Utes Insider – Donny Daniels on the 1998 Final Four
4/27/2020
In the debut episode of the “Utes Insider” podcast presented by Pepsi, Mike Lageschulte interviews Donny Daniels about Utah men’s basketball’s run to the 1998 NCAA Final Four. Daniels, who was an assistant coach under Rick Majerus from 1990-2000, shares some great stories about the players who made the 1997-98 team so special and relives the big moments of the team’s run through March Madness. He also provides insight on what made the Utah program so successful during that era. Daniels, who now serves as Utah’s director of player development, also gives an update on how the current Runnin’ Utes are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
The podcast can be heard on iTunes and Youtube. All Utah Athletics podcasts will be archived here.
The 1997-98 Utah Men's Basketball Team
Winning the most games in school history and ranking in the nation’s top 10 for the majority of the season, the 1997-98 Runnin’ Utes put together a magical run to the NCAA title game that Utah fans will never forget.
After making the NCAA Elite Eight the previous year and saying goodbye to senior Keith Van Horn, the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft, some were wondering if Utah had reached its peak under head coach Rick Majerus. But a special group of returning veterans and some talented underclassmen came together to prove the doubters wrong time and time again.
Senior center Michael Doelac led the way in scoring (16.1 ppg), rebounding (14.2 ppg) and blocked shots (33), while classmate Drew Hansen was the team’s top 3-point shooter (45.6 percent). Junior point guard Andre Miller was the team’s second-best scorer (14.2 ppg) and put up team-highs in assists (5.2 apg) and steals (73).
Sophomore Alex Jensen was the team’s defensive stopper and ranked second in rebounding (5.8 rpg); while another sophomore, Finland native Hanno Möttölä, provided the team’s third double-figure scoring punch (12.5 ppg). David Jackson, Jordie McTavish, Trace Caton, Britton Johnsen and John Carlisle all averaged double-figure minutes off the bench.
Sophomore Alex Jensen was the team’s defensive stopper and ranked second in rebounding (5.8 rpg); while another sophomore, Finland native Hanno Möttölä, provided the team’s third double-figure scoring punch (12.5 ppg). David Jackson, Jordie McTavish, Trace Caton, Britton Johnsen and John Carlisle all averaged double-figure minutes off the bench.
The Runnin’ Utes quickly hit their stride, winning the first 18 games for the best start to a season in school history. By the time Utah suffered its first defeat in early February, it had become a mainstay in the top five of the national rankings, climbing as high as No. 2 in the coaches’ poll. The Utes captured the WAC Mountain Division title with a 12-2 record.
Earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA West Region, Utah played its first- and second-round games in Boise, Idaho. The Utes easily handled San Francisco and held off Arkansas, 75-69, to advance to their third consecutive Sweet 16.
West Virginia proved to be another tough out in the regional semifinals in Anaheim, Calif. However, Doleac’s 25 points and two free throws in the final seconds sent the Utes on to face top seeded Arizona, the defending national champion.
When we get down stairs and get in the film room and coach says, 'What about a triangle-and-two?' He kind of just said that. I mean like off the cuff. He's never talked about the triangle-and-two. He's always talked about putting in the zone but he's never did that so I'm thinking...'now coach, it's 10:30 p.m. at night now. We're trying to talk about putting in a triangle-and-two against the No. 1 team in the country.' We took this chance. It was a major chance.
Not many gave the Utes much of a chance against the Wildcats. However, Majerus’ triangle-and-two defense got Arizona out of sync offensively, and Miller recorded the first triple-double in NCAA Tournament play since Magic Johnson in 1979 with his 18 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. The result was a 76-51 throttling, and the Runnin’ Utes were off to their first NCAA Final Four in 32 years.
Throngs of crimson-cladded fans descended on San Antonio and its famed River Walk for Utah’s national semifinal match-up with No. 1-ranked North Carolina. Despite being the underdogs once again, the Utes jumped out to a 35-22 halftime lead and withstood a Tar Heel second-half run to win 65-59. Miller and Doleac led the way with 16 points apiece, while Miller also had 14 rebounds for a double-double. For the first time since they won it all in 1944, the Cinderella Utes were playing for an NCAA championship.
...They had some really good players. They were Carolina! And then the second-half they make a run and they came back. Okay...here they come. And we made foul shots. Drew Hansen made some big foul shots. Andre made a big play down the stretch on a drive. We were up four and he makes a layup. You know, a difficult layup over people's hands. So obviously we stayed the course. Survived that, like ahhh!
Standing in front of Utah and the national title was a deep and talented Kentucky team. Doleac made sure the Runnin’ Utes got off to a good start with 12 first-half points, staking them to a 10-point lead at the intermission. However, the Wildcats’ depth helped them overcome the Utes in the final five minutes for a 78-69 victory.
The Utes may have walked off the Alamodome floor in disappointment, but their accomplishments that season could not be denied. Both Miller and Doleac were named third-team All-Americans. Doleac collaborated with Hansen to make Utah the first Final Four team with a pair of Academic All-Americans in its starting lineup.
Reeling off a school-record 30 wins and finishing as the NCAA runner-up, the 1997-98 Runnin’ Utes will forever be remembered as one of the greatest teams in one of college basketball’s most storied programs.
As time passes and stuff, you know, those are great memories to have. You being around it and stuff like that. Just being there with your guys and your family...