Utah Men's Basketball Notes - Game #26 - University of Utah Athletics

Feb. 17, 2005

Game #26>

Utah Runnin' Utes (22-3, 10-0 MWC) vs. Air Force Falcons (15-9, 6-3 MWC)
Feb. 19 ? 1:05 p.m. (MST) ? Clune Arena (5,939) ? Colorado Springs, Colo.

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The Game At A Glance

Utah Head Coach: Ray Giacoletti      Air Force Head Coach: Chris MooneyAlma Mater: Minot State, 1985        Alma Mater: Princeton, 1994Record at Utah: 22-3 (1st Season)    Record at Air Force: 15-9 (1st Season)Overall Record: 139-86 (8th Season)  Overall Record: 15-9 (1st Season)
Rankings: Utah is No. 14 in the Associated Press polland tied for No. 13 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Television: ESPN+Plus (Shown on KJZZ-TV 14 in Salt Lake City).ESPN Full Court (pay-per-view).Rich Waltz (play-by-play) and Irv Brown (analyst).
Radio: Utah Sports Network(Hot Ticket 700/KALL-AM in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations).On the Internet at www.UtahUtes.com and www.HotTicket700.com.Matt Thomas (play-by-play), Mark Rydalch (analyst) and Bill Riley (host).
Series Record: Utah leads 41-9Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 24-2/15-7/2-0Current Streak: Utah has won 1Last Meeting: Utah won 63-51 on Jan. 24, 2005 in Salt Lake City.

After This
The Runnin' Utes close out their final road trip of the regular season against New Mexico on Monday at 7:07 p.m. (MST) in Albuquerque, N.M. Utah then returns home to host BYU on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 1:05 p.m. The game wiil be shown on ESPN+Plus as the Mountain West "Game of the Week."

Quickly On Utah
The Runnin' Utes (22-3, 10-0 MWC) open their final road trip of the regular season against Air Force (15-9, 6-3 MWC) on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. (MST) at Clune Arena (5,939) in Colorado Springs, Colo. The game will be televised by ESPN+Plus (shown on KJZZ-TV 14 in Salt Lake City) and ESPN Full Court (pay-per-view). It will be broadcast on Hot Ticket 700 (KALL-AM) and the Utah Sports Network. Utah is 8-3 away from home this season and 6-2 on opponents home courts.

Utah, leading Air Force by two and a half games for first place in the Mountain West Conference, swept a pair of home games last weekend. The Utes defeated Colorado State 64-50 on Saturday night and Wyoming 71-62 on Monday night.

Utah is ranked in the Top 25 for the fourth consecutive week, moving up one spot to No. 14 in the Associated Press poll and two spots to a tie for No. 13 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Utah has won 17 games in a row, which ranks as the second-best winning streak in the nation. During its recent winning streak, Utah has won by an average of 16.9 points per game.

Sophomore center/forward Andrew Bogut (7-0, 245) leads the Utes in scoring (20.5 ppg), rebounding (11.9 rpg) and blocked shots (47), and is shooting 64.7 percent from the field. Bogut has 17 double-doubles this season to lead the nation in that category. Senior guard Marc Jackson (6-1, 175) is second in scoring (10.8 ppg), hitting 49.5 percent of his three-point attempts (46-of-93) and 84.4 percent of his free throws. Jackson is first on the team in assists (3.48 apg). Junior forward Bryant Markson (6-6, 190) is third on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.0 rpg). Junior forward/guard Richard Chaney, who missed seven games earlier this season with a broken left hand, is fourth on the team in scoring average (9.7 ppg). Junior guard Tim Drisdom (6-3, 203) is second on the team in assists (3.44 apg) and has a 2.21 assists to turnover ratio.

As of Feb. 15, the Utes ranked second in the NCAA in field goal percentage (52.6), third in rebound margin (+10.8) and sixth in scoring defense (56.6 ppg). Andrew Bogut was ranked first in rebounding (11.9 rpg), third in field goal percentage (64.7) and 15th in scoring (20.5 ppg). Marc Jackson ranked 49th in free throw percentage (84.4).

Runnin' Utes Achieve Highest National Ranking Since 2000-01
The Runnin' Utes, ranked in the Top 25 for the fourth consecutive week, climbed one spot to 14th in the Associated Press poll and were up two spots to a tie for 13th in the ESPN/USA Today poll released on Monday. It is the highest Utah has been ranked since coming in at No. 13 in the AP poll on Nov. 21, 2000. That season, Utah was No. 13 in the preseason poll, climbed to 12th on Nov. 14, then fell to 13th the following week. The Utes were ranked five consecutive weeks that year, falling out after coming in at No. 22 on Dec. 5.

Before this season, Utah was ranked last in 2002-03. The U. was ranked No. 23 on Feb. 18 and No. 22 on Feb. 25. The Utes were ranked by AP for 12 weeks during the 1999-2000 season, but never got higher than its No. 15 ranking in the preseason poll. During the 1998-99 season, Utah was ranked 11 weeks and peaked at No. 6 on March 9.

Utah Riding Second Best Winning Streak In The Nation
With its win over Wyoming on Monday night, Utah extended its winning streak to 17 games, which ranks as the second best current streak in NCAA Division I behind Illinois' run of 26 consecutive wins.

The Utes' 17-game winning streak ranks tied for the third-longest in school history, equalling a 17-game run from Dec. 4, 1990 until Jan. 31, 1991. It is also Utah's longest winning streak since the 1998-99 season when the Utes won a school record 23 consecutive games in a row. With a win on Saturday at Air Force, Utah would tie the second longest winning streak in school history of 18 games from Dec. 15, 1997 through Jan. 29, 1998.

During its recent winning streak, Utah has won by an average of 16.9 points per game. Its closest games were a four-point win (57-53) at UNLV on Feb. 7 and a nine-point win over Wyoming (71-62) on Monday night. Utah has won the rest of the games by at least 11 points, including six times by 20 points or more.

Fourth Straight 20-Win Season Secured
With its win over UNLV on Feb. 7, Utah hit the 20-wins mark for the fourth consecutive season and the 13th time in the last 16 years. It was also the fewest games (23) the Utes needed to reach 20 wins since taking just 21 games during the 1997-98 season.

Since 1989-90, Utah has averaged 24 wins per year. A rundown of the Utes' 20-win seasons since the beginning of the 90s: 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), 2001-02 (21-9), 2002-03 (25-8), 2003-04 (24-9), 2004-05 (22-3).

Scouting The Falcons
Air Force is 15-9 overall and in second place in the Mountain West Conference with a 6-3 record, two and a half games behind Utah. The Falcons are 10-0 at home this season and have the second-longest homecourt winning streak in the nation at 24 games. Air Force leads the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 53.2 points per game.

After losing to Utah (63-51) in Salt Lake City on Jan. 24, the Academy has won three of its last five games. After getting home wins over San Diego State (62-50) and UNLV (64-48), the Falcons went on the road for three games, falling to Wyoming (67-63 OT) on Feb. 5, defeating Colorado State (59-47) on Feb. 7 and losing to New Mexico (63-52) on Monday night.

Junior guard Antoine Hood (6-4, 204) ranks 10th in the Mountain West in scoring (12.2 ppg) and eighth in free throw percentage (81.8). Junior forward Nick Welch (6-8, 210) is 11th in the league in scoring (12.0 ppg), seventh in three-point percentage (39.8, making 33-of-83) and 10th in assists (2.71 apg). Sophomore forward Jacob Burtschi is 15th in the conference in rebounding (4.2 rpg). Senior guard Tim Keller (6-3, 185) is eighth in the MWC in assists (2.88 apg) and eighth in steals (1.25 spg). Sophomore guard Matt McCraw (6-2, 185) leads the conference in three-point percentage (51.2, making 42-of-82) and is averaging 8.7 points per game.

Air Force ranks eighth in the MWC in scoring offense (60.2 ppg), first in scoring defense (53.2 ppg), eighth in rebound margin (-5.8 rpg), second in steals (8.50 spg) and first in assists/turnover ratio (1.41).

Comparing The Stats

            Utah    Air ForceScoring         70.0    60.2Scoring Defense 56.6    53.2FG%         .526    .444FG% Defense .420    .4913-Pt. FG%   .386    .3633-Pt. FG% Def.  .349    .347FT%         .737    .728Rebound Margin  +10.8   -5.8Assists         15.1    13.1Turnovers   14.3    9.3Opp. Turnovers  12.4    16.5Steals          6.2 8.5Blocked Shots   2.9 1.4

Head Coach Chris Mooney
Chris Mooney is in his first season as the head coach at Air Force. He had been with the program for four years before taking over, including the last two as associate head coach. Mooney helped the Falcons to their best season in program history last year going 22-7, winning the Mountain West Conference Championship and making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1962.

Mooney came to Air Force prior to the 2000-01 season after a two-year stint as head coach at Beaver College (now Arcadia University), a Division III school in Glenside, Pa. Mooney is a 1994 graduate of Princeton University where he played for Hall-of-Fame coach Pete Carril. The two-year captain started all 107 games in his career and helped the team capture two Ivy League titles and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths. He was recognized by the Ivy League all four years at Princeton as he was named runner-up for Rookie of the Year as a freshman, honorable mention all-Ivy his sophomore season, first-team all-Ivy as a junior and second-team all-Ivy his final campaign.

Utah vs. Air Force Series Notes
? Utah and Air Force meet for the 51st time on Saturday afternoon. The series dates back to a 108-57 win by the Runnin' Utes on Dec. 23, 1965 in Salt Lake City.

? The Utes lead the all-time series 41-9. Utah has won six of the last eight and 16 of the last 19 games against the Falcons.

? In Colorado Springs, Colo., the Utes are 15-7 and have won six of the last eight games. Utah's two losses during that recent stretch were 71-60 on March 1, 2001 and 62-49 on Jan. 26, 2004.

? Utah took the first meeting this season, winning 63-51 on Jan. 24 in Salt Lake City, to snap a two-game losing streak in the series.

? Air Force won both games last season, taking the season series for the first time ever. Air Force won 62-49 on Jan. 26 in Colorado Springs, Colo., then defeated the Utes 59-57 on Feb. 21 in Salt Lake City.

? Utah has a 36-9 record against Air Force in conference regular season games. Since the start of the Mountain West Conference in 1999-2000, the Utes lead 10-3.

? Before the Falcons took both games last year, the Utes had a five-game winning streak. Those five games were decided by an average of seven points with one game going to overtime.

? Ray Giacoletti is 1-0 against Air Force.

? Chris Mooney is 0-1 against Utah.

Last Meeting
Andrew Bogut scored 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting to lift No. 25 Utah to a 63-51 victory over Air Force on Jan. 24 in Salt Lake City. Bryant Markson and Marc Jackson each scored 11 points, and Jackson tied a career-high with 10 assists. The Utes shot a school-record 80 percent from the field (24-of-30) against the nation's No. 1 defense. Utah's previous best shooting game was 73.7 percent against Air Force in 1987.

The Utes took apart Air Force with quick passes and lobs to Bogut, a 7-foot sophomore from Australia. Bogut also had nine rebounds. Jackson notched his first career double-double while also contributing five rebounds.

Nick Welch had 15 points to lead the Falcons, who lost for just the second time in eight games.

Bogut scored seven points in a 14-2 run at the start of the second half that gave Utah a 46-32 lead after Air Force closed within 12 points. The Falcons, outrebounded 23-13, couldn't get within single digits the rest of the way.

The Utes were efficient offensively, getting 19 assists on 24 baskets. After shooting 57.9 percent in the first half, the Falcons cooled off to 34.6 percent in the second half.

Boasting Of Bogut, Utah's Wooden and Naismith Awards Candidate
Sophomore forward Andrew Bogut (7-0, 245) has been named a candidate for the John R. Wooden and Naismith national player of the year awards. Bogut leads the Utes in scoring (20.5 ppg), rebounds (11.9 rpg), blocked shots (47) and steals (28). He is also third in assists (2.56 apg), and is shooting 64.7 percent from the field and 72.9 percent from the free throw line. He has led the Utes in scoring 18 times, rebounding 23 times and assists six times this season. In an effort to promote Bogut for All-America and national player of the year honors, the University of Utah has launched an official Andrew Bogut website at www.utahutes.com/andrewbogut.

? In the NCAA statistical rankings released on Feb. 15, Bogut was first in rebounds per game (11.9), third in field goal percentage (64.7) and 15th in points per game (20.5).

? Bogut has had double-doubles in 17 of the 25 games this season and ranks first in the nation in that category as of Feb. 16.

? Bogut has scored in double figures in all 25 games this season, bringing his double-figure scoring streak to 27 consecutive games dating back to last season.

? He has fifteen 20-point games this season, bringing his career total to 18. Bogut has scored at least 20 points in 14 of the last 18 games.

? Bogut had his second straight 30-point game and the second of his career against Wyoming on Monday night. He scored 31 points (11-16 FG, 9-11 FT) and had 13 rebounds to record his 17th double-double of the season. He also had four assists, a blocked shot and a steal in 40 minutes.

? Bogut had a career-high 33 points and 16 rebounds against Colorado State on Feb. 12. Bogut also set personal-best marks for free throws made (17) and attempted (19), and tied his career high with five blocked shots. Bogut shot 8-for-14 from the floor, and also contributed three assists and two steals in 39 minutes.

? Bogut is moving up the single-season and career charts at Utah. His 47 blocked shots rank second to Mitch Smith's 55 in 1988-89. Bogut has already bettered his total of 44 blocked shots last season, which now rank third in a season at the U. With 91 career blocked shots, Bogut ranks sixth at Utah, closing in on Nate Althoff's fifth-place mark of 92 set from 1997-2001. Josh Grant (1988-93) is in fourth place with 109 blocked shots. If Bogut can maintain his 64.7 field goal percentage this season, he would set the school single-season record by breaking the mark of 61.7 set by Antoine Davison in 1991-92. Bogut's career field goal percentage of 61.4 (370-for-603) would also set the career mark at Utah, surpassing Althoff (60.8 percent).

? In 10 Mountain West Conference games, Bogut has averaged 20.9 points (ranking 1st in the MWC) while shooting 66.9 percent from the field (1st) and 74.2 percent from the free throw line (12th). He has also averaged 12.5 rebounds (1st), 2.80 assists (9th) and 2.10 blocked shots (2nd). He is the only player in the league averaging a double-double.

Markson Making His Mark
Junior forward Bryant Markson (6-6, 190) is third on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.0 rpg). He has started 14 games this season and played in all 25, averaging 26.8 minutes per game.

? Markson has scored in double figures 16 times this season, including 11 of the last 14 games.

? The Monrovia, Calif., native has been playing a bigger role for the Utes the past 14 games, beginning when Richard Chaney was sidelined with a broken hand. He has started 12 of those games and averaged 31.9 minutes per contest. He has averaged 12.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, ranking second only to Andrew Bogut in those categories. He has also shot 57.8 percent from the field and 80.6 percent from the free throw line.

? In Mountain West Conference play, Markson ranks ninth in the league in scoring (12.9 ppg), fourth in field goal percentage (56.6) and second in free throw percentage (85.0).

Notes On Utah's Undefeated Start To MWC Schedule
? Utah is the first team in the six-year history of the Mountain West Conference to go 7-0 through the first half of the league schedule. The previous best record at the half-way mark of MWC play was 6-1, archived seven times. The Utes did it three times (2000, 2002, 2003) and went on to win at least a share of the regular season championship all three years.

? The best all-time record in Mountain West Conference play is Air Force's 12-2 mark in 2004. Utah's best record in MWC games is 11-3 in 2003.

? Utah has outscored its eight MWC opponents by an average of 15.0 points per game and outrebounded the opponents by 12.3 boards per contest--which are on pace for league records (no MWC team has ever held a +10 advantage in either category at season's end).

? The Utes are allowing just 52.6 points per game in league games and are on pace to break the league scoring defense mark set last year by Air Force (54.4 ppg allowed).

? Utah's 17-game winning streak is the best in Mountain West Conference history. The previous best streak was 13 games, set by Utah (2001-02) and Air Force (2003-04).

? The Utes have won a league record 14 straight games against MWC opponents, including its win in the final regular-season game and three wins in the MWC Tournament in 2004.

? Utah is the first team in MWC history to win its first four conference road games.

Getting Defensive
One of the trademarks of Utah basketball in recent years has been a stifling half-court defense. Since the 1989-90 season, Utah has finished in the top 30 in the nation 12 times in scoring defense, 10 times in rebound margin, eight times in field goal percentage defense and eight times in scoring margin.

? In the NCAA statistical rankings released on Feb. 15, Utah ranked third in rebound margin (+10.8 rpg), sixth in scoring defense (56.6 ppg) and third in fewest personal fouls per game (14.2).

? The U. has held each of its last 14 opponents to 60 points or less. During the last 14 games, teams have averaged 52.1 points per game against the Utes while shooting 39.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range. Utah has also held a 34.9 to 21.9 advantage on the boards.

? The Utes have outrebounded the opposition in 22 of the 25 games this season--including the last 16--and had a push in one other game (vs. Stony Brook in the season opener), going 22-1 in those contests.

? Utah has allowed just three opponents to shoot better than 50 percent from the field this season: Washington (53.4 in a loss), Utah State (65.0 in a loss) and Cal Poly (54.5 in a win).

? Utah has not allowed an opponent to score 80 points in 153 consecutive games that have ended in regulation. The last team to score 80 points on the Utes in a 40-minute game was Wyoming (88) on Feb. 28, 2000 in Laramie, Wyo.

Getting It Done At The Free Throw Line
The Utes have done an excellent job of getting to the free throw line and converting this season. Through 25 games, Utah is shooting 73.7 percent from the charity stripe, ranking first in the Mountain West Conference in that category.

? Utah ranked 29th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (73.7) as of Feb. 15.

? The Utes have made 404 free throws (16.2 per game) while their opponents have attempted just 304 and made 206 (8.2 per game). Utah is 19-1 when it has more free throw attempts than its opponent this season, and is 1-0 when free throw attempts are equal.

? Six Utes are shooting over 70 percent from the line this season: Richard Chaney (87.3), Marc Jackson (84.4), Tim Drisdom (80.4), Bryant Markson (73.3), Andrew Bogut (72.9) and Chris Grant (71.4).

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Utah Men's Basketball Notes - Game #26

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Utah Men's Basketball Notes - Game #26

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