Runnin' Utes Host Pepperdine Saturday Night

Nov. 29, 2001

Game #5

Utah Runnin' Utes (2-2) vs. Pepperdine Waves (2-1)

Dec. 1 * 7:07 p.m. (MST) * Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000) * Salt Lake City

The Game at a Glance

Utah Head Coach: Rick Majerus            Pepperdine Head Coach: Paul WestphalAlma Mater: Marquette, 1970         Alma Mater: Southern California, 1972Record at Utah: 264-75/13th Season  Record at Pepperdine: 2-1/1st SeasonOverall Record: 363-127/18th Season Overall Record: 86-28/4th Season
Television: KJZZ-TV in Salt Lake City (Channel 14, AT&T Cable 3). Steve Brown (play-by-play) and Mark Eaton (analyst).Radio: Utah Sports Network (KALL-910 AM in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations). On the Internet at www.UtahUtes.com and www.kall910.com. Kent Rupe (play-by-play), Mark Rydalch (analyst) and Richard Wadley (host).
Series Record: Utah leads 2-1Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 1-0/1-0/0-1Last Meeting: Utah defeated Pepperdine 69-56 on Dec. 19, 2000 in Malibu, Calif.

Utah Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics21  F   Trace Caton   6-5 214 Jr. Alamosa, Colo.          2.3 ppg, 2.5 apg31  F   Britton Johnsen   6-9 213 Jr. Murray, Utah            11.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg34  C   Chris Burgess   6-10    240 Sr. Irvine, Calif.          11.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg11  G   Travis Spivey   6-1 212 Sr. Myrtle Beach, S.C.  9.5 ppg, 4.5 apg15  G   Nick Jacobson   6-4 198 So. Fargo, N.D.         12.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg

Utah Off the BenchNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics3   G   Martin Osimani 6-3 203 Fr. Montevideo, Uruguay 0.8 ppg, 1.3 apg13  C   Cameron Koford 6-11    230 Jr. Plain City, Utah    3.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg32  G   Eric Osmundson 6-3 196 Fr. Carlsbad, Calif.    3.0 ppg, 0.3 rpg35  G   Jeff Johnsen 6-4 204 Sr. Murray, Utah            6.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg40  F   Phil Cullen   6-9 221 Sr. Chelan, Wash.           3.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg41  C/F Lance Allred 6-10    239 So. Salt Lake City          4.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg

Pepperdine Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name             Ht.    Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics20  F   Terrance Johnson 6-5    185 Fr. Dallas, Texas           14.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg32  F   Jimmy Miggins    6-6    190 Jr. Riverside, Calif.   15.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg55  C   Cedric Suit  6-11   230 Sr. Atlanta, Ga.            4.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg1   G   Devin Montgomery 6-0    180 Jr. Mission Hills, Calif.   11.3 ppg, 4.7 apg11  G   Craig Lewis  6-3    190 Sr. Portland, Ore.          15.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg

After This

The Runnin' Utes make their second road trip of the season, playing Arizona State at America West West Arena in Phoenix, Ariz., on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. (MST). The game is part of a doubleheader televised by Fox Sports Net. Arizona takes on Illinois in the opener.

A Quick Look at Utah

The Runnin' Utes are 2-2 entering Saturday's game with Pepperdine at 7:07 p.m. (MST) in the Huntsman Center. Utah has dropped two in a row following its 2-0 start to the season. After falling to Utah State (78-65) in the Huntsman Center last Friday, the Utes lost at Alabama (76-61) in their first road game of the season on Monday.

Sophomore 6-4 guard Nick Jacobson leads the team in scoring (12.0 ppg), shooting a team-best 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from three-point range. Senior 6-10 center Chris Burgess is second in scoring (11.8 ppg). He is also first in rebounds (5.3 rpg), blocked shots (1.0 bpg) and field goal percentage (63.6). Junior 6-9 forward Britton Johnsen is third in scoring (11.3 ppg) and second in rebounding (3.8 rpg). Senior 6-1 guard Travis Spivey leads the team in assists (4.5 apg) and is fourth in scoring (9.5 ppg).

Scouting Pepperdine

The Waves are 2-1 after defeating UCLA 85-78 on Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. Pepperdine shot 59.4 percent from the field to outscore the Bruins 52-42 in the second half. The Waves opened the season with a 75-58 win over Cal State Fullerton at home on Nov. 17 and lost 96-93 in double overtime at UC Irvine on Nov. 20.

Four players are averaging double figures in scoring. Junior 6-6 forward Jimmy Miggins, a transfer from Los Angeles City College, leads the way in both scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (10.7 rpg). Senior 6-3 guard Craig Lewis is second in scoring (15.3 ppg), shooting 42.1 percent from three-point range. Junior 6-0 guard Devin Montgomery, a transfer from Moorpark College, leads the team in assists (4.7 apg) and is fourth in scoring (11.3 ppg).

Comparing the Stats
            Utah    PepperdineScoring         66.0    84.3Scoring Defense 64.5    77.3FG%         .449    .451FG% Defense .503    .4443-Pt. FG%   .313    .3473-Pt. FG% Def.  .341    .386FT%         .726    .754Rebound Margin  +3.5    -7.0Assists          13.5   15.0Turnover Margin +1.5    +8.3Steals Margin   +2.5    +1.7

Head Coach Paul Westphal

Paul Westphal is in his first season at Pepperdine, taking over for Jan van Breda Kolff. Westphal comes to Pepperdine from the NBA. He coached the Phoenix Suns for three-plus seasons, compiling a 191-88 record and taking the team to the 1993 NBA Finals. He was the Seattle Supersonics' head coach for two-plus seasons beginning in 1998, going 76-71. Before moving to the NBA, Westphal was the head coach at Southwestern Baptist College in Phoenix (1985-86) going 21-9. He was also the head coach at Grand Canyon College in Phoenix (1986-88), posting a 63-18 mark and leading them to the NAIA national title in his final season. As a college player at USC, Westphal was a three-time all-Pac-8 performer and a two-time All-American.

Utah/Pepperdine Series Notes

* The Utes and Waves meet for the fourth time overall on Saturday with Utah holding a 2-1 edge in the series.

* Saturday's game will be the second time the teams have met in Salt Lake City. The Utes won their first home game against Pepperdine, 115-64, on Dec. 1, 1966. In the only other meeting before last season, the Waves downed the Utes, 92-88 in overtime, on Mar. 9, 1979 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion.

* Saturday's game will be Rick Majerus' first against Pepperdine in his career as a head coach.

Last Meeting

Kevin Bradley scored 16 points to help Utah defeat Pepperdine, 69-56, in Malibu, Calif., last season on Dec. 19. The win ended the Waves' 14-game home winning streak.

Nate Althoff had 13 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench. Chris Burgess scored 11 points and Phil Cullen had 10 rebounds. Brandon Armstrong led Pepperdine with 24 points. Utah led 22-18 with 8:15 left in the first half and extended the margin to 33-18 with an 11-0 run. The Utes took a 41-33 lead into halftime after shooting 42 percent from the field and making 11-of-12 free throws. Utah pushed the lead to 15 points (60-45) with 6:44 to play and led by 20 (69-49) with 3:18 remaining.

Utah outshot the Waves 37.9 to 33.9 percent, had a 44 to 38 advantage on the boards and came up with nine steals. The Utes hit 21-of-26 free throws (80.8 percent) and Pepperdine shot 68.8 percent from the line (11-of-16).

Player Notes

Jacobson Cools Off After Red-Hot Start

* Guard Nick Jacobson (6-4, 198) was named the 2000-01 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year. The Fargo, N.D., native got off to a great start in the first two games of the season, shooting 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from the field and 85.7 percent (6-of-7) from beyond the arc. Jacobson hit 4-of-5 three-pointers and scored a career-high 16 points in the opener against St. Francis (Ill.). In the last two games, he has hit just 20.8 percent (5-of-24) from the field and 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from beyond the arc. Despite the downturn, Jacobson still leads the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and three-point percentage (45.5)

* Last season, Jacobson ranked third in three-point field goal percentage in MWC play at 43.8. Overall, he averaged 7.9 points per game and was 10th in the league with a 37.8 three-point field goal percentage in the regular season. Jacobson was the first Ute to garner conference Freshman of the Year honors since Keith Van Horn in 1993-94.

* Jacobson made the top 10 in five statistical categories on the all-time freshman charts at Utah last season. He ranked eighth in scoring (245 points), eighth in scoring average (7.9 ppg), second in three-pointers made (37), first in three-pointers attempted (97) and first in free throw percentage (.806).

Burgess Picking Up Where He Left Off

* Senior center/forward Chris Burgess (6-10, 240) led the Utes in scoring and rebounding in the first two games this season. The Irvine, Calif., native is second on the team in scoring with an average of 11.8 points per game while shooting 63.6 percent from the field. He is also averaging a team-best 5.3 rebounds this season. Against St. Francis (Ill.) in the opener, Burgess scored a career-high 20 points, hitting a personal-best nine field goals from the field in 14 attempts.

* Returning to the court on Feb. 5 last season after missing four games with an avulsion fracture in his right ankle, Burgess played some of his best basketball down the stretch. In the final 10 games, Burgess averaged 9.1 points per game, reaching double figures six times and shooting 57.6 percent from the field. He also averaged 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots. With Burgess in the starting line-up in Mountain West Conference games, the Utes were 8-1.

Cullen Climbing the Career Charts After A Summer on the Mound

* Even though he is just beginning his senior season, forward Phil Cullen (6-9, 221) has already moved into the top 10 on numerous career charts at Utah. Cullen ranks sixth in three-pointers made (108), sixth in three-pointers attempted (290) and 10th in blocked shots (55). He has stared 42 games during his Utah career.

* Four games into the season, Cullen is third on the team in rebounding (3.0 rpg). He is averaging 15.8 minutes per game off the bench.

* This past summer, Cullen played minor league baseball with the Seattle Mariners. The pitcher was taken in the 32nd round of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft by Seattle and signed with the organization last August. He climbed to the Class A level with the Everett (Wash.) Aquasox in the Northwest League, starting 14 games. Cullen went 1-4 with a 5.08 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 56.2 innings.

Britton Johnsen Hoping to Build On Second Team All-MWC Selection

* Junior forward Britton Johnsen (6-9, 213) earned second team all-Mountain West Conference honors last season and was a preseason all-league choice by the media this season. Johnsen was second on the team in scoring (9.2 ppg), shooting a team-best 42.6 percent from behind the arc (20-of-47), and was second in rebounds (5.4 rpg) last year. Johnsen scored in double figures in 14 of the last 25 contests.

* This season, Johnsen is third on the team in scoring (11.3 ppg) and second in rebounding (3.8 rpg). He had season-bests of 16 points and seven rebounds against Boise State on Nov. 20 and has scored in double figures in the last three games.

* Britton is joined on the Utah roster by his older brother Jeff Johnsen (6-4, 204), who is a senior guard/forward). Jeff is averaging 6.3 points in 21.5 minutes per game off the bench this season. He scored in double figures for the first time this season with 11 points against Alabama.

* 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 13-year career at the U. However, they are the first brothers to play together.

Getting to the Point with Spivey

* Senior point guard Travis Spivey (6-1, 212) is off to a good start to the season, getting 18 assists to just eight turnovers (2.3:1 ratio) and eight steals in the first four games. He is also averaging 9.5 points per game and got a career-high 18 points against Utah State on Nov. 23. Spivey is on track to receive his undergraduate degree in sociology in December.

* Spivey seemed to only get better and better as the 2000-01 season wore on after transfering from Salt Lake Community College. Spivey started the final 19 games of the season at the point, playing over 30 minutes in seven of those games.

* In the final 16 games of the regular season, the Myrtle Beach, S.C., native had 75 assists to 33 turnovers (2.3:1 ratio). He averaged 4.7 assists and 7.3 points per game, scoring in double figures four times during that stretch.

* In Mountain West Conference play, Spivey ranked second in assists per game (4.64). Spivey's steady play at the point provided a calming presence for the team as well. Utah didn't have more than 12 turnovers in seven of its last eight conference games.

Take Note of These Utes

Lance Allred had a career-best 10 points and hit 8-of-8 free throws (personal bests in both makes and attempts) against Alabama. The sophomore from Salt Lake City is a perfect 12-for-12 at the line this season. ... Eric Osmundson got his first points as a Ute in a big way against Alabama. The freshman from Carlsbad, Calif., scored nine points, making all four shots from the field and his only three-point attempt, in eight minutes.

From the Training Room

Freshman 6-7 forward Cameron Goettsche has not dressed for a game this season and has not been able to practice due to a bone bruise in his right knee and patella tendinitis in his left knee. No timetable has been set for his return to the court. At this time, he is not considered a redshirt candidate.

Team Notes

Alabama Game Rewind

The Crimson Tide surged to a 20-5 lead and the Utes played catch-up the rest of the night in a 76-61 loss on Monday night at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa.

Jeff Johnsen had 11 points and Lance Allred and Britton Johnsen 10 points apiece for Utah (2-2). The Utes' starting five was a combined 11-for-36 shooting for 31 points. Utah never got closer than 14 points in the second half, trailing by as many as 22.

Terrance Meade scored 18 points and Rod Grizzard had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Alabama. The Crimson Tide (4-1) shot 63 percent in the second half. Alabama has won 19 of its last 20 home games, including its first three this season.

Alabama jumped out to a 15-point lead early and forced 10 turnovers in the first 10 minutes. Alabama stretched its lead to 21 points before reserve guard Eric Osmundson closed it to 42-26 with a three-pointer and layup to end the half. The Tide scored 24 points off 21 Utah turnovers, forcing 14 in the first half.

Field Goal Shooting Turns Around on the Utes

To find a reason why Utah has dropped its last two games after winning the first two, one only needs to compare field goal percentages. In wins over St. Francis (Ill.) and Boise State, the Runnin' Utes shot 50.0 percent (50-for-100) while limiting the opposition to just 39.8 percent (39-for-98) from the field. In losses to Utah State and Alabama, Utah converted just 43.2 percent (38-for-88) of its field goal attempts while allowing the Aggies and Crimson Tide to shot a combined 56.9 percent (53-for-93).

Inside the Numbers

* The loss to Utah State on Nov. 23 marked only the 11th time Rick Majerus has lost at home in 160 games during his 13-year career. The loss also snapped a 55-game winning streak for Majerus in the Huntsman Center. His previous home loss was to Wake Forest (70-59) on Dec. 31, 1996.

* The 13-point loss to Utah State was the Runnin' Utes' most decisive defeat at home since losing to Brigham Young by 14 (87-73) on Mar. 7, 1992.

* Before losing the last two games to Utah State and Alabama, the Utes had lost consecutive games just twice since the start of the 1994-95 season with Majerus on the bench. Utah's last back-to-back nonconference losses came in the 1994 Maui Classic on Nov. 22 against Maryland (90-78) and Nov. 23 against Michigan (73-69). In 1999-2000, the Utes dropped back-to-back Mountain West Conference games on the road against Colorado State (60-49) on Feb. 26 and against Wyoming (88-61) on Feb. 28. The Runnin' Utes have lost consecutive games only 11 times under Majerus' direction. (Note: Last season in Majerus' absence, Utah lost three consecutive games in both nonconference and conference play.)

Tough Stretch in the Schedule

Utah is in the midst of a challenging eight-day stretch in the schedule in which it faces three consecutive teams that won 20 games a year ago.

The line-up began last Friday night with a home game against in-state rival Utah State. The Aggies went 28-6 last season, including a 58-57 victory over the Utes in Logan on Dec. 6. Utah State also won the Big West Tournament after placing second in the league during the regular season and defeated Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Utah State is picked to finish second in the Big West this season by the league's coaches.

On Monday, the Utes played their first road game of the season against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide, which won 76-61, returns five starters from a team that finished 25-11 and was the NIT runner-up in 2000-01. Alabama was selected to win the SEC Western Division in a preseason media poll. Utah returns to Salt Lake City to host Pepperdine on Saturday. The Waves went 22-9 last year and advanced to the second round of the NIT. Pepperdine has eight lettermen back under new head coach Paul Westphal.

Rick's Remarks

On playing Pepperdine - "Pepperdine is a very feisty team that plays excellent fullcourt defense. They're going to press us and show us two or three looks in the extended court. They're going to be a well-oiled machine offensively, and they run a lot of NBA stuff as you'd expect. I think Paul Westphal's reputation precedes itself. I think he's a great coach. His team is very well coached and has a great offensive feel for the game. They play a variety of defenses and want the game to be played 94 feet. We have to be prepared for their pressing and trapping defense, and fastbreak.

On the loss to Alabama - "I think that was a very good team. I think we came out psychologically not feeling we could win. We dug ourselves that big hole and we had to fight back the rest of the game. We had those terrible turnovers that weren't caused by anything."

"We have a long way to go. I've got to search for some positives so we can build on it. I think later in the season this will end up being a good game for us because we will learn some things from this."

Utes Reach 400 Wins Plateau in the Huntsman Center

* Utah got its 400th win in the history of the Jon M. Huntsman Center on Nov. 20 against Boise State. Its all-time record in the facility is 400-87. The Utes are 169-16 (.914) in the Huntsman Center during the Majerus era (including the 15 games he did not coach during the 2000-01 season) and have never lost back-to-back home games. With Majerus on the sidelines, the Utes are 149-11 (.931) in the Huntsman Center. The Utes have won 106 of their last 112 games in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

* Utah has gone unbeaten seven times in the 33-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).

* Utah finished its 2000-01 home schedule with a 13-3 record. The Utes ended the regular season by winning 10 in a row, including all seven Mountain West Conference games.

Utes Tabbed Second in Mountain West Preseason Poll

The Mountain West Conference media selected Wyoming to win the 2002 title, claiming 25 of a possible 29 first-place votes. Utah was picked second, garnering four first-place votes, followed by New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, BYU, Colorado State and Air Force.

Individually, Britton Johnsen was named to the preseason all-MWC team. He was joined by Marcus Bailey (G, Jr.) and Josh Davis (F, Sr.) of Wyoming, Ruben Douglas (G, Jr.) of New Mexico and Randy Holcomb (F, Sr.) from San Diego State. Davis was named the Top Returning Player.

Johnsen was a second team all-MWC selection last year after returning from a two-year LDS Church mission. He scored in double figures 14 times and ranked 13th in the conference in rebounding (5.4 rpg).

Unfamiliar Expectations

With Rick Majerus establishing Utah as a national power during his tenure, the Runnin' Utes have been a regular in the Top 25 preseason polls and the perennial favorites to win the conference title in recent years. However, that's not the case in 2001-02.

* The last time Utah wasn't ranked in the preseason or picked to win the league title was in 1994-95. That season, the Utes were coming off a 14-14 campaign and Keith Van Horn, who went on to become a two-time All-American and the No. 2 Pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, was a sophomore. The 1994-95 season began a run of six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances-which ended last year-and Utah's current string of seven straight regular season conference championships. The Runnin' Utes' seven consecutive conference titles ties Cincinnati's mark as the longest active streak in the nation.

* The Runnin' Utes have been ranked in the top 16 in the A.P. poll to start the season on an annual basis since 1995-96. Their yearly rankings were as follows: 10th ('95-96), 6th ('96-97), 16th ('97-98), 10th ('98-99), 15th ('99-00) and 13th ('00-01).

Getting Defensive

One of the trademarks of a Utah team during the Rick Majerus era is a stifling half-court defense. Since 1989-90, Utah has ranked in the top 30 in the nation nine times in scoring defense, nine times in rebound margin, eight times in field goal percentage defense and eight times in scoring margin.

* The Utes haven't allowed a team to score 80 points or better for 40 consecutive games. The last team to score 80 points on the Utes was Wyoming (88-61) on Feb. 28, 2000 in Laramie, Wyo.

* Utah was one of the top defensive teams in the nation once again last season. The Utes ranked 23rd in the NCAA in scoring defense (63.1 ppg), 29th in scoring margin (+8.7 ppg) and 15th in rebound margin (+6.4 ppg). Utah, which held opponents to 40.6 percent shooting from the field, was just two-tenths of a percentage point outside of the NCAA's top 30.

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