Game # Schedule Record Overall Mountain West Conference Home Away Neutral

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1 UTAH BASKETBALL Jon M. Huntsman Center 1825 E. South Campus Dr., Front Salt Lake City, Utah Fax: (801) Liz Abel, Assistant A.D. for Sports Information (801) Mike Lageschulte, Associate Sports Information Director (801) Julie Lapomarda, Assistant Sports Information Director (801) January 17, Schedule November 17 IDAHOSTATE W, Puerto Rico Shootoutat San Juan, Puerto Rico 23 vs. American-Puerto Rico...W, vs. Georgia L, vs. Memphis W, CARDINAL STRITCH......W, December 2 USC (Wooden Classic).....L, KJZZ-TV 6 at Utah State L, KSL-TV 9 WEBERSTATE L, KJZZ-TV 16 WASHINGTONSTATE.....W, KJZZ-TV 19 at Pepperdine W, KJZZ-TV 22 SOUTHERNUTAH L, CONCORDIA (CALIF.).....W, at Texas L, KJZZ-TV January 3 LONGBEACHSTATE.....W, * WYOMING W, ESPN 13 * UNLV W, ABC 15 * SANDIEGOSTATE......W, KJZZ-TV 20 * at Wyoming :00 p.m. ESPN+ 22 * at Colorado State :00 p.m. KJZZ-TV 29 * at Brigham Young :00 p.m. ESPN February 3 * AIRFORCE :00 p.m. KJZZ-TV 5 * NEWMEXICO :00 p.m. KJZZ-TV 10 * at San Diego State :00 p.m. KJZZ-TV 12 * at UNLV :00 p.m. ESPN2 17 LOUISVILLE :00 a.m. ABC 19 * COLORADOSTATE....10:00 p.m. ESPN 24 * BRIGHAMYOUNG :00 p.m. ESPN+ March 1 * at Air Force :00 p.m. KJZZ-TV 3 * at New Mexico :00 p.m. ESPN+ Mountain West Tournament at Las Vegas, Nev. 8 Quarterfinals 9 Semifinals 10 Championship :00 p.m. ESPN All times Mountain Standard Time HOME GAMES IN ALL CAPS * Indicates Mountain West Conference game Record Overall Mountain West Conference Home Away Neutral Game #18 Utah Utes (11-6, 3-0 MWC) vs. Wyoming Cowboys (10-4, 1-1 MWC) Jan. 20 1:07 p.m. (MST) Arena-Auditorium (15,028) Laramie, Wyo. The Game at a Glance Utah Acting Head Coach: Dick Hunsaker Wyoming Head Coach: Steve McClain Alma Mater: Weber State 77 Alma Mater: Chadron State 84 Season at Utah:3rd Record at Wyoming:47-26/3rd Season Record as Acting Coach:10-6 Overall Record: 47-26/3rd Season Television: ESPN Regional (KJZZ-TV 14 in Salt Lake City). Ted Robinson (play-by-play) and Irv Brown (analyst) Radio: Utah Sports Network (KALL-910 AM in Salt Lake City and affiliate stations). On the Internet at Bill Marcroft (play-by-play), Mark Rydalch (analyst) and Brad Stone (host). Series Record: Utah leads Utah s Record Home/Away/Neutral: 52-21/28-43/2-2 Last Meeting: Utah defeated Wyoming, 83-71, on Jan. 8, 2000 in Salt LakeCity Utah Probable Starters No. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown Ppg Rpg Apg 31 F Britton Johnsen So. Murray, Utah F Phil Cullen Jr. Chelan, Wash C Nate Althoff Sr. Delano, Minn G Kevin Bradley Jr. Los Angeles, Calif G Nick Jacobson Fr. Fargo, N.D Utah Off the Bench No. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown Ppg Rpg Apg 5 G Marc Jackson Fr. Salt Lake City G Travis Spivey Jr. Myrtle Beach, S.C C Cameron Koford Jr. Plain City, Utah G/F Trace Caton So. Alamosa, Colo C/F Jon Godfread Fr. Grand Forks, N.D G/F Jeff Johnsen Jr. Murray, Utah C/F Lance Allred Fr. Salt Lake City F Mike Puzey So. Roy, Utah Wyoming Probable Starters No. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown Ppg Rpg Apg 20 F David Rottinghaus Fr. Charles City, Iowa F Josh Davis Jr. Salem, Ore C Uche Nsonwu-Amadi So. Enugu, Nigeria G Chris McMillian Jr. Brea, Calif G Marcus Bailey So. Cheyenne, Wyo After This The Utes conclude the road trip by taking on Colorado State on Monday at 7:07 p.m. (MST) in Fort Collins, Colo. Utah then has a week off before facing Brigham Young in Provo, Utah, on Jan. 29 at 10:05 p.m.

2 Utah Quick Facts Location:Salt Lake City, Utah Founded:1850 Enrollment:25,803 President:Dr. J. Bernard Machen Faculty Representative:Dr. Larry Gerlach Athletics Director: Dr. Chris Hill Nickname: Utes/Runnin Utes Mascot: Swoop (Red-Tailed Hawk) Colors: Crimson and White National Affiliation:NCAA Division I Conference:Mountain West Arena:Jon M. Huntsman Center (15,000) Basketball Staff Head Coach:Rick Majerus (Marquette 70) Acting Head Coach: Dick Hunsaker (Weber State 77) Assistant Coaches (Alma Mater): Jeff Strohm (Eastern Illinois 88) Jason Shelton (Lipscomb 91) Director of Basketball Operations: Mike Schneider (U.S. Military Academy 70) Administrative Assistants: Eric Jackson (Wisconsin-Green Bay 99) Scott Garson (UC Santa Barbara 99) Head Secretary:Mindy Dunyon Basketball Office Phone:(801) Best Time to Reach Hunsaker:Late Mornings Utah Tradition Utah has a 1, all-time record in its 93rd season. The U. entered the year ranking ninth in the NCAA in all-time winning percentage with a.658 mark. Utah also ranked 13th in the NCAA in all-time wins, and was one of just 16 schools that have 1,400 victories. The Utes have won three national championships, winning the 1916 AAU championship, 1944 NCAA championship and 1947 NIT title. Utah is one of only 33 schools to win the NCAADivision I men s basketball title. Utah has made four trips to the NCAA Final Four: 1944 (champions), 1961 (4th), 1966 (4th) and 1998 (runner-up). Only 12 teams have more Final Four appearances than Utah. Only 11 schools have been in more championship games than the Utes. All-time, only 13 schools have appeared in the NCAATournament more times than Utah. The Utes have played in the NCAAs 22 times and have a record (.561). During the decade of the 90s, the Utes won the eighth-most games in NCAA Division I with a record. Utah s.767 winning percentage in the last 10 years also ranked as the eighth-best in the nation. The past five seasons, Utah had the fourth-highest winning percentage in NCAA Division I (.825) with a record. Over that period of time, the Utes trailed only the College of Charleston (.855), Kentucky (.846) and Kansas (.831). A Quick Look At Utah The Utes are 11-6 overall and 3-0 in Mountain West Conference play, riding a season-best four-game winning streak and taking seven of their last nine games. Utah has opened Mountain West Conference play with three wins at home, defeating Wyoming (83-71) on Jan. 8, UNLV (79-70) last Saturday and San Diego State (58-39) on Monday. Utah has four players averaging eight points per game or better, with one in double figures. Junior guard Kevin Bradley, coming off the bench the past five games, leads the team in scoring (10.4 ppg), shooting 38.8 percent from three-point range. He is also second on the team in assists (2.4 apg). Junior forward Phil Cullen is second in scoring (9.9 ppg), shooting 41.3 percent from three-point range, and second in rebounding (4.9 rpg). Senior center Nate Althoff is third in scoring (8.9 ppg). Junior guard/forward Jeff Johnsen is fourth in scoring (8.5 ppg), shooting 36.8 percent from behind the arc and 80.5 percent from the line. Junior forward/center Chris Burgess, who is out until at least late February after spraining his left ankle against San Diego State, leads the team in rebounding (5.5 rpg) and blocked shots (16). Junior Travis Spivey, who has started the last five games at point guard, is averaging a team-best 2.7 assists per game. Utah returned just one starter and three other letterwinners from last season, as well as two return missionaries who played on the 1998 Final Four team. Utah went 23-9 overall, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and tied for the inaugural Mountain West Conference championship with a 10-4 record in Majerus Takes Medical Leave for Rest of the Season Rick Majerus announced on Jan. 9 he was leaving the team for the rest of the season to be with his cancer-stricken mother and recover from his own health problems. Majerus underwent a coronary angiography and stenting of two coronary artery branches on Jan. 2. He had a follow-up procedure performed on Jan. 3. Doctors reported that both procedures went very well. Prior to that, Majerus had been away from the team for seven weeks while undergoing rehabilitation from late-september arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. He had anticipated to rejoin the team on Jan. 1 before admitting himself to the hospital with chest pains. Majerus is planning to return to coaching for the season. Hunsaker Directing the Utes Dick Hunsaker, in his third year at Utah, is serving as the acting head coach in the absence of Rick Majerus. His record as Utah s acting head coach is 10-6, directing the team since the second game of the season. Hunsaker was the associate head coach under Majerus at Ball State from Hunsaker followed Majerus as the head coach at Ball State from He compiled a record with the Cardinals, giving him the seventh-best four-year coaching record in NCAA history. During his stay in Muncie, Ind., Ball State made two trips to the NIT and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. He led the Cardinals to the NCAA Sweet 16 in Hunsaker posted four 20-win seasons at BSU. His teams also captured two Mid-American Conference championships and placed second twice. Hunsaker has a (.708) record as a college head coach (not counting the games this season.) Hunsaker came to Utah from Manchester College in North Manchester, Ind., where he had been the head coach since During his three years at Manchester, he posted a record and led the Spartans to three of the 10 winningest seasons in the college s 85-year history. He played college basketball one season for Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins at UTEP ( ) and finished his career at Weber State ( ). From the Training Room: Burgess Out Six to Eight Weeks Chris Burgess, a 6-10 junior forward/center, sustained a non-displaced avulsion fracture of his left ankle in the first half of the Utes game against San Diego State on Monday night. The injury was detected in x-rays performed by team doctors on Tuesday morning. Burgess is expected to be out six to eight weeks, which would have him returning the last week of February at the earliest. An avulsion fracture occurs when the ligaments pull on their insertion into the bone, so that the bone is actually being pulled away from bone, said team trainer Trevor Jameson. In Chris case, the bone was not displaced from the bone, so surgery will not be necessary. Before suffering the injury, Burgess had started the last 12 games. The Irvine, Calif., native was sixth on the team in scoring at 7.0 points per game, reaching double figures seven times. He also led the Utes with 5.5 rebounds per game and 16 blocked shots. Burgess averaged 20.6 minutes per game and appeared in all 17 contests this season. He played just six minutes against San Diego State before stepping on the foot of an opposing player while jumping out to challenge a shot on the perimeter with 7:41 to play in the first half. Burgess is in his first season of playing with the Utes. He sat out last year after transferring from Duke, where he played for two seasons. Sophomore forward Mike Puzey is suffering from two injuries. He has plantar (sole) fasciitis in his right foot and broke his nose in practice on Dec. 28. Puzey has been wearing a plastic protective mask in recent weeks to prevent further injury to his nose. 22 Utah Basketball Notes January 17, 2001

3 Utah vs. Wyoming Notes Scouting the Cowboys Wyoming is 10-4 overall and in fourth place in the Mountain West Conference with a 1-1 record. The Cowboys split their first two games in league play both on the road losing the Utes (83-71) and Jan. 8 and defeating Colorado State (70-69 in overtime) last Saturday. Wyoming has not played at home, where it is 5-0 this season, since Dec. 30 when it defeated Wichita State (72-65). Three players are averaging double figures in points for the Cowboys. Sophomore 6-5 guard Marcus Bailey is third in the conference in scoring (17.2 ppg) and is shooting 31.8 percent (14-for-44) from three-point range. Junior 6-8 forward Josh Davis is just shy of averaging a double-double, ranking ninth in the league in scoring (13.1 ppg) and 24th in the nation in rebounds (9.9 rpg). Sophomore 6-10 center Uche Nsonwu-Amadi is 18th in the MWC in scoring (10.4 ppg) and third Comparing the Stats Utah Wyoming Scoring Scoring Defense FG% FG %Defense Pt. FG% Pt. FG% Defense FT% Rebound Margin Assists Turnover Margin Steals Margin in rebounding (8.2 rpg). Junior 5-10 guard Chris McMillian is third in the conference in assists (4.4 apg). Wyoming ranks third in the MWC in scoring (74.1 ppg), seventh in scoring defense (67.4 ppg) and third in rebound margin (+6.1) with a 43.7 to 37.6 advantage per game on the boards this season. Head Coach Steve McClain Steve McClain is in his third season at Wyoming. The Cowboys did not qualify for postseason play last year after making it to the second round of the NIT in Before taking the post at UW, he was an assistant coach at TCU under Billy Tubbs from He helped lead the Horned Frogs to the 1998 NCAATournament and a No. 15 final A.P. ranking. Series Notes Utah leads the overall series with Wyoming 82-66, but has just a record in games played in Laramie, Wyo. The Utes have not won at the Arena-Auditorium since getting decision on Jan. 28, 1993, losing their last five games on the Pokes homecourt. Last season in Laramie, Wyoming posted a resounding win over the Utes on Feb. 28. Utah and Wyoming did not meet during the and seasons when the old rivals were placed in separate divisions of the 16-team WAC. The Utes have won 12 of the last 18 meetings, but Wyoming has taken five of the last 10 contests. Last Meeting Phil Cullen scored 17 points and freshman Nick Jacobson had 14 as Utah beat Wyoming, 83-71, on Jan. 8 in the Mountain West opener for both schools. Chris Burgess added 11 points and Britton Johnsen had 10 as the Utes outlasted the Cowboys in a showdown of teams expected to contend in the Mountain West. Josh Davis led the Cowboys with 18 points while Marcus Bailey had 11, but Utah held Wyoming s imposing Nigerian frontcourt in check. Uche Nsonwu-Amadi scored eight points and his cousin, Ugo Udezue, went scoreless. The Utes held a lead after an emotional and physical first half but did a better job of setting the tempo in the second half. Utah went ahead with 10:40 on the clock after two free throws by Marc Jackson. It was after Nick Jacobsen was fouled while attempting a three-pointer and made three free throws with 7:53 to play. The Cowboys refused to quit, pulling within after consecutive baskets by Marcus Bailey, the second with 4:24 to play. But Utah put it away by scoring the next six points. Cullen scored inside and Burgess brought fans to their feet by slamming home an alley-oop from Travis Spivey. When Burgess scored on a three-foot flip on the next Utah possession, the Utes led with 3:05 to play. Sports Information Associate SID (MBB): Mike Lageschulte Office: (801) Fax: (801) Home: (801) Cell: (801) mlageschulte@huntsman.utah.edu Fax-On-Demand: Info Connection: (770) Conference Code: 692 Complete Utah Directory: 2200 Entire Basketball Release: 2205 Statistics and Superlatives: 2206 Recent Game Statistics: 2207 Roster: 2208 Schedule: 2208 Internet: Press Row: (801) Media Guidelines Practice Schedule Utah s regular practice time is from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Practice is closed to the public and the media. Weekly Interviews Requests for interviews with acting head coach Dick Hunsaker and Utah players during the week should be made through Associate Sports Information Director Mike Lageschulte or the basketball office. Majerus prefers to do interviews after practice. Postgame Interviews The Utah lockerroom is closed to the media. During games at the Huntsman Center, a member of the Utah sports information staff will collect player interview requests during the final media timeout of the second half. Following a 10-minute cooling-off period, acting head coach Dick Hunsaker will address the media in the squad room, immediately inside the north tunnel and to the right. Ute players will be made available in a curtained area just off the northwest corner of the court. On the road, interviews will be conducted outside of the Utah lockerroom unless an interview area is provided. Utah Sports Radio Network Blanding KUTA 790 AM Delta KNAK 540 AM Las Vegas KRLV 1340 AM Price KOAL 1080 AM Richfield KSVC 980 AM Salt Lake City KALL 910 AM St. George/Cedar City KSGI 1450 AM Vernal KVEL 920 AM BOLD: Flagship Station KALL-910 AM in Salt Lake City also carries the Utah Coach s Show on Tuesdays from 6:00-7:00 p.m. January 17, 2001 Utah Basketball Notes 22 3

4 Utes in the Mountain West Conference/NCAA Stats Team (As of Jan. 16) MWC NCAA Scoring Offense th Scoring Defense st 14th Scoring Margin st Field GoalPct rd FG Pct. Defense th 3 Pt. Percentage th 3 Pt. FG Made rd 3 Pt. FG Pct. Defense th Free Throw Pct nd Rebounding Offense th Offensive rd Defensive th Rebounding Defense st Rebound Margin st 13th Assists th Turnover Margin rd Assists/TO Ratio th Steals rd Blocked Shots th Individuals (As of Jan. 16) MWC NCAA Scoring Kevin Bradley th Phil Cullen nd Nate Althoff th Jeff Johnsen th Rebounding Chris Burgess 5.5 9th Phil Cullen th Britton Johnsen th Offensive Rebounds Britton Johnsen th Defensive Rebounds Chris Burgess th Phil Cullen th Field Goal Percentage Chris Burgess th Assists Travis Spivey 2.65 T-12th Free Throw Percentage Nick Jacobson th Nate Althoff th Britton Johnsen th Steals Phil Cullen th Jeff Johnsen th 3 Pt. FG Percentage Phil Cullen th Kevin Bradley th 3 Pt. FG/Game Phil Cullen th Kevin Bradley th Blocked Shots Chris Burgess 0.94 T-7th Phil Cullen 0.47 T-15th Britton Johnsen 0.47 T-15th Utah vs. Colorado State Preview Scouting the Rams Colorado State 9-5 overall and in sixth place in the Mountain West Conference with a 0-1 record. After getting wins at home over Alabama-Huntsville (80-47) on Jan. 2 and Texas-Pan American (71-62) on Jan. 4, the Rams dropped their MWC opener to Wyoming (70-69 in overtime) at Moby Arena last Saturday. They are 5-2 at home this season. Three Rams are averaging double figures in scoring. Senior 6-3 guard John Sivesind ranks 12th in the conference in scoring (12.4 ppg) and eighth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.515). He is also a 90.3 percent free throw shooter. Senior 6-10 forward David Fisher is 13th in the MWC in scoring (12.3 ppg), while senior 6-3 guard Ron Grady is 15th (10.8 ppg). Sophomore 6-8 forward Brain Green is seventh in the league in rebounding (6.3 rpg). Sophomore 6-4 guard Andy Birley is tied for sixth in the conference in assists (3.3 apg). Colorado State ranks fourth in the nation in three-point percentage (.437). The Rams rank second in the MWC in scoring (74.3 ppg), fifth in scoring defense (63.8 ppg) and third in rebound margin (+6.0) with a 35.9 to 29.9 advantage per game. Head Coach Dale Layer Dale Layer is in his first season as head coach at Colorado State after serving as an assistant the past two seasons under Ritchie McKay. Before moving to Fort Collins, Colo., Layer was the head coach at Queens College in Charlotte, N.C., for nine seasons. He built the Division II program from the ground up and went (.659), twice earning NCAA Regional Coach of the Year honors. Layer took Queens College to the national tournament twice and produced eight consecutive winning seasons. Series Notes The Utes lead the overall series record with the Rams and have a edge in games played in Fort Collins, Colo. In their most recent meeting, Utah fell to CSU, 60-49, on Feb. 26 of last season in Fort Collins to end a 10-game winning streak. The Utes took the first game against the Rams last season, 76-70, on Jan. 24 in Salt Lake City. Colorado State s last two wins over Utah have come in Moby Arena, with its most recent win prior to last year coming by a score on Feb. 3, Team Notes Game #17 Rewind Nick Jacobson scored 13 points as Utah defeated San Diego State, 58-39, Monday to stay unbeaten in conference play. Utah (11-6 overall, 3-0 Mountain West Conference) won its fourth game in a row as its suffocating man-to-man defense held the Aztecs to 32 percent shooting and their lowest offensive output of the season. Randy Holcomb led San Diego State (10-6, 0-3) with 12 points and 10 rebounds but didn't score in the last 16 minutes. Utah, which also got 10 points from Trace Caton off the bench, has won 12 consecutive games in the series and kept San Diego State winless in Salt Lake City since San Diego State closed within on David Abramowitz s three free throws, but Jeff Johnsen had two buckets in an 11-2 spurt that made it for the Utes with 7:45 to play. Utah held the Aztecs scoreless for over five minutes during the span. The Aztecs were averaging 74.9 points a game before going cold on their tour of Utah. San Diego State managed just 50 points against BYU on Saturday (79-50). The Utes shot only 7-of-29 from beyond the arc but got enough easy baskets on fast breaks and inside the lane against the undersized Aztecs to keep themselves in the MWC s top spot. The Utes outrebounded SDSU 21-9 in the second half. The Aztecs took a lead in the first half as Utah started the game shooting 1-of-11 from 3-point territory. But Jacobson finally found his range with a pair of three-pointers that powered an 18-1 run that gave Utah a lead with 1:59 until halftime. Utah, which has been plagued with turnovers this season and averages 15.9 a game, committed just one turnover in the first half and outscored the Aztecs 15-0 in points off turnovers in the period. Close Calls Lead to Slow Start A few bounces of the ball here or there, and Utah could have had a record far better than its 8-6 mark entering Mountain West Conference play. Utah s six losses during the nonconference season came by a combined 31 points for an average of 5.2 points per game. Utah suffered a one-point loss (58-57) at Utah State on Dec. 6, a two-point loss at home (79-77) to Weber State on Dec. 9. The Utes had two five-point setbacks to Georgia (Nov. 24) and USC (Dec. 2) by identical scores on neutral courts. Utah s worst loss of the season was by an 11-point margin ( Utah Basketball Notes January 17, 2001

5 59) at 25th-ranked Texas on Dec. 30. In four of the six losses, Utah had significant leads in the second half. The Utes led Georgia with 12:13 to play, had a lead over Utah State with 10:27 to go, a cushion over Southern Utah with 10:46 remaining and a advantage over Texas with 6:18 left. Utah s six losses in nonconference play is the most that it has had in the past 12 years. The last time the Utes went into league play with more than five losses was in , the last season of Lynn Archibald s tenure, when Utah went 9-6 through its pre-conference schedule. During the Majerus era, Utah has had a high mark of four losses before the start of conference play just twice, going 7-4 in (Majerus first season) and 10-4 in What s The Difference Now? The Utes have rebounded from a 4-4 start to win seven of their last nine games. Ridding a four-game winning streak into Saturday s game at Wyoming, Utah has won those games by an average of 13.3 points, defeating Long Beach State (80-67) on Jan. 3, Wyoming (83-71) on Jan. 8, UNLV (79-70) on Jan 13 and San Diego State (58-39) on Monday. Utah s recent fortunes can be attributed to three things: a sizeable advantage in free throw shooting, improved guard play and the ability to close out games. In the last four games, the Utes have done a much better job of keeping their opponents off the line, while converting on their own opportunities. In the first 13 games of the season, Utah s opponents were averaging 24.0 free throw attempts, compared to just 13.5 attempts in the last four games. Meanwhile, Utah has averaged 15.8 free throws made per game over the last four contests, shooting 76.8 percent. The Utes are 8-2 when they have had more free throw attempts than their opponents this season. Junior Travis Spivey, a transfer from Salt Lake Community College, has started the last five games with fellow junior college transfer Kevin Bradley, the staring point guard for the first 12 games, coming off the bench. Utah s generals had their best floor games of the season against Long Beach State on Jan. 3, combining for seven assists and no turnovers. It was the first time this season both of Utah s top point guards went turnover free. Travis Spivey had four points and three assists in 27 minutes, while Kevin Bradley contributed five points, four assists and one steal in 24 minutes against the 49ers. Their effort helped Utah commit nine turnovers, the second-lowest total this season. Entering the Long Beach State game, Utah was averaging 16.5 turnovers per game. The Utes are 8-1 when they have committed fewer turnovers than their opponents this season. Utah also used Marc Jackson at point guard extensively against Wyoming on Jan. 8 and San Diego State on Jan. 15, and the freshman from Salt Lake City delivered. Jackson made 7-of-8 free throws with three rebounds, two assists and no turnovers in 12 minutes against the Cowboys. He had two points, three rebounds, three assists and no turnovers in 16 minutes against the Aztecs. In a physical game against Wyoming, the Utes committed 12 turnovers its fourth-lowest total in 17 games including just two in the second half. Utah turned the ball over a season-low eight times while getting 15 assists against San Diego State. In their last two games against UNLV and San Diego State, Bradley, Jackson and Spivey have combined for a 2:1 assists-to-turnover ratio with 16 assists and eight turnovers. Spivey had a season-high six assists and three turnovers against UNLV on Jan. 13. He also scored 10 points and got two steals in 25 minutes. In four of its six losses Utah had significant leads late in the second half. The Utes inability to close out games attributed to a 3-5 record in December after letting second-half leads slip away to Utah State, Southern Utah and Texas. During its four games in January, Utah has been the team making plays down the stretch to secure victories. As a case in point, against the UNLV on Jan. 13 with the score tied at 63 with 3:47 to play, Utah went on a 10-0 run over the next three minutes. In the last nine games, seven of which have resulted in victories, Utah has had the lead going into the half. The Utes are 9-3 when leading at halftime this season. Slow Starts, Fast Finishes Dropping games early in the season has been no cause for concern for the Utes over the last three seasons. After blending in newcomers at key positions and filling in for the losses of four NBA Draft picks in the last four years, Utah has had to overcome meager beginnings before only to continue its winning ways. Season Start Following Streak Final Record consecutive wins consecutive wins Won 7 of Standings (As of Jan. 16) MWC Pct. Overall Pct. 1. UTAH New Mexico BYU Wyoming UNLV Colorado State Air Force San Diego State Upcoming Schedule Monday, January 15 *Utah 58, San Diego State 39 *BYU 91, UNLV 63 Saturday, January 20 *Air Force at San Diego State, 7 p.m. *BYU at Colorado State, 7 p.m. New Mexico at Stanford, 5 p.m. (Fox Sports Net) *Utah at Wyoming, 1 p.m. (ESPN Regional) Monday, January 22 *BYU at Wyoming, 7:07 p.m. *New Mexico at UNLV, 9 p.m. (ESPN) *Utah at Colorado State, 7 p.m. (KJZZ-TV) Last Week s Results Monday, January 8 *UNLV 65, Air Force 54 *New Mexico 75, San Diego State 67 *Utah 83, Wyoming 71 Saturday, January 13 *New Mexico 59, Air Force 52 *BYU 79, San Diego State 50 *Utah 79, UNLV 70 *Wyoming 70, Colorado State 69 (OT) *Mountain West Conference game. All times local to site. The Nation s Most Dominant Team in League Play the Last Six Years Off to an undefeated start in their second season as a member of the Mountain West Conference, three impressive records have remained intact for the Utes. The Utes have won 40 consecutive league games at home, which is the nation s longest current streak. Utah s last home conference loss was to January 17, 2001 Utah Basketball Notes 22 5

6 Utah s Record When... Leading At Half Tied At Half Trailing At Half Leading With 5:00 Remaining Trailing With 5:00 Remaining In Overtime Utah Outrebounds Opponent Rebounds Are Even Opponent Outrebounds Utah Utah Commits More Turnovers Opponent Commits More Turnovers Utah Has More Free Throw Attempts Opponent Has More Free Throw Attempts Utah Shoots 50% or Better Utah Shoots Less Than 50% Opponent Shoots 50% or Better Opponent Shoots Less Than 50% Utah Shoots Better Than Opponent Opponent Shoots Better Than Utah Utah Bench Outscores Opponent Bench Opponent Bench Outscores Utah Bench Utah Scores Less Than Utah Scores Between Utah Scores Between Utah Scores Between Utah Scores Between Utah Scores 100 or More Opponent Scores Less Than Opponent Scores Between Opponent Scores Between Opponent Scores Between Opponent Scores 90 or More On Mondays On Tuesdays On Wednesdays On Thursdays On Fridays On Saturdays On Sundays On ABC On ESPN On Raycom On ESPN+Plus On Local Television Consecutive Games with a 3-Point FG Consecutive Games Oppon. Under 100 Points Consecutive Games Oppon. Under 90 Points Consecutive Games Oppon. Under 80 Points Utah s Last Overtime Game Mar. 5, 1999 vs. Tulsa (W, 64-61) Fresno State (65-64) on Jan. 8, Utah s conference record over the past seven years en route to six straight regular-season titles and a 3-0 start this season is (.866), which is the best mark over that period of time in NCAADivision I. Utah is also the nation s most dominant team in conference home games the past seven years with a 49-1 (.980) record. Conference Rebounding Streak Comes to an End Utah had not been outrebounded for 47 consecutive conference regular-season games until Wyoming posted a 46 to 35 advantage over the Utes last Monday. The last time the Utes came out on the short end of a rebounding battle in league play was in a WAC contest at Tulsa on Feb. 22, The Utes have come back to form in their last two games with a edge on the boards over UNLV on Jan. 13 and a advantage over San Diego State on Monday. Utah leads the Mountain West Conference in rebound margin (+7.6 rpg) this season. Inside the Numbers The Utes have utilized their depth this season. Nine players are averaging at least 12 minutes a game, while just two (Kevin Bradley at 23.6) is averaging more than 23 minutes per contest this season. Utah s bench has been productive, outscoring its opponents bench by an average of 13.8 points per game. The Utes have used six different starting line-ups this season with eight different players starting at least one game. The last five games, Utah has gone with the quintet of Britton Johnsen (SF), Phil Cullen (PF), Chris Burgess (C), Travis Spivey (PG) and Nick Jacobson (SG), going 4-1. Before Spivey took over at the point, Kevin Bradley had started the first 12 games of the season. Eight games into the season, Utah was shooting just 67.2 percent from the free throw line. In the last nine games, the Utes have shot 74.9 percent from the line. The Utes have helped their cause at the stripe by shooting above 80 percent in four of the last nine games, going 39-for-48 (.813) against Washington State, 21-for-26 (.808) against Pepperdine and a season-best 87.5 percent (14-for-16) against both Long Beach State and UNLV (Jan. 13). Utah is now shooting 71.4 percent from the line. With 237 assists and 262 turnovers on the season, Utah has a 0.90 assists-turnover ratio and has averaged 15.4 turnovers a game. A team from the Rick Majerus era has never finished the season with less than a 1.0 assists-turnover ratio. Since the turnover stat was recorded beginning in , the only Utah team to finish with less than a 1.0 assists-turnover ratio was the squad that had 404 assists to 419 turnovers (0.96). In 17 games, Utah has held seven of its opponents to less than 60 points. American-Puerto Rico (37) and San Diego State on Jan. 15 (39) have been held below 40 points. Only five teams have reached the 70-point barrier: Weber State (79), Southern Utah (77), Texas (70), Wyoming (71) on Jan. 8 and UNLV (70) on Jan. 13. Only two teams have shot better than 50 percent from the field against the Utes this season. Southern Utah connected on 53.3 percent of its shots (60.9 percent in the second half) and 66.7 percent (8-of-12) from three-point range. Long Beach State shot 51.9 percent from the field, with two players doing the bulk of the damage. Center Travis Reed and guard Ramel Lloyd combined to go 19-of-30 (.633) while the rest of the 49ers shot 8-of-22 (.364). The Utes have been outrebounded just three times: to Georgia, to Memphis and to Wyoming on Jan. 8. The 46 rebounds by the Cowboys is the most by a Ute opponent this season. Utah has shot 50 percent or better in seven games this season, winning five of those contests. With defeats to then-no. 15 Southern California on Dec. 2, Utah State on Dec. 6, and Weber State on Dec. 9, Utah lost three consecutive nonconference games for the first time during the Rick Majerus era. The skid ended with an win over Washington State on Dec. 16. Utah s most recent nonconference losing streak of three games or more came in , the final season under Lynn Archibald, when Utah dropped four consecutive games to Florida on Nov. 27 (77-68), Cal State-Fullerton on Dec. 1 (59-57), Santa Clara on Dec. 3 (66-60) and Colorado on Dec. 6 (68-65). The last time the Utes dropped three consecutive games overall was during the season. During that streak, the Utes fell to Fresno State on Feb. 17 (95-86), Air Force on Feb. 19 (91-89 in OT) and Brigham Young on Feb. 26 (73-70). Utah had a four-game losing streak during the conference season from Jan. 13 through Jan. 25. That losing streak took place during Majerus first lengthy absence from the Utah bench. Joe Cravens served as the acting head coach for 24 games that year while Majerus recovered from heart surgery. Utes Dealing with Rare Occurrence of No Returning All-Conference Selections For just the second time since Rick Majerus took over the Ute basketball program, Utah doesn t feature a single returning all-conference selection on the roster. Discounting Majerus first season ( ), the only time the Utes haven t returned a first or second team all-conference selection was in That season resulted in the only non-winning season of the Majerus era with Utah going overall and 8-10 in the Western Athletic Conference. In , Josh Grant was back for his fourth season with the Utes as the reigning WAC Player of the Year and the only returning all-conference honoree on the roster. However, he took a medical redshirt after helping the Utes win the first three games of the season. Without their leader, Utah finished Utah Basketball Notes January 17, 2001

7 overall and 9-7 in conference play. Growing Pains Despite only one starter and three other lettermen returning from last season, prognosticators didn t hesitate to place Utah in their preseason Top 25 polls. However, the Utah coaching staff has cautioned all along that this Utah team has some growing to do before it will be capable of living up to those lofty expectations. Here s some illustrations of Utah s struggles early in the season. On opening night with Rick Majerus still on the bench, Utah shot 66 percent in the first half to lead Idaho State at intermission. The Utes built the lead to with 18:24 to play and still led by 23 points (50-27) with 15:02 left before seeing their cushion dwindle down to just five points (66-61) with 1:02 left. Utah held on for a win. Against Georgia in the second round of the Puerto Rico Shootout, Utah led with 12:13 remaining, but Georgia used a 12-2 run to take a lead with 8:43 left and pulled away from there for a win. The Utes committed a season-high 22 turnovers. Utah had a commanding 44 to 34 advantage on the boards and shot 44.0 percent from three-point range; however, the Utes also shot 36.7 percent from the field and went just 5-of-10 from the free throw line in a loss to then-no. 15 Southern California in the John Wooden Classic on Dec. 2. In spite of shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from three-point range in the first half to build a lead, Utah shot 20.8 percent in the second half, making just five field goals and getting only five points in the final 10 minutes, in a loss at Utah State on Dec. 6. For the second consecutive game, Utah was unable to score on the final play in a loss to Weber State at home on Dec. 9. The Utes shot 50.0 percent from the field and had a 37 to 31 edge on the boards. However, Utah committed 18 turnovers, which led to 23 Weber State points and shot just 65.8 percent from the free throw line in 38 trips. After two straight wins, Utah allowed Southern Utah to shoot 60.9 percent in the second half and make 8-of-12 three-pointers in the game in a loss at the Huntsman Center on Dec. 22. The Utes 17 turnovers led to 31 SUU points. Utah jumped out to a nine-point lead in the first half and led by three (53-50) with 6:18 remaining before falling on the road to Texas, Utah went without a field goal for the final 5:03 and shot a season-low 32.8 percent (19-for-58) for the game. Home (Not So) Sweet Home Utah is 8-2 at home this season. The last time Utah lost two home games in the same season was in , when it went 11-3 overall and 7-2 in league games in the Huntsman Center. Since then, Utah has posted two one-loss seasons in the JMHC, going 14-1 in and 13-1 in , and four undefeated seasons. The Utes have gone unbeaten seven times in the 32-year history of the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Six of those undefeated home seasons have come under Rick Majerus: (16-0), (15-0), (15-0), (13-0), (14-0) and (17-0). The Utes are (.920) in the Huntsman Center during the Majerus era (including the nine games he has not coached this season) and have never lost back-to-back home games. With a best-in the-nation 54-game homecourt winning streak through the first two home games of the season, Utah lost two of its next three in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. After a loss to Weber State gave Utah its first home loss in nearly four years on Dec. 9, the Utes bounced back with an impressive win over Washington State on Dec. 16. The Utes then dropped their second home game of the season to Southern Utah, 77-70, on Dec. 22. Before the loss to Weber State, Utah had won 94 of its last 96 games at home. Cullen Coming On Junior 6-9 forward Phil Cullen has scored in double figures in eight of the last 12 games, leading the Utes in scoring in five of those contests. Through 17 games, Cullen is second on the team in scoring (9.9 ppg), shooting 45.5 percent from the field and a team-best (for those with over 30 attempts) 41.3 percent from threepoint range. He is also second on the team in rebounding (4.9 rpg). In a six-game stretch from Dec. 2-22, Cullen averaged 13.5 points, shooting 47.1 percent (25-of-53) from the field, 48.5 percent (17-of-35) from three-point range and 70.0 percent (14-of-20) from the free throw line. After playing three straight games off the bench, Cullen got the start against Washington State on Dec. 16. Cullen responded with a career-high 21 points, making a personal-best five three-pointers in six attempts. He also shot 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-6 from the line in 24 Phil Cullen Charting Cullen s Numbers Points Per Game Rebounds Per Game Field Goal Percentage Three-Point FG Percentage Rankings Associated Press USA Today/ESPN 1. Stanford (69) 1. Stanford (27) 2. Duke (1) 2. Duke (4) 3. Michigan State 3. Michigan State 4. Tennessee 4. Tennessee 5. Kansas 5. Kansas 6. North Carolina 6. North Carolina 7. Florida 7. Florida 8. Syracuse 8. Wake Forest 9. Georgetown 9. Syracuse 10. Wake Forest 10. Illinois 11. Illinois 11. Georgetown 12. Maryland 12. Alabama 13. Virginia 13. Virginia 14. Iowa 14. Maryland 15. Alabama 15. Connecticut Connecticut 16. Iowa 17. Arizona 17. Arizona 18. Seton Hall 18. Wisconsin 19. Wisconsin 19. Seton Hall 20. Missouri 20. Southern California 21. Mississippi 21. Oklahoma 22. Oklahoma 22. Mississippi 23. Iowa State 23. Iowa State 24. Southern California 24. Texas 25. Boston College 25. Boston College Utah s Ranking by Week Associated USA Today/ Preseason Press 13 ESPN 16 Nov Nov Nov Dec Consecutive Weeks Ranked by Associated Press before falling out Last Time Ranked Dec. 4, 2000 Consecutive Weeks Ranked by USA Today/ ESPN before falling out Last Time Ranked Dec. 4, 2000 January 17, 2001 Utah Basketball Notes 227

8 minutes. Cullen led the Utes with six rebounds in the game. Highlighting other games, Cullen scored 18 points, making 6-of-10 shots from the field and 4-of-7 three-pointers, in 18 minutes against Southern California on Dec. 2. He had 13 points, a blocked shot and three steals in 26 minutes against Utah State on Dec. 6. Cullen followed that up with 15 points, making all four field goals, both three-pointers and 5-of-6 free throws, in 19 minutes against Weber State on Dec. 9. In the league opener against Wyoming, Cullen got 17 points, four rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes. Boasting of Bradley Junior 6-0 guard Kevin Bradley, a relatively unheralded transfer from Compton Community College, has raised some eyebrows with his solid play. Bradley started the first 12 games of the season and has continued to get significant playing time off the bench since then, averaging a team-best 23.6 minutes per game. He leads the team in scoring (10.4 ppg), shooting 41.4 percent Kevin Bradley from the field, 38.8 percent from three-point range and 78.9 percent from the free throw line. Bradley is also averaging 2.4 assists per game (second-best on the team). He has led Utah in scoring six times and assists seven times. Against UNLV on Jan. 13, Bradley scored in double figures for the eighth time this season with a team-high 13 points. Bradley had a 3-1 assists to turnover ratio through the first four games of the season. He had his best floor game of the season against Washington State on Dec. 16, getting five assists and one steal to just one turnover. He also had 12 points, making all six free throws and 3-of-7 field goals, in 31 minutes. His career-high game was 20 points against Cardinal Stritch on Nov. 28. He had 18 points against Southern Utah on Dec. 22 A native of Los Angeles, Bradley was named the conference player of the year as a senior at Crenshaw High School. All in the Family Utah has one of 11 brother combinations in NCAA Division I this season in Jeff and Britton Johnsen. Both of the Johnsens rank among the top six players statistically this season. Jeff (G/F, 6-4, 200), a junior, is fourth on the team in scoring (8.5 ppg), shooting 36.8 percent from three-point range and 80.5 percent from the free throw line. He is also averaging 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists (second-best on the team), and has led the team in scoring three times and assists seven times. Britton (F, 6-9, 205), a sophomore, is fifth on the team in scoring (7.8 ppg), shooting 55.0 percent from behind the arc (11-of-20), and third in rebounds (4.7 rpg). He has also scored in double figures in seven of the last 11 games. Britton got a career-high 23 points, making 8-of-14 field goals and 4-of-6 three-pointers, with eight rebounds and three blocked shots in 27 minutes against Long Beach State on Jan. 3. Jeff began his career at Utah in before going on a two-year LDS Church mission to Fresno, Calif. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 32 games last season with five starts. Britton who resumes his Utah career this season, played for the Utes in before going on his LDS Church mission to Houston, Texas. He averaged 3.5 points and 1.0 rebounds in 21 games as a freshman. The Johnsens, who hail from Murray, Utah, hadn t played together for four years. The last season the Johnsens played together, they led Murray High School to the Utah 4A state title in Rick Majerus has literally made his program a family affair at Utah. The Johnsens are the fifth set of brothers to play for Majerus spanning his 12-year career at the U. However, they are the first to play together. nationally as of Jan. 16. Utah ranked 20th in the NCAA in scoring defense last season, giving up 61.8 points per game. The Utes are one of just eight teams to appear in the top 10 in the NCAA in scoring defense at least four times in the last 11 years. Utah is also one of just four teams to rank in the top 25 in the nation in scoring defense at least nine times in the last 11 years. Utah has a 7.6 rebounds per game advantage over the opposition this season to rank 13th in the NCAA as of Jan. 16. The Utes ranked 26th in the nation in rebound margin (4.8 rpg) last season and have been ranked been ranked among the top 30 teams in the nation in rebound margin in each of the last six years. Utah is one of just seven schools to rank in the top 10 at least three times in the last five years. Only Navy s four appearances rank ahead of Utah. Opponents have shot 39.8 percent from the field on the Utes this season. Utah is one of just eight schools to rank in the top 30 in the nation in field goal percentage defense four of the last five years. Utah has also been in the top 10 in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense four times during the Rick Majerus era. Thanks to their stifling defense, the U. has also ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation in scoring margin four times in the last five years and seven times in the last 11 years. Utah has outscored its opponents by an average of 13.1 points per game this season. In the last five years, the Utes are one of just eight teams with four appearances in the top 25, bettered only by Cincinnati s streak of five consecutive years. Utah is also one of just six teams to rank in the top 10 at least three times in the last five years. Utah Third Winningest Basketball School the Past Five Years When it comes to basketball, the University of Utah has established itself among the nation s elite in recent years. Combined, the Ute men s and women s programs went the past five seasons for a.795 winning percentage, which ranks third-best in the country. Utah ranks behind Connecticut (.866) and Stanford (.796), and ahead of Duke (.787). Utah s men and women swept the inaugural Mountain West Conference regular-season championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season. The women also won the Mountain West Tournament championship, while the men made it to the second round of the NCAAs before falling to eventual national champion Michigan State. The Ute men went under head coach Rick Majerus from , winning the regular-season conference title and making it to the NCAA Tournament each season. Utah also made it to three Sweet 16s and was the national runner-up in Under head coach Elaine Elliott, the Ute women went the past five years, capturing five league regular-season titles and playing in four NCAA Tournaments and one NIT. This season, the Utah women s team is ranked 24th by A.P. and 25th by USA Today/ESPN, and has a 14-2 record overall and a 3-0 mark in the MWC. Media Picks Utes to Win Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference media selected Utah to claim the Mountain West Conference title for the second straight season, awarding the Utes 18 of a possible 32 first-place votes in a pre-season poll. Wyoming was picked second in the poll garnering seven first-place votes, followed by UNLV with six first-place tallies. BYU finished fourth and was the only other team to receive a first-place nomination. New Mexico was selected fifth, followed by Colorado State, San Diego State and Air Force. The preseason all-conference team included Wyoming s Josh Davis and Ugo Udezue, BYU s Terrell Lyday and Mekeli Wesley, and UNLV's Kaspars Kambala. Top returnee honors went to UNLV senior forward/center Kaspars Kambala, while Utah center/forward Chris Burgess, a transfer from Duke, was tabbed newcomer of the year. Defense, Defense, Defense One of the trademarks of a Utah team during the Rick Majerus era is a stifling half-court defense. In the past 11 seasons under Majerus, Utah has ranked in the top 30 in the nation eight times in field goal percentage defense, eight times in the top 25 in scoring defense, seven times in the top 25 in scoring margin and eight times in the top 30 in rebound margin. This season, the Utes are giving up 60.2 points per game to rank 14th 22 8 Utah Basketball Notes January 17, 2001