Nov. 25, 2005

Game #3

Utah Runnin' Utes (2-0) vs. Weber State Wildcats (3-0)
Nov. 26 ? 7:05 p.m. (MST)
Dee Events Center (12,000) ? Ogden, Utah

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Game Data

Television: None
Radio: Utah Sports Network(Hot Ticket 700/KALL-AM in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations).On the Internet at www.UtahUtes.com. Get Utah All-Access HereMatt Thomas (play-by-play), Mark Rydalch (analyst) and Bill Riley (host).
Utah Head Coach: Ray Giacoletti      Weber State Head Coach: Joe CravensAlma Mater: Minot State, 1985        Alma Mater: Texas-Arlington, 1977Record at Utah: 31-6 (2nd Season)    Record at WSU: 109-71 (7th Season)Overall Record: 148-89 (9th Season)  Overall Record: 164-123 (11th Season)
Series Record: Utah leads 21-12Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 14-3/7-9/0-0Current Streak: Utah has won 4 in a row.Last Meeting: Utah won 51-40 on Dec. 28, 2004 in Salt Lake City.
Utah Probable StartersNo. Pos. Name              Ht.  Wt.  Cl.  Statistics20  F    Bryant Markson    6-7 198  Sr.  18.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg21  F    Shaun Green       6-8    208  Fr.  8.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg30  C    Chris Jackson     6-11 245  Sr.  7.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg1   G    Johnnie Bryant    6-0 190  So.  13.5 ppg, 2.0 apg11  G    Tim Drisdom       6-3    215  Sr.  4.0 ppg, 2.5 apg
Weber State Probable StartersNo. Pos. Name              Ht.  Wt.  Cl.  Statistics1   F    Coric Riggs       6-4  210  Sr.  14.3 ppg, 11.0 rpg33  F    David Patten      6-8  220  Jr.  12.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg21  C    Nedim Pajevic     6-9  235  Jr.  7.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg2   G    Nick Covington    6-1  205  Jr.  3.7 ppg, 4.7 apg34  G    Terrell Stovall   6-3  185  Jr.  11.7 ppg, 1.7 apg

After This
The Runnin' Utes return home to host Utah State on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 7:07 p.m. (MST). The game will be televised by KJZZ-TV 14. Utah then plays its first game out of the state, taking on Rice on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 3:05 p.m. (CST) in Houston, Texas. CSTV will televise the game nationally.

Quickly On Utah
The Runnin' Utes (2-0) play their first road game of the season, taking on Weber State (3-0) on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. (MST) at the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah. The game will be broadcast on Hot Ticket 700 (KALL-AM) and the Utah Sports Network.

Utah opened its season with a pair of wins at home, defeating Texas State 74-59 on Nov. 18 and Rhode Island 66-50 on Tuesday night.

Last year, the Runnin' Utes went 29-6 overall, won the Mountain West Conference regular season championship with a 13-1 record, and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Two starters and four other lettermen return from the 2005-06 season. The Utes' returning starters are senior guard Tim Drisdom (6-3, 215) and senior forward Bryant Markson (6-7, 198). Markson, a preseason all-Mountain West Conference pick, is averaging 18.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He is also shooting 80.0 percent at the free throw line. Drisdom is averaging 4.0 points and 2.5 assists per game.

Sophomore guard Johnnie Bryant (6-0, 190), a junior college transfer, is averaging 13.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in his first season. Bryant has made 5-of-9 three-pointers and all six free throws. Freshman forward Shaun Green (6-8, 208) is third on the team in scoring (8.0 ppg) and second in rebounding (3.5 rpg). Freshman center Luke Nevill (7-1, 250) lead the Utes on the boards (5.5 rpg).

Scouting The Wildcats
Weber State is off to its first 3-0 start since the 1988-89 season when Denny Huston was in his first season as head coach. The Wildcats defeated Montana-Western 77-66 in its season opener on Nov. 18, went on the road to defeat Boise State 66-61 on Monday night and took care of Montana Tech 82-51 on Wednesday night at home.

Senior guard/forward Coric Riggs (6-4, 210) leads WSU in scoring (14.3 ppg) and rebounds (11.0 rpg). He is also shooting 48.6 precent from the field and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. Junior forward David Patten is second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg), is averaging 3.0 rebounds per game and has a team-best six blocked shots. Junior guard Terrell Stovall is the third Wildcat averaging double figures in scoring (11.7 ppg). Junior guard Nick Covington (6-1, 205) leads the Wildcats in assists (4.7 apg).

Comparing The Numbers

            Utah    Weber St.Record          2-0 3-0Streak          Won 2   Won 3Scoring         70.0    75.0Scoring Defense 54.5    59.3FG%         .480    .497FG% Defense .408    .4293-Pt. FG%   .400    .3503-Pt. FG% Def.  .344    .309FT%         .723    .639Rebound Margin  -2.5    +10.0Assists         14.0    13.7Turnovers   15.0    11.7Opp. Turnovers  17.5    15.7Steals          8.5 6.3Blocked Shots   2.0 3.0

Head Coach Joe Cravens
Joe Cravens is in his seventh season as Weber State's head coach with a 109-71 record. He has a 164-123 career mark in his 11th season. Cravens' best season with the Wildcats was in 2002-03, when he led the WSU to a 26-6 overall record, a 14-0 mark in the Big Sky Conference to win the regular-season league title, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Weber State lost to Wisconsin 81-74 in the first round of the NCAAs. Cravens was named the 2002-03 Coach of the Year in the Big Sky Conference, NABC District 13 and USBWA District 8.

Before becoming a head coach, Cravens was an assistant coach at Utah for three years. During the 1989-90 season--his first at Utah--Cravens filled in as acting head coach when Rick Majerus had heart surgery and posted a 12-12 record. Cravens departed Utah after the 1991-92 season to become the head coach at Idaho, where he went 43-40 in four years.

Utah-Weber State Series Notes
? Utah and Weber State meet for the 34th time on Saturday. Utah leads the all-time series 21-12 and has won nine of the last 11 meetings, including four in a row. The teams have met every year since 1993.

? After Weber State took two in a row in 1999-2000 and 2000-01, the Utes have captured the last four meetings. Utah won last season, 51-40 on Dec. 28 in Salt Lake City.

? Weber State has a 9-7 edge in games played in Ogden, Utah. The Utes were victorious in their last two visits to the Dee Events Center, winning 70-59 on Dec. 15, 2001 and 70-60 on Jan. 3, 2004. Prior to those two wins, Weber State won 84-72 on Dec. 1, 1999.

? Ray Giacoletti, the head coach at Big Sky Conference member Eastern Washington from 2000-04, is 6-6 all-time against Weber State. Giacoletti is 1-4 against Weber State in Ogden, Utah. The last time Giacoletti coached a game in the Dee Events Center, his Eastern Washington team lost to Weber State 81-78 in overtime on Feb. 26, 2004. Later that season, Giacoletti led EWU to a 72-53 win over Weber State on March 9 in the Big Sky Tournament semifinals in Cheyney, Wash.

? Utah is 114-47 (.708) all-time against the Big Sky Conference. That mark includes a 40-31 record (.563) in road games.

The Old Oquirrh Bucket
Saturday night's game opens Utah's campaign for the Old Oquirrh Bucket in 2005-06. Named after the Oquirrh Mountains to the west of Salt Lake City, the Old Oquirrh Bucket is the symbol of in-state basketball supremacy in Utah. The trophy is awarded every year to the in-state college team (Utah, BYU, Southern Utah, Utah State, UVSC and Weber State) which has the best win-loss record against in-state competition.

Utah has won the Old Oquirrh Bucket 13 times since its inception in 1974-75. Utah State earned the trophy for the 2005-06 season.

Markson Makes His Mark
Senior forward Bryant Markson (6-7, 198) is a pre-season all-Mountain West Conference pick. Markson leads the Utes in scoring (18.0 ppg) and is tied for second in rebounds (3.5 rpg). Markson has reached double figures in scoring in eight of the last nine games dating back to last season.

? Against Rhode Island, Markson had his 28th career double-figure scoring game with 17 points (6-12 FG, 5-5 FT). He also had three rebounds and three assists. In the season opener against Texas State, Markson had 19 points (8-14 FG, 3-5 FT) four rebounds and two steals.

? Markson earned third team all-Mountain West Conference honors in 2004-05. He was third on the team in scoring (10.4 ppg) and third in rebounding average (3.9 rpg). Markson started 22 games and played in all 35, averaging 28.2 minutes per game.

? The Monrovia, Calif., native scored in double figures 23 times last season, including six of the last seven games.

Noting The Newcomers
Utah's roster includes one redshirt freshman and five first-year players. Here's a look at how some of the newcomers have performed so far this season and their credentials coming in.

? Sophomore guard Johnnie Bryant (6-0, 190) had a game-high 21 points (6-9 FG, 3-4 3FG, 6-6 FT) in the season opener against Texas State. He made his first six shots from the field, including three three-pointers. Bryant also had three assists (four turnovers), three rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes as a starter. Bryant joined the Utes last December after earning his associate's degree. As a first team all-conference pick at San Francisco City College in 2003-04, the Oakland native averaged 15 points and four assists per game.

? Freshman forward Shaun Green (6-8, 208) is averaging 8.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists through two games. In 29 minutes as a starter against Rhode Island, Green had 11 points (4-8 FG, 3-7 3FG), five assists and four rebounds. Green was the 2004-05 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year. A three-time first team all-state selection at Olympus High School, Green averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four blocked shots and two steals per game as a senior.

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