Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round) on March 10, 2026 , Loss , 66, to, 73
Final Score
Men's Basketball
66
vs No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round)
73
The University of Utah Athletics
2001-2002 Season Outlook
8/23/2001 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Outlook Part One in PDF Format
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Outlook Part Two in PDF Format
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For the Record
Utah enters its 94th season with a 1,471-767 record. The U. ranks 11th in the NCAA in all-time winning percentage with a .657 mark. Utah also ranks 13th in the NCAA in all-time wins, and is one of just 18 schools that have at least 1,400 victories.
The Utes have won three national championships, winning the 1916 AAU championship, 1944 NCAA championship and 1947 NIT title. Utah is one of only 33 schools to win the NCAA Division I men's basketball title.
Who's Back
The Utes return a veteran team with five starters and four other lettermen back from last season. Utah went 19-12 overall, finished in a three-way tie for first place in the Mountain West Conference with a 10-4 mark and made it to the first round of the NIT in 2000-01.
The Utah roster features four seniors, all of whom figure to play significant roles this season. Chris Burgess (C/F, 6-10, 245) averaged 7.8 points and a team-best 5.9 rebounds per game in his first season on the court with the Utes after transferring from Duke. Burgess also had a team-high 33 blocked shots while starting 21 games and playing in 27. Phil Cullen (F/C, 6-9, 215) averaged 9.1 points, which was third-best on the team, and 4.4 boards per contest. Cullen led Utah in three-pointers made, hitting 54-of-143 (.378), while starting 26 games. Jeff Johnsen (G, 6-4, 200) was the fourth-highest scorer on the team (8.6 ppg) and averaged 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists despite starting only nine games. However, Johnsen did play in all 31 games and averaged 21.9 minutes. He also shot 40.4 percent from beyond the arc (23-of-57) and 75.6 percent from the free throw line. Travis Spivey (G, 6-1, 205), who transferred from Salt Lake Community College prior to last season, led the Utes in assists (3.5 apg) and averaged 5.2 points per game. Spivey averaged a team-best 24.8 minutes per game, playing in all 31 games and making 21 starts.
Two players who earned all-Mountain West Conference recognition last season are back. Nick Jacobson (G/F, 6-4, 200) was named the league's freshman of the year, ranking third on the team in scoring (8.9 ppg), and shooting 43.8 percent from three-point range and 88.0 percent from the free throw line during league games. Overall, Jacobson averaged 7.9 points per game and shot a team-best 80.6 percent from the free throw line. Junior Britton Johnsen (F, 6-9, 205) was a second team all-league selection. Johnsen was second on the team in both scoring (9.9 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rpg), starting 25 games. He also shot 42.6 percent from three-point range (20-of-47).
Utah's three other returnees are sophomore Lance Allred, and juniors Trace Caton and Cameron Koford. Allred (C/F, 6-10, 240) averaged 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 17 games. Caton (G/F, 6-4, 215), who like Britton Johnsen returned from an LDS church mission prior to last season, played an average of 9.6 minutes in 29 games. He averaged 2.2 points and hit 46.2 percent of his three-point attempts. Koford (C, 7-0, 215) averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10 games last season. Koford, who transferred to Utah from Weber State after serving a two-year LDS church mission, entered college as a partial qualifier. However, he is on track to earn his undergraduate degree before the fall of 2002 and earn back his fourth year of eligibility. Should Koford not earn his degree by then, the upcoming season will be his last as a collegiate player.
Who's New
The Utes have added five newcomers to the roster, four of which are freshmen that will be available to play this season.
Cameron Goettsche (F/C, 6-8, 215), a native of Highlands Ranch, Colo, was an all-state selection as a senior. He averaged 18.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for Thunder Ridge High School in 2000-01. Chris Jackson (C, 6-11, 240) was named the 2000-01 Gatorade New Mexico Player of the Year and a top 100 finalist for the McDonald's All-America team. He averaged 20.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.9 blocked shots per game for Los Alamos High School. Martin Osimani (G, 6-3, 205) from Hialeah, Fla., was ranked 93rd on ESPN.com's list of Top 100 Recruits and 20th among point guards. He averaged 13.8 points, 10.8 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game as a senior. Eric Osmundson (G, 6-4, 195) from Carlsbad, Calif., was an all-state selection in 2000-01, posting 23.1 points, 8.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds per contest.
Tim Frost (C, 6-10, 210), who played the last two years at Portland, joined the Utah program this past spring as a transfer. After sitting out this season per NCAA Division I transfer rules, he will have two years of eligibility remaining. In 2000-01, Frost was a first team all-West Coast Conference choice, as well as Portland's leading scorer (14.9 ppg), rebounder (7.0 rpg) and shot-blocker (1.9 bpg).
Rick Returns
Rick Majerus will be back with the Utes this season after taking off the majority of the 2000-01 season on a personal leave of absence. Majerus coached the Utes to a win over Idaho State in the regular-season opener on Nov. 17 before taking off the next seven weeks to undergo intense rehabilitation from late-September arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Before he could return to the team, Majerus underwent a coronary angiography and stenting of two coronary artery branches on Jan. 2. He 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 concerns.
Majerus' Mark
Rick Majerus is 262-73 (.782) in 12 years at Utah and 361-125 (.743) in 17 years as a head coach. He has averaged 22 wins per year at Utah--amazing in that he coached just one game last season and six games in his first season before undergoing heart surgery (he was 4-2 in 1989-90). In 10 full seasons at Utah, he has won 20-plus games nine times, missing out only in 1993-94 (14-14).
Prior to last season, Majerus had averaged 26 wins over the last 10 years. He has won eight conference championships--including six straight from 1996-2000 (the last being the inaugural Mountain West Conference title).
Majerus has taken the Utes to eight NCAA Tournaments--including six in a row before taking the majority of last season off--and has never lost a first-round game. In that time, he has led Utah to the Sweet 16 four times, the Elite Eight twice and one Final Four. He also took Ball State to the NCAA Tourney back in 1989. Majerus' record in the NCAA Tournament at Utah is 16-8 (.667). His all-time mark in the "BIg Dance" is 17-9 (.654), which ranks 11-best among active coaches.
The Sheboygan, Wis, native has earned National Coach of the Year honors in three of his 12 seasons at Utah. He is also a seven-time District Coach of the Year and a five-time WAC Coach of the Year.
Majerus is tied with Jim Boeheim of Syracuse as the fourth-winningest active coach with a .743 winning percentage. Only Jerry Tarkanian (Fresno State), John Kreese (College of Charleston) and Roy Williams (Kansas) have better winning percentages. He is also in the top 20 in all-time winning percentage, currently tied for 15th.
By notching his 350th career victory with a 56-49 win at Brigham Young on Jan. 15, 2000, Majerus become one of just nine coaches all-time to reach the 350 wins plateau in 16 seasons or less. Only four coaches in the history of college basketball have won 350 games in fewer seasons than Majerus. Nolan Richardson (Tulsa/Arkansas), Denny Crum (Louisville), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and John Thompson (Georgetown) reached the 350 career wins plateau in 15 seasons. Jerry Tarkanian (Long Beach State/UNLV), Billy Tubbs (Southwest Texas State/Lamar/Oklahoma), Bob Huggins (Walsh/Akron/Cincinnati) and Everett Case (North Carolina State) also posted their 350th career win during their 16th season.
Majerus became just the third coach at the U. to win 250 games with Utah's 70-55 win at San Diego State on Jan. 10, 2000. Vadal Peterson went 385-230 from 1927-53 and Jack Gardner, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame who passed away in the spring of 2000, went 339-154 from 1953-71.
Rick at His Best on the Rebound
If Rick Majerus is any where near as successful in coaching this year's team as he was the last time following a year away from basketball, then 2000-01 should be quite a season for the Utes. After missing all but the first six games of the 1989-90 season due to heart surgery, a reinvigorated Majerus led Utah to the most wins in school history with a 30-4 record in 1990-91. The Utes also won the WAC championship--the first league title of the Majerus era--with a 15-1 mark and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
2000-01 Season Recap
Despite having new people in new roles at the start of the season, Utah finished in familiar fashion. With Dick Hunsaker filling in for Rick Majerus as the acting head coach for all but the first game of the season, and just one starter and three other lettermen returning, the Utes regrouped from a slow start to win their seventh consecutive conference championship and advance to postseason play.
Utah went 19-12 overall and 10-4 in Mountain West Conference play to finish in a three-way tie with Brigham Young and Wyoming for the league championship. After making six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the Utes kept their postseason season streak alive by making it to the first round of the NIT.
With an abundance of new players adjusting the Utah system and each other, Utah got off to a 7-6 start that included two nonconference losses at home. The Utes became a new team in the new year, winning four in a row at home. Included in that winning streak were resounding Mountain West Conference victories over Wyoming (83-71), UNLV (79-70) and San Diego State (58-39). After losing starting center Chris Burgess due to a fractured ankle, Utah lost three consecutive league games on the road to close out the month of January. Burgess missed four games before returning on Feb. 5.
Standing at 11-9 through January, Utah wouldn't taste the bitterness of the defeat for the next month. The Utes went 7-0 in February, including six conference wins and an 84-67 victory over Louisville in the Huntsman Center. Utah got pivotal road wins over San Diego State (76-63) and UNLV (85-77) in the middle of the month and avenged an earlier loss to Brigham Young with an 82-75 triumph on Feb. 24. The win over the Cougars came on Senior Day for Nate Althoff, who finished his career as the all-time leader in field goal percentage (.608) and fifth in blocked shots (92) in Utah history.
Following a nine-point loss at Air Force on Mar. 1, Utah gutted out a 66-61 against New Mexico in The Pit on the final day of the regular season to clinch a share of the Mountain West championship.
By virtue of winning the tie-breaker, the Utes were the No. 1 seed entering the conference tournament and received a bye in the quarterfinals. Facing New Mexico for the second time in seven days, Utah fell to the Lobos 56-53 in the semifinals. Memphis ended Utah's season with a 71-62 win in the first round of the NIT on Mar. 13 in the Huntsman Center.
Another Championship Season
The Utes have won seven consecutive regular-season conference titles and nine overall 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.
Utah in the Postseason Once Again, Making it to the NIT
Utah made its 33rd overall appearance in postseason play and its 11th showing in the NIT. The Utes lost to Memphis in the first round 71-62 on Mar. 13 in the Huntsman Center. It was Utah's seventh consecutive appearance in postseason play after reaching the NCAA Tournament in each of the previous six years.
Utah has an 11-10 all-time record (.524) in the NIT, previously appearing in the tournament in 1992. The Utes have advanced to the NIT Final Four three times, finishing first in 1947, second in 1974 and third in 1992.
Strongest Schedule of the Majerus Era Tackled in 2000-01
College Basketball News graded the Utes' 2000-01 regular season schedule at the 31st strongest in the nation. It was the best rating Utah has received since the report began in 1990-91. Ten of Utah's opponents advanced to postseason play, with six making it to the NCAA Tournament and four receiving bids in the NIT. Utah went 6-8 against those teams.
The Utes had the second-highest schedule rating in the Mountain West Conference. The Utes ranked behind only New Mexico (24), and ahead of UNLV (61), Brigham Young (85) and Wyoming (96) in the top 100.
Utes Rank in NCAA's Top 25 in Attendance
Utah was in the top 25 in attendance for the 2000-01 season according to the NCAA. The Utes ranked 22nd, averaging 12,236 fans in 16 home games. Among other MWC teams, New Mexico ranked eighth (16,418), Brigham Young was 29th (11,452) and UNLV was 33rd (11,029).
As a conference, the Mountain West came in fifth among all NCAA Division I leagues with an average of 9,145 fans per game. The MWC has ranked among the top five conferences in attendance in both of its years of existence. Last season, the MWC was ahead of Conference USA (8,993), Big East (8,867) and the Pacific-10 (7,711). The Big Ten ranked first, followed by the ACC and SEC. The Mountain West Conference also averaged 9,674 fans per session during the league tournament, which was the sixth-best in NCAA Division I.
One of the Nation's Elite Programs in Recent Years
* Under the guidance of head coach Rick Majerus, Utah won the eighth-most games in NCAA Division I during the 1990s. The Utes had a 250-76 record from 1989-99, placing them behind Kansas (286-60), Kentucky (282-63), Duke (271-78), North Carolina (270-78), Arkansas (260-83), Connecticut (259-75) and Arizona (256-67).
* Utah also ranked eighth in the nation in winning percentage (.767) in the `90s. Kansas had the best winning percentage at .827, followed by Kentucky (.817), Arizona (.793), College of Charleston (.784), Duke (.777), North Carolina (.776) and Connecticut (.775).
* In the last five seasons, the Utes have the seventh-best winning in NCAA Division I with a 129-34 record (.791).
Utah's NCAA Tournament Success Under Majerus
Utah has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances in 12 seasons under Rick Majerus (1991, `93, `95, `96, `97, `98, `99, `00). Majerus has led Utah to a 16-8 record and a .667 winning percentage in the NCAA Tournament. The Utes had made six consecutive trips to the NCAAs before Majerus missed most of last season.
During the Rick Majerus era, the Utes have the 11th-most wins (16) and the 12th-best winning percentage (.667) in NCAA Tournament play. In the past five years, Utah moves up to seventh place in NCAA Tournament wins (10) and eighth place in winning percentage (.714).
Challenging Schedule Ahead in 2001-02
Eleven games against postseason participants from last year, match-ups with five 20-game winners during the nonconference schedule and 16 regular-season home dates highlight Utah's 2001-02 schedule. Utah faces five opponents that advanced to postseason play during its pre-Mountain West schedule. After opening against St. Francis (Ill.) in the Jon M. Huntsman Center on Nov. 16 and hosting Boise State on Nov. 20, the Utes embark on a challenging four-game swing over the next 12 days.
The stretch begins Nov. 23 with a home game against in-state rival Utah State. The Aggies went 28-6 last season, including a 58-57 victory over the Utes in Logan on Dec. 6. Utah State also won the Big West Tournament after placing second in the league during the regular season and defeated Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Three days later on Nov. 26, the Utes play their first road game of the season against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide finished 25-11 and were the NIT runners-up in 2000-01. Utah returns to Salt Lake City to host Pepperdine on Dec. 1. The Waves went 22-9 last year and advanced to the second round of the NIT.
Utah plays the first contest of a home-and-home series against Arizona State on Dec. 4 at America West Arena in Phoenix. The game takes place as part of a doubleheader, opening with Arizona pitted against Illinois. Alabama and Arizona State are scheduled to visit the Huntsman Center next season.
After finals week, Utah will look to avenge two losses to in-state foes from last season. The Utes play Weber State in Ogden on Dec. 15 and host Southern Utah on Dec. 18. The Thunderbirds went 25-6 last season, won the Mid-Continent Conference title and made it to the NCAA Tournament before losing by three points to Boston College in the first round.
Facing the Utes for the eighth time since 1992, Texas visits the Huntsman Center on Dec. 29. The Longhorns are coming off a 25-9 campaign in which they tied for second place in the Big 12 and received a bid the NCAA Tournament. The all-time series between the two teams is tied 4-4 after Texas won in Austin last December.
The Utes open Mountain West Conference play against UNLV in Salt Lake City on Jan. 12.
Television Schedule
The Utes will be featured once on ABC, four times on ESPN, once on ESPN2 and four times on ESPN Regional Television, giving the Utes the maximum 10 appearances as part of the Mountain West Conference's television package. The Utes will also have one game shown on Fox Sports Net and 11 games broadcast locally by KJZZ-TV, the University of Utah's television partner, bringing the total numbers of televised games to 22.
ABC will show Utah's mach-up with Texas in Salt Lake City on Dec. 29 to half of the nation at 1:30 p.m. (MST). ESPN2 will televise the Utes' visit to Alabama on Nov. 26 at 5:00 p.m. (MST). Also during the nonconference season, Utah will participate in a doubleheader at America West Arena in Phoenix, Ariz., on Dec. 4 to be televised nationally by Fox Sports Net. The Utes play Arizona State, preceded by Arizona vs. Illinois.
Once again this season, Utah will have a major presence on ESPN's popular "Big Monday" package airing at 10:00 p.m. (MST). The Utes will be featured four consecutive weeks during the heart of the Mountain West schedule, including match-ups in the Huntsman Center against BYU on Jan. 28, Wyoming on Feb. 4 and New Mexico on Feb. 18, as well as their game at UNLV on Feb. 11.
ESPN Regional Television will show four Utah games as part of its Saturday afternoon "Mountain West Conference Game of the Week," which is syndicated regionally and shown in Salt Lake City on KJZZ-TV. Utah's home game against UNLV on Jan. 12 and road contests at San Diego State on Feb. 9, at BYU on Feb. 23 and at Wyoming on March 2 will be shown.
European Vacation
Playing eight games and taking in as many sights as the schedule would allow, the Utes made a 19-day tour of Europe May 19 through June 6. Utah went 4-4 playing club teams in the Canary Islands, Spain and France. After beginning the trip with two wins in the Canary Islands, the Utes lost their next four in Spain before finishing with a pair of wins in France. However, finishing with a glowing record wasn't the goal of the trip. More importantly, the Utes set out to improve their individual skills and share the travel experience of a lifetime.
The travel party of eight players, coaches and staff relaxed on black sand beaches in the Canary Islands, visited a famous cathedral as well as the Olympic village in Barcelona, saw an ancient walled city in France, visited a Picasso museum, watched a flamenco dance in Spain, took a day trip to Monaco and ate frog's legs on the Italian Riviera.
Rick Majerus, who coached the Utes during a productive 10 days of practice before the trip, elected not to make the journey. Assistants Dick Hunsaker and Jeff Strohm directed the team in Majerus' absence.
Chris Burgess and Lance Allred both played limited minutes because of injuries. Burgess was still recovering from ankle surgery the week after the season ended, while Allred injured his back during the team's pre-trip practice sessions. Burgess still managed to average 4.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, while Allred put up 6.5 points and 4.7 boards. Without Burgess and Allred at full strength, Cameron Koford played most of the minutes at center. Koford was the team's leading rebounder, averaging 8.6 boards and 9.6 points per game.
Britton Johnsen played the power forward spot, Trace Caton played small forward, Jeff Johnsen was the shooting guard and Nick Jacobson the point guard. Britton Johnsen averaged 15.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. Caton averaged 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Jeff Johnsen put up solid numbers across the board with averages of 16.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Jacobson led the team in points (18.3 ppg) and assists (4.5 apg). He scored above 20 points in four games, including a team tour-best 31 points against Adriane-LaPalma in the first game on May 22.
Three Utes with National Championship Game Experience
Utah has three players on its 2001-02 roster that have played in an NCAA championship game. Two of them played for Utah in the 1998 national title tilt, which resulted in a 78-69 loss to Kentucky. Britton Johnsen and Trace Caton, who played as freshman in that game before serving two-year LDS church missions, are juniors this season. Johnsen had seven points (3-for-4 FG, 1-for-2 3FG) and four rebounds in 16 minutes, while Caton missed his only field goal attempt in five minutes.
Chris Burgess, while still at Duke, played in the 1999 national championship game. Burgess was scoreless and did not attempt a shot as the Blue Devils lost to Connecticut, 77-74.
All in the Family with the Johnsens
Utah has one of a handful of brother combinations in NCAA Division I this season in Jeff and Britton Johnsen. Both of the Johnsens ranked among the Utes' top four statistically last season, while Britton garnered second team all-Mountain West Conference honors from the league's coaches.
Jeff (G/F, 6-4, 200), a senior, was fourth on the team in scoring (8.6 ppg), shooting a 40.4 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 also averaged 2.26 assists (third-best on the team), and led the team in scoring four times and assists 10 times. Jeff scored in double figures 10 times and had five rebounds or more nine times.
Britton (F, 6-9, 205), a junior, was second on the team in scoring (9.2 ppg), shooting a team-best 42.6 percent from behind the arc (20-of-47), and was second in rebounds (5.4 rpg). During league play, Johnsen 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) in MWC games. Britton scored in double figures in 14 of the last 25 contests. He also recorded the first two double-doubles of his career last season against Southern California and New Mexico in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament.
The Johnsens, who hail from Murray, Utah, hadn't played together in four years before last season. Their last season in high school, the Johnsens led Murray High School to the 1996 Utah 4A state title. Jeff played at the U. in 1996-97 before serving a two-year LDS church mission. Britton was on Utah's Final Four team as a freshman in 1997-98 before taking two years off to serve a mission.
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.
Getting to the Point with Spivey
Senior point guard Travis Spivey (6-1, 205), who transferred to Utah from Salt Lake Community College prior to last season, seemed to only get better and better as the 2000-01 season wore on. 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. In Mountain West Conference play, he 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. Utah's assists-turnover ratio in Mountain West play was 1.10:1, which ranked second.
On the season, Spivey led the team in assists (3.58 apg) and scored 5.2 points per game. He started 21 games and played in all 31, averaging 24.8 minutes per contest.
Fabulous Freshman Season for Jacobson
Nick Jacobson (6-4, 200), a guard from Fargo, N.D., was named the 2000-01 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year. Jacobson 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, which was sixth-best on the Utah team, 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.
Jacobson made the top 10 in five statistical categories on the all-time freshman charts at Utah last season. He ranked eighth 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).
Cullen Concludes Utah Career After Spending His Summer on the Mound
As he embarks on his senior season, forward Phil Cullen (6-9, 215) has already moved into the top 10 on numerous career charts at Utah. After three seasons, Cullen ranks sixth in three-pointers made (106), sixth in three-pointers attempted (281) and 10th in blocked shots (55). He has stared 42 games during his Utah career.
The returning starter at power forward, Cullen started 26 games last year, including 21 of the last 23. He was third on the team in both scoring (9.1 ppg) and rebounds (4.4 rpg). He ranked eighth in the Mountain West Conference in three-pointers made per game (1.74), shooting 37.8 percent (54-of-143) from beyond the arc. The Chelan, Wash., native reached double figures in points 12 times and rebounds twice, getting one double-double.
This summer, Cullen is playing 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.
Burgess Back for One More
Senior center/forward Chris Burgess (6-10, 245) returns for his final season with the Utes. After playing two years at Duke, Burgess sat out the 1999-2000 season before getting back on the court a year ago. He led the team in rebounds (5.9 rpg) and blocked shots (33) and was seventh in scoring (7.8 ppg). The Irvine, Calif., native started 21 of the 27 games in which he played.
Returning to the court on Feb. 5 after missing four games with an avulsion fracture in his right ankle, Burgess played some of his best basketball of the season 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.
Utes Tough At Home
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. Despite the three losses last season, the Utes have still won 105 of their last 110 games in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
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.
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 167-15 (.918) 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 147-10 (.936) in the Huntsman Center.
Amassing 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.
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.
Classroom Champions
Eleven Utes, including eight of the 14 scholarship players, were named to the 2001 spring semester academic honor roll.
Making the honor roll with 3.00 grade point averages or better were scholarship players Lance Allred, Trace Caton, Jon Godfread, Marc Jackson, Nick Jacobson, Britton Johnsen, Jeff Johnsen and Mike Puzey. Three of the four walk-ons, Greg Schow, Jon Taylor and Mike Walkenhorst, also made the honor roll. During Rick Majerus' 12-year tenure at Utah, 28 players have made the honor roll a combined 141 times.
The academic success of the Utah basketball program should continue with its incoming freshman class. The foursome has an average SAT score of 1150. Eric Osmundson, a guard from San Diego, Calif., is a four-year honor student and a three-year scholar athlete. Osmundson was also named as an Academic Honorary Captain of the San Diego Union Tribune All-Area Team. Chris Jackson, a center from Los Alamos, N.M., is a four-year honor student and a National Merit Scholarship finalist. He also has above a 4.00 GPA due to his many AP (Advanced Placement) credits.
Majerus Seeing 20/20
Under Rick Majerus' direction, Utah has hit for 20 wins in nine of 12 seasons, including the last six in a row when he was on the bench. Majerus' 20-win seasons at Utah: 1990-91 (30-4), 1991-92 (24-11), 1992-93 (24-7), 1994-95 (28-6), 1995-96 (27-7), 1996-97 (29-4), 1997-98 (30-4), 1998-99 (28-5), 1999-2000 (23-9).
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.
Once again, Utah was one of the top defensive teams in the nation 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.
* The Utes haven't allowed a team to score 80 points or better for 36 consecutive games. The last team to score 80 points on the Utes was Wyoming (88-61) on Feb. 28, 2000 in Laramie, Wyo.
* In 16 of the last 17 games Utah 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. Four of the Utes' top 10 defensive performances against Division I teams last season came in the final seven games.
* Only three teams shot better than 50 percent from the field against the Utes the entire season. Southern Utah (53.3), Long Beach State (51.9) and Air Force (55.3) on Mar.
Players Mentioned
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