Men's Basketball Heads to Phoenix for Southwest Shootout

Dec. 2, 2001

Game #6

Utah Runnin' Utes (3-2) vs. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-2)

Southwest Showdown

Dec. 4 * 8:35 p.m. (MST) * America West Arena (19,023) * Phoenix, Ariz.

The Game at a Glance Utah Head Coach: Rick Majerus Arizona State Head Coach: Rob Evans Alma Mater: Marquette, 1970 Alma Mater: New Mexico State, 1968 Record at Utah: 265-75/13th Season Record at Arizona State: 49-47/4th Season Overall Record: 364-127/18th Season Overall Record: 135-128/10th Season

Television: Fox Sports Net. Steve Physioc (play-by-play), Marques Johnson (analyst) and Leila Feinstein (reporter). 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. Bill Marcroft (play-by-play), Mark Rydalch (analyst) and Brad Stone (host).

Series Record: Utah leads 24-15 Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 13-5/9-10/2-0 Last Meeting: Utah defeated Arizona State, 65-48, on Nov. 23, 1998 in the Maui Invitational

Utah Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics35  F   Jeff Johnsen 6-4 204 Sr. Murray, Utah            7.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg31  F   Britton Johnsen   6-9 213 Jr. Murray, Utah            11.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg34  C   Chris Burgess   6-10    240 Sr. Irvine, Calif.          13.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg11  G   Travis Spivey   6-1 212 Sr. Myrtle Beach, S.C.  7.6 ppg, 5.6 apg15  G   Nick Jacobson   6-4 198 So. Fargo, N.D.         14.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Utah Off the BenchNo.     Pos.    Name              Ht.   Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics3   G   Martin Osimani   6-3   203 Fr. Montevideo, Uruguay 0.6 ppg, 1.4 apg13  C   Cameron Koford   6-11  230 Jr. Plain City, Utah    3.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg21  F   Trace Caton     6-5   214 Jr. Alamosa, Colo.          2.4 ppg, 2.2 apg32  G   Eric Osmundson   6-3   196 Fr. Carlsbad, Calif.    2.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg40  F   Phil Cullen     6-9   221 Sr. Chelan, Wash.           4.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg41  C/F Lance Allred   6-10  239 So. Salt Lake City          3.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg43  F   Cameron Goettsche 6-7   208 Fr. Highlands Ranch, Colo.  0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
Arizona State Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics4   F   Tommy Smith 6-10    215 Jr. Phoenix, Ariz.          13.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg11  F   Awvee Storey    6-6 225 Sr. Chicago, Ill.           10.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg52  C   Chad Prewitt    6-9 241 Sr. Phoenix, Ariz.          12.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg3   G   Kyle Dodd   6-0 175 Jr. Brea, Calif.            2.6 ppg, 2.8 apg14  G   Curtis Millage  6-2 175 Jr. Los Angeles, Calif. 10.8 ppg, 2.2 apg

After This

The Runnin' Utes return home for six consecutive games in the state of Utah. The U. hosts Troy State on Saturday at 7:04 p.m. (MST) in the Huntsman Center. Next Saturday (Dec. 15) the Utes play Weber State in Ogden, Utah, at 7:07 p.m. (MST).

Quickly

The Runnin' Utes are 3-2 entering Tuesday's game against Arizona State in the Southwest Shootout at America West Arena in Phoenix, Ariz. In the doubleheader carried by Fox Sports Net, Arizona plays Illinois at 6:00 p.m. (MST), followed by the Utes and Sun Devils at 8:30 p.m. (MST). Utah defeated Pepperdine 81-74 in the Huntsman Center on Saturday night to snap a two-game losing streak. The Utes lost at No. 22 Alabama 76-61 in their first road game of the season last Monday.

Sophomore 6-4 guard Nick Jacobson leads the team in scoring (14.0 ppg), shooting a team-best 53.6 percent (15-of-28) from three-point range. Senior 6-10 center Chris Burgess is second in scoring (13.2 ppg). He is also first in rebounds (6.6 rpg), blocked shots (0.8 bpg) and field goal percentage (58.8). Junior 6-9 forward Britton Johnsen is third in scoring (11.8 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.4 rpg). Senior 6-1 guard Travis Spivey leads the team in assists (5.6 apg) and is fourth in scoring (7.6 ppg).

Scouting Arizona State

The Sun Devils are 3-2 and have won two in a row at home following an 82-70 loss at Brigham Young on Nov. 24. Arizona State bounced back to defeat UC Riverside 73-64 last Tuesday and Prairie View A&M 100-62 on Saturday. Tuesday's game will be Arizona State's first on a neutral court this season and its first of two to be played at America West Arena this season.

Junior 6-10 forward Tommy Smith leads ASU in both scoring (13.2 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 rpg). Senior 6-9 center Chad Prewitt has solid numbers across the board, averaging 12.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He is also shooting a team-best 61.8 percent from the field. Junior 6-0 guard Kyle Dodd leads the team in assists (2.8 apg), while sophomore 6-3 guard Kenny Crandall is ASU's top three point shooter (52.9 percent). Crandall had a game-high 22 points against Prairie View A&M, hitting 5-of-7 treys.

Arizona State returns four starters and 11 lettermen from a team that went 13-16 overall and 5-13 to tie for sixth in the Pac-10 Conference last season.

Comparing the Stats
            Utah    Arizona StateScoring         69.0    80.8Scoring Defense 66.4    69.6FG%         .447    .456FG% Defense .494    .4203-Pt. FG%   .372    .2823-Pt. FG% Def.  .361    .395FT%         .725    .680Rebound Margin  +5.8    +3.0Assists         15.2    17.6Turnover Margin +0.4    +6.4Steals Margin   +1.2    +4.2

Head Coach Rob Evans

Rob Evans is in his fourth season at Arizona State, where he has gone 46-45. Previously, Evans was the head coach at Mississippi for six seasons (1992-98), posting an 86-81 record. He led Ole Miss to 20-win and SEC West titles in both of his last two seasons with the Rebels. Evans was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 1996-97. An outstanding athlete, Evans played basketball two seasons at Lubbock Christian College and two seasons at New Mexico State, leading the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament in 1967 and '68. He was drafted in three professional sports (baseball, basketball and football). Evans was an assistant coach at New Mexico State (1968-75), Texas Tech (1975-90) and Oklahoma State (1990-92).

Utah/Arizona State Series Notes

* Utah and Arizona State meet for the 40th time on Tuesday night in a series that dates back to Mar. 18, 1961 when the Utes won 88-80 in the NCAA Tournament in Portland, Ore. Utah has won two in a row and nine of the last 10 meetings. Arizona State's last win was on Jan. 30, 1988 (62-60) in Tempe, Ariz.

* Utah leads the all-time series 24-15 and is 2-0 against ASU on neutral courts.

* The Utes and Sun Devils are old rivals from the Western Athletic Conference, meeting twice a year in league play from 1963 until 1978 when ASU left the WAC for the Pac-10 Conference.

* Rick Majerus is 2-0 against Arizona State all-time with both games taking place during his tenure at Utah.

Last Meeting

Utah defeated Arizona State 65-48 on Nov. 23, 1998 in the quarterfinals of Maui Invitational. It was Rob Evans' third game as ASU's head coach. Leading 28-25 at the half, the Runnin' Utes raced past the Sun Devils in the second half, outscoring them 37-23. Utah shot 55.0 percent from the field and converted 7-of-15 three-pointers (.467). Defensively, Utah had a 36-27 edge on the boards and limited ASU to 25.0 percent shooting from the field. Senior forward Phil Cullen was the only current Ute to play in the game, scoring two points in 25 minutes. Senior center Chad Prewitt was the lone current Sun Devil to play, getting two points and five assists in 30 minutes as a starter.

Jacobson Heats Back Up

* Guard Nick Jacobson (6-4, 198) broke out of a two-game shooting slump with a career-high 22 points against Pepperdine on Saturday. Jacobson shot 7-of-13 from the field and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc against the Waves. 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.). However, over the next two games he hit just 20.8 percent (5-of-24) from the field and 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from beyond the arc. Jacobson leads the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and three-point percentage (53.6)

* Last season, Jacobson was named the 2000-01 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year. He 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) has led the Utes in scoring twice and rebounds three times this season. The Irvine, Calif., native is second on the team in scoring with an average of 13.2 points per game while shooting 58.8 percent from the field. He is also averaging a team-best 6.6 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. He pulled down a Utah career-best 12 rebounds against Pepperdine on Saturday to go with 19 points for his first double-double of the season.

* 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 fifth in three-pointers made (110), sixth in three-pointers attempted (292) and 10th in blocked shots (55). He has stared 42 games during his Utah career.

* This season, Cullen is averaging 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game off the bench. Cullen had a season-high nine points (3-of-6 FG, 2-of-2 3FG) in 12 minutes against Pepperdine on Dec. 1

* 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.

Johnsen & Johnsen

* 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 is third on the team in scoring (11.8 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.4 rpg). He had season-bests of 16 points and seven rebounds against Boise State on Nov. 20. He also had seven rebounds against Pepperdine on Saturday. Dating back to last season, Johnsen has scored in double figures in 18 of the last 30 contests, including the last four 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 7.4 points in 22.0 minutes per game this season, and got his first start of the year against Pepperdine on Saturday. He scored in double figures for the first time this season with 11 points against Alabama, then came back with 12 points against Pepperdine. Jeff also tied a career high with five assists versus the Waves. In the last two games, he has shot 8-of-14 from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point range.

* 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, getting 28 assists to just 10 turnovers (2.8:1 ratio) and eight steals in the first five games this season. Spivey had a career-high 10 assists against Pepperdine on Saturday. He is also averaging 7.6 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 transferring 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 on Nov. 27. Allred, a 6-10 sophomore center/forward from Salt Lake City is a perfect 14-for-14 at the line this season. ... Eric Osmundson got his first points as a Ute in a big way against Alabama on Nov. 17. The 6-1 freshman guard from Carlsbad, Calif., scored nine points, making all four shots from the field and his only three-point attempt, in eight minutes against the Crimson Tide.

From the Training Room

Freshman 6-7 forward Cameron Goettsche was cleared to play and dressed for his first game against Pepperdine on Saturday. Goettsche had been sidelined by a bone bruise in his right knee and patella tendinitis in his left knee. ... Freshman 6-11 center Chris Jackson has a broken bone in his right foot and is expected to be out for eight weeks. Jackson has not played in a game this season and was likely to redshirt even before the injury.

Pepperdine Game Rewind

Nick Jacobson scored a career-high 22 points as Utah beat Pepperdine 81-74 Saturday in Salt Lake City. Jacobson had five three-pointers. Chris Burgess scored 19 points and had 12 rebounds as the Utes (3-2) rebounded from back-to-back losses.

The loss brought the Waves (2-2) back down to earth after their 85-78 upset of No. 10 UCLA Wednesday. Jimmy Miggins paced Pepperdine with 17 points and Terrance Johnson added 16.

The Utes made 10-of-14 from beyond the arc and outrebounded the Waves 41-26 to overcome 18 turnovers-a problem that has haunted Utah since the start of the season. Pepperdine's press, which forces 22 turnovers a game, was rattling the Utes midway through the second half. Utah's 16-point lead had withered to 61-57 when Jacobson and Jeff Johnsen got breakaway layups on Utah's press-breaker and Jacobson connected on his fifth three-pointer of the game as Utah led 72-58 with 7:58 to play. Britton Johnsen, who scored 14 points, made two free throws and Utah held a 80-62 advantage with 2:56 to play before the Waves mounted a late 12-1 run after the game was out of reach.

Early in the second half, the Utes seemed to be in firm control as Jacobson hit a three-pointer and Utah was up 51-35. But Miggins came back from a poor first half-two points on 1-of-7 shooting-to score 11 of the Waves' first 17 points of the second half, closing the gap to 56-50. Leading 31-29 with 4:24 left in the first half, Utah finished the period with a flurry. Phil Cullen made a pair of three-pointers in a 13-4 surge to give the Utes a 44-33 lead at halftime.

Field Goal Shooting Turns Around on the Utes

To find a reason why Utah had back-to-back losses heading into the Pepperdine contest after winning its first two games of the season, 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).

Against Pepperdine, Utah shot 48.3 percent from the field, aided significantly by a 10-of-14 night from three-point range, and held the Waves to a 46.6 percent effort.

Inside the Numbers

* The loss to Utah State on Nov. 23 marked only the 11th time Rick Majerus has lost at home in 161 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 back-to-back games to Utah State (Nov. 23) and Alabama (Nov. 27), the Utes had lost consecutive games just twice since the start of the 1994-95 season with Rick 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.)

Rick's Remarks

On playing Arizona State - "Rob Evans is an Eddie Sutton disciple, and he's done a good job of trying to replicate that style of play. They play excellent team defense and they have very good overall quickness. I like their athleticism, and I know we're going to be challenged with their pressure. We know we're going to be in for a difficult game because they rebound the ball so well and are so tenacious on the boards."

On the win over Pepperdine - "I thought the effort was really good and I thought the unselfishness was there. We did better at recognizing who we are in certain situations. It was a good win for us."

"Nick (Jacobson) is a very good shooter. Sometimes you've got to know where and when the shots are coming. He did a nice job defensively tonight, and he did a good job with some leadership. Nick's a high-character kid. Burgess did an excellent job tonight and really competed. I was proud of the effort of a lot of the guys. I thought they did a good job."

Slow Starts, Fast Finishes

Utah got off to a 2-2 start this season, however, dropping a few games early hasn't been cause for concern for the Utes over the last few years. Utah has overcome meager beginnings before to finish-up in fine fashion. Season Start Following Streak Record Conf. Postseason 1998-99 5-4 23 consecutive wins 28-5 1st NCAA 2nd Round 1999-00 2-2 9 consecutive wins 23-9 T-1st NCAA 1st Round 2000-01 7-6 Won 11 of the next 14 19-12 T-1st NIT 1st Round

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 401-87. The Utes are 170-16 (.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 150-11 (.932) in the Huntsman Center. The Utes have won 107 of their last 113 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 41 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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