Tuesday, December 31
Waco, TX / Foster Pavilion
12:00 PM
University of Utah
at
Baylor
Runnin' Utes Open Big 12 Era at #25 Baylor on New Year's Eve
12/28/2024 5:52 PM | Men's Basketball
The Utah men’s basketball team rings in the new year at #25/21 Baylor on News Year Eve to start the Big 12 Era.
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah men's basketball team is set to officially begin its inaugural season as members of the Big 12 Conference on Tuesday, Dec. 31, when it battles #25/21 Baylor in a New Year's Eve matinee showdown on the road.
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Rich Hollenberg and Chris Spatola will have the call in the fourth-ever meeting between the Runnin' Utes and Bears on ESPN+ inside Foster Pavilion. Utah is 3-0 all-time against Baylor but the two haven't squared off since Dec. 9, 1960, in Salt Lake City.
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STARTING ANEW
Looking ahead to Big 12 Conference Play, Utah is 3-3 all-time in its first game as members of a new conference.
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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Last season, the newest additions to the Big 12 Conference went 2-2 in their conference openers and 3-5 overall on the "opening weekend" in their first two league games.
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STARTING LEAGUE PLAY
Since joining the power conference ranks (2011-12), the Runnin' Utes are 8-5 in its conference opening game and 2-4 when those games have been on the road. Utah's last road win to start league play came on Jan. 3, 2019, when it defeated Arizona State 86-86. Since 2011-12, Utah is 1-2 when it opens conference play against a ranked opponent and 0-1 when it's been on the road. It's also 0-3 when those conference-openers have gone into overtime and 0-1 when those OT games have been on the road.
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Dec. 1, 2021 – at #20/18 USC – L, 93-73
Jan. 30, 2019 – at Arizona State – W, 86-86
Dec. 29, 2017 – at Oregon – W, 66-56
Jan. 1, 2016 – at Stanford – L, 70-68 [OT]
Jan. 2, 2013 – at Arizona State – L, 55-54 [OT]
Dec. 31, 2011 – at Colorado – L, 73-33
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AGAINST THE RANKED
Heading into the match-up against #25 Baylor, Utah is 70-163 (.300) all-time against AP ranked opponents and is just 11-65 (.145) all-time against AP ranked opponents on the road.
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Last Win vs. AP Ranked Opp: 12/9/23 vs. #14 BYU – 73-69
Last Win vs. #25 AP Ranked Opp: 5-3 (.625)
Last Win vs. AP Ranked Opp (Away): 3/21/18 at #25 St. Mary's – 67-58 (OT) [NIT QF]
Last Win vs. AP Ranked Opp (OT): 3/21/18 at #25 St. Mary's – 67-58 (OT) [NIT QF]
Last Win vs. AP Ranked Opp (Away Conference): 1/25/18 at #21 Arizona State – 80-77 (OT)
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UTAH VS. #25 AP RANKED TEAMS
LEGEND: 1 = WAC Tournament | 2 = NCAA Tournament | 3 = NIT
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AMONG THE RANKED
Through games on Dec. 27, here's how Gabe Madsen and Caleb Lohner's career numbers stack up against other active players in the NCAA.
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GABE MADSEN
Career 3FGM Per Game: 16th in DI (2.54 3FGM Per Game)
Career 3FGM: 24th in DI & 37th among DI/II/II (254 3FGM)
Career 3FGA: 28th in DI & 39th among DI/II/II (661 3FGA)
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CALEB LOHNER
Career Games Played: 59th in DI & 62nd among DI/II/III (135 GP)
Career Rebounds: 82nd in DI & 154th among DI/II/III (633 Rebounds)Â Â Â Â Â Â
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MY TURN
Utah guard Gabe Madsen has been the team's go-to scorer during non-con action, but twin brother Mason Madsen made a case for himself in Utah's final non-conference game of the year vs. Iowa when he poured in a new career-high 26 points on 6-of-11 shooting from 3-point range. He is now the fourth player this season to score 20-plus points in a game for Utah.
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UP NEXT
The Utes return home to the friendly confines of the Jon M. Huntsman Center for the first time in 2025 to host #RV/RV Texas Tech as part of its Big 12 home-opener on Saturday, Jan. 4. Tip-off is slated for 5 p.m. (MST) on ESPN+ with Pete Sousa on the call alongside former Oklahoma State guard Bryndon Manzer.
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LOOKING AHEAD
Utah hits the road once again, this time to the Midwest for a 6 p.m. (MST) match-up against Iowa State inside Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Iowa grad Shawn Kenney will have the call alongside former Hawkeyes forward Jess Settles on ESPN+ as the Runnin' Utes make their return to Ames for the first time since Dec. 30, 1936.
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For the latest news and information on the Runnin' Utes men's basketball program, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following @UtahMBB on Facebook, X and Instagram. Fans can also stay connected on their mobile devices or tablets with the Utah 360, the official app of Utah Athletics, through the Apple Store or Google Play.
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Rich Hollenberg and Chris Spatola will have the call in the fourth-ever meeting between the Runnin' Utes and Bears on ESPN+ inside Foster Pavilion. Utah is 3-0 all-time against Baylor but the two haven't squared off since Dec. 9, 1960, in Salt Lake City.
Â
STARTING ANEW
Looking ahead to Big 12 Conference Play, Utah is 3-3 all-time in its first game as members of a new conference.
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| SEASON | DATE | OPPONENT | CONF | RESULT |
| 1908-09 | 01/23/09 | at BYU | State | L, 32-9 |
| 1924-25 | 01/30/25 | Utah State | RMAC | W, 33-29 |
| 1937-38 | 01/14/38 | at Colorado | Skyline | L, 54-43 |
| 1962-63 | 01/11/63 | at Arizona | WAC | W, 52-50 (OT) |
| 1999-00 | 01/10/00 | at SDSU | MWC | W, 70-55 |
| 2011-12 | 12/31/11 | at Colorado | Pac-12 | L, 73-33 |
| 2024-25 | 12/31/24 | at Baylor | Big 12 | -- |
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Last season, the newest additions to the Big 12 Conference went 2-2 in their conference openers and 3-5 overall on the "opening weekend" in their first two league games.
Â
STARTING LEAGUE PLAY
Since joining the power conference ranks (2011-12), the Runnin' Utes are 8-5 in its conference opening game and 2-4 when those games have been on the road. Utah's last road win to start league play came on Jan. 3, 2019, when it defeated Arizona State 86-86. Since 2011-12, Utah is 1-2 when it opens conference play against a ranked opponent and 0-1 when it's been on the road. It's also 0-3 when those conference-openers have gone into overtime and 0-1 when those OT games have been on the road.
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Dec. 1, 2021 – at #20/18 USC – L, 93-73
Jan. 30, 2019 – at Arizona State – W, 86-86
Dec. 29, 2017 – at Oregon – W, 66-56
Jan. 1, 2016 – at Stanford – L, 70-68 [OT]
Jan. 2, 2013 – at Arizona State – L, 55-54 [OT]
Dec. 31, 2011 – at Colorado – L, 73-33
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AGAINST THE RANKED
Heading into the match-up against #25 Baylor, Utah is 70-163 (.300) all-time against AP ranked opponents and is just 11-65 (.145) all-time against AP ranked opponents on the road.
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Last Win vs. AP Ranked Opp: 12/9/23 vs. #14 BYU – 73-69
Last Win vs. #25 AP Ranked Opp: 5-3 (.625)
Last Win vs. AP Ranked Opp (Away): 3/21/18 at #25 St. Mary's – 67-58 (OT) [NIT QF]
Last Win vs. AP Ranked Opp (OT): 3/21/18 at #25 St. Mary's – 67-58 (OT) [NIT QF]
Last Win vs. AP Ranked Opp (Away Conference): 1/25/18 at #21 Arizona State – 80-77 (OT)
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UTAH VS. #25 AP RANKED TEAMS
| DATE | OPPONENT | H/A/N | RESULT |
| 01/12/91 | UTEP | H | W, 67-60 |
| 3/6/99 | New Mexico1 | N | W, 60-45 |
| 03/19/04 | Boston College2 | N | L, 58-51 |
| 03/08/07 | UNLV | A | L, 80-54 |
| 01/18/14 | UCLA | H | W, 74-69 |
| 01/12/17 | USC | H | W, 86-64 |
| 03/21/18 | St. Mary's3 | A | W, 67-58 (OT) |
| 01/12/20 | Colorado | A | L, 91-52 |
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AMONG THE RANKED
Through games on Dec. 27, here's how Gabe Madsen and Caleb Lohner's career numbers stack up against other active players in the NCAA.
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GABE MADSEN
Career 3FGM Per Game: 16th in DI (2.54 3FGM Per Game)
Career 3FGM: 24th in DI & 37th among DI/II/II (254 3FGM)
Career 3FGA: 28th in DI & 39th among DI/II/II (661 3FGA)
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CALEB LOHNER
Career Games Played: 59th in DI & 62nd among DI/II/III (135 GP)
Career Rebounds: 82nd in DI & 154th among DI/II/III (633 Rebounds)Â Â Â Â Â Â
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MY TURN
Utah guard Gabe Madsen has been the team's go-to scorer during non-con action, but twin brother Mason Madsen made a case for himself in Utah's final non-conference game of the year vs. Iowa when he poured in a new career-high 26 points on 6-of-11 shooting from 3-point range. He is now the fourth player this season to score 20-plus points in a game for Utah.
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UP NEXT
The Utes return home to the friendly confines of the Jon M. Huntsman Center for the first time in 2025 to host #RV/RV Texas Tech as part of its Big 12 home-opener on Saturday, Jan. 4. Tip-off is slated for 5 p.m. (MST) on ESPN+ with Pete Sousa on the call alongside former Oklahoma State guard Bryndon Manzer.
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LOOKING AHEAD
Utah hits the road once again, this time to the Midwest for a 6 p.m. (MST) match-up against Iowa State inside Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Iowa grad Shawn Kenney will have the call alongside former Hawkeyes forward Jess Settles on ESPN+ as the Runnin' Utes make their return to Ames for the first time since Dec. 30, 1936.
Â
For the latest news and information on the Runnin' Utes men's basketball program, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following @UtahMBB on Facebook, X and Instagram. Fans can also stay connected on their mobile devices or tablets with the Utah 360, the official app of Utah Athletics, through the Apple Store or Google Play.
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