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
Runnin' Utes Begin 2003-04 Preparations Saturday
10/15/2003 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 15, 2003
SALT LAKE CITY - Rick Majerus will be looking at a lot of new faces as the Runnin' Utes have their first day practice for the 2003-04 season on Saturday. Utah will have less than two weeks to get ready for their first exhibition game against the L.A. City All-Stars on Oct. 31 at 7:00 p.m. in the Huntsman Center.
Of the 12 Utes recruited as scholarship players, six are freshmen. However, the roster also includes two seniors and four sophomores that contributed significantly to Utah's run to the Mountain West championship and the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago. A veteran team by no means, but when you've built a program that has won 10 league championships and made 10 appearances in the "Big Dance" under your watch, Majerus knows all too well the youthful look of his 2003-04 team won't translate into lower expectations.
"The biggest weakness we suffer from is the one you can't overcome without time, and that is inexperience," relates Majerus, who begins his 15th season at the U. "We're very young, and young is not where you want to be. Somehow, we have to not use our youthfulness as an excuse for not being able to win. That will come by the players being committed to one another, their passion for team defense and team rebounding, and selfless team play.
"Being cohesive has always been our strength," continues Majerus. "We have to be committed to help each other out on team defense because we have glaring weaknesses in team speed and athletic ability."
Utilizing a finely-tuned motion offense and relentless man-to-man defense, Majerus has guided the Utes to 20-win seasons 11 times. In the process, Utah has claimed 10 regular-season league titles in the last 13 years, the most of any team in the nation over that period. Utah also ranks 14th in NCAA Tournament wins since 1990, making the field eight times in the last nine years and finishing as the national runner-up in 1998.
As the wins have accumulated over the years, Majerus has positioned himself among the top collegiate coaches of all-time. Last season, Majerus recorded his 300th win at the U. and became the 16th-fastest coach to reach 400 career wins. As Majerus enters his 20th season as a college head coach, his .741 winning percentage ranks fourth among active coaches and 17th-best in NCAA history.
To continue Utah's successful run with a roster that lists 10 freshmen (including non-scholarship players), Majerus admittedly has his work cut out for him.
"It's going to be difficult with so many new faces. This is the youngest team I've ever coached," Majerus explains. "There really aren't a lot of strengths that I can label because, other than (Nick) Jacobson, there aren't a lot of known commodities on this team. We can't forget that this is only Tim Frost's second year, but if he has any pro aspirations at all, he's going to have to make that quantum leap, and it begins with attitude."
Jacobson and Frost provide Majerus with two returning all-conference selections to use as cornerstones for building this year's team. Jacobson, a three-year starter at two guard, already ranks 27th in career scoring at Utah with 1,073 points. In three-point shooting, he ranks second in both makes (188) and attempts (446), and fourth in percentage (42.2). Frost took over as the starting center last season after transferring from Portland. He paced the Utes eight times in scoring and 12 times in rebounds.
The four other returnees are sophomores-three of whom averaged at least 12 minutes a game in 2002-03. Tim Drisdom became the first freshman to start every game at point guard during Majerus' time on The Hill. He recorded the fourth-most assists by a freshman in Ute history (101) and set the rookie record for free throw percentage (81.0). Forwards Richard Chaney and Bryant Markson were both fill-in starters last season, while Chris Jackson saw action in 21 games.
"The sophomores are going to have to act like juniors and give an effort like seniors, and Nick can show them the way with his work ethic," points out Majerus. "I think his captaincy will be among the best I've ever had. It will be interesting to see if the four sophomores respect the seniors enough to lead the freshmen onto a defensive and rebounding commitment. This appears to be an emotionally mature and very committed freshman class."
The Backcourt
Nick Jacobson (6-4, 206) has earned third team all-Mountain West honors the last two seasons and has started all but four games over the course of his career. The prolific-shooting senior from Fargo, N.D., was the Utes' most productive offensive player for the second consecutive year last season, ranking 13th in the league in scoring (13.3 ppg), fifth in three-point percentage (42.3) and fourth in threes made per game (2.42). Jacobson also shot 83.5 percent from the free throw line.
On pace to become Utah's all-time leader in three-pointers this season, Jacobson set school single-season records for threes made (80) and attempted (189) in 2002-03. He scored in double figures in 27 of the 33 games, hitting the 20-point mark five times.
"He is the son of a coach whose commitment to the fundamentals would indicate that," Majerus says of Jacobson. "He's an unheralded defender who will be called upon to pick it up even more so in that category. He must become a better rebounder and continue to look for scoring opportunities that will be available to him."
Tim Drisdom (6-2, 212) led the Utes in assists (3.1 apg) while averaging 21.4 minutes a game last season. The sophomore from Artesia, Calif., is the fourth-best scorer (4.6 ppg) and third-best rebounder (3.1 rpg) returning from last season. Drisdom displayed a deft shooting eye as a rookie, hitting 42.4 percent of his three-pointers and 81.0 percent of his free throws. As a result, he scored in double figures four times.
In-state product Josh Olsen (6-0, 182) joins the Utes as a non-scholarship player this season before he plans to serve an LDS church mission. Olsen signed with the Utes in the fall of 2002, then proceeded to lead Alta High School to the 5A title. The Sandy native was also named Utah's Mr. Basketball by the Deseret Morning News. A very bright player, Olsen will be asked to play both guard positions.
Ryan Werch (6-1, 185) was rated as one of the best shooters and perimeter players in Wisconsin as a senior. He earned player of the year honors in his district and conference the last two seasons, and set Ripon High School career records for scoring, field goals and three-point field goals.
Joining the Utes as non-scholarship players in the backcourt are freshmen Clint Lee (6-3, 184) from North Logan, Utah, and Brett Sortal (6-1, 180), a native of Wilmette, Ill.
The Frontcourt
Tim Frost (6-9, 244) heads into his second and final season with the Utes. A second team all-conference center last season, the Klamath Falls, Ore., native has developed a solid low post game and is an excellent outside shooter with three-point range.
Frost ranked 14th in the Mountain West in scoring (12.8 ppg), 13th in field goal percentage (48.1), 14th in rebounding (4.9 rpg) and 10th in blocked shots (0.79 bpg) as a junior. He scored at least 20 points four times and had two double-doubles.
"Tim must play with a more physical presence," urges Majerus. "He's demonstrated his value as a scorer, but must now do so as a rebounder and defender. Tim has not placed the premium on defense and rebounding that is necessary. Once that awareness sets in, he will have an excellent season."
Entering their sophomore years, Richard Chaney (6-4, 195) and Bryant Markson (6-6, 189) will be relied on for increased productivity.
Chaney, who hails from Los Angeles, started twice in the conference tournament and played in all 33 games last season, averaging 18.4 minutes per contest. He scored in double figures for the sixth time with 10 points and had a season-best seven rebounds in the MWC semifinals against UNLV. Among the six returnees from last season, Chaney ranks third in scoring (5.4 ppg) and second in rebounds (3.5 rpg).
Markson, from Monrovia, Calif., started four times last season, including both NCAA Tournament games. Markson rose to the occasion in the first round of the NCAAs by getting eight points, a season-best seven boards and three steals in the win over Oregon. On the season, he averaged 3.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game.
Chris Jackson (6-11, 247) appeared in 21 games last season, playing over 10 minutes six times. The sophomore center from Los Alamos, N.M., has good hands and a nice touch. He averaged 2.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in 2002-03.
Aussie Andrew Bogut (6-10, 233) joins the Utes this season after signing in the spring of 2002. After not getting through the NCAA Clearinghouse on his first try last winter, Bogut got his paper work in order over the summer. The power forward then had a breakout performance at the FIBA Junior World Championships in Greece in late July. In eight games in the tournament, Bogut averaged 26.3 points and 17.0 rebounds to lead Australia to the title and earn MVP honors. The Melbourne native also played for the Australian Institute of Sports, which made college exhibition tours of the United States the past two years.
The Utes add a fourth Southern California product in forward Justin Hawkins (6-4, 207), who is a native of Anaheim and played AAU basketball with Drisdom and Markson. He earned all-CIF first team and Long Beach Press-Telegram "Dream Team" honors as a junior and senior.
Another of the Utes' three foreign players this season is Jonas Langvad (6-9, 215). The freshman forward from Skovlunde, Denmark, was a member of the Danish National Team in 2001. Langvad joins the Utes after playing the last two years in the Danish League, where he averaged 19.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in 2002-03.
Stefan Zimmerman (6-9, 231) is a freshman center from Lindon, Utah. Zimmerman was an all-region selection as a junior at Mountain View High School. He transferred to American Fork High School last season, averaging 15 points and eight rebounds a game.
Jelmer Krijthe (6-6, 191) of Wijk bij Duurstede, Netherlands, and Geoff Payne (6-5, 187) from Sandy, Utah, come on board as non-scholarship athletes.
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