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Utes Get Ready For Tournament Time
3/6/2001 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 6, 2001
Complete Release in PDF Format
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Jon M. Huntsman Center
1825 E. South Campus Dr., Front
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0900
Just the Facts
Utah (19-10, 10-4 MWC) competes in the 2001 Mountain West Conference Tournament, Thursday though Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center (18,500) in Las Vegas, Nev. The Utes tied Wyoming and Brigham Young for the conference regular-season championship and won the tie-breaker for the top seed by virtue of having a better record (2-0) over the fourth-place team, UNLV. Since UNLV is ineligible for postseason play, the Mountain West Conference Tournament field will consist of seven teams this season. Utah, the No. 1 seed, gets a bye in the first round. The Utes open tournament play against the winner of No. 4 New Mexico (17-11, 6-8 MWC)/No. 5 Colorado State (15-12, 6-8 MWC) in the semifinals on Friday at 9:00 p.m. (PST). The championship game takes place on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. (PST). The Mountain West Conference has an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time this year.
On Radio
All of the Utes' games in the Mountain West Conference Tournament will be broadcast on the Utah Sports Network (KALL-910 AM in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations). The games will also be carried on the Internet at www.mountainwestconf.com. Bill Marcroft (play-by-play), Mark Rydalch (analyst) and Brad Stone (host) call the action.
On Television
Utah's semifinal game on Friday at 9:00 p.m. (PST) and potential championship game on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. (PST) will be televised by ESPN with Bob Carpenter (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) serving as the talent.
The Utes in Conference Tournaments
Utah has competed in 17 previous conference tournaments--16 as a member of the Western Athletic Conference--posting a 21-14 (.600) record. The Utes won WAC Tournament titles in 1995, `97 and `99.
Opening Tips
A Quick Look At Utah
The Utes finished the regular-season 19-10 overall and 10-4 in the Mountain West Conference, tying Brigham Young and Wyoming for the league championship. After getting off to a 7-6 start, Utah has won 12 of its last 16. Utah had a season-best seven-game winning streak snapped with a 71-60 loss at Air Force last Thursday night. The Utes rebounded with a 66-61 win at New Mexico last Saturday. 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 17 games, leads the team in scoring (11.0 ppg), shooting 40.5 percent from three-point range, which is third-best on the team. He is also third on the team in assists (2.24 apg). Junior forward Phil Cullen is second in scoring (9.3 ppg), shooting 37.6 percent from three-point range, and third in rebounding (4.4 rpg). Sophomore forward Britton Johnsen is third in scoring (8.7 ppg), shooting a team-best 43.2 percent from three-point range, and is second in rebounding (5.3 rpg). Junior guard/forward Jeff Johnsen is also third in scoring (8.7 ppg), hitting 40.7 percent from behind the arc--which is second-best on the team--and 76.3 percent from the line, and is second in assists (2.31 apg). Senior center Nate Althoff is fifth in scoring (8.3 ppg). Junior Travis Spivey, who has started the last 17 games at point guard, is averaging a team-best 3.69 assists per game. Junior center/forward Chris Burgess, who has been back for eight games after fracturing his left ankle against San Diego State on Jan. 15, leads the team in rebounding average (5.9 rpg) and blocked shots (29). 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 Monday. 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 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. 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 ranked 19th in the MWC in scoring. 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.
Utes Have Highest RPI and Strongest Strength of Schedule in the Mountain West
According to the ratings as of Monday, Utah's RPI was 44th, the highest in the Mountain West Conference. Brigham Young was 45th, Wyoming 57th and New Mexico 58th. Three of Utah's 10 losses have come to teams ranked in the top 25 in the RPI ratings through Tuesday. Texas was 10th with a 23-7 record, followed by No. 20 Georgia (16-13) and No. 21 Southern California (18-9). Utah's strength of schedule ranked 40th out of 319 NCAA Division I schools. Utah was the only Mountain West Conference team in the top 50 in strength of schedule. The next two closest were New Mexico (53rd) and UNLV (64th). The Mountain West Conference has a 63-39 record in NCAA Division I nonconference games.
MWC Semifinals Match-Up
Scouting New Mexico
New Mexico, the No. 4 seed, is 17-11 overall entering its quarterfinal match-up with Colorado State on Thursday. UNM tied for fifth place in the Mountain West Conference with a 6-8 record. After a season-best four-game winning streak, the Lobos dropped three in a row to end the regular season, losing at Wyoming (81-61) last Monday, as well as to Brigham Young (72-67) last Thursday and Utah (66-61) last Saturday in Albuquerque. New Mexico has not played a game on a neutral court this season and is 4-7 on the road. Sophomore 6-4 guard Ruben Douglas is sixth in the conference in scoring (15.5 ppg) and 11th in rebounding (5.6 rpg). Junior 6-3 guard Eric Chatfield is ninth in the Mountain West in scoring (13.5 ppg). Sophomore 6-2 guard Marlon Parmer leads the conference in assists (5.46 apg), and is 18th in scoring (11.0 ppg) and 20th in rebounding (4.1 rpg). Junior 6-3 guard Tim Lightfoot is third in the MWC in three-point percentage (.434) and is averaging 7.9 points per game. Senior 6-6 forward Wayland White is seventh in the league in rebounding (6.0 rpg) and 23rd in scoring (9.6 ppg). The Lobos are fifth in the conference in scoring (69.2 ppg), fifth in scoring defense (65.9 ppg) and fifth in rebound margin (-0.5) with a deficit of 35.4 to 34.9 rebounds per game.
Lobo Head Coach Fran Fraschilla
Fran Fraschilla is in his second year at New Mexico. He took a year off from coaching after directing St. John's from 1996-98, leading the Red Storm to the NCAA Tournament in 1998. He was also the head coach at Manhattan from 1992-96. Fraschilla was named the NABC Coach of the Year in 1994-95 when he led Manhattan to its first-ever NCAA Tournament first round win and a 26-5 record.
Utah-New Mexico Series Notes
Utah leads the overall series with New Mexico 69-36 and has a 2-0 edge in games played on a neutral court. The Utes have won 15 of the last 19 from the Lobos. Utah had won five in a row over UNM before falling 72-65 on Feb. 19 of last season in Albuquerque, N.M. The Utes took both meetings this season, winning 80-69 on Feb. 5 in Salt Lake City and 66-61 on Mar. 3 in Albuquerque, N.M. The Utes are 2-2 against the Lobos in conference tournaments. The two last met in postseason play on Mar. 6, 1999 in the championship game of the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas. The Utes won 60-45 in the final game as WAC members for both schools. Utah also beat New Mexico 72-70 on a last-second shot by Keith Van Horn on Mar. 7, 1997 in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament.
Scouting Colorado State
Colorado State, the No. 5 seed, is 15-12 overall and finished tied for fifth place in the Mountain West Conference with a 6-8 record. Losers of four of their last six, the Rams won at UNLV (68-62) last Thursday and lost at San Diego State (78-73) last Saturday. Colorado State is 4-1 in neutral court games this season and 1-8 on the road. Three Rams are averaging double figures in scoring. Senior 6-3 guard John Sivesind ranks 12th in the conference in scoring (12.8 ppg), second in three-point field goal percentage (.452) and first in free throw percentage (.903). Senior 6-10 forward David Fisher is 14th in the MWC in scoring (11.7 ppg) and second in field goal percentage (.601), while senior 6-3 guard Ron Grady is 17th in scoring (11.3 ppg). Senior 6-7 forward Garrett Patik is eighth in the league in rebounding (5.9 rpg) and sophomore 6-8 forward Brain Green is 10th (5.8 rpg). Senior 5-10 guard Aki Palmer, who ranks eighth in assists (3.26 apg), missed four games with a leg injury in early February. Colorado State ranked 13th in the nation in three-point percentage (.410) as of Feb. 27. The Rams are tied for sixth in the MWC in scoring (69.1 ppg), third in scoring defense (62.9 ppg) and third in rebound margin (+4.4) with a 34.6 to 30.2 advantage per game.
Ram Head Coach Dale Layer
Dale Layer is in his first season as head coach at Colorado State after serving as an assistant the past two seasons under Ritchie McKay. Before moving to Fort Collins, Colo., Layer was the head coach at Queens College in Charlotte, N.C., for nine seasons. He built the Division II program from the ground up and went 168-87 (.659), twice earning NCAA Regional Coach of the Year honors. Layer took Queens College to the national tournament twice and produced eight consecutive winning seasons.
Utah-Colorado State Series Notes
The Utes lead the overall series with the Rams 86-38 and has a 4-1 advantage in games played on a neutral court. Utah broke a two-game losing streak to CSU with a 67-45 win on Feb. 19 in Salt Lake City. Utah fell to Colorado State 60-49 on Feb. 26, 2000 in Fort Collins to end a 10-game winning streak in the series. The Rams also took the first meeting this season 73-65 on Jan. 22 in Fort Collins, Colo. Utah is 1-2 against Colorado State in conference tournament games. The last time the two schools met in the postseason was on Mar. 8, 1996 in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M. The Utes won, 71-69.
Team Notes
Maturing Down the Stretch
In five of its last six conference wins--three of which have been on the road--Utah has 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.
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.
Getting Defensive
* In 14 of the last 15 games --13 of which have been in Mountain West Conference play--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 in the previous 13 contests. In the last 15 games combined, Utah opponents are shooting just 41.6 percent (337-of-810). Four of the Utes' top 10 defensive performances against Division I teams this season have come in the last seven 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 40.7 percent this season overall and 42.0 percent in Mountain West Conference play.
* Utah has held nine 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 8-1 when it holds its opponents below 60 points and 15-4 when they score less than 70 points.
* The Utes haven't allowed a team to score 80 points or better for 34 consecutive games. The last team to score 80 points on the Utes was Wyoming (88-61) on Feb. 28, 2000 in Laramie, Wyo.
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.
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 13.7 points per game. Nine players are averaging at least nine minutes a game, while just one (Phil Cullen at 23.9) 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 has had at least three players score in double figures in seven of the last eight games.
* The Utes have used nine different starting line-ups this season with eight different players starting at least one game. The last six 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 9-2 record with that starting five this season. Before Spivey took over at the point the last 17 games, Kevin Bradley had started the first 12 games. Nate Althoff has also started 14 games at center this season.
Inside the Numbers
* With 409 assists and 418 turnovers on the season, Utah has a 0.98 assists-turnover ratio and has averaged 14.41 turnovers a game. However, Utah has improved that number greatly with a positive or even assists-turnover ratio in seven of the last nine games, getting 138 assists to 108 turnovers (1.3:1 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 seven games. In the last six games he has averaged 12.0 points, shooting 30-of-49 from the field (.612), and 7.3 rebounds in 25.0 minutes. He also has 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 17 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 15 games, Spivey has had 72 assists to 33 turnovers (2.18:1 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 22.2 minutes per game. He leads the team in scoring (11.0 ppg), shooting 40.5 percent from three-point range overall (third-best on the team), 46.6 percent from beyond the arc in league play to rank second in the MWC, and 73.0 percent from the free throw line. Bradley is also averaging 2.24 assists per game (third-best on the team). He has led Utah in scoring 10 times and assists nine times. When Bradley scores in double figures, Utah is 13-3. Before getting just four points against Air Force on March 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, and Britton garnered second team all-Mountain West Conference honors from the league's coaches. Jeff (G/F, 6-4, 200), a junior, is tied for third on the team in scoring (8.7 ppg), shooting a 40.7 percent from three-point range (second-best on the team) and 76.3 percent from the free throw line (second-best on the team). He is also averaging 2.31 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 tied for third on the team in scoring (8.7 ppg), shooting a team-best 43.2 percent from behind the arc (19-of-44), and is second in rebounds (5.3 rpg). He has also scored in double figures in 12 of the last 23 games. Britton got a career-high 23 points, making 8-of-14 field goals and 4-of-6 three-pointers, with eight rebounds and three blocked shots in 27 minutes against Long Beach State on Jan. 3. He had 20 points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes against Colorado State on Jan. 22. Jeff began his career at Utah in 1996-97 before going on a two-year LDS Church mission to Fresno, Calif. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 32 games last season with five starts. Britton who resumes his Utah career this season, played for the Utes in 1997-98 before going on his LDS Church mission to Houston, Texas. He averaged 3.5 points and 1.0 rebounds in 21 games as a freshman. The Johnsens, who hail from Murray, Utah, hadn't played together for four years. The last season the Johnsens played together, they led Murray High School to the Utah 4A state title in 1996. Rick Majerus has literally made his program a family affair at Utah. The Johnsens are the fifth set of brothers to play for Majerus spanning his 12-year career at the U. However, they are the first to play together.
Close Calls In Defeat
A few bounces of the ball here or there, and Utah could have had a record far better than its 19-10 mark. Utah's 10 losses have came by a combined 59 points for an average of 5.9 points per game.
* Utah suffered a pair of one-point losses at Utah State (58-57) on Dec. 6 and at Wyoming (78-77 in overtime) on Jan. 20 and a two-point loss at home (79-77) to Weber State on Dec. 9. The Utes also experienced two five-point setbacks to Georgia (Nov. 24) and USC (Dec. 2) by identical 65-60 scores on neutral courts. Utah's two worst losses of the season have been by 11-point margins at 25th-ranked Texas (70-59) on Dec. 30 and at Air Force (71-60) on Mar. 1.
* In five of its 10 losses, Utah had significant leads in the second half. The Utes led Georgia 55-36 with 12:13 to play, had a 52-48 lead over Utah State with 10:27 to go, a 56-50 cushion over Southern Utah with 10:46 remaining, a 53-50 advantage over Texas with 6:18 left and a 54-41 lead over Wyoming with 13:23 showing. Utah is 15-4 when it leads at the half and 19-3 when it leads with 5:00 remaining this season.
* Utah's six losses in nonconference play is the most that it has had in the past 12 years. The last time the Utes went into league play with more than five losses was in 1988-89, the last season of Lynn Archibald's tenure, when Utah went 9-6 through its pre-conference schedule. During the Majerus era, Utah had a high mark of four losses before the start of conference play just twice, going 7-4 in 1989-90 (Majerus' first season) and 10-4 in 1998-99.
Defense, Defense, Defense
* One of the trademarks of a Utah team during the Rick Majerus era is a stifling half-court defense. In the past 11 seasons under Majerus, Utah has ranked in the top 30 in the nation eight times in field goal percentage defense, eight times in the top 25 in scoring defense, seven times in the top 25 in scoring margin and eight times in the top 30 in rebound margin.
* This season, the Utes are giving up 63.1 points per game. Utah ranked 20th in the NCAA in scoring defense last season, giving up 61.8 points per game. The Utes are one of just eight teams to appear in the top 10 in the NCAA in scoring defense at least four times in the last 11 years. Utah is also one of just four teams to rank in the top 25 in the nation in scoring defense at least nine times in the last 11 years.
* Utah has a 6.9 rebounds per game advantage over the opposition this season to rank 12th in the NCAA as of Feb. 27. The Utes ranked 26th in the nation in rebound margin (4.8 rpg) last season and have been ranked been ranked among the top 30 teams in the nation in rebound margin in each of the last six years. Utah is one of just seven schools to rank in the top 10 at least three times in the last five years. Only Navy's four appearances rank ahead of Utah.
* Opponents have shot 40.7 percent from the field on the Utes this season. Utah is one of just eight schools to rank in the top 30 in the nation in field goal percentage defense four of the last five years. Utah has also been in the top 10 in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense four times during the Rick Majerus era.
* Thanks to their stifling defense, the U. has also ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation in scoring margin four times in the last five years and seven times in the last 11 years. Utah has outscored its opponents by an average of 9.7 points per game this season. In the last five years, the Utes are one of just eight teams with four appearances in the top 25, bettered only by Cincinnati's streak of five consecutive years. Utah is also one of just six teams to rank in the top 10 at least three times in the last five years.
Majerus Taking Medical Leave
Rick Majerus announced on Jan. 9 he was leaving the team for the rest of the season to be with his cancer-stricken mother and recover from his own health problems. Majerus underwent a coronary angiography and stenting of two coronary artery branches on Jan. 2. He had a follow-up procedure performed on Jan. 3. Prior to that, Majerus had been away from the team for seven weeks while undergoing rehabilitation from late-September arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. He had anticipated to rejoin the team on Jan. 1 before admitting himself to the hospital with chest pains. Majerus is planning to return to coaching for the 2001-02 season.
The Nation's Most Dominant Team in League Play at Home
Following an 82-75 win over Brigham Young on Feb. 24 to close out their home schedule with a 7-0 mark against Mountain West foes, the Utes have won 44 consecutive league games at home, which is the nation's longest current streak. Utah's last home conference loss was to Fresno State (65-64) on Jan. 8, 1996. Utah is the nation's most dominant team in conference home games the past seven years with a 53-1 record (.981). Against the seven other teams that now form the Mountain West Conference, Utah has won 40 in a row at home dating back to a 71-70 loss to Colorado State on Jan. 27, 1994.
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