 rebounds per game. The Falcons are shooting 39.4 percent from the field, 30.8 percent from three-point range and 64.4 percent from the free throw line.

Series Notes

Utah leads the overall series with Air Force 32-6 and has won 19 of the 20 games played in Salt Lake City. The Utes have won seven in a row and 14 of the last 15 meetings from the Falcons. The last win by Air Force was 91-89 in overtime on Feb. 19, 1994 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Last Meeting

Alex Jensen made a three-point basket and a three-point play in the final 40 seconds, rallying Utah to a 64-63 victory over Air Force on Jan. 29 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Utes built an 11-point lead midway through the second half and then saw Air Force erase it with a 15-4 run. Jarvis Croff's three-pointer from the corner and Tom Bellairs' free throw gave the Falcons a 62-58 lead with 50 seconds left, but Jensen promptly made a long three-pointer. After Tyron Wright sank 1-of-2 free throws for a 63-61 lead, Jensen made a driving layup and was fouled with 15 seconds left, making the free throw as well.

Air Force nearly lost the ball twice on its last possession, and freshman Vernard Jenkins missed a shot from the line as time expired.

Jensen finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. Tony Harvey added 12 points and Hanno Mottola, who played only 24 minutes because of foul trouble and a hyperextended left elbow, had 10 points. Wright scored 20 points for the Falcons and Croff had 19.

Utah shot 73 percent (16-of-22) in the second half and 63 percent for the game, compared to Air Force's 45 percent. The Falcons were 21-of-25 from the line to the Utes' 5-of-11.

Mottola, scoreless in the first half, fueled a 9-0 run early in the second half with six points as Utah took control. Mottola fell on his elbow on a drive to the basket and missed the next three minutes, but he returned with an elastic sleeve on his elbow and made two jumpers.

Noting the Utes

Game #27 Rewind

Utah suffered its second consecutive Mountain West Conference loss, falling to Wyoming 88-61 on Monday night in Laramie, Wyo.

LeDarion Jones scored 25 points as Wyoming got its fifth win in a row. Jones was one of four Cowboys (18-10, 8-5 M-West) to score in double figures. Utah (20-7, 9-4 M-West) was led by Hanno Mottola with 19 points, but had no one else in double-digits. Jeremy Killion scored nine points and Alex Jensen had eight points and eight rebounds.

The Utes tied the game at 17 on a three-pointer by Phil Cullen and a basket by Tony Harvey, then scraped ahead 21-19 on 4-of-4 free throws by Mottola. But Wyoming struck back, with a Brett McFall steal and basket followed by four Cowboy three-pointers.

The gap widened to 41-24 with Marcus Bailey's basket from underneath, and Wyoming kept the pressure on to lead 45-31 at the half. Josh Davis' slam dunk brought the crowd to its feet after Wyoming began the second half by outscoring Utah 20-6. Wyoming's widest lead of 77-46 came on a three-pointer by Bradley Mann with 7:45 left in the game, capping a 12-3 Cowboys run.

The Cowboys outshot the Utes 46.7-35.1 percent after the Utes made just 7-of-26 shots in the first half. Utah outboarded Wyoming 41-39, but committed 21 turnovers.

It's Been A While

Utah lost back-to-back games to Colorado State (60-49) and Wyoming (88-61) last weekend, running Utah's road record to 4-7 this season. Those two losses set some marks for futility that haven't been touched for quite some time.

Utah's 27-point loss at Wyoming was its worst since suffering a 101-70 loss to Kentucky in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament on Mar. 21, 1996. Utah has lost just four games by 20 points or more during Rick Majerus' 11-year tenure.
The 27-point loss at Wyoming was Utah's worst in conference play under Rick Majerus. The Utes' previous worst conference loss under Majerus was 19 points (67-48) against Colorado State on Jan. 18, 1992 in Salt Lake City.
The last time Utah lost back-to-back games overall was during the 1994-95 season when the Utes fell to Maryland (90-78) on Nov. 22 and to Michigan (73-69) on Nov. 23 in the Maui Classic.
The last time Utah lost successive games in league play was in 1993-94 when the Utes lost Feb. 17 at Fresno State (95-86), Feb. 19 at Air Force (91-89 in OT) and Feb. 26 at BYU (73-70).
The 1993-94 season is also the last time Utah had a losing record on the road overall and in conference play.

Odd and Ends

Utah has shot 52 percent or better from the field in 12 games overall and five 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.
The Utes scored a season-best 96 points and posted its most decisive win of the season (44 points) over UNLV on Feb. 21. 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.
Utah had its worst shooting game of the season against Colorado State on Feb. 26, converting just 32.7 percent (18-of-55) from the field and 14.3 percent (3-of-21) from three-point range. The Utes also tied season lows by making just 18 field goals and 3 three-pointers, and set a season low for points in a half with 15 in the first 20 minutes against the Rams.
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).
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 nine 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 out of both of the major Top 25 polls this week after being ranked in at least one of the polls for 23 consecutive weeks. The Utes fell two spots to No. 26 in the USA Today/ESPN poll released on Feb. 27 and descended two places to No. 27 in Associated Press poll released on Feb. 28. Utah had been ranked 23 straight weeks by USA Today/ESPN and 19 of the last 23 weeks by A.P. dating back to last season.

Before falling out of the national polls in December of 1998, Utah had been ranked every week since early in the 1994-95 season. Utah has finished among the top 10 teams in the nation the past three years.

From the Training Room

Senior 6-9 forward Hanno Mottola, suffering from torn ligaments in his left elbow and right thumb, returned to action on Feb. 21 against UNLV after missing three games. Team doctors estimate that Mottola is 75 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 time off was necessary for Mottola to recover from the injuries.

Junior 6-11 center Nate Althoff hyperextended his right knee and bruised the patella early in the first half of the Feb. 21 game against UNLV. Althoff did return to finish the game. Sophomore 6-4 guard forward Jeff Johnsen continues to play with a sprained ankle, suffered in practice on Feb. 18.

An Efficient Attack With Long-Strike Capability

Utah ranks 21st in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (38.6) and 18th in overall field goal percentage (48.3) as of Feb. 29. 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. In two losses last weekend, Utah shot 14.3 percent from three-point range against Colorado State and 26.3 percent against Wyoming.

Three Utes have shot roughly half of their field goals from three-point range. Jeremy Killion has taken 113 of his 197 attempts, Tony Harvey has shot 92 of 187 and Phil Cullen has attempted 69 of 126 field goals from beyond the arc. Alex Jensen has taken over one-third of his field goal attempts from three-point range (97 of 228).

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 27 games this season, Utah has given up an average of 62.0 points per game to rank just outside of the top 20 in the nation in scoring defense as of Feb. 29. The Utes have also outscored the opposition by an average of 8.4 points per game to lead the Mountain West Conference 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 94 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 11th among the league players in scoring (14.5 ppg), fourth in field goal percentage (55.6), fourth in rebounding (8.3 rpg) and eighth in assists (2.77 apg). In 13 conference games, he has led the Utes four times in scoring, nine times in rebounding and seven times in assists. He has already earned first team All-District 13 honors from the NABC this season.

On the season, Jensen has Utah's second-best scoring average (13.9 ppg), shooting 55.3 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three-point range to rank eighth in the country. He is the team's top rebounder (7.5 rpg). Jensen has led Utah seven times in scoring, 18 times in rebounds and 11 times in assists this season. He has also scored in double figures in all but six games - including four 20-point performances - and has had seven rebounds or more in 16 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 preceding game against New Mexico on Jan. 31, Jensen had a career-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. 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 1,236 points and 859 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 19th in career scoring, ninth in total rebounds, second in offensive rebounds (318) and fifth in defensive rebounds (541) 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.

Mottola Effective When Healthy

Despite battling injuries all season, senior forward Hanno Mottola (6-9, 250) is Utah's leader in scoring average (17.4 ppg) and has led the Utes in scoring in 11 of the 16 games he has played in this season. He has already earned first team All-District 13 honors from the NABC.

Mottola made his second triumphant return from injury this season against UNLV on Feb. 21. 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 fifth in the conference in overall scoring if he had played enough games to qualify. The Mountain West and NCAA statistics requirement is 75 percent of games played. During the league season, Mottola ranks 13th in the M-West in scoring (13.1 ppg) and first in free throw percentage (83.3).

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 ranks high in several career statistical categories at the U. He is 16th all-time in scoring (1,412), seventh in defensive rebounds (359), eighth in offensive boards (165) 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 six games at point guard after primarily playing off the bench since early December.

Harvey has scored in double figures in eight of the 13 league games - including seven in a row heading into the Feb. 21 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 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 10.6 points per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field overall to rank 13th in the Mountain West and 44.9 percent (22-of-49) from three-point range to rank sixth 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 on Feb. 19. On Feb. 21 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 in field goal percentage at 60.8 (87-for-143). He has improved his shooting percentage in conference play to 64.2 (52-for-81), which leads the M-West. 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 46 consecutive conference games, including 13 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 5.3 rpg edge over the course of the entire season and a 6.8 rpg advantage in league games. The Utes are 16-3 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, Utah 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.

Mountain West Conference Tournament Schedule

Thursday (March 9)

12:00 p.m.	Quarterfinal Game #1	ESPN+Plus
2:30 p.m.	Quarterfinal Game #2	ESPN+Plus
6:00 p.m.	Quarterfinal Game #3	ESPN+Plus
9:00 p.m.	Quarterfinal Game #4	ESPN

Friday (March 10)

6:00 p.m.	Semifinal Game #1	ESPN+Plus
9:00 p.m.	Semifinal Game #2	ESPN

Saturday (March 11)

7:00 p.m.

Championship

ESPN

All Times Pacific Standard Time

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 357-123 in 16 seasons. He also has a 258-71 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 Picked 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.

Majerus Featured in DIRECTV and ESPN Commercials

Utah head coach Rick Majerus has been named DIRECTV's advertising spokesman for its college basketball pay-per-view package, ESPN FULL COURT, during the 1999-2000 season. Majerus will appear in both print ads and television commercials produced by DIRECTV throughout the 1999-2000 college basketball season. Majerus will also appear with college basketball analyst Dick Vitale in an ESPN commercial promoting the cable network's college basketball coverage.

Summer Action for Mottola and Althoff

Hanno Mottola played for the Finnish National Team in a four-country tournament with Lithuania, Russia and Germany in Helsinki in May.

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Utah Utes (20-7, 9-4 MWC) vs. Air Force Falcons (8-17, 4-8 MWC)

The Game at a Glance

Utah vs. Air Force Preview

Noting the Utes

Mountain West Conference Tournament Schedule

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round) on March 10, 2026 , Loss , 66, to, 73

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on March 7, 2026 , Loss , 75, to, 101

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Colorado on March 3, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 92

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Arizona State on February 28, 2026 , Loss , 60, to, 73

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #4/5 Iowa State on February 24, 2026 , Loss , 59, to, 75

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus UCF on February 21, 2026 , Loss , 71, to, 73

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at West Virginia on February 18, 2026 , Win , 61, to, 56

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Cincinnati on February 15, 2026 , Loss , 65, to, 69

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #3/3 Houston on February 10, 2026 , Loss , 52, to, 66

The University of Utah Athletics