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Utah Utes
RECORD: 23-9 COACH: Rick Majerus | SEASON RESULTS | SEASON STATS
OUTLOOK
  • First round: Defeated Saint Louis, 48-45
  • Second round: Lost to Michigan State, 73-61<br>
    Get the Coach's Edge

    Let the experts at Coach's Edge get you ready for the NCAA Tournament with an inside look at the Utah playbook.
    Utah deserves credit for winning the inaugural Mountain West Conference title, sharing it with UNLV. The Utes did it with as many distractions as a head coach would ever want to deal with. Trent Whiting, their replacement for Andre Miller at point guard, got hurt, then decided to transfer. In Rick Majerus' system, as it is in others, the point guard is the most valuable guy. Majerus had to go with first-year player Gary Colbert the rest of the year.

    I don't think people realize the importance of Hanno Möttölä to that team. Utah is not a great offensive team to begin with, and he is one of the top players in the nation, when he is healthy. He has been bothered by injuries all season.

    The Utes are short-handed, but still a very good basketball team. They win with defense and rebounding. Teams with quickness give them problems. For instance, Louisville beat them by 20.

    The NCAA Tournament will be a matchup game for Utah. The Utes have the potential to win a game or two, but I don't think they can go much further than that. -- Jimmy Dykes, ESPN

    ROSTER
    No Name Position Height Weight Class Rebounds Assists Points
    -Dennis SmithF---1.30.03.3
    -Matt RayG------
    -Matt VivasF---0.80.00.0
    -Seth BlackG---0.00.51.0
    3Gary ColbertG6-1175SO2.33.03.6
    4Adam SharpG6-2180SO0.80.81.3
    5Tony HarveyGF6-5200SR2.62.59.4
    13Hanno MottolaF6-9250SR4.71.817.4
    21Trent WhitingG6-0180JR3.01.05.0
    25Brandon SlugaGF6-4210SR0.00.41.0
    32Jeremy KillionG5-11190SR1.81.89.4
    35Jeff JohnsonGF6-4200SO3.72.06.0
    40Phil CullenFC6-9215SO2.40.85.3
    42Mike PuzeyF6-8215FR2.80.32.8
    50Alex JensenF6-7225SR7.63.213.2
    52Nate AlthoffC6-11260JR4.90.110.0


    PROBABLE STARTERS
    F -- Hanno Mottola (6-9, Sr., 17.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.8 apg)
    F -- Alex Jensen (6-7, Sr., 13.2, 7.6, 3.2)
    C -- Nate Althoff (6-11, Jr., 10.0, 4.9, 0.1)
    G -- Tony Harvey (6-5, Sr., 9.4, 2.6, 2.5)
    G -- Jeremy Killion (5-11, Sr., 9.4, 1.8, 1.8)
     
    TOP RESERVES
    F -- Phil Cullen (6-9, So., 5.3, 2.4, 0.8)
    G -- Gary Colbert (6-1, So., 3.6, 2.3, 3.0)
    G -- Jeff Johnsen (6-4, So., 6.0, 3.7, 2.0)

    NOTABLE
    Seed, Region and Bid: 8, Midwest, At-Large
    Total NCAA Tournament Bids: 22
    NCAA Tournament Record: 30-24 (.556)
    Final Four Appearances: 4 (1998, 1966, 1961, 1944)
    NCAA Tournament Championships: 1 (1944)
    Best NCAA Tournament Finish: National champions
    Final ESPN/USA Today ranking: NR
    Final Associated Press ranking: NR
    Final Ratings Percentage Index: 50
    Final Sagarin Computer Ranking: 42

    RECORD VS. RANKED TEAMS (1-1)
    Dec. 19 -- Lost to No. 12 Kentucky, 56-48 Dec. 22 -- Beat No. 14 Texas, 79-73 (Opponents ranking reflects ranking on game day)

    TOURNAMENT HISTORY
    Overall Record: 30-24 (.556)
    Final Four Appearances: 4 (1944, 1961, 1966 and 1998)
    National Championships: 1 (1944)

    1999--Second seed in South Region
    Defeated Arkansas State in first round, 80-58
    Lost to Miami, Ohio in second round, 66-58

    1998--Third seed in West Region
    Defeated San Francisco in first round, 85-68
    Defeated Arkansas in second round, 75-69
    Defeated West Virginia in regional semifinal, 65-62
    Defeated Arizona in regional final, 76-51
    Defeated North Carolina in National Semifinal, 65-59
    Lost to Kentucky in National Championship, 78-69

    1997--Second seed in West Region
    Defeated Navy in first round, 75-61
    Defeated North Carolina-Charlotte in second round, 77-58
    Defeated Stanford in regional semifinal, 82-77 (ot)
    Lost to Kentucky in regional final, 72-59

    1996--Fourth seed in Midwest Region
    Defeated Canisius in first round, 72-43
    Defeated Iowa State in second round, 73-67
    Lost to Kentucky in regional semifinal, 84-60

    1995--Fourth seed in West Region
    Defeated Long Beach State in first round, 76-64
    Lost to Mississippi State in second round, 78-64

    1993--Eighth seed in Southeast Region
    Defeated Pittsburgh in first round, 86-65
    Lost to Kentucky in second round, 83-62

    1991--Fourth seed in West Region
    Defeated South Alabama in first round, 82-72
    Defeated Michigan State in second round, 85-84 (2 OT)
    Lost to UNLV in regional semifinal, 83-66

    1986--Fourteenth seed in West Region
    Lost to North Carolina in first round, 84-72

    1983--Tenth seed in West Region
    Defeated Illinois in first round, 52-49
    Defeated UCLA in second round, 67-61
    Lost to North Carolina State in regional semifinal, 75-56

    1981--Third seed in West Region
    Defeated Northeastern in second round, 94-69
    Lost to North Carolina in regional semifinal, 61-56

    1979--Eighth seed in West Region
    Lost to Pepperdine in first round, 92-88 (OT)

    1978--Midwest Region
    Defeated Missouri in first round, 86-79 (2 OT)
    Lost to Notre Dame in regional semifinal, 69-56

    1977--West Region
    Defeated St. John's in first round, 72-68
    Lost to UNLV in regional semifinal, 88-83

    1966--West Region
    Defeated Pacific in regional semifinal, 83-74
    Defeated Oregon State in regional final, 70-64
    Lost to Texas-El Paso in National Semifinal, 85-78
    Lost to Duke for National Third Place, 79-77

    1961--West Region
    Defeated Loyola Marymount in regional semifinal, 91-75
    Defeated Arizona State in regional final, 88-80
    Lost to Cincinnati in National Semifinal, 82-67
    Lost to St. Joseph's (PA) for National Third Place, 127-120 (4 OT)

    1960--West Region
    Defeated Southern California in first round, 80-73
    Lost to Oregon in regional semifinal, 65-54
    Defeated Santa Clara for regional third place, 89-81

    1959--West Region
    Lost to California in regional semifinal, 71-53
    Lost to Idaho State for regional third place, 71-65

    1956--West Region
    Defeated Seattle in regional semifinal, 81-72
    Lost to San Francisco in regional final, 92-77

    1955--West Region
    Lost to San Francisco in regional semifinal, 78-59
    Defeated Seattle for regional third place, 108-85

    1945--Western Regionals
    Lost to Oklahoma State in regional semifinal, 62-37
    Lost to Oregon for regional third place, 69-66

    1944--Western Regionals
    Defeated Missouri in regional semifinal, 45-35
    Defeated Iowa State in regional final, 40-31
    Defeated Dartmouth in National Championship, 42-40 (OT)

    Record by Region:
    In East: 0-0 (.000)
    In South/Southeast: 2-1 (.667) > In Midwest: 3-3 (.500)
    In West: 25-20 (.556)

    Record by Seed:
    As a 2nd seed: 3-2 (.600)
    As a 3rd seed: 6-2 (.750)
    As a 4th seed: 5-3 (.625)
    As an 8th seed: 1-2 (.333)
    As a 10th seed: 1-1 (.500)
    As a 14th seed: 0-1 (.000)
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