Runnin' Utes Host Whitworth College on Wednesday

Dec. 30, 2001

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Game #12

Utah Runnin' Utes (8-3) vs. Whitworth College Pirates (7-2)

Jan. 2 * 7:04 p.m. (MST) * Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000) * Salt Lake City

The Game at a Glance

Utah Head Coach: Rick Majerus            Whitworth College Head Coach: Jim HayfordAlma Mater: Marquette, 1970         Alma Mater: Azusa Pacific, 1989Record at Utah: 270-76/13th Season  Record at Whitworth College: 7-2/1st SeasonOverall Record: 369-128/18th Season Overall Record: 44-29/3rd Season
Television: NoneRadio: 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: First Meeting
Utah Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics35  F   Jeff Johnsen 6-4 204 Sr. Murray, Utah            7.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg31  F   Britton Johnsen   6-9 213 Jr. Murray, Utah            11.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg40  C   Phil Cullen   6-9 221 Sr. Chelan, Wash.           5.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg11  G   Travis Spivey   6-1 212 Sr. Myrtle Beach, S.C.  6.2 ppg, 4.9 apg15  G   Nick Jacobson   6-4 198 So. Fargo, N.D.         14.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Utah Off the BenchNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics3   G   Martin Osimani 6-3 203 Fr. Montevideo, Uruguay 0.3 ppg, 1.2 apg13  C   Cameron Koford 6-11    230 Jr. Plain City, Utah    2.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg21  G/F Trace Caton   6-5 214 Jr. Alamosa, Colo.          4.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg32  G   Eric Osmundson 6-3 196 Fr. Carlsbad, Calif.    2.3 ppg, 1.3 apg41  C/F Lance Allred 6-10    239 So. Salt Lake City          2.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Whitworth College Probable StartersNo.     Pos.    Name            Ht.     Wt.     Cl.     Hometown            Statistics30  F   Bryan Depew 6-5 198 So. Greenacres, Wash.   19.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg33  F   Kyle Jensen 6-8 220 Jr. Kent, Wash.         7.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg35  F   Gunner Olsen    6-4 181 Sr. Curlew, Wash.           15.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg3   G   Eric Avery  6-0 177 Jr. Spokane, Wash.          5.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg15  G   Chase Williams  6-3 183 Jr. Missoula, Mont.     12.4 ppg, 2.8 apg

After This

The Runnin' Utes close out their nonconference schedule by taking on Saint Mary's College next Monday at 7:05 p.m. (PST) in Moraga, Calif. Utah opens Mountain West Conference action against UNLV on Jan. 12 at 1:07 p.m. (MST) in the Huntsman Center.

Quickly

The Runnin' Utes are 8-3 and riding a five-game winning streak entering Wednesday's game against Whitworth College at 7:04 p.m. (MST) in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. It will be Utah's fourth consecutive game at home, where it is 7-1 this season. The Utes resumed their schedule after the holiday break with a 71-61 win over Texas on Saturday in Salt Lake City. During its recent winning streak, Utah posted double-figure wins in each game, winning by an average of 18.6 points per game.

Sophomore 6-4 guard Nick Jacobson leads the Runnin' Utes in scoring (14.5 ppg), shooting a team-best 49.3 percent (34-of-69) from three-point range. Junior 6-9 forward Britton Johnsen is third in scoring (11.6 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.5 rpg). Senior 6-1 guard Travis Spivey leads the team in assists (4.9 apg). Senior 6-10 center Chris Burgess, who is second on the team in scoring (13.2 ppg) and first in rebounds (7.2 rpg), blocked shots (13) and field goal percentage (66.0), is out with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot.

Scouting Whitworth College

The Pirates are 7-2 overall and 4-2 away from home--including a 1-2 mark on opponents' homecourts this season. After a 17-day break, Whitworth competed in the Cal State Bakersfield Classic last weekend. Whitworth defeated Spring Hill College 51-49 on Thursday before losing to the hosts 60-45 in the championship game on Friday. Whitworth returned home to defeat Great Falls 72-54 on Sunday.

Sophomore 6-5 forward Bryan Depew is Whitworth's top scorer (19.4 ppg) and rebounder (7.9 rpg). Depew is shooting 67.0 percent from the field and 82.1 percent at the line. He has led the team seven times in both points and rebounds. Senior 6-4 forward Gunner Olsen is second in scoring (15.1 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg). Junior 6-3 guard Chase Williams is the top assists-getter (2.8 apg) and third-leading scorer (12.4 ppg).

Whitworth College, located in Spokane, Wash., has an enrollment of 1,600. Its basketball program competes in NCAA Division III and is a member of the Northwest Conference.

Head Coach Jim Hayford

Jim Hayford is 7-2 in his first season at Whitworth College. Prior to going to Whitworth, Hayford was the head coach at Sioux Falls, where he compiled a 37-27 record in two seasons. During his inaugural season (1999-2000) he led the Cougars to their first conference playoff appearance in five years. The team finished 15-15 after losing in the SDIC championship game. Hayford's Cougars finished the 2000-01 season 22-12 and lost to the eventual NAIA Division II champions (Northwestern College of Iowa) in double overtime in the Great Plains Athletic Conference championship game. Hayford served as the top assistant coach at Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) from 1990-99.

Comparing the Stats

            Utah    WhitworthScoring         71.0    78.0Scoring Defense 62.2    61.0FG%         .468    .522FG% Defense .441    .3953-Pt. FG%   .401    .3263-Pt. FG% Def.  .318    .303FT%         .730    .758Rebound Margin  +5.1    +6.3Assists         16.7    13.7Turnovers   14.9    16.9Opp. Turnovers  15.2    17.3Steals          6.8 8.4

Utah-Whitworth College Series Notes

* The Runnin' Utes and Pirates meet for the first time on Wednesday.

* Rick Majerus' Utes took on Jim Hayford's Sioux Falls team on Dec. 17, 1999 in Salt Lake City, winning 72-48.

* When Hayford was an assistant coach at Azusa Pacific, it played Utah three times in Salt Lake City. The Utes defeated the Cougars 83-50 on Nov. 23, 1996, 78-58 on Dec. 12, 1997 and 76-47 on Nov. 14, 1998.

Jacobson Prolific From Beyond the Arc

* Sophomore guard Nick Jacobson (6-4, 198) leads the Utes in scoring (14.5 ppg) and three-point percentage (49.3). He has scored in double figures in 10 of the 11 games this season, including each of the last seven.

* Jacobson had a hot hand in early December. Against Pepperdine, Arizona State and Troy State (Dec. 1-8), Jacobson shot 59.4 percent from the field (19-for-32) and 72.2 percent from three-point range (13-for-18). In the three games prior to the Texas contest, he cooled off to just 34.4 percent from the floor (11-for-32) and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (7-for-21). Against the Longhorns, Jacobson had a game-high 18 points, shooting 7-of-16 from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point range.

* In the NCAA statistical rankings released on Dec. 17, Jacobson was tied for 23rd in three-point field goal percentage (50.0).

* The Fargo, N.D., native got a career-high 22 points against Pepperdine on Dec. 1, shooting 5-of-6 from three-point range. Jacobson had a career-high six rebounds against Arizona State and a career-high five assists versus Troy State.

* Last season, Jacobson was named the 2000-01 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, becoming 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).

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. Britton is third on the team in scoring (11.6 ppg), shooting 32.4 percent from three-point range, and second in rebounding (4.5 rpg). Dating back to last season, Britton has scored in double figures in 23 of the last 36 contests-including nine of the last 10 games this season.

* Britton had a season-high eight rebounds and a career-high tying three blocked shots against Texas on Dec. 29.

* Britton missed his career high by two points with a season-best of 21 against Weber State on Dec. 15. Britton hit 7-of-12 from the field, 4-of-5 from three-point range and 3-of-3 at the line. Before the WSU game, he had been shooting just 38.2 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from three-point range.

* Joining Britton on the Utah roster is his older brother Jeff Johnsen (6-4, 204), who is a senior guard/forward. Jeff is averaging 7.5 points (fourth-best on the team) and 2.8 assists (second-best on the team), and has started the last seven games. Jeff has scored in double figures in four of the last eight games.

* Jeff's season high is 12 points, scored against both Pepperdine and Dec. 1 and Weber State on Dec. 15. He set a career high with six assists against Idaho State on Dec. 21. Against Texas on Dec. 29, Jeff had season highs of seven rebounds and three steals to go with 11 points.

* 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) has 54 assists to 23 turnovers (2.3:1 ratio) and 10 steals this season. He is also averaging 6.2 points per game and got a career-high 18 points against Utah State on Nov. 23. Spivey has had fewer than two turnovers in four games. Spivey had a career-high 10 assists against Pepperdine on Dec. 1.

* 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.

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 (116), fifth in three-pointers attempted (306) and 10th in blocked shots (56). He has started 42 games during his Utah career.

* This season, Cullen is averaging 5.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per game off the bench. Getting more playing time (23 minutes) with the injury to Chris Burgess against Texas on Dec. 29, Cullen had a season-high 12 points, hitting 3-of-5 field goals and 2-of-3 three-pointers, to reach double figures for the first time this season. Cullen has scored at least eight points in each of the last three games.

* 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.

What the Utes Lose in Burgess

* Senior center/forward Chris Burgess (6-10, 240), who is out with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot, has led the Utes in scoring five times and rebounds eight times this season. He has also had four double-doubles. The Irvine, Calif., native still ranks second on the team in scoring with an average of 13.2 points per game while shooting 66.0 percent from the field. He is also averaging a team-best 7.2 rebounds this season.

* Prior to being injured in the first half against Texas, he had reached double figures in points five times and rebounds four times in the last six games. Over that stretch, he averaged 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots while shooting 66.7 percent from the floor. Burgess had a career-high 22 points versus Troy State on Dec. 8.

* In the two games prior to the Texas contest, he posted back-to-back double-doubles for the first time in his college career. Burgess had 15 points and a Utah career-high 14 rebounds against Southern Utah on Dec. 18. He then came back with 17 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high tying four blocked shots against Idaho State on Dec. 21. Burgess hit a career-best nine free throws (in 10 attempts) against ISU.

* In the NCAA statistical rankings released on Dec. 17, Burgess ranked fourth in field goal percentage (66.7).

* 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.

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. 26. Allred, a 6-10 sophomore center/forward from Salt Lake City was a perfect 14-for-14 at the line this season before missing both of his free throw attempts against Troy State on Dec. 1. He has not been at the free throw line since and is shooting 87.5 percent this season.

* Trace Caton has scored in double figures in two of the last five games, shooting 12-for-19 (.632) from the field, 9-for-12 (.750) from three-point range and 5-for-6 (.833) from the free throw line during that stretch. He had a season-high 16 points (all in the first half) in 18 minutes against Southern Utah on Dec. 18. The junior from Alamosa, Colo., didn't miss a shot, hitting all five field goals, three trifectas and three free throws against the T-Birds. Caton had 14 points in 24 minutes against Troy State on Dec. 8.

* Before getting two turnovers and no assists against Texas on Dec. 29, Eric Osmundson had put up 13 assists to four turnovers (3.3:1 ratio) during the previous four games. Osmundson was productive in a career-best 23 minutes against Southern Utah on Dec. 18, posting a career-best six assists with just one turnover, two points, three rebounds and a steal. While getting his first significant minutes of the season as the back-up point guard against Troy State on Dec. 8, Osmundson had four assists in 18 minutes. His best scoring output of the season came when he got nine points, making all four shots from the field and his only three-point attempt, in eight minutes against Alabama on Nov. 26. Osmundson had eight points in 15 minutes against Idaho State on Dec. 21.

From the Training Room

* Senior 6-10 center Chris Burgess went down with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot five minutes into the game against Texas on Saturday. He will have diagnostic tests and be reevaluated early this week. Burgess will not play against Whitworth College.

* Junior 6-5 guard/forward Trace Caton cut his chin during the Idaho State game and received six stitches. He played against Texas.

Goettsche and Jackson Expected to Redshirt

* Freshman 6-7 forward Cameron Goettsche is expected to redshirt this season. Goettsche was sidelined early in the season by patella tendinitis in his left knee and a bone bruise in his right knee before being cleared to play on Dec. 1.

* Freshman 6-11 center Chris Jackson broke a bone in his right foot the last week of November 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.

Texas Game Rewind

Nick Jacobson scored 18 points while Britton Johnsen and Phil Cullen each added 12 as Utah beat Texas 71-61 on Saturday in Salt Lake City. Johnsen also added a season-high eight rebounds and a career-best three blocked shots.

The Utes (8-3) won their fifth straight, holding off the Longhorns (7-4) in the closing minutes after Texas erased a 12-point deficit midway through the second half. Deginald Erskin's follow-up basket with 3:39 remaining pulled the Longhorns within 58-56, but they went the next two minutes without a score and Utah capped the final 40 seconds with a flurry of dunks off Texas turnovers. James Thomas led Texas with 12 points, while freshman T.J. Ford had 11.

The Utes led 40-32 at the break after closing the half with a 10-1 run. The highlight was Jeff Johnsen throwing in a three-pointer as he wobbled near the right sideline and the shot clock neared zero.

The Utes had everything under control with 11 minutes to play. Their lead grew to 52-40 with 10:30 remaining after Cullen hit a three-pointer and, as his shot was airborne, Texas forward Brian Boddicker was called for a push. Jacobson swished another three-pointer on the ensuing inbounds play.

Ford scored twice in a 14-8 run that closed the margin to 56-52 with 4:55 to play. The Utes were in trouble until Travis Spivey, who had six assists in the game, got open for a layup that made it 58-54 with 4:07 on the clock. Up to that point, he was 0-for-7 from inside five feet and 1-for-8 for the game. Utah tightened its defense and Jacobson hit a 15-footer for a 62-56 lead with 2:38 remaining.

Utah had 15 assists on 25 baskets and committed just 13 turnovers while forcing 17 by Texas. The Utes shot 42.4 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three-point range, hitting 9-of-19. Texas was held to 34.4 percent from the floor and 11.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Longhorns had a 42 to 36 advantage on the boards.

Slow Starts, Fast Finishes

Utah has won five in a row since getting off to a 3-3 start this season. Dropping a few games early hasn't been cause for concern for the Utes in recent years. Utah has overcome meager beginnings before to finish-up in fine fashion.

Season  Start   Following Streak    Record  Conf.   Postseason1998-99 5-4 23 consecutive wins 28-5    1st NCAA 2nd Round1999-00 2-2 9 consecutive wins  23-9    T-1st   NCAA 1st Round2000-01 7-6 Won 11 of the next 14   19-12   T-1st   NIT 1st Round

The Difference Between Winning and Losing

To find reasons why Utah has won or lost games this season, one can point to four things: field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, rebound margin and assists-to-turnover ratio. Listed below is the breakdown of the per game averages for those statistics.

WINS (8)    FG% Rebs    Assists TurnoversUtah            48.6    35.5    18.6    13.6Opponents   40.4    27.3    10.6    14.8
LOSSES (3)  FG% Rebs    Assists TurnoversUtah            41.7    29.3    11.7    18.3Opponents   54.5    32.7    13.3    16.3

Inside the Numbers

* In all eight of Utah's wins, the opponents have shot less than 50 percent from the field. Conversely, the opposition has shot better than 50 percent in each of Utah's three losses.

* Utah has held five opponents-including four of the last five-to 40 percent or less from the field (Boise State, Troy State, Weber State, Southern Utah and Texas). The Utes held Texas to 34.4 percent from the field, its second-best effort this season. The Longhorns also managed to shot just 11.8 percent from beyond the arc, the lowest mark by a Ute opponent this season.

* The Utes have had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in all eight wins and a negative ratio in each of the three losses. In its win over Weber State on Dec. 15, Utah had a season-low nine turnovers (just one in the second half) and 12 assists.

* Utah has shot at least 40 percent from three-point range in five games this season, all of them wins.

* In seven of the eight wins, Utah has held its opponent to 61 points or less. In the three losses, the opponents have all surpassed the 70-point barrier.

* Utah has eclipsed the 80-point mark twice, winning both times (Pepperdine, 81-74, Troy State, 87-56).

* Utah scored a season-high 45 points in the second half against Troy State on Dec. 8. The Utes also connected on a season-high 55.9 percent of their field goals.

* Against Weber State on Dec. 15, Utah won for the only time this season when trailing at halftime. Utah is 1-3 when trailing after 20 minutes this season.

* Utah had a season-high nine blocked shots against Idaho State, missing the school single-game record by one. Chris Burgess and Travis Spivey both had career highs of four blocked shots in that game.

Rick's Remarks

On the win over Texas - "It was a good win. Our effort was sustained throughout the game. We got a little tentative on offense, then I called a couple of timeouts. But I thought our guys did a great job of reacting throughout the game. We did a good job defending. It was a nice team effort. The way we have to play defense is as a team. I thought the best thing about the game may have been the attitude we had when (Chris) Burgess came out. The guys didn't bat an eye."

On making adjustments and playing Phil Cullen at center - "Phil's a veteran player and Phil responded. He's a smart player. We sort of negated their inside presence with team defense, and they had a bit more difficult time covering us outside when we stretched them. I don't know how many substitutions there were in this game and I don't know what an NCAA record would be. But it was interesting how we kept matching to match-ups. We sort of reacted to each other's match-ups and played off of that.

On the loss of Chris Burgess - "Burgess has been playing very well. We lose our five guy. I feel bad for the kid. He's been working very hard."

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 47 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.

Utes Tough At Home In the Huntsman Center

* Utah all-time record in the Huntsman Center is 405-87. Utah got its 400th win in the history of the facility on Nov. 20 against Boise State.

* The Utes are 174-16 (.916) 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 154-11 (.933) at home. The Utes have won 111 of their last 117 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.

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