Utes Host Air Force
1/31/2001 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2001
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Game #21
Utah Utes (11-9, 3-3 MWC) vs. Air Force Falcons (6-13, 1-4 MWC)
Feb. 3 * 7:07 p.m. (MST) * Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000) * Salt Lake City
After This
Utah hosts New Mexico on Monday at 7:07 p.m. (MST) in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Next weekend, the Utes hit the road to take on San Diego State on Saturday (Feb. 10) at 7:07 p.m. (PST) in San Diego, Calif., and UNLV on Monday (Feb. 12) at 9:05 p.m. (PST) in Las Vegas, Nev.
A Quick Look At Utah
The Utes are 11-9 overall and in fifth place in Mountain West Conference with a 3-3 record. After reeling off a season-best four-game winning streak, the Utes have dropped three consecutive league games on the road. The Utes suffered a 78-77 overtime loss at Wyoming on Jan. 20 and a 73-65 defeat at Colorado State on Jan. 22. On Monday night, the Utes fell to in-state rival Brigham Young in Provo, 69-61.
Utah has five players averaging eight points per game or better, with one in double figures. Junior guard Kevin Bradley, coming off the bench the past eight games, leads the team in scoring (10.2 ppg), shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range. He is also third on the team in assists (2.2 apg). Junior forward Phil Cullen is second in scoring (9.4 ppg), shooting 38.1 percent from three-point range, and is first in rebounding (5.1 rpg). Senior center Nate Althoff is third in scoring (9.0 ppg). Junior guard/forward Jeff Johnsen is fourth in scoring (8.7 ppg), shooting 40.5 percent from behind the arc and 78.0 percent from the line. Sophomore forward Britton Johnsen is the fifth-best scorer on the team (8.6 ppg), shooting a team-best 55.2 percent from three-point range. Junior Travis Spivey, who has started the last eight games at point guard, is averaging a team-best 3.0 assists per game. Junior forward/center Chris Burgess, who is out until at least late February after fracturing his left ankle against San Diego State on Jan. 15, still leads the team in rebounding average (5.5 rpg) and blocked shots (16).
Utah returned just one starter and three other letterwinners from last season, as well as two return missionaries who played on the 1998 Final Four team. Utah went 23-9 overall, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and tied for the inaugural Mountain West Conference championship with a 10-4 record in 1999-2000.
Majerus Takes Medical Leave for Rest of the Season
Rick Majerus announced on Jan. 9 he was leaving the team for the rest of the season to be with his cancer-stricken mother and recover from his own health problems.
Majerus underwent a coronary angiography and stenting of two coronary artery branches on Jan. 2. He had a follow-up procedure performed on Jan. 3. Doctors reported that both procedures went very well. Prior to that, Majerus had been away from the team for seven weeks while undergoing rehabilitation from late-September arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. He had anticipated to rejoin the team on Jan. 1 before admitting himself to the hospital with chest pains. Majerus is planning to return to coaching for the 2001-02 season.
Hunsaker Directing the Utes
Dick Hunsaker, in his third year at Utah, is serving as the acting head coach in the absence of Rick Majerus. His record as Utah's acting head coach is 10-9, directing the team since the second game of the season.
Hunsaker was the associate head coach under Majerus at Ball State from 1987-89. Hunsaker followed Majerus as the head coach at Ball State from 1989-93. He compiled a 97-33 record with the Cardinals, giving him the seventh-best four-year coaching record in NCAA history. During his stay in Muncie, Ind., Ball State made two trips to the NIT and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He led the Cardinals to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1990. Hunsaker posted four 20-win seasons at BSU. His teams also captured two Mid-American Conference championships and placed second twice. Hunsaker has a 158-70 record in eight seasons as a college head coach or acting head coach.
Hunsaker came to Utah from Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., where he had been the head coach since 1995. During his three years at Manchester, he posted a 51-27 record and led the Spartans to three of the 10 winningest seasons in the college's 85-year history. He played college basketball one season for Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins at UTEP (1972-73) and finished his career at Weber State (1974-77).
From the Training Room: Burgess Out Until Late February
Chris Burgess, a 6-10 junior forward/center, sustained a non-displaced avulsion fracture of his left ankle in the first half of the Utes' game against San Diego State on Jan.15. The injury was detected in x-rays performed by team doctors the next morning. Burgess is expected to be out six to eight weeks, which would have him returning the last week of February at the earliest.
"An avulsion fracture occurs when the ligaments pull on their insertion into the bone, so that the bone is actually being pulled away from bone," said team trainer Trevor Jameson. "In Chris' case, the bone was not displaced from the bone, so surgery will not be necessary."
Before suffering the injury, Burgess had started the last 12 games. The Irvine, Calif., native was sixth on the team in scoring at 7.0 points per game, reaching double figures seven times. He also led the Utes with 5.5 rebounds per game and 16 blocked shots. Burgess averaged 20.6 minutes per game and appeared in all 17 contests this season. He played just six minutes against San Diego State before stepping on the foot of an opposing player while jumping out to challenge a shot on the perimeter with 7:41 to play in the first half.
Burgess is in his first season of playing with the Utes. He sat out last year after transferring from Duke, where he played for two seasons.
Utah vs. Air Force Notes
Scouting the Falcons
Air Force is 6-13 overall and tied for seventh place in the Mountain West Conference with a 1-4 record. The Academy got its first league win of the season on Monday night with a 46-45 win over Colorado State in Colorado Springs, Colo. Last Saturday, the Falcons lost at home to Wyoming, 71-56. Air Force has won four of its last 10 games and is 1-7 on the road this season. The Falcons play at BYU on Thursday night before facing the Utes.
Senior 6-4 forward Jarvis Croff is seventh in the MWC in scoring (13.2 ppg), making 43-of-124 three-point attempts (.347) and is averaging 3.2 rebounds. Freshman 6-6 forward Robert Todd, who plays off the bench, is 16th in the conference in scoring (11.1 ppg) and second in three-point percentage (.459). Sophomore 5-9 guard Vernard Jenkins is third in the league in assists (3.84 apg). Sophomore 6-7 center Tom Bellairs is fourth in the conference in rebounding (8.2 rpg).
The Falcons are eighth in the Mountain West in scoring (57.1 ppg), first in scoring defense (62.2 ppg) and eighth in rebound margin with a deficit of 31.5 to 24.2 boards per game.
Head Coach Joe Scott
Joe Scott is in his first season at Air Force. This season marks Scott's first as a head coach. He was an assistant coach at Princeton from 1992-2000, helping to lead the Tigers to a 163-61 record. The Tigers also went to the NCAA Tournament three times in eight seasons with Scott on the staff, making it to the second round twice. Scott was a three-year starter at point guard for Princeton, graduating in 1987.
Series Notes
Utah leads the overall series with Air Force 34-6 and has a 20-1 advantage in games played in Salt Lake City. The Utes have won nine in a row and 16 of the last 17 meetings from the Falcons. In Salt Lake City, the Utes have won nine in a row with the Falcons getting their only win on Jan. 26, 1989. The last win by Air Force in the series with was 91-89 in overtime on Feb. 19, 1994 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The Utes swept three games from the Falcons last season, winning 64-63 on Jan. 29 in Colorado Springs, Colo., 86-63 on Mar. 4 in Salt Lake City and 74-65 on Mar. 9 in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas.
Last Meeting
Tony Harvey scored 19 points as second-seeded Utah survived a scare from seventh-seeded Air Force, beating the Falcons 74-65 in the quarterfinals of the 2000 Mountain West Conference tournament on March 9.
Hanno M?tt?l? added 17 points, Nate Althoff had 13 and Jeff Johnsen scored 10 for the Utes. Jarvis Croff scored 23 of his 31 points in the second half for Air Force. Croff was 8-of-19 from three-point range and the Falcons were 11-of-29 as a team compared to 12-of-33 from inside the three-point line. Tyron Wright added 14 points and Miguel Garcia had 12 for the Falcons.
Utah led 28-23 at halftime and extended the lead to 16 points before Air Force battled back into contention. The Falcons got as close as five points with a little less than four minutes left before M?tt?l? made a three-pointer and a short jumper to trigger a 9-0 run. Air Force didn't score again until Wright made a three-pointer with 37.1 seconds to play. Utah finished with 26 free throws in 39 attempts while Air Force was just 8-of-11 from the foul line.
Utah vs. New Mexico Preview
Scouting the Lobos
New Mexico is 13-5 overall and in second place in the Mountain West Conference with a 3-2 record. Last weekend, UNM split two games at home, defeating Colorado State 72-71 in overtime on Saturday and losing to Wyoming 82-78 on Monday. New Mexico is 3-3 on the road this season. The Lobos play at Brigham Young on Saturday afternoon before facing the Utes.
Junior 6-3 guard Eric Chatfield is fourth in the Mountain West in scoring (16.3 ppg) and 15th in rebounding (4.6 rpg). Sophomore 6-2 guard Marlon Parmer leads the conference in assists (5.89 apg) and is 18th in scoring (10.8 ppg). Junior 6-3 guard Tim Lightfoot is third in the MWC in three-point percentage (.453) and is averaging 9.7 points per game. Senior 6-6 forward Wayland White is sixth in the league in rebounding (6.9 rpg).
The Lobos are tied for fifth in the conference in scoring (71.6 ppg), sixth in scoring defense (66.1 ppg) and fourth in rebound margin with an advantage of 36.8 to 36.2 rebounds per game.
Head Coach Fran Fraschilla
Fran Fraschilla is in his second year at New Mexico. He took a year off from coaching after directing St. John's from 1996-98, leading the Red Storm to the NCAA Tournament in 1998. He was also the head coach at Manhattan from 1992-96. Fraschilla was named the NABC Coach of the Year in 1994-95 when he led Manhattan to its first-ever NCAA Tournament first round win and a 26-5 record.
Series Notes
Utah leads the overall series with New Mexico 67-36 and has a 44-5 advantage in games played in Salt Lake City. New Mexico has lost 10 straight to the Utes in Salt Lake City, not winning since getting a 79-76 triumph on Feb. 16, 1989.
The Utes have won 13 of the last 17 from the Lobos. Utah had won five in a row over UNM before falling 72-65 on Feb. 19 of last season in Albuquerque, N.M. The Utes took the first of the two meetings last season, winning 82-70 on Jan. 31 at the Huntsman Center.
Last Meeting
Damion Walker scored 21 points, Wayland White added 19 and New Mexico hit 13 of its first 17 shots in the second to beat No. 21 Utah 72-65 at The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M., on Feb. 19, 2000.
New Mexico, which trailed through most of the first half, used a 16-3 second-half run to put away the Utes. Long, who ended up with 17, scored seven points in the run, Walker had six and freshman point guard Marlon Parmer hit a three-pointer that swished through as the 35-second clock expired. That put the Lobos up 66-54 with 5:20 left, but Utah cut the deficit to six points on back-to-back three-pointers by Tony Harvey. Harvey had four three-pointers and 17 of his team-high 19 points in the second half. White pushed the lead up to 68-60 with a pair of free throws, and after Harvey connected for another three, Parmer hit a baseline jumper with 33.3 seconds left.
Nate Althoff scored eight of his 17 points in the first half and led the Utes to a 21-12 rebounding edge. When Althoff wasn't scoring off second-chance rebounds, Alex Jensen--who scored 16--was roaming the perimeter and hitting 4-of-8 three-pointers. New Mexico shot 71 percent through the first 13 minutes of the second half.
Team Notes
Game #20 Rewind
Trent Whiting scored 21 points to lead BYU to a 69-61 win over Utah on Monday night at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.
BYU took control of the game midway through the second half. The Cougars went on a 9-0 run that opened a 49-34 lead with 11:16 to play. Utah cut the lead to 11, but an 8-0 run by the Cougars gave them a 60-41 lead with 7:47 remaining. Utah made a late run, getting within eight points, but BYU put the game away at the free throw line.
Mekeli Wesley scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half for BYU and Terrell Lyday added 14. Nick Jacobson led Utah with 11 points. The win extended BYU's home record to 11-0 this season.
BYU had lost 11 straight regular season games to Utah dating back to the 1994-95 season. The Cougars had not beaten Utah at home since a 54-47 win Jan. 3, 1995.
The Utes had a 42 to 26 advantage on the boards, but were outshot 45.8 to 39.2 percent from the field and 52.6 (10-of-19) to 33.3 percent (4-of-12) from three-point range. The Utes also had 20 turnovers.
Streaky Start To Conference Play
After winning its first three Mountain West Conference games at home, Utah has dropped its last three on the road. Utah's 3-3 Mountain West record marks its worst conference start since the 1993-94 season when the Utes started 3-3 in the Western Athletic Conference. After its 3-3 start that season, Utah went on to lose its next two to fall to 3-5 before finishing 8-10.
The 1993-94 season is also the last time the Utes dropped three consecutive games in league play, when it happened twice. The Utes fell at Hawaii on Jan. 20 (72-56), at San Diego State on Jan. 22 (76-73) and to Colorado State at home on Jan. 27 (71-70). The second time around, Utah fell at Fresno State on Feb. 17 (95-86), at Air Force on Feb. 19 (91-89 in OT) and at Brigham Young on Feb. 26 (73-70).
Utah had a four-game losing streak during the 1989-90 conference season from Jan. 13 through Jan. 25. That losing streak took place during Majerus' first lengthy absence from the Utah bench. Joe Cravens served as the acting head coach for 24 games that year while Majerus recovered from heart surgery.
Conference Road Woes
After winning three games at home to open its Mountain West Conference schedule, Utah has dropped three consecutive games on the road. Here's a statistical breakdown of the Utes in MWC play this season at home and on the road.
Close Calls In Defeat
A few bounces of the ball here or there, and Utah could have had a record far better than its 11-9 mark. Utah's nine losses have came by a combined 48 points for an average of 5.3 points per game.
- Utah suffered a pair of one-point losses at Utah State (58-57) on Dec. 6 and at Wyoming (78-77 in overtime) on Jan. 20 and a two-point loss at home (79-77) to Weber State on Dec. 9. The Utes also experienced two five-point setbacks to Georgia (Nov. 24) and USC (Dec. 2) by identical 65-60 scores on neutral courts. Utah's worst loss of the season was by an 11-point margin (70-59) at 25th-ranked Texas on Dec. 30.
- In five of its nine losses, Utah had significant leads in the second half. The Utes led Georgia 55-36 with 12:13 to play, had a 52-48 lead over Utah State with 10:27 to go, a 56-50 cushion over Southern Utah with 10:46 remaining, a 53-50 advantage over Texas with 6:18 left and a 54-41 lead over Wyoming with 13:23 showing. Utah is 9-4 when it leads at the half and 11-3 when it leads with 5:00 remaining this season.
- Utah's six losses in nonconference play is the most that it has had in the past 12 years. The last time the Utes went into league play with more than five losses was in 1988-89, the last season of Lynn Archibald's tenure, when Utah went 9-6 through its pre-conference schedule. During the Majerus era, Utah has had a high mark of four losses before the start of conference play just twice, going 7-4 in 1989-90 (Majerus' first season) and 10-4 in 1998-99.
What the Utes Did Well in Early January Winning Streak
Winning four games in row before its loss at Wyoming on Jan. 20, Utah had won those contests by an average of 13.3 points, defeating Long Beach State (80-67) on Jan. 3, Wyoming (83-71) on Jan. 8, UNLV (79-70) on Jan 13 and San Diego State (58-39) on Jan. 15. Utah's success in early January can be attributed to two things: a sizeable advantage in free throw shooting and being in position to close out games.
- The Utes had done a much better job of keeping their opponents off the line, while converting on their own opportunities. In the first 13 games of the season, Utah's opponents were averaging 24.0 free throw attempts, compared to just 13.5 attempts in the next four games. Meanwhile, Utah averaged 15.8 free throws made per game, shooting 76.8 percent. The Utes are 8-3 when they have had more free throw attempts than their opponents this season.
- The Utes' inability to close out games attributed to a 3-5 record in December after letting second-half leads slip away to Utah State, Southern Utah and Texas. During its first four games in January, Utah was the team making plays down the stretch to secure victories. As a case in point, against UNLV on Jan. 13 with the score tied at 63 with 3:47 to play, Utah went on a 10-0 run over the next three minutes.
Getting to the Point
Junior point guard Travis Spivey, a transfer from Salt Lake Community College, has started the last eight games with fellow junior college transfer Kevin Bradley, the staring point guard for the first 12 games, coming off the bench at both guard positions. Freshman point guard Marc Jackson has also seen significant playing time as of late, averaging 10.3 minutes per game in conference play. The shake up in the line-up has resulted in improved productivity at point guard for the Utes.
- In the seven games prior to the BYU contest on Monday, Spivey had 25 assists to 12 turnovers (2.1:1 ratio)
- Against Wyoming on Jan. 20, Utah's trio of ball-handlers combined for nine assists, three steals and four turnovers, as well as 16 rebounds. Spivey had a season-high seven assists and just two turnovers in 37 minutes.
- Against UNLV on Jan. 13, Spivey had six assists, three turnovers, 10 points and two steals in 25 minutes.
- Jackson had two of his better games of the season against Wyoming on Jan. 8 and San Diego State on Jan. 15. Jackson made 7-of-8 free throws with three rebounds, two assists and no turnovers in 12 minutes against the Cowboys. He had two points, three rebounds, three assists and no turnovers in 16 minutes against the Aztecs.
- Utah turned the ball over a season-low eight times while getting 15 assists against San Diego State on Jan. 15. The Utes are 8-1 when they have committed fewer turnovers than their opponents this season.
- Utah's generals had their best floor games of the season against Long Beach State on Jan. 3, combining for seven assists and no turnovers. It was the first time this season both Spivey and Bradley went turnover free. Their effort helped Utah commit nine turnovers, the second-lowest total this season. Entering the Long Beach State game, Utah was averaging 16.5 turnovers per game.
Britton and Nick Doubling Up
Two players in their second year in the program, sophomore forward Britton Johnsen and redshirt freshman guard Nick Jacobson, have been progressing nicely as Utah nears the midway point of the Mountain West schedule. Both are averaging in double figures in six Mountain West Conference games, with Johnsen leading the way (11.3 ppg) and Jacobson coming in second (10.2 ppg).
Johnsen has started 13 of the last 14 games. In the last eight games, has has scored in double figures six times--including two 20-point outbursts--and grabbed five boards or more five times. In MWC games, he averaging 5.3 rebounds and shooting 46.2 percent from three-point range.
Jacobson, who has started the last 13 contests, has scored in double figures in five of the last seven games. He had a career-high 14 points against both Long Beach State on Jan. 3 and Wyoming on Jan. 8. He is perfect from the free throw line in conference play, going 18-of-18.
The Nation's Most Dominant Team in League Play at Home
The Utes have won 40 consecutive league games at home, which is the nation's longest current streak. Utah's last home conference loss was to Fresno State (65-64) on Jan. 8, 1996. Utah is the nation's most dominant team in conference home games the past seven years with a 49-1 (.980) record.
Strength of Schedule
According to the Sagarin Rating as of Jan. 29, Utah's strength of schedule ranked 23rd out of 319 NCAA Division I schools. Utah was the only Mountain West Conference team in the top 50. However, UNLV (73), New Mexico (118), Wyoming (133) and Brigham Young (152) ranked in the upper half. The Mountain West Conference had a 61-38 record in NCAA Division I nonconference games.
Four of Utah's losses came to teams ranked in the top 50 in the RPI ratings through Jan. 20. Georgia was ninth with a 10-7 record, followed by No. 12 Texas (15-3), No. 29 Southern California (12-4) and No. 45 Utah State (12-2).
Inside the Numbers
- The Utes have utilized their depth this season. Utah's bench has been productive, outscoring its opponents bench by an average of 13.5 points per game. Nine players are averaging at least 11 minutes a game, while just one Phil Cullen at 23.7) is averaging more than 23 minutes per contest this season.
- The Utes have used seven different starting line-ups this season with eight different players starting at least one game. The last two games, Utah has gone with the quintet of Britton Johnsen (SF), Phil Cullen (PF), Nate Althoff (C), Travis Spivey (PG) and Nick Jacobson (SG), going 0-3. Before Spivey took over at the point the last eight games, Kevin Bradley had started the first 12 games. Althoff has taken over at center the last three games for Chris Burgess, who is injured.
- Eight games into the season, Utah was shooting just 67.2 percent from the free throw line. Since then, the Utes have shot 73.2 percent (109-of-149) from the line. The Utes have helped their cause at the stripe by shooting above 80 percent in five of the last 12 games, going 39-for-48 (.813) against Washington State, 21-for-26 (.808) against Pepperdine, a season-best 87.5 percent (14-for-16) against both Long Beach State and UNLV (Jan. 13), and 7-of-8 (.875) against Colorado State (Jan. 22). Utah is now shooting 71.0 percent from the line on the season.
- With 271 assists and 306 turnovers on the season, Utah has a 0.89 assists-turnover ratio and has averaged 15.3 turnovers a game. A team from the Rick Majerus era has never finished the season with less than a 1.0 assists-turnover ratio. Since the turnover stat was recorded beginning in 1975-76, the only Utah team to finish with less than a 1.0 assists-turnover ratio was the 1981-82 squad that had 404 assists to 419 turnovers (0.96).
- Utah has held seven of its opponents to less than 60 points. American-Puerto Rico (37) and San Diego State on Jan. 15 (39) have been held below 40 points. Only seven teams have reached the 70-point barrier: Weber State (79), Southern Utah (77), Texas (70), Wyoming (71) on Jan. 8, UNLV (70) on Jan. 13, Wyoming (78 in overtime) on Jan. 20 and Colorado State (73) on Jan. 22.
- Only two teams have shot better than 50 percent from the field against the Utes this season. Southern Utah connected on 53.3 percent of its shots (60.9 percent in the second half) and 66.7 percent (8-of-12) from three-point range, while Long Beach State shot 51.9 percent from the field. Utah's opponents have shot just 40.0 percent this season.
- The Utes have been outrebounded just four times this season: 33-24 to Georgia, 33-27 to Memphis, 46-35 to Wyoming on Jan. 8 and 58-49 to Wyoming on Jan. 20. The Cowboys have the two highest rebound totals among Ute opponents this season.
- Utah has been outrebounded just twice in its last 53 regular-season conference games. Both of which came at the hands of Wyoming this season.
- Utah has shot 50 percent or better in eight games this season, winning five of those contests.
- On Jan. 20 in an overtime showdown in Laramie, Wyo., Wyoming attempted 48 free throws, the most by a Utah opponent this season, while the U. connected on just 22-of-35 free throws (.629). The Utes committed a school record 38 fouls in the game.
- With defeats to then-No. 15 Southern California on Dec. 2, Utah State on Dec. 6, and Weber State on Dec. 9, Utah lost three consecutive nonconference games for the first time during the Rick Majerus era. The skid ended with an 87-63 win over Washington State on Dec. 16. Utah's most recent nonconference losing streak of three games or more came in 1988-89, the final season under Lynn Archibald, when Utah dropped four consecutive games to Florida on Nov. 27 (77-68), Cal State-Fullerton on Dec. 1 (59-57), Santa Clara on Dec. 3 (66-60) and Colorado on Dec. 6 (68-65).
Cullen Coming On
Junior 6-9 forward Phil Cullen has scored in double figures in eight of the last 15 games, leading the Utes in scoring in five of those contests. In the league opener against Wyoming on Jan. 8, Cullen got 17 points, four rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes. Cullen is second on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg). He is also tied for first on the team in rebounding among active players (5.1 rpg).
In a six-game stretch from Dec. 2-22, Cullen averaged 13.5 points, shooting 47.1 percent (25-of-53) from the field, 48.5 percent (17-of-35) from three-point range and 70.0 percent (14-of-20) from the free throw line.
After playing three straight games off the bench, Cullen got the start against Washington State on Dec. 16. Cullen responded with a career-high 21 points, making a personal-best five three-pointers in six attempts. He also shot 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-6 from the line in 24 minutes. Cullen led the Utes with six rebounds in the game.
Highlighting other games, Cullen scored 18 points, making 6-of-10 shots from the field and 4-of-7 three-pointers, in 18 minutes against Southern California on Dec. 2. He had 13 points, a blocked shot and three steals in 26 minutes against Utah State on Dec. 6. Cullen followed that up with 15 points, making all four field goals, both three-pointers and 5-of-6 free throws, in 19 minutes against Weber State on Dec. 9.
All in the Family
Utah has one of 11 brother combinations in NCAA Division I this season in Jeff and Britton Johnsen. Both of the Johnsens rank among the top five Utes statistically.
Jeff (G/F, 6-4, 200), a junior, is fourth on the team in scoring (8.7 ppg), shooting a 40.5 percent from three-point range (best among those with at least 40 attempts) and 78.0 percent from the free throw line. He is also averaging 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists (second-best on the team), and has led the team in scoring three times and assists eight times.
Britton (F, 6-9, 205), a sophomore, is fifth on the team in scoring (8.6 ppg), shooting a team-best 55.2 percent from behind the arc (16-of-29), and is tied for first in rebounds among active players (5.1 rpg). He has also scored in double figures in nine of the last 14 games. Britton got a career-high 23 points, making 8-of-14 field goals and 4-of-6 three-pointers, with eight rebounds and three blocked shots in 27 minutes against Long Beach State on Jan. 3. He had 20 points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes against Colorado State on Jan. 22.
Jeff began his career at Utah in 1996-97 before going on a two-year LDS Church mission to Fresno, Calif. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 32 games last season with five starts. Britton who resumes his Utah career this season, played for the Utes in 1997-98 before going on his LDS Church mission to Houston, Texas. He averaged 3.5 points and 1.0 rebounds in 21 games as a freshman.
The Johnsens, who hail from Murray, Utah, hadn't played together for four years. The last season the Johnsens played together, they led Murray High School to the Utah 4A state title in 1996.
Rick Majerus has literally made his program a family affair at Utah. The Johnsens are the fifth set of brothers to play for Majerus spanning his 12-year career at the U. However, they are the first to play together.
Defense, Defense, Defense
- One of the trademarks of a Utah team during the Rick Majerus era is a stifling half-court defense. In the past 11 seasons under Majerus, Utah has ranked in the top 30 in the nation eight times in field goal percentage defense, eight times in the top 25 in scoring defense, seven times in the top 25 in scoring margin and eight times in the top 30 in rebound margin.
- This season, the Utes are giving up 62.2 points per game. Utah ranked 20th in the NCAA in scoring defense last season, giving up 61.8 points per game. The Utes are one of just eight teams to appear in the top 10 in the NCAA in scoring defense at least four times in the last 11 years. Utah is also one of just four teams to rank in the top 25 in the nation in scoring defense at least nine times in the last 11 years.
- Utah has a 6.9 rebounds per game advantage over the opposition this season and ranked 12th in the NCAA as of Jan. 29. The Utes ranked 26th in the nation in rebound margin (4.8 rpg) last season and have been ranked been ranked among the top 30 teams in the nation in rebound margin in each of the last six years. Utah is one of just seven schools to rank in the top 10 at least three times in the last five years. Only Navy's four appearances rank ahead of Utah.
- Opponents have shot 40.3 percent from the field on the Utes this season. Utah is one of just eight schools to rank in the top 30 in the nation in field goal percentage defense four of the last five years. Utah has also been in the top 10 in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense four times during the Rick Majerus era.
- Thanks to their stifling defense, the U. has also ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation in scoring margin four times in the last five years and seven times in the last 11 years. Utah has outscored its opponents by an average of 11.3 points per game this season. In the last five years, the Utes are one of just eight teams with four appearances in the top 25, bettered only by Cincinnati's streak of five consecutive years. Utah is also one of just six teams to rank in the top 10 at least three times in the last five years.
Utes Dealing with Rare Occurrence of No Returning All-Conference Selections
For just the second time since Rick Majerus took over the Ute basketball program, Utah doesn't feature a single returning all-conference selection on the roster.
Discounting Majerus' first season (1989-90), the only time the Utes haven't returned a first or second team all-conference selection was in 1993-94. That season resulted in the only non-winning season of the Majerus era with Utah going 14-14 overall and 8-10 in the Western Athletic Conference.
In 1991-92, Josh Grant was back for his fourth season with the Utes as the reigning WAC Player of the Year and the only returning all-conference honoree on the roster. However, he took a medical redshirt after helping the Utes win the first three games of the season. Without their leader, Utah finished 24-11 overall and 9-7 in conference play.
Home (Not So) Sweet Home
Utah is 8-2 at home this season. The last time Utah lost two home games in the same season was in 1993-94, when it went 11-3 overall and 7-2 in league games in the Huntsman Center. Since then, Utah has posted two one-loss seasons in the JMHC, going 14-1 in 1995-96 and 13-1 in 1996-97, and four undefeated seasons.
The Utes have gone unbeaten seven times in the 32-year history of the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Six of those undefeated home seasons have come under Rick Majerus: 1990-91 (16-0), 1992-93 (15-0), 1994-95 (15-0), 1997-98 (13-0), 1998-99 (14-0) and 1999-2000 (17-0). The Utes are 162-14 (.920) in the Huntsman Center during the Majerus era (including the nine games he has not coached this season) and have never lost back-to-back home games.
With a best-in the-nation 54-game homecourt winning streak through the first two home games of the season, Utah lost two of its next three in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. After a 79-77 loss to Weber State gave Utah its first home loss in nearly four years on Dec. 9, the Utes bounced back with an impressive 87-63 win over Washington State on Dec. 16. The Utes then dropped their second home game of the season to Southern Utah, 77-70, on Dec. 22. Before the loss to Weber State, Utah had won 94 of its last 96 games at home.
