Utah Men's Basketball Notes - Game #16 - University of Utah Athletics

Jan. 17, 2006

Game #16

Utah Runnin' Utes (8-7, 1-3) vs. Air Force Falcons (15-2, 3-1)
Jan. 19 ? 7:05 p.m. (MST)
Clune Arena (5,939) ? Colorado Springs, Colo.

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Game Data

Television: ESPN2. Dave Revsine (play-by-play) and Doug Gottlieb (analyst)
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      Air Force Head Coach: Jeff BzdelikAlma Mater: Minot State, 1985        Alma Mater: Illinois-Chicago, 1976Record at Utah: 37-12 (2nd Season)   Record at Air Force: 15-2 (1st Season)Overall Record: 154-95 (9th Season)  Overall Record: 40-33 (3rd Season)
Series Record: Utah leads 42-9Utah's Record Home/Away/Neutral: 24-2/16-7/2-0Current Streak: Utah has won 2 in a row.Last Meeting: Utah won 65-56 on Feb. 19, 2005 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Utah Probable StartersNo. Pos. Name            Ht.  Wt.  Cl.  Statistics20  F    Bryant Markson  6-7  198  Sr.  14.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg21  F    Shaun Green     6-8  208  Fr.  7.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg30  C    Chris Jackson   6-11 245  Sr.  8.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg1   G    Johnnie Bryant  6-0  190  So.  12.1 ppg, 2.3 apg3   G    Chris Grant     6-3  200  So.  2.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg
Air Force Probable StartersNo. Pos. Name            Ht.  Wt.  Cl.  Statistics21  F    Jacob Burtschi  6-6  225  Jr.  12.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg34  F    Dan Nwaelele    6-5  210  Jr.  13.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg54  C    John Frye       6-10 210  Jr.  5.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg5   G    Matt McCraw     6-2  185  Jr.  11.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg15  G    Antoine Hood    6-4  205  So.  14.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg

After This
The Runnin' Utes return home to host UNLV on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 7:07 p.m. (MST) in the Jon. M. Huntsman Center. Utah has a week off before hosting TCU on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 1:05 p.m. (MST). The game will be televised by ESPN Regional as the Mountain West "Game of the Week."

Quickly On Utah
The Runnin' Utes (8-7, 1-3 MWC) play their second consecutive Mountain West Conference road game against the Air Force Academy (15-2, 3-1 MWC) Thursday at 7:05 p.m. (MST) at Clune Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2 and broadcast on Hot Ticket 700 (KALL-AM) and the Utah Sports Network.

Utah has gone 4-5 over its last nine games and is 1-5 away from home this season. The Utes are coming off three consecutive losses to BYU (72-60) in Provo, Utah., on Jan. 7, San Diego State (72-67) at home on Jan. 11 and Colorado State (84-78) in Fort Collins, Colo., last Saturday.

Senior forward Bryant Markson (6-7, 198), a preseason all-Mountain West Conference pick, leads the Utes in scoring (14.5 ppg), assists (3.1 apg) and steals (23), and is second in rebounds (5.6 rpg). Markson is shooting 78.1 percent at the free throw line. Sophomore guard Johnnie Bryant (6-0, 190), a junior college transfer in his first season with the Utes, is second on the team in scoring (12.1 ppg) and assists (2.3 apg), and is averaging 2.9 rebounds per game. Bryant is also shooting 42.9 percent (30-of-70) from three-point range and 88.5 percent from the free throw line. Freshman center Luke Nevill (7-1, 250) is third on the team in scoring (9.1 ppg) and leads the way in rebounding (5.9 rpg). Senior center Chris Jackson (6-11, 245) is fourth in scoring (8.0 ppg) while shooting a team-best 76.1 percent from the field, and ranks third in rebounding (4.2 rpg).

Take Note
? Utah is playing one redshirt freshman and four other newcomers. Through 15 games, 54.5 percent of the Utes' points, 44.8 percent of their rebounds, 52.4 percent of their assists, and 54.9 percent of their minutes played have come from the first-year players.

? The Utes are 8-0 when holding their opponents to 68 points or less this season and 0-7 when allowing 69 points or more.

? The Utes have improved their turnover numbers in Mountain West play, averaging 13.0 in four league games compared to 17.1 in nonconference games. Utah also has a 1.1 assist/turnover ratio (57 assists/52 turnovers) in conference play. Overall this season, the Utes have a -3.1 turnover margin, averaging 16.0 turnovers per game compared to 12.9 for their opponents. Utah also has a 0.9 assist/turnover ratio (210 assists/240 turnovers).

? Utah is 7-3 in its last 10 MWC road games, but has dropped three straight.

? The last time Utah lost three consecutive games was the 2000-01 season. The Utes fell at Wyoming on Jan. 20, at Colorado State on Jan. 22 at BYU on Jan. 29

From The Training Room
? Senior guard Tim Drisdom suffered a bone bruise in his left knee on Jan. 2. Drisdom did not dress for the following three games. He dressed but did not play against Colorado State last Saturday. Drisdom returned to practice on Monday.

Scouting The Falcons
Air Force is 15-2 overall and tied for first place in the Mountain West Conference with a 3-1 record. The Falcons are 10-0 at home this season and riding a 12-game home court winning steak, which ranks tied for the 13th-longest in the nation. Air Force opened conference play with home wins over BYU (75-59) on Jan. 5 and San Diego State (65-62) on Jan. 7 before losing at Wyoming (55-50) on Jan. 1. The loss to the Cowboys snapped a 12-game winning streak. The Academy bounced back with a 75-49 home win over TCU last Saturday.

Senior guard Antoine Hood (6-4, 205), a second team all-MWC selection last season, ranks sixth in the MWC in scoring (14.9 ppg), 13th in field goal percentage (52.5), eighth in free throw percentage (76.3) and sixth in steals (1.71 spg). Junior guard/forward Dan Nwaelele (6-5, 210) is tied for 10th in the MWC in scoring (13.2 ppg), 12th in field goal percentage (52.9) and first in three-point percentage (52.0). Junior forward Jacob Burtschi (6-6, 225) is 16th in the conference in scoring (12.0 ppg), seventh in rebounds (6.5 rpg), tied for ninth in assists (2.88 apg) and first in steals (2.29 spg). Junior guard Matt McCraw (6-2, 185) is 17th in the Mountain West in scoring (11.9 ppg), second in three-point percentage (44.3) and fifth in steals (1.81 spg).

Air Force ranks second in the nation in scoring defense (53.2 ppg), fourth in three-point percentage (42.9), eighth in free throw percentage (76.8), and 18th in field goal percentage (49.0). Air Force ranks sixth in the MWC in scoring offense (67.6 ppg), first in scoring defense (53.2 ppg), ninth in rebound margin (-4.9 rpg), first in free throw percentage (76.8), first in three-point percentage (42.9), first in steals (8.18 spg) and first in assist/turnover ratio (1.40).

Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik
Jeff Bzdelik is in his first season at Air Force. Bzdelik brought 28 years of coaching experience with him, including three as an NBA head coach and 12 as an NBA assistant.

Before taking over over at Air Force, Bzdelik was the head coach of the Denver Nuggets for two and a half seasons, beginning with the 2002-03 season. In 2003-04, he led the Nuggets to the playoffs for the first time since 1994-95 while posting a 43-39 record. From 1995-01, Bzdelik was an assistant coach with the Miami Heat. He also served as an assistant coach with the Washington Bullets from 1988-94.

The Illinois native began his coaching career in 1978 at Davidson (N.C.) College. In 1980, he was named as an assistant coach at Northwestern University where he spent six seasons. He then took the head coaching position at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County for two years. Bzdelik is a 1976 graduate of the University of Illinois-Chicago, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education.

Utah vs. Air Force Series Notes
? Utah and Air Force meet for the 52nd time on Thursday night. 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 42-9. Utah has won seven of the last nine and 17 of the last 20 games against the Falcons.

? In Colorado Springs, Colo., the Utes are 16-7 and have won seven of the last nine 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 both meetings last season, winning 63-51 on Jan. 24 in Salt Lake City to snap a two-game losing streak in the series. The Utes then won 65-56 on Feb. 19 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

? Utah has a 37-9 record against Air Force in conference regular season games. Since the start of the Mountain West Conference in 1999-2000, the Utes have a 9-3 advantage in regular season games and 11-3 when including MWC Tournament games.

? Ray Giacoletti is 2-0 all-time against Air Force with both of those games coming during his first season at Utah.

? Jeff Bzdelik has never faced Utah.

Markson Makes His Mark
Senior forward Bryant Markson (6-7, 198) was a pre-season all-Mountain West Conference pick. Markson leads the Utes in scoring (14.5 ppg), assists (3.1 apg) and steals (23), and is second in rebounds (5.6 rpg). Markson is shooting 78.1 percent at the free throw line. Markson has reached double figures in scoring in 18 of the last 22 games dating back to last season, including 13 games this year.

? Markson had his 38th career double-figure scoring game with 19 points (6-12 FG, 0-2 3FG, 7-7 FT), six rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes against Colorado State last Saturday afternoon.

? He had a career-high 24 points against New Mexico on Jan. 4. He shot 10-for-13 from the field, 3-for-4 from three-point range and made his only free throw attempt. Markson also had eight rebounds in 37 minutes. It was Markson's second career 20-point game after scoring 20 against Colorado State on Jan. 17, 2005.

? Markson had a career-high seven assists against High Point on Dec. 28.

? He had a solid performance against No. 24 Arizona on Dec. 17 with 19 points (8-13 FG, 1-2 3FG, 2-3 FT) in 36 minutes. He also had eight rebounds, three steals and two assists.

? Markson had a career-high nine rebounds against Southern Utah on Dec. 10.

? The Monrovia, Calif., native 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. He scored in double figures 23 times last season.

Take Note of These Utes
? Freshman guard Lawrence Borha (6-3, 205) has started five games this season and is averaging 17.7 minutes per game. Against High Point on Dec. 28, Borha had a season-high 12 points (2-6 FG, 2-3 3FG, 6-8 FT), three rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.

? Junior guard Ricky Johns (6-3, 190), a junior college transfer in his first season with the Utes, is averaging 6.0 points per game in Mountain West Conference play. The Bronx, N.Y., native posted eight points (3-6 FG, 1-4 3FG, 1-1 FT) in 15 minutes versus New Mexico in the MWC opener on Jan. 4. He had nine points (3-6 FG, 2-5 3FG, 1-2 FT) in 22 minutes against San Diego State on Jan. 11. Johns had a season-high 16 points (7-9, 1-1 3FG, 1-2 FT) in 18 minutes off the bench against High Point in Utah's final nonconference game on Dec. 28. He also had three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

? Sophomore guard Chris Grant (6-3, 200) has started the last five games. He is averaging 3.8 assists per game in conference play to lead the Utes. Grant tied his career high with five assists (no turnovers) and had three points against San Diego State on Jan. 11. Against Colorado State last Saturday, Grant had a career-high seven points (3-6 FG, 1-3 3FG) in 35 minutes. He also had five rebounds and three assists. Joining the team as a walk-on last season, Grant has six starts in his two-year career.

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Utah Men's Basketball Notes - Game #16

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Lawrence Borha

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Chris Grant

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Utah Men's Basketball Notes - Game #16

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