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
Utah Men's Basketball Notes - NCAA Regional
3/22/2005 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 22, 2005
NCAA Tournament Austin Regional
March 25 & 27 ? Frank Erwin Center (16,383) ? Austin, Texas Complete Release in PDF Format
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Just The Facts
Utah (29-5), the No. 6 seed in the Austin Regional, received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Runnin' Utes face No. 2 seeded Kentucky (27-5) in the regional semifinals on Friday at approximately 8:40 p.m. (CST) at the Frank Erwin Center (16,383) in Austin, Texas. Should Utah win the game, it will face the winner of No. 1 Duke (27-5) and No. 5 Michigan State (24-6) on Sunday at a time to be determined. The Runnin' Utes are making their fifth Sweet 16 appearance since the beginning of the `90s, but their first since 1998.
On Television
CBS Sports has exclusive rights to the NCAA Tournament. Announcers for the Austin Regional semifinal and final games are Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Billy Packer (analyst) and Bonnie Bernstein (reporter).
On Radio
All of the Utes' games in the NCAA Tournament will be broadcast on the Utah Sports Network (Hot Ticket 700/KALL-AM in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations). Matt Thomas (play-by-play), Mark Rydalch (analyst) and Bill Riley (host) call the action.
NCAA Radio/Westwood One will also broadcast the games from the Austin Regional with Brad Sham (play-by-play) and Kevin Grevey (analyst) providing the talent.
Quickly On Utah
The Runnin' Utes are 29-5 and won the Mountain West Conference regular season title outright with a 13-1 mark. Utah has won 24 of its last 26 games and is 6-2 on neutral courts this season.
Utah opened NCAA Tournament play last weekend with wins over No. 11 UTEP (60-54) in the first round and No. 3 Oklahoma (67-58) in the second round last Friday and Saturday in Tucson, Ariz.
In the Mountain West Conference Tournament March 10-12 in Denver, Colo., Utah defeated Colorado State (62-49) in the quarterfinals and UNLV (73-67) in the semifinals before falling to New Mexico (60-56) in the championship game.
Utah was ranked in the Top 25 for the eighth consecutive week on March 14, coming in at No. 18 in the Associated Press poll and No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Sophomore center/forward Andrew Bogut (7-0, 245), a candidate for national player of the year honors, leads the Utes in scoring (20.4 ppg), rebounding (12.2 rpg) and blocked shots (65), and is shooting 62.9 percent from the field. Bogut has 25 double-doubles this season to lead the nation in that category. Senior guard Marc Jackson (6-1, 175) is second in scoring (10.7 ppg), hitting 45.8 percent of his three-point attempts (60-of-130) and 85.8 percent of his free throws. Jackson is first on the team in assists (3.81 apg). Junior forward Bryant Markson (6-6, 190) is third on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg) and third in rebounding (4.0 rpg). Sophomore forward Justin Hawkins is fourth in the team in scoring (8.6 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.1 rpg). Junior guard Tim Drisdom (6-3, 203) is second on the team in assists (3.24 apg) and has a 2.06 assists to turnover ratio.
As of March 15, the Utes ranked second in the NCAA in field goal percentage (51.8), third in rebound margin (+10.7), seventh in scoring defense (57.2 ppg), 16th in scoring margin and (+11.5 ppg) and 44th in free throw percentage (73.0). Andrew Bogut was second in rebounding (12.3 rpg), fourth in field goal percentage (62.8) and 15th in scoring (20.7 ppg). Marc Jackson ranked 30th (85.5) in free throw percentage.
NCAA Tournament Regionals at Austin, Texas
Semifinals - Friday (March 25)Game 1 - No. 1 Duke (27-5) vs. No. 5 Michigan State (24-6) 6:10 p.m.Game 2 - No. 6 Utah (29-5) vs. No. 2 Kentucky (27-5) 8:40 p.m. (approx.)
Finals - Sunday (March 27)Game 3 - Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner TBD
(All Times Central Standard Time)
Scouting Kentucky
The No. 2-seeded Kentucky Wildcats are 27-5 overall this season. They went 14-2 in league play and claimed the Southeastern Conference regular season title. Kentucky won an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament and rattled off wins over Eastern Kentucky (72-64) and Cincinnati (69-60) in Indianapolis, Ind., to advance to the Sweet 16. The Wildcats own a 6-1 mark in neutral site contests. Its only loss was in the SEC Tournament title bout with Florida (70-53).
Three Kentucky players average double-figure scoring numbers, led by junior guard Kelenna Azubuike's (6-5, 220) 15.0 ppg. Junior guard Patrick Sparks (6-0, 180) scores 11.1 ppg while senior forward Chuck Hayes (6-6, 242) averages 10.7. Hayes leads all UK rebounders with 7.9 rpg.
The Wildcats are making their 46th tournament appearance, their 14th consecutive, and own a 95-40 all-time tourney mark. Kentucky has been a two seed five times, including in 1998 when it beat Utah (78-69) in the national title game. Head coach Tubby Smith is in his eighth season on the Kentucky bench where he is 218-57. He owns a 342-119 career mark.
Comparing The Stats
Utah KentuckyScoring 68.4 73.5Scoring Defense 57.1 61.9FG% .517 .462FG% Defense .421 .4033-Pt. FG% .373 .3403-Pt. FG% Def. .346 .323FT% .723 .665Rebound Margin +10.8 +1.4Assists 14.9 15.2Turnovers 14.4 13.1Opp. Turnovers 11.9 17.8Steals 6.1 9.3Blocked Shots 2.8 4.4
Utah vs. Kentucky Series Notes
? Kentucky leads the all-time series with Utah 8-2, winning six in a row.
? The Wildcats won the last meeting 74-54 on March 23, 2003 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Nashville, Tenn.
? The Wildcats have a 6-1 edge in games played on neutral courts. Utah is 0-5 against UK in the NCAA Tournament and 1-1 in the NIT postseason tournament, defeating the Wildcats 49-45 in New York to capture the 1947 NIT Championship.
? Utah has been knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by Kentucky five times since 1993. The Wildcats defeated the Utes in the second round in 1993 (83-62), in the regional semifinals in 1996 (101-70), the regional finals in 1997 (72-59) and the national title game in 1998 (78-69).
? The Utes and Wildcats also met on Nov. 19, 1999 in the second round of the Preseason NIT in Lexington, Ky. The Wildcats won 56-48.
? Utah's last win over Kentucky was 70-68 Dec. 18, 1976 in Lexington, Ky.
? Utah is 8-18 all-time against the Southeastern Conference and 4-10 on neutral courts. The Utes faced once SEC team this season, defeating LSU 69-55 on Jan. 3 in Salt Lake City.
Utah's NCAA Tournament History
? Utah is making its 26th appearance in the NCAA Tournament all-time. The U. is in the NCAAs for the fourth consecutive year, going to the first round in 2002, the second round in 2003, and the first round in 2004. Utah made a school record six consecutive appearances 1995-2000 before not making the field in 2001. The Utes are 33-28 (.541) in NCAA Tournament play with four NCAA Final Four appearances (1944, 1961, 1966, 1998) and one NCAA championship (1944).
? Including this year, Utah is tied for 11th all-time in NCAA appearances (26). Only 14 teams have more Final Four appearances than Utah.
? Since 1975 when the NCAA Tournament field was expanded to 32 teams, Utah ranks tied for 20th in wins (24), tied for 20th in games played (41), and tied for 14th in Sweet 16 Appearances (9).
? Utah is appearing in its 12th NCAA Tournament since 1990 and its 10th in the last 11 years, missing the tournament only in 2001 during its recent run.
? Utah is in the Sweet 16 for the fifth time since the beginning of the `90s (1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005).
? The Utes are 15-4 in NCAA first round games all-time and have won 10 of their last 12 NCAA first round games.
? Ray Giacoletti is the seventh coach in school history to lead the Utes to the NCAA Tournament. He is the first Ute coach to reach the NCAAs in his first season.
? Since the NCAA began seeding teams, Utah has been a No. 2 seed twice (1997, 1999), a No. 3 seed three times (1981, 1986, 1998), a No. 4 seed three times (1991, 1995, 1996), a No. 6 seed once (2005), a No. 8 seed twice (1993, 2000), a No. 9 seed once (2003), a No. 10 once (1983), a No. 11 seed once (2004), and a No. 12 seed once (2002).
Utes Remain Unbeaten In NCAA Games In Tucson
Utah competed in NCAA Tournament action in Tucson, Ariz., for the third time last weekend, going 7-0 in those games. In a first round game in 1977, the Utes defeated St. John's (72-68). Fourteen year's later in 1991, No. 4-seeded Utah beat No. 13 South Alabama (82-72) and No. 5 Michigan State (85-84 2OT) in first and second round games. In 1997, the second-seeded Utes got past No. 15 Navy (75-61) in the first round and No. 7 UNC Charlotte (77-58) in the second round.
Recapping Utah's Last NCAA Appearance
Utah won the Mountain West Conference Tournament in 2004 to earn the league's automatic NCAA Tournament berth. Seeded No. 11 in the St. Louis Regional, the Utes fell to No. 6 seeded Boston College 58-51 on March 19 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Two Mountain West Conference Teams Make NCAA Field
The Mountain West Conference sent two teams to the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, marking the fourth straight year multiple teams from the MWC were among the NCAA field. In addition to Utah earning an at-large berth, conference tournament winner New Mexico earned the league's automatic bid after winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament. New Mexico (26-6, 10-4 MWC), a No. 12 seed in the Syracuse Regional, lost to No. 5 seed Villanova (55-47) last Friday at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn.
In each of the previous two years, the Mountain West Conference placed three teams in the NCAA Tournament. The MWC has earned 14 NCAA Tournament bids in its six year history. Utah is the first team to make the Sweet 16.
Bogut Named Associated Press First Team All-American
Utah center Andrew Bogut was named a first team Associated Press All-American on Tuesday. Bogut was joined on the team by senior forwards Wayne Simien of Kansas and Hakim Warrick of Syracuse, junior guard J.J. Redick of Duke and sophomore guard Chris Paul of Wake Forrest. The Ute sophomore was also the team's leading vote-getter, receiving 60 first-team votes and 330 points, 22 more Redick, who had 53 first-team votes.
Bogut has also been named a first team All-American by both the United States Basketball Writers Association and National Association of Basketball Coaches. He is Utah's first All-American since Andre Miller in 1999.
Giacoletti, Bogut, Jackson And Markson Earn All-MWC Honors
Utah's Andrew Bogut was named the 2004-05 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, while Ute head coach Ray Giacoletti was honored as the Coach of the Year. Marc Jackson and Bryant Markson also represented Utah on the all-conference team, with Jackson earning first team honors and Markson making the third team. Justin Hawkins received honorable mention.
Bogut was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year after earning Freshman of the Year and second team all-league honors last season. The sophomore center from Melbourne, Australia, is the only player in the conference averaging a double-double. In conference games he ranked first in scoring (20.9 ppg), first in rebounds (12.5 rpg), first in field goal percentage (64.0), second in blocked shots (2.07), 13th in assists (2.50) and 15th in free throw percentage (73.3).
Jackson, a senior guard from Salt Lake City, received all-Mountain West recognition for the second time after making the second team as a sophomore in 2002-03. During the 14 league games, Jackson ranked second in assists (4.93 apg), first in assist/turnover ratio (1.77), second in free throw percentage (82.5), seventh in three-point percentage (38.9), 10th in three-pointers per game (1.50) and 13th in steals (1.14 spg).
Markson, a junior forward from Monrovia, Calif., earned all-conference honors for the first time. Markson ranked 14th in the MWC in scoring (11.4 ppg), 15th in rebounding (3.9 rpg), sixth in field goal percentage (53.9) and fifth in free throw percentage (81.3) during the league season. Hawkins, a sophomore forward from Anaheim, Calif., scored in double figures five times in conference play, averaging 8.3 points per game. He ranked 17th in the MWC in rebounding (3.9 rpg) over 14 conference games.
Boasting Of Bogut, Utah's Wooden and Naismith Awards Candidate
Sophomore forward Andrew Bogut (7-0, 245) has been named a finalist for the John R. Wooden and Naismith national player of the year awards. The University of Utah has launched an official Andrew Bogut website at www.utahutes.com/andrewbogut in an effort to promote him for All-America and postseason honors. Bogut leads the Utes in scoring (20.4 ppg), rebounds (12.2 rpg) and blocked shots (65). He is also third in assists (2.41 apg), and is shooting 62.9 percent from the field and 71.1 percent from the free throw line. He has led the Utes in scoring 26 times, rebounding 31 times and assists eight times this season.
? The postseason honors are already piling up for Bogut. ESPN.com and Basketball Times have named him their National Player of the Year. He has been named a first team All-American by the Associated Press, NABC and USBWA.
? Bogut has also been named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, USBWA District 8 Player of the Year and NABC first team All-District 13 this season.
? In the NCAA statistical rankings released on March 15, Bogut was third in rebounds per game (12.3), fourth in field goal percentage (62.8) and 15th in points per game (20.7).
? Bogut has had double-doubles in 25 of the 34 games this season and leads the nation in that category as of Monday.
? Bogut has scored in double figures in all 34 games this season, bringing his double-figure scoring streak to 36 consecutive games dating back to last season. He has the sixth-longest streak of double-figure scoring games in the nation.
Jackson Back In Action, Earns All-MWC And District Honors
Senior guard Marc Jackson (6-1, 175) has rejoined the team for his final year after electing to take off the 2003-04 season. Jackson has been named first team all-Mountain West, USBWA All-District 8 and NABC second team All-District 13. He is the Utes' best three-point shooter, hitting 46.2 percent and making 60-of-130 from beyond the arc. Jackson is second on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg), first in assists (3.71 apg) and second in free throw percentage (85.8). He is also shooting 45.8 percent from the field.
? In the NCAA statistical rankings released on March 15, Jackson was 30th in free throw percentage (85.5).
? Jackson has scored in double figures 18 times this season, including six of the last 10 games. He most recently scored 17 points (4-7 FG, 4-5 3FG, 5-6 FT) against Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
? Through two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Jackson is averaging 12.5 points per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 44.4 percent (4-for-9) from three-point range and 90.0 percent from the free throw line.
? On the Utah single-season and career charts, Jackson is on pace to set the top marks for three-point percentage. Shooting 46.2 percent this season and 44.1 percent (90-for-204) during his career, Jackson is on pace to break the top single-season mark of 46.0 percent by Alex Jensen (1999-2000) and the top career mark of 43.4 percent by Chris Fulton (1986-88).
? Jackson had a career-high with 11 assists against BYU on Feb. 26. He's had at least five assists in 15 games in his career and nine times this season.
? He had his first career double-double with a career-high tying 10 assists (just two turnovers) and 11 points in 39 minutes against Air Force on Jan. 24.
? Jackson has five 20-point games in his career, including two this season. Jackson had a career-high 23 points against UNLV on Jan. 10. He tied a personal-best mark with five three-pointers (in eight attempts) and shot 8-for-12 at the free throw line in 23 minutes. Jackson also had four rebounds and three assists.
Giacoletti With Most Wins Among Rookie Head Coaches
Utah's Ray Giacoletti has the most wins (29) and best winning percentage (.853) among head coaches with new teams this season. UTEP's Doc Sadler has the second most wins (27-8) among first-year head coaches, while Mark Fox of Nevada (25-6) is third. Thirty-eight head coaches were new at NCAA Division I-A institutions this season.
Giacoletti A Finalist For National Coach Of The Year Awards
Utah head coach Ray Giacoletti has been named a finalist for two national coach of the year awards. Giacoletti is one of 20 coaches announced as a candidate for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award presented by Coca-Cola and the Atlanta Tipoff Club. The winner will be recognized at the Naismith Awards Banquet on April 8 in Atlanta.
Giacoletti is also one of 10 coaches up for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award, named after the former Mount St. Mary's head coach and presented by CollegeInsider.com. The winner will be announced on April 1 at the Final Four in St. Louis, Mo.
Runnin' Utes In The Polls
Utah is ranked in the Top 25 for the eighth consecutive week, falling three spots to 18th in the Associated Press poll and two spots to 17th in the ESPN/USA Today polls released on March 21. The Utes are vying to finish the season ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since the 1998-99 season, when they were sixth in the AP poll and 10th in the Coaches poll.
The Utes peaked in the rankings for this season on Feb. 21, coming in at No. 12 in ESPN/USA Today and No. 13 in AP. It was the highest Utah had been ranked in the AP poll since the 2000-01 season. That year, 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, 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 Putting Together One Of Its Winningest Seasons
The Runnin' Utes' 29 wins rank tied for the third-most in school history. Utah needs one more victory to tie the single-season record of 30 wins set in 1990-91 (30-4) and 1997-98 (30-4). The Utes also won 29 games in 1996-97 (29-4).
With its win over San Diego State on March 5, Utah secured the 10th 25-win season in school history. Seven of Utah's 25-win seasons have come since 1990 with the previous one in 2002-03 (25-8).
Utah has also hit the 20-wins mark for the fourth consecutive season and the 13th time in the last 16 years. The 2004-05 Utes took the fewest games needed (23) 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 (29-5).
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 March 15, Utah ranked third in rebound margin (+10.7 rpg), seventh in scoring defense (57.2 ppg) and second in fewest personal fouls per game (14.2).
? The U. has held 21 of its last 23 opponents to 60 points or less. The only three teams to score more than 60 were New Mexico in a 60-56 loss in the MWC Tournament championship game, UNLV in a 73-67 win in the MWC semifinals and New Mexico in a 65-54 loss at The Pit on Feb. 21. During the last 23 games, teams have averaged 54.7 points per game against the Utes while shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 33.4 percent from three-point range. Utah has also held a 35.2 to 23.0 advantage on the boards.
? The Utes have outrebounded the opposition in 31 of the 34 games this season--including the last 25--and had a push in one other game (vs. Stony Brook in the season opener), going 29-3 in those contests.
? Utah has allowed just four opponents to shoot at least 50 percent from the field this season: Washington (53.4 in a loss), Utah State (65.0 in a loss), Cal Poly (54.5 in a win), and BYU on Feb. 26 (50.0 in a win).
? Utah has not allowed an opponent to score 80 points in 162 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.
The Year Of The Utes
It might be March Madness, but the madness began long before the month of March at the University of Utah.
The Ute football team got the year rolling by chalking up a 12-0 mark and its second consecutive Mountain West Conference title. Utah then became the first non-BCS school to bust the system and garnered a bid to the Fiesta Bowl where it beat Pittsburgh, 35-7. The Ute football team finished the season ranked 4th in the AP poll and 5th in the coaches' poll.
The men's basketball team picked up right where football left off, going 29-5 in bringing home another MWC title to Salt Lake City. The two programs turned in the best combined record in school history with a 41-5 (.891) tally. Quarterback Alex Smith was named the national player of the year by Sports Illustrated, while Andrew Bogut has already been named player of the year by ESPN.com and Basketball Times.
The success doesn't end there for the Crimson and White. The women's basketball and volleyball teams were MWC regular season co-champs and garnered NCAA Tournament berths. The women's soccer team won the Mountain West Tournament and went the NCAAs, men's and women's skiing finished third at the national championships, and men's and women's swimming and diving teams both won the MWC regular season championship.
Utah is one of six schools in all of NCAA Division I that had both its men's basketball and football teams claim regular season championships (Boston College, Louisville, Miami University, Toledo and Oklahoma are the others). However, Utah has the unique distinction of being the only school to win each a football, men's basketball and women's basketball regular season title this year.
Utah's Sweet 16/BCS Year A Rare Feat
The Utes are one of only six schools to win a BCS Bowl and advance to the Sweet 16 in the same athletic calendar year. In fact, Utah has the dubious distinction of being the only non-BCS school to earn such an honor. The other schools that can lay claim to this are Florida, Wisconsin, Oregon, Oklahoma and Ohio State.
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