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
On Guard
1/11/2006 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2006
By Jesse Christensen
Utah Sports Information Assistant
In his final season in a Ute uniform, senior Tim Drisdom continues to lead the Runnin' Utes by displaying the same leadership attributes he began with as a freshman starter. Drisdom is one of only two returning starters this season, which is nothing new for the Artesia, Calif., native, having led the Ute backcourt since the first day he stepped foot in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
"My role on this team is to be a leader," says Drisdom. "We have a young team and that puts me in a situation to be a team leader. I really try to teach a lot of the guys all the basics to the college game and focus on winning."
Drisdom, a major contributor since his rookie season, possesses an excellent feel for the game and has a nack for finding an open teammate in the right place at the right time. Last season, Drisdom ranked sixth in the Mountain West Conference with 3.21 assists per game and first in assist/turnover ratio (1.95), while racking up four double-figure scoring games as a junior.
"Tim has been a winner and a mainstay in this program since the day he got here," says Ray Giacoletti, the 2004-05 MWC Coach of the Year. "He brings great leadership to our team and gives us direction, something that very few players do. The bottom line is that he finds a way to get things done and he wins."
The 6-3, 215-pound point guard has started 102 games during his Utah career. In 2004-05, Drisdom averaged 4.7 points, 3.2 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game, while leading the Utes in assists in 13 games. He also shot 39.1 percent from behind the arc and a blazing 81.5 percent from the free throw line.
"I feel that I'm the sole point guard and I love having the ball in my hands," says Drisdom. "I feel I can somewhat control the game and give direction as a leader."
With the loss of three starting players from last year's roster, not to mention the best player in the country and No. 1 NBA draft pick Andrew Bogut, Utah didn't have much hype coming into this season but that didn't deter the outspoken senior.
"We were a little insulted to be ranked second this season, but we have something to prove knowing we lost a lot of guys from last year," remarks Drisdom. "It's going to take us a while to get rolling, but I think we are going to be a threat in the conference this season.
"My focus this year is to stay consistent and make plays to help the team win," adds Drisdom. "I try not to set personal goals, because I'm satisfied in our team winning. We would love to repeat as conference champions and earn a spot in the NCAAs come March."
On the court, it's not surprising to see Drisdom advising the newcomers and dictating the Utes' plan of attack as an extension of coach Giacoletti. This has been something he has mastered prior to his arrival to Utah. As a two-time California Player of the Year in his division, Drisdom also was a three-time first team all-state member as a product of Calvary Chapel High School.
"Over the course of my basketball career, I've always been put in a leadership role even at a young age," says Drisdom. "These leadership roles are the reason why I'm where I am today."
Although there are no stats on leadership, the Utes know they can continue to count on Drisdom's devotion to excellence as he finishes his senior season at the point to hopefully guide the Utes to back-to-back MWC titles.
Players Mentioned
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
G
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