Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Nevada [Exh] on October 17, 2025
![Nevada [Exh]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/crop?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Futahutes.com%2Fimages%2Flogos%2FNevadaAthletics_Navy.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
Men's Basketball
vs Nevada [Exh]
![Oregon [Exh]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/crop?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Futahutes.com%2Fimages%2Flogos%2Foregon.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
.png&width=31&height=31&type=webp)
It's Thirty-Three Flavors For Utes
3/12/2001 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 12, 2001
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
NIT First Round
Utah Utes (19-11, 10-4 MWC)
vs.
Memphis Tigers (17-14, 10-6 C-USA)
March 13 * 7:05 p.m. (MST)
* Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000)
* Salt Lake City
The Game at a Glance
Utah Acting Head Coach: Dick Hunsaker
Record at Utah: 18-11/1st Season
Overall Record: 166-72/8th Season
Memphis Head Coach: John Calipari
Record at Memphis: 17-14/1st Season
Overall Record: 210-85/9th Season
Television: ESPN. Derrin Horton (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst).
Radio: Utah Sports Network (KALL-910 AM in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations).
Series Record: Utah leads 2-1.
Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 0-0/0-0/2-1
Last Meeting: Utah defeated Memphis 61-58 on Nov. 25, 2000 in the Puerto Rico Shootout.
NIT Notes
How to Get First Round Tickets
Tickets are available by calling the Huntsman Center ticket office at 581-UTIX or on-line at www.UtahUtes.com. Season ticket holders and U. students can purchase their own season tickets or student section tickets until 6:00 p.m. on Monday. At that time all seats will be open for sale to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Lower bowl seats are $10, upper bowl seats $8 and students tickets $6.
NIT Quick Facts
The NIT is under the control, direction and supervision of the athletic representatives of the five-member Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association, consisting of Fordham University, Manhattan College, New York University, St. John's University and Wagner College. The first three rounds of the tournament will take place at on campus sites. First round games are Mar. 13-16. Second round games are Mar. 19-20. Third round games are Mar. 21-23. The final four will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York, with the semifinals Mar. 27 and the finals Mar. 29.
Utah in the NIT
Utah is making its 33rd overall appearance in postseason play and its 11th showing in the NIT. The Utes have an 11-9 record (.561) in the NIT, last appearing in 1992. In their 10 previous appearances, the Utes advanced to the NIT Final Four three times, finishing first in 1947, second in 1974 and third in 1992.
Last NIT Appearance
Utah last earned a berth in the NIT in 1992 in Rick Majerus' second full season as head coach. The Utes opened with a 72-57 win over Ball State, coached by current Utah acting head coach Dick Hunsaker, on Mar. 19 in Salt Lake City. Utah then defeated Arizona State 60-58 on Mar. 24 in Tempe, Ariz., and Rhode Island 84-72 on Mar. 27 back in the Huntsman Center. After advancing to the final four at Madison Square Garden, Utah lost to Notre Dame 58-55 in the semifinals on Mar. 30 before defeating Florida 81-78 in the consolation final on Apr. 1. Jimmy Soto was named to the all-tournament team.
Hunsaker in the Postseason
Although acting head coach Dick Hunsaker is guiding the Utes through the postseason for the first time, he does have extensive experience in postseason tournaments. While at Ball State from 1989-93, Hunsaker's Cardinals won two MAC Tournament championships and made it to a national postseason tournament all four years.
At Ball State, Hunsaker's teams went 9-2 in MAC Tournaments, winning titles in 1990 and 1993, 2-2 in NCAA Tournaments and 0-2 the NIT. This season, Utah lost in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament, falling 56-53 to New Mexico on Mar. 9 in Las Vegas after getting a bye in the quarterfinals as the No. 1 seed.
Opening Tips
A Quick Look At Utah
The Utes are 19-11 entering the NIT and went 10-4 in the Mountain West Conference to tie Brigham Young and Wyoming for the league championship. After getting off to a 7-6 start, Utah has won 12 of its last 17. Utah had a season-best seven-game winning streak snapped with a 71-60 loss at Air Force on Mar. 1. The Utes rebounded with a 66-61 win at New Mexico on Mar. 3. After getting a first round bye in the Mountain West Tournament, Utah lost to New Mexico, 56-53, in the semifinals last Friday in Las Vegas.
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 18 games, leads the team in scoring (10.8 ppg), shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range, which is third-best on the team. He is also second on the team in assists (2.23 apg). Junior forward Phil Cullen is second in scoring (9.1 ppg), shooting 37.8 percent from three-point range, and third in rebounding (4.5 rpg). Sophomore forward Britton Johnsen is third in scoring (9.0 ppg), shooting a team-best 42.2 percent from three-point range, and is second in rebounding (5.4 rpg). Junior guard/forward Jeff Johnsen is fourth in scoring (8.6 ppg), hitting 40.0 percent from behind the arc--which is second-best on the team--and 75.6 percent from the line, and is second in assists (2.23 apg). Senior center Nate Althoff is fifth in scoring (8.1 ppg). Junior Travis Spivey, who has started the last 18 games at point guard, is averaging a team-best 3.63 assists per game. Junior center/forward Chris Burgess, who has been back for nine games after fracturing his left ankle, leads the team in rebounding average (5.9 rpg) and blocked shots (30).
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.
Coach Dick Hunsaker and Three Players Earn All-Mountain West Honors
Acting head coach Dick Hunsaker was named the Coach of the Year, while Nick Jacobson was honored as the Freshman of the Year when the Mountain West Conference announced it's 2001 awards on Mar. 5. Kevin Bradley and Britton Johnsen were named second team all-conference. Bradley also made the all-newcomer team.
Hunsaker took over after the first game when Rick Majerus elected to take a leave of absence in order to devote more time to family matters and personal health issues. Hunsaker led the Utes to at least a share of a conference title for the seventh consecutive year with a 19-10 overall regular-season record and 10-4 conference mark.
Jacobson, a guard from Fargo, N.D., averaged 8.9 points per game and ranked third in three-point field goal percentage in league play at 43.8. Overall, he averaged 7.9 points per game and was 10th in the MWC with a 37.8 three-point field goal percentage in the regular season. Jacobson is the first Ute to garner conference Freshman of the Year honors since Keith Van Horn in 1993-94.
Bradley, a junior guard in his first year with the Utes after transferring from Compton Community College, ranked 14th in the MWC in scoring at 11.7 points per game in conference play. He was also second in three-point percentage (.466) and tied for fifth in three-pointers made per game (1.93). Overall, the Los Angeles native averaged 11.0 points per game to lead Utah and rank 19th in the MWC in scoring in the regular season.
Johnsen, a sophomore forward, rejoined the Utes this season after serving a two-year Mormon mission. During league play, he averaged 9.9 points per game to rank 21st in the MWC. He also ranked 10th in the conference in rebounding (5.5 rpg) and 15th in field goal percentage (.466). The Murray, Utah, native also shot 45.9 percent from three-point range to lead the Utes during the regular season.
Another Championship Season
The Utes have won seven consecutive conference regular-season titles and have captured nine league regular-season titles in the Rick Majerus era, dating back to the 1989-90 season. Utah won the WAC regular-season championship outright in 1991 and shared it in 1993 before winning five straight outright titles from 1995-99 (the last three being divisional titles). Utah went 10-4 in conference play last season to share the inaugural Mountain West Conference championship with UNLV. The Utes also went 10-4 this season to take the title with Brigham Young and Wyoming.
Scouting Memphis
Memphis is 17-14 and placed second in the National Division of Conference USA with a 10-6 record. The Tigers defeated Marquette, 71-64, in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament before losing to Cincinnati, 89-79, in the semifinals last Friday.
Kelly Wise, a 6-10 junior forward, was named first team all-Conference USA for the Tigers. He was the only player in the league to average a double-double with 15.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Wise also averaged 1.45 blocked shots per game. Freshman 6-5 guard Scooter McFadgon is second on the team in scoring (9.8 ppg). He missed two games after suffering a high ankle sprain against Southern Mississippi on Feb. 28, but was back for Memphis' C-USA Tournament semifinal loss to Cincinnati last Friday. Senior 6-4 guard Shyrone Chatman and Senior 6-5 guard Marcus Moody both average 9.7 points per game. Chatman leads the Tigers in assists (4.67 apg) and three-point field goal percentage (.424).
Tigers Head Coach
John Calipari is in his first year as Memphis' head coach. In eight seasons at UMass (1988-96) before coaching the New Jersey Nets in the NBA (1996-99), Calipari compiled a 193-71 record. He took the Minutemen to the NIT twice and five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances to end his tenure. Calipari coached UMass to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1995 and the Final Four in 1996.
Series Notes
The Utes lead the series with Memphis 2-1. Utah defeated Memphis earlier this season, 61-58, in the third-place game of the Puerto Rico Shootout on Nov. 25. Tuesday's game will be the first meeting between Utah and Memphis in Salt Lake City. The two teams met twice previously in the NIT in New York. The Utes lost 77-75 on March 16, 1957 in the first round and won 92-78 on March 21, 1974 in the second round.
Last Meeting
Britton Johnsen's tip-in during the final minute cemented No. 13 Utah's 61-58 victory over Memphis in the consolation game of the Puerto Rico Shootout. Johnson and Nate Althoff each scored 15 points and Chris Burgess added 12 for the Utes.
Utah, which trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half, tied the score at 44 with 11:51 remaining in the second half. Capitalizing on Memphis turnovers, the Utes used a 6-0 run for a 50-44 lead before the Tigers knotted the game at 50 with seven minutes remaining.
Utah again spurted ahead before the Tigers rallied to cut the lead to 59-58 with 47 seconds remaining on a pair of free throws by Scooter McFadgon. A jumper by Utah's Kevin Bradley missed the mark, but Johnson tipped in the miss to seal the win for the Utes.
Memphis was slowed by its lack of a consistent outside shooter. All but nine of the Tigers' points came from inside. Kelly Wise led Memphis with 15 points. Memphis shot 22-for-32 from the free throw line.
Team Notes
MWC Tournament Rewind
Utah, the top seed, fell to New Mexico, 56-53, last Friday night in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Britton Johnsen had 17 points and 10 rebounds to get his second career double-double and lead the Utes. Marlon Parmer led New Mexico with 16 points.
The Lobos led 48-47 with 6:05 remaining in the game when Parmer made two straight field goals to put New Mexico ahead by five in a contest that went down to the final buzzer. Johnsen made one of two free throws to cut the lead to 52-48 with 3:23 left, but Eric Chatfield scored at the 2:26 mark to give New Mexico a six-point lead.
The Utes rallied yet again, however, with Jeff Johnsen stealing a pass and scoring a layup to make the score 54-50 and Nick Johnson hitting a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left to cut the lead to 54-52. The Utes had a chance to tie after Parmer was fouled and missed both free throws, but Britton Johnsen was fouled driving to the basket and made only one of two free throws.
After the Lobos' Tim Lightfoot hit two free throws to put the Lobos up 56-53 with 6.9 seconds left the Utes' Kevin Bradley missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Utah shot just 36.4 percent from the field, which is its second-lowest output from the field this season. The Utes also had 14 turnovers to just six assists, but came away with a 41 to 36 edge on the boards.
Getting Defensive
* In 15 of the last 16 games Utah has held its opponent to under 50 percent shooting from the field. Air Force broke a streak of 13 consecutive games under 50 percent shooting for Ute opponents, hitting 55.3 percent on Mar. 1 in Colorado Springs. Utah's opponents had mustered just 41.0 percent shooting during that 13-game stretch. In the last 16 games combined, Utah opponents are shooting just 41.1 percent (354-of-861). Four of the Utes' top 10 defensive performances against Division I teams this season have come in the last six games.
* Utah allowed its lowest field goal percentage by a Division I opponent this season against Colorado State on Feb. 24, with CSU going hitting 28.9 percent of its shots. The Rams, which ranked sixth nationally in three-point percentage (.420) entering the game, where held to just 23.5 percent in the game and 1-of-8 from beyond the arc in the second half.
* Only three teams have shot better than 50 percent from the field against the Utes the entire 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, Long Beach State shot 51.9 percent from the field and Air Force connected on 55.3 percent of its attempts (including 64.7 percent in the first half) on Mar. 1. Utah's opponents have shot just 40.5 percent this season overall and 42.0 percent in Mountain West Conference play.
* Utah has held 10 of its opponents to less than 60 points. American-Puerto Rico (37 points), Cardinal Stritch (47), Concordia of Calif. (37), San Diego State on Jan. 15 (39) and Colorado State on Feb. 19 (45) have been held below 50 points. Only 10 teams have reached the 70-point barrier. Utah is 8-2 when it holds its opponents below 60 points and 15-5 when they score less than 70 points.
* The Utes haven't allowed a team to score 80 points or better for 35 consecutive games. The last team to score 80 points on the Utes was Wyoming (88-61) on Feb. 28, 2000 in Laramie, Wyo.
Utes Tough At Home
Utah finished its regular-season home schedule with a 13-2 record. The Utes ended the slate by winning 10 in a row, including all seven Mountain West Conference games. Despite the two losses this season, the Utes have still won 105 of their last 109 games in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
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 167-14 (.923) in the Huntsman Center during the Majerus era (including the 14 games he did not coach this season) and have never lost back-to-back home games.
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.
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.
Utes Mature Down the Stretch Late in the Regular Season
In five of its last six conference regular seasons wins--three of which were on the road--Utah withstood runs and made the plays down the stretch to close out games. Against Colorado State on Feb. 19, the Utes made their run early in the second half to pull away.
* New Mexico (Feb. 5 in Salt Lake City): Leading the Lobos 64-63, the Utes outscored UNM 16-6 to end the game and held New Mexico to just one field goal in the last 5:17.
* San Diego State (Feb. 10 in San Diego): The Aztecs were within 60-52 with 4:15 to play before Kevin Bradley and friends took over. In a little over a minute span, Bradley sank a three-pointer, got a steal and made a layup in transition, and Britton Johnsen got a jump shot on an assist from Bradley to increase Utah's lead to 15 points (67-52) with 2:42 left.
* UNLV (Feb. 12 in Las Vegas): The Utes led 64-51 with 11:57 remaining but the Rebels rallied behind Kaspars Kambala, who scored 13 of his team's next 21 points as the Rebels cut the lead to 77-71 with 3:45 left. Kevin Bradley then hit a free throw and a three-pointer to put the Utes back up by nine (81-72) with 1:52 remaining. After a three-pointer by UNLV, Bradley got a layup and Jeff Johnsen sank two free throws to make it a 10-point bulge (85-75) with 44 seconds left.
* Colorado State (Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City): With a 34-23 halftime lead, Utah held CSU to 1-of-7 shooting and made a 9-2 run in over the first 5:30 of the second half to make jump out to a 43-25 lead.
* Brigham Young (Feb. 24 in Salt Lake City): Leading by 10 points (55-45) with 12:21 to play in the second half, Utah had its lead chipped away over the next seven minutes to make it just a four-point game (60-56) with 5:30 to play. After the Cougars missed out on the opportunity to make it a one-possession lead, the Utes worked their advantage back to nine points (65-56) within the next 1:14 after Nick Jacobson hit a clutch three-pointer from 22 feet with the shot clock running down and Chris Burgess got a jumper after a steal by Britton Johnsen. BYU never got closer than six points the rest of the way as Utah made 13-of-16 free throws in the last 1:27.
* New Mexico (Mar. 3 in Albuquerque): Trailing 60-58 with 1:45 to play, Utah outscored the Lobos 8-1 the rest of the way. Nate Althoff scored twice inside (once on a goal-tending call). Then with 10 seconds left, Travis Spivey put down two free throws to give the Utes a three-point lead.
Good Shooting Keys Perfect February
Utah shot over 50 percent from the field five times during its seven-game winning streak that spanned the month of February, hitting a combined 53.6 percent in those games. The Utes shot 54.3 percent against New Mexico on Feb. 5, 54.7 percent against San Diego State on Feb. 10, 60.0 percent against UNLV on Feb. 12, 58.7 percent against Louisville on Feb. 17 and 57.1 percent against BYU on Feb. 24. The Utes have shot better than 50 percent 13 times this season, going 10-3 in those games.
Utah's 60.0 field goal percentage against UNLV on Feb. 12 was its best effort on the road this season against a Division I team. Utah shot an overall season-best percentage of 64.0 at American-Puerto Rico on Nov. 23.
Streakin' Through the Mountain West
After winning its first three Mountain West Conference games at home, Utah dropped its next three games on the road. Then, the Utes won six league games in a row as part of a season-best seven-game winning streak before losing at Air Force on Mar. 1.
Utah's 3-3 Mountain West record through six games marked its worst conference start since the 1993-94 season when the Utes started 3-3 in the Western Athletic Conference. The 1993-94 season is also the last time the Utes dropped three consecutive games in league play, when it happened twice.
After its 3-3 start in `93-94, Utah went on to lose its next two to fall to 3-5 before finishing 8-10. Utah did much better this time around, going 10-4 in league play to tie for the championship.
Slow Starts, Fast Finishes
Dropping games early in the season has been no cause for concern for the Utes over the last three seasons. After blending in newcomers at key positions and filling in for the losses of four NBA Draft picks in the last four years, Utah has had to overcome meager beginnings before only to continue its winning ways.
Strength In Numbers
* The Utes have utilized their depth this season. Utah's bench has been productive, outscoring its opponents bench by an average of 13.2 points per game. Nine players are averaging at least nine minutes a game, while just one (Phil Cullen at 23.8) is averaging more than 23 minutes per contest this season.
* Nine different players have led the Utes in scoring in 29 games this season. Kevin Bradley leads the way, having paced the Utes in scoring 10 times. Utah had at least three players score in double figures in seven of the last eight regular games.
* The Utes have used nine different starting line-ups this season with eight different players starting at least one game. The last seven games--five of them resulting in wins--Utah has gone with the quintet of Britton Johnsen (SF), Phil Cullen (PF), Chris Burgess (C), Travis Spivey (PG) and Nick Jacobson (SG). Utah has a 9-3 record with that starting five this season. Before Spivey took over at the point the last 18 games, Kevin Bradley had started the first 12 games. Nate Althoff has also started 14 games at center this season.
Inside the Numbers
* With 415 assists and 432 turnovers on the season, Utah has a 0.96 assists-turnover ratio and has averaged 14.40 turnovers a game. However, Utah has improved that number greatly with a positive or even assists-turnover ratio in seven of the last 10 games, getting 144 assists to 122 turnovers (1.18:1 ratio). 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).
* The Utes have had success when they take care of the ball, going 10-1 when they commit fewer turnovers then their opponent this season.
* Utah is 10-0 when it scores 80 points or more.
* 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).
Burgess Is Back
Junior 6-10 center/forward Chris Burgess, who missed four games with an avulsion fracture in his right ankle, has played some of his best basketball of the season since returning to the court on Feb. 5 against New Mexico. He has been back in the starting lineup for the last eight games. In the last six games of the regular season he averaged 12.0 points, shooting 30-of-49 from the field (.612), and 7.3 rebounds in 25.0 minutes. He also had 10 blocked shots during that stretch. With Burgess in the starting line-up in Mountain West Conference games, the Utes were 8-1.
Burgess had a Utah career-best 11 rebounds in 22 minutes against New Mexico on Mar. 3. In 23 minutes against BYU on Feb. 24, he had 14 points and five boards while helping to hold his counterpart, MWC Player of the Year Mekeli Wesley, to four points and three rebounds, well below his season averages of 16.3 and 5.5, respectively. Burgess had one of his better all-around games of the season against UNLV on Feb. 12, tying Utah career highs with 15 points and three assists. Burgess also had nine rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals in 32 minutes. He followed that up with 14 points, hitting 6-of-9 at the line in 20 minutes against Louisville on Feb. 17. The Irvine, Calif., native then had 12 points (6-of-8 FG) and nine rebounds in 24 minutes against Colorado State on Feb. 19.
Burgess leads the team in rebounding average (5.9 rpg) and blocked shots (29). Before the injury, he had started 12 games in a row at center and power forward.
Getting to the Point
Junior point guard Travis Spivey, a transfer from Salt Lake Community College, has started the last 18 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. The shake up in the line-up has resulted in improved productivity at point guard for the Utes.
* Utah didn't have more than 12 turnovers in seven of its last eight conference games. Utah's assists-turnover ratio in Mountain West play was 1.10, which ranked second.
* The Utes had 22 assists against UNLV on Feb. 12, its second-highest total of the season and best in Mountain West Conference play. Utah had assists on all but 11 of 33 field goals made. Utah also had 14 assists on 28 made baskets against BYU on Feb. 24.
* Utah turned the ball over a season-low eight times while getting 15 assists against San Diego State on Jan. 15.
* During Utah's February seven-game winning streak, Spivey averaged 8.0 points, shooting 53.1 percent from the field, and 5.0 assists with a 2.7:1 assists-turnovers ratio in 28.7 minutes per game.
* In the last 16 games, Spivey has had 74 assists to 36 turnovers (2.05:1 ratio). Spivey tied a Utah career high with eight assists against New Mexico on Mar. 3. He also posted a season-high eight assists with no turnovers against Colorado State on Feb. 19 after getting seven assists against Louisville two days earlier. In Mountain West Conference play, he ranked second in assists per game (4.64).
* Highlighting some of his better performances in conference play, Spivey had 13 points, making all seven free throws, and eight assists in 31 minutes against Colorado State on Feb. 19. He had 10 points, making 4-of-6 shots from the field, four rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes on Feb. 10 against San Diego State. Spivey had 12 points, hitting 2-of-4 three-pointers, five rebounds and three steals in 31 minutes against New Mexico on Feb. 5. He had five assists with no turnovers, eight points and three rebounds in 28 minutes against Air Force on Feb. 3.
Boasting of Bradley
Junior 6-0 guard Kevin Bradley, a relatively unheralded transfer from Compton Community College, has raised some eyebrows with his solid play. Bradley was named to the all-Mountain West Conference second team and newcomer team by the league's coaches, while CollegeInsider.com named him to their All-Juco Team. Bradley started the first 12 games of the season and has continued to get significant playing time off the bench since then, averaging 22.4 minutes per game. He leads the team in scoring (10.8 ppg), shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range overall (third-best on the team) and 72.5 percent from the free throw line. In conference play, Bradley hit 46.6 percent from beyond the arc to rank second in the MWC. Bradley is also averaging 2.23 assists per game (second-best on the team). He has led Utah in scoring 10 times and assists 10 times.
When Bradley scores in double figures, Utah is 13-3. Before getting just four points against Air Force on Mar. 1, he had scored in double figures in six consecutive conference games, averaging 15.7 points per game. He also shot 57.7 percent from the field (26-of-45) and 55.5 percent from three-point range (15-of-27) in those games.
Bradley, who has scored in double figures 16 times this season, had 18 points and four assists against Brigham Young on Feb. 24. At San Diego State on Feb. 10, he had 18 points and tied a career high with six assists. He also had three boards and two steals in 26 minutes. Against New Mexico on Feb. 5, Bradley had 19 points, making 4-of-5 three-pointers, and got six rebounds in 30 minutes. On Feb. 3 against Air Force, Bradley got 15 points, making all of his shots from the field (four field goals and two three-pointers) and 5-of-7 free throws in 19 minutes.
In other standout performances, he had 19 points at Wyoming on Jan. 20, making a three-pointer to send the game into overtime and hitting 3-of-7 treys in the contest. Bradley also came up with a career-high nine rebounds. His career-high game was 20 points against Cardinal Stritch on Nov. 28.
A native of Los Angeles, Bradley was named the conference player of the year as a senior at Crenshaw High School.
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, while Britton garnered second team all-Mountain West Conference honors from the league's coaches.
Jeff (G/F, 6-4, 200), a junior, is fourth on the team in scoring (8.6 ppg), shooting a 40.0 percent from three-point range (second-best on the team) and 75.6 percent from the free throw line (second-best on the team). He is also averaging 2.23 assists (second-best on the team), and has led the team in scoring four times and assists 10 times. Jeff returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 9 against New Mexico on Feb. 5. and responded with 15 points, making 6-of-8 field goals, to score in double figures for the fourth consecutive game. He also had a season-high nine rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes.
Britton (F, 6-9, 205), a sophomore, is third on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg), shooting a team-best 42.2 percent from behind the arc (19-of-45), and is second in rebounds (5.4 rpg). He has also scored in double figures in 13 of the last 24 games. Britton got his second career double with a game-high 17 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes against New Mexico in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament. He had career-bests in free throws made and attempted (7-for-12) in that game. Earlier in the year, 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.
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.
Meet the Runnin’ Utes Staff: Erick Schork
Thursday, August 28
Utah Basketball | Team Together - Episode 2
Thursday, August 21
Fan Fest 2025 Coaches and Players Interviews: Men's Basketball
Sunday, August 17
Meet the Runnin’ Utes Staff: Victoria Sun
Wednesday, July 23