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 Open Play In MWC Tournament Thursday
3/6/2000 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 6, 2000
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah (21-7, 10-4 M-West) competes in the 2000 Mountain West Conference Tournament, Thursday though Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center (18,500) in Las Vegas, Nev. The Utes tied UNLV for the conference regular-season championship but lost the tie-breaker for the top seed. Utah, the No. 2 seed, opens Mountain West Conference Tournament play against No. 7 seed Air Force (8-19, 4-10 M-West) in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (PST). Should Utah win, it would face the winner of No. 3 New Mexico (17-12, 9-5 M-West)/No. 6 Brigham Young (18-9, 7-7 M-West) in the semifinals on Friday at 6:00 p.m. (PST). The championship game takes place on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. (PST). The Mountain West Conference does not have an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament this year.
On Radio
All of the Utes' games in the Mountain West Conference Tournament will be broadcast on the Utah Sports Network (570 K-NEWS in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations). The quarterfinal and potential semifinal game will be carried on the Internet at www.UtahUtes.com. Bill Marcroft (play-by-play), Jeff Jonas (analyst) and Brad Stone (host) call the action.
On Television
Utah's quarterfinal game on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (PST) and potential semifinal game on Friday at 6:00 p.m. (PST) will be televised by ESPN+Plus (KJZZ-TV 14 in Salt Lake City). Rich Waltz (play-by-play) and Irv Brown (analyst) are the announcers. ESPN will carry Saturday's championship game at 7:00 p.m. (PST) with Bob Carpenter (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) serving as the talent.
The Utes in Conference Tournaments
Utah has competed in 16 previous conference tournaments - all while as a member of the Western Athletic Conference - posting an 18-12 record. The Utes won WAC Tournament titles in 1995, '97 and '99.
A Quick Look at Utah
The Runnin' Utes finished the regular season 21-7 overall 10-4 in the Mountain West Conference, tying UNLV for the inaugural league championship. After starting the conference season with an 8-1 record, the Utes lost three of their last five games. All of Utah's seven losses this season have come away from the Huntsman Center, giving it a 4-7 road record. The Utes were 17-0 at home this season. Utah concluded the regular season with an 86-63 win over Air Force on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
Senior 6-9 forward Hanno Mottola, who has missed 11 games this season due to injuries, leads the Utes in scoring average (17.5 ppg) and is third in rebounding (4.7 rpg). Senior 6-7 forward Alex Jensen is second on the team in scoring average (13.8 ppg) and is tops in rebounding (7.5 rpg). Jensen is also shooting 55.1 percent from the field and 46.5 percent from three-point range. Junior 6-11 center Nate Althoff is third in scoring (9.8 ppg), second in rebounding (4.8 rpg) and leads the team in field goal percentage (61.3). Senior 5-11 guard Jeremy Killion is fourth on the team in scoring (9.5 ppg).
Utah is outscoring the opposition 72.0 to 62.1 points per game and has a 33.8 to 28.5 edge in rebounding. The Utes are shooting 48.6 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from three-point range and 73.9 percent from the free throw line.
20/20 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), 1999-2000 (21-7).
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 10-4 record this season and its sixth straight regular-season title is 81-13 (.862), 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 47-1 (.979) record.
After closing out its home schedule with an 86-63 win over Air Force on March 4, the Utes have won 37 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.
Another Championship Season
Utah has won eight league titles during Rick Majerus' 11-year tenure. The Utes won the WAC regular-season championship outright in 1991 and shared it in 1993 before winning five straight outright titles from 1995-99 (the last three being divisional titles). Utah shared the inaugural Mountain West Conference championship with UNLV this year to capture its sixth consecutive regular season league title.
Mountain West Conference Tournament
March 9-11 - Thomas & Mack Center (18,500) - Las Vegas, Nev.
Utah Probable Starters
| No. | Pos. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown |
| 50 | F | Alex Jensen | 6-7 | 225 | Sr. | 13.8 | 7.5 | Centerville, Utah |
| 13 | F | Hanno Mottola | 6-9 | 250 | Sr. | 17.5 | 4.7 | Helsinki, Finland |
| 52 | C | Nate Althoff | 6-11 | 260 | Jr. | 9.8 | 4.8 | Delano, Minn. |
| 5 | G | Tony Harvey | 6-5 | 200 | Sr. | 9.4 | 2.6 | Carson, Calif. |
| 32 | G | Jeremy Killion | 5-11 | 190 | Sr. | 9.5 | 1.8 | San Diego, Calif. |
Head Coach: Rick Majerus (Marquette '70)
Record at Utah: 259-71/11th Season Overall Record: 358-123/16th Season
Off the Bench
| No. | Pos. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown |
| 3 | G | Gary Colbert | 6-1 | 175 | So. | 3.9 | 2.3 | Alta Loma, Calif. |
| 4 | G | Adam Sharp | 6-2 | 180 | So. | 1.3 | 0.8 | 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. | 0.9 | 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. | 5.5 | 2.3 | Chelan, Wash. |
Mountain West Conference Tournament Schedule
| Quarterfinals - Thursday (March 9) | ||
| Game 1 - | No. 3 New Mexico (17-12, 9-5) vs. No. 6 BYU (18-9, 7-7) | 12:00 p.m. (ESPN+Plus) |
| Game 2 - | No. 2 Utah (21-7), 10-4) vs. No. 7 Air Force (8-19, 4-10) | 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+Plus) |
| Game 3 - | No. 4 Colorado St. (18-11, 8-6) vs. No. 5 Wyoming (18-11, 8-6) | 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+Plus) |
| Game 4 - | No. 1 UNLV (20-7, 10-4) vs. San Diego St. (5-22, 0-14) | 9:00 p.m. (ESPN) |
| Semifinals - Friday (March 10) | ||
| Game 5 - | Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 | 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+Plus) |
| Game 6 - | Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 | 9:00 p.m. (ESPN) |
| Championship - Saturday (March 11) | ||
| Game 7 - | WInner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 | 7:00 p.m. (ESPN) |
(All Times Pacific Standard Time)
Opening Tips
Jensen and Mottola Earn All-Mountain West Conference Honors
Alex Jensen was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and was joined on the all-league first team by Hanno Mottola, as selected by the eight head coaches.
Jensen was selected as player of the year after leading the Utes to at least a share of a conference title for the sixth straight year. Jensen averaged 14.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in conference play this season. In overall games, the senior forward averaged 13.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Jensen is the only player in the M-West who ranks in the top 10 in all but two of the conference's statistical categories (both all games and conference games). He also ranks in the top 10 in the NCAA in three-point shooting at 46.5 percent. Jensen captured his second career all-conference first team selection this season. He was named to both the Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division first team and all-defensive team in 1999. This is the seventh time in the Rick Majerus era that a Ute has been named conference player of the year.
Mottola is making his third appearance on a postseason all-conference team in 2000. He was a second team pick in the WAC's Mountain Division in 1998 and a Pacific Division first team selection last season. The senior forward was also an all-newcomer team honoree his first season at Utah in 1997. Despite missing 11 games this season, Mottola has recorded six 20-plus scoring outings and one 30-plus game. In 17 games, he is averaging 17.5 points and 5.2 rebounds0.
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 (17.5 ppg) and is third in rebounding (4.7 rpg). Mottola is also shooting 51.6 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
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 |
MWC Quarterfinals Match-Up
Scouting the Falcons
Air Force finished the regular season 8-19 overall and in seventh place in the Mountain West Conference with a 4-10 record. Last weekend, the Falcons went on the road to lose to Brigham Young 73-52 on Thursday and to Utah 86-63 on Saturday.
Junior 6-4 guard Jarvis Croff ranks sixth in the Mountain West Conference in scoring (16.7 ppg) and is shooting 36.4 percent (75-of-206) from three-point range. Senior 6-4 guard/forward Tyron Wright is 11th in the league in scoring (13.7 ppg). Freshman 6-6 forward Tom Bellairs leads in the MWC in rebounding (9.4 rpg) and is also averaging 8.4 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 (67.6 ppg), fifth in scoring defense (73.0 ppg) and sixth in rebound margin, having been outboarded 36.7-36.3 rebounds per game. The Falcons are shooting 39.2 percent from the field, 30.8 percent from three-point range and 64.9 percent from the free throw line.
Series Notes
Utah leads the overall series with Air Force 33-6 with none of the previous meetings taking place on a neutral court. The Utes have won eight in a row and 15 of the last 16 meetings from the Falcons. The last win by Air Force was 91-89 in overtime on Feb. 19, 1994 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Rick Majerus is 15-1 against Air Force overall and 14-1 in his career at Utah.
Semifinals Preview
Scouting New Mexico
The Lobos, the No. 3 seed, finished the regular season 17-12 overall and in third place in the Mountain West Conference with a 9-5 record, one game back of co-champions Utah and UNLV. New Mexico had won four in a row before losing at UNLV 80-67 last Saturday. During that stretch, UNM won at BYU and got home wins over Utah, San Diego State and Colorado State.
Senior 6-4 guard Lamont Long leads the MWC in scoring (18.8 ppg), and ranks second in steals (2.03 spg) and 14th in rebounding (5.1 rpg). Long is also shooting 39.1 percent from three-point range. Senior 6-7 forward Damion Walker is 15th in the conference in scoring (12.8 ppg), shooting 56.9 percent from the field, and eighth in rebounding (6.0 rpg). Junior 6-3 guard Kevin Henry is the third Lobo averaging double figures in scoring (10.1 ppg). Freshman 6-2 guard Marlon Parmer leads the team in assists (3.6 apg).
New Mexico ranks third in the Mountain West in scoring (74.2 ppg), fourth in scoring defense (69.0 ppg) and fourth in rebound margin (+0.3 rpg). The Lobos are shooting 46.8 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from three-point range and 71.1 percent from the free throw line.
Head coach Fran Fraschilla is in his first season at New Mexico. He has a 137-71 career mark in seven seasons.
Utah/New Mexico Series Notes
The Utes leads the all-time series with New Mexico 67-36 and have a 2-0 advantage in games played on a neutral court. The Utes had won five in a row from the Lobos before falling 72-65 on Feb. 19 in Albuquerque, N.M. Despite the loss, the Utes have still won 13 of the last 17 from the Lobos.
Utah won all three meetings last season by an average of 21 points. During the regular season, the Utes won 57-39 on Feb. 1 in Albuquerque and 77-47 on Feb. 27 in Salt Lake City. The U.'s final win against UNM came in the championship game of the WAC Tournament on March 6 in Las Vegas by a margin of 60-45. Utah took the first game this season, 82-70, on Jan. 31 in Salt Lake City.
Rick Majerus is 16-8 against New Mexico while at Utah and all-time.
Scouting Brigham Young
The Cougars finished the regular season 18-9 overall and 7-7 in the Mountain West Conference to place sixth. Brigham Young got two wins at home last weekend, defeating Air Force (73-52) on Thursday and San Diego State (67-50) on Saturday.
Junior 6-9 forward Mekeli Wesley is third in the MWC in scoring (17.8 ppg) and ninth in rebounds (5.9 rpg). Junior 6-3 guard Terrell Lyday, a transfer from Fresno Community College, is fifth in the league in scoring (17.3 ppg) and is shooting 40.4 percent from three-point range. Sophomore 6-4 guard Michael Vranes is third on the roster in scoring (8.0 ppg).
The Cougars also rank fourth in the Mountain West in scoring (72.0 ppg) and third in scoring defense (65.0 ppg). Brigham Young is shooting 46.5 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three-point range and 70.1 percent from the free throw line.
Head Coach Steve Cleveland is in his third season at BYU with a 39-36 record.
Utah/BYU Series Notes
The Utes lead the series with their oldest rival 114-113 after getting a 77-62 win on Feb. 12 in Salt Lake City. Utah also took the first meeting this season 56-49 on Jan. 15 in Provo, Utah. BYU has a 5-3 edge in games played on a neutral court.
Dating back to 1995, Utah has won 12 consecutive games over BYU, which is the longest winning streak by any team in the series. Before Utah's recent run, the Cougars had won 8 of 10 dating back to the 1991 WAC Tournament. Alex Jensen, who was a freshman in 1994 before serving an LDS church mission, is the only Utah player who has lost to BYU.
Utah swept the regular-season series from Brigham Young last year, winning 75-54 on Jan. 9 in Salt Lake City and 71-46 on Feb. 6 in Provo, Utah. The teams also met in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament on March 4 in Las Vegas, Nev., with Utah winning 81-62.
Rick Majerus is 16-8 against the Cougars while at Utah and all-time.
Noting the Utes
Game #28 Rewind
Senior Alex Jensen became the first four-year player in school history to go undefeated on Utah's home court, the Huntsman Center, as the Utes rolled to an 86-63 win over Air Force on Saturday night. Jensen scored 11 points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out seven assists before leaving to a standing ovation with 8:13 left in the game.
Jensen's 59-0 record began in his freshman season (1994-95) with 15 straight wins before he left on a two-year Mormon church mission. Since returning, he has been a part of the last 44 victories in the Utes' nation leading 52-game home winning streak.
Against the Falcons, Jensen was called on to bring the ball upcourt when the Ute point guards had trouble against the press. He also guarded the Falcons' leading scorer Jarvis Croff and held him scoreless in the first half.
Hanno Mottola scored 19 points for the Utes (21-7, 10-4 M-West), who have won eight straight against Air Force (8-19, 4-10 M-West) and 15 of their last 16 meetings. Despite playing with torn ligaments in his left elbow and right thumb, Mottola made 7-of-11 shots and grabbed five rebounds.
Utah's last home loss was December 31, 1996 to Wake Forest. It is the only home loss during Mottola's and Brandon Sluga's four-year careers. The other Ute seniors, junior college transfers Tony Harvey and Jeremy Killion, never experienced a home loss in two years.
The Utes, who never trailed after the game's first basket and led by as many as 33 points, rebounded from back-to-back losses to Wyoming and Colorado State, their first two-game losing streak since the Maui Classic in 1994.
Harvey (13 points) and Killion (12) joined Jensen and Mottola in double figures. Junior Nate Althoff chipped in 11 points. Tyron Wright led the Falcons with 18 points and Miguel Garcia added 10.
Utah shot 55.4 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three-point range while tallying 22 assists and a 34-28 edge on the boards. Air Force was held to 37.3 percent shooting from the field and 35.0 percent from beyond the arc.
It's Been A While
Just how solid has Utah's play been in recent years? When the Utes lost back-to-back games to Colorado State (60-49) and Wyoming (88-61) on Feb. 26 and 28, respectively, they set some marks for futility that hadn'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).
Utah finished the regular season with a 4-7 road record overall and a 3-4 mark in MWC play away. The last time Utah had a losing record on the road overall and in conference play was 1993-94.
Inside the Numbers
Utah has shot 52 percent or better from the field in 13 games overall and six conference games this season. Most recently, Utah shot 55.4 percent (31-of-56) from the field against Air Force on March 4 and 54.1 percent (33-of-61) against UNLV on Feb. 21. The Utes are 15-1 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 set season-high marks for field goals made (33), free throw percentage (95.7) and rebounds (50). The Utes hadn'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 six 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), UNLV on Feb. 21 (W, 96-52), Air Force on March 4 (W, 86-63). All six games were played at home.
Utah has held three opponents below 50 points and 12 opponents below 60 points this season. The Utes are 18-1 in 1999-2000 when they hold the opposition to under 70 points.
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 the week of Feb. 27 after being ranked in at least one of the polls for 23 consecutive weeks. Utah was rated 28th in the USA Today/ESPN poll released on Mar. 5 and 27th 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.
Freshman 6-8 forward Mike Puzey was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his left fibula last Friday. He did not play last Saturday against Air Force and is likely to be out for the rest of the season.
Rick's Remarks
On the win over Air Force on Saturday -"I was happy for the seniors. Conference championships are hard to win. It was a good job by the kids. They played well and it was a nice win."
On playing Air Force again in the first round of the conference tournament -
"It's always hard to play a team three times. I don't care if you loose two or win two or split. But that's the way these conference tournaments are set up. The best thing we can do is look at the film from Saturday night's game. Everything up until that point we have down. And we feel good about some things. But, the biggest mistake we could make would be to come out and take anything for granted. This championship is a hell of an accomplishment, and I'm proud of them. I don't think anything that I've seen all year would warrant any complacency on our part. I would hope that would be the last thing that would happen."
An Efficient Attack With Long-Strike Capability
Utah ranks 20th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (38.8) and 15th in overall field goal percentage (48.6) as of March 5. 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 has cooled-off in conference play. Utah did not shoot 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 back-to-back losses on the road to Colorado State on Feb. 26 and Wyoming on Feb. 28, Utah shot a combined 33.9 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from three-point range. The Utes rebounded to shot 55.4 percent overall and 43.8 percent from beyond the arc versus Air Force last Saturday.
Three Utes have shot roughly half of their field goals from three-point range. Jeremy Killion has taken 115 of his 202 attempts, Tony Harvey has shot 96 of 196 and Phil Cullen has attempted 72 of 132 field goals from beyond the arc. Alex Jensen has taken over one-third of his field goal attempts from three-point range (101 of 236).
Defense, Defense, Defense
One of the trademarks of a Rick Majerus coached team is a stifling half-court defense. In the past 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 28 games this season, Utah has given up an average of 62.1 points per game to rank just outside of the top 25 in the nation in scoring defense as of March 5. The Utes have also outscored the opposition by an average of 9.9 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), the 2000 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, has started all 95 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 ranked 10th among the league players in scoring (14.2 ppg), third in field goal percentage (55.2), fifth in rebounding (8.2 rpg) and seventh in assists (30.7 apg). In 14 conference games, he led the Utes four times in scoring, 10 times in rebounding and eight times in assists. He has also earned first team All-District 13 honors from the NABC this season.
On the season, Jensen has Utah's second-best scoring average (13.8 ppg), shooting 55.1 percent from the field and 46.5 percent from three-point range to rank just outside of the top 25 in the country. He is the team's top rebounder (7.5 rpg). Jensen has led Utah seven times in scoring, 19 times in rebounds and 12 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 17 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 points and 800 rebounds during his career. Jensen currently has 1,247 points and 866 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 (320) and fifth in defensive rebounds (546) 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 (17.5 ppg) and has led the Utes in scoring in 12 of the 17 games he has played in this season. He has earned first team all-Mountain West Conference and 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 (13.6 ppg) and first in free throw percentage (84.5).
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 (1,431), seventh in defensive rebounds (363), eighth in offensive boards (166) and 11th place in blocked shots (47).
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 seven games at point guard after primarily playing off the bench since early December.
Harvey scored in double figures in nine of the 14 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 averaged 10.8 points per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field overall to rank 12th in the Mountain West and 45.3 percent (24-of-53) 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. He closed out the conference season with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and four rebounds in 21 minutes against Air Force on March 4.
Althoff currently leads the MWC and ranks 18th in the nation in field goal percentage at 613.
Charting Althoff's Improvement
| Last Season | This Season | |
| Points Per Game | 4.9 | 9.8 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 60.4 | 61.3 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 51.8 | 76.1 |
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