SportsLine.com Report
March 18, 2000

Round 2: Shorthanded Utes fall short in upset bid

Coming off a narrow victory in the first round, when they lost guard Jeremy Killion to a knee injury, Utah had just seven scholarship players available to play top-seeded Michigan State. The eight-seeded Utes didn't appear to be much of a match for the Spartans.

But Utah battled throughout the game -- leading at halftime, 35-32 -- before Michigan State wore them down. In the end, it was a 73-61 Michigan State victory in the Midwest Regional second round in Cleveland.

Utah led for most of the first half and had a three-point advantage at halftime. Then Michigan State senior point guard Mateen Cleaves decided he wasn't ready for his college career to end. Cleaves scored 13 of his 21 points in the second half, 11 of which came during a telling 27-7 run to help the Spartans pull away.

After a sloppy first-round victory over Saint Louis, Utah committed just nine turnovers against Michigan State and shot 52 percent from the floor.

However, Alex Jensen, who had 13 points against the Spartans, said it best: "All of the injuries just made our margin for error real small."

"If I could pick one team, I'd be the jockey for that horse," said coach Rick Majerus. "We've played the national champion four times in this tournament. These guys have got the look of a national champ.

"They're awful damn good. There's a reason they are seeded No. 1. I really like their team. It must be fun to coach them."

Hanno Mottola led the Utes with 16 points, followed by Tony Harvey with 15.

How They Got There

Utah was awarded an at-large bid after capturing a share of regular season title for the sixth straight season with a 10-4 mark in the inaugural Mountain West Conference. The Utes spent most of the season ranked in the Top 25 before a late season slide that coincided with injuries to star forward Hanno Mottola.

Starting Lineup

• SG Jeff Johnsen (6-4, 200, So.): With the loss of starter Jeremy Killion, swingman Johnsen steps in, which makes the Utes' lineup significantly bigger. He came through in a big way in the first round (even though he missed his first five shots), but the loss of Killion figures to cost the Utes at the defensive end, especially against a tough group like the Spartans.
• PG Tony Harvey (6-5, 200, Sr.): Versatile player who plays either guard spot while adding much-needed athleticism to Utah lineup. Some believe he's a real sleeper as an NBA prospect. Averaged 10.8 points in MWC play and hit an outstanding 45.3 percent of his 3-point shots.
• C Nate Althoff ( 6-11, 260, Jr.): Lightly recruited big man out of Delano, Minn., continues to develop into an NBA caliber prospect. Was named MWC Player of the Week on Feb. 14 after leading Utes to wins over San Diego State and BYU, scoring 37 points and grabbing eight rebounds during that span. Led the MWC in field goal percentage (61.3).
• SF Alex Jensen (6-7, 225, Sr.): Became only the ninth player in Utah history to record 1,000 points and 800 rebounds in his career. Was named the MWC's player of the year as much for his defense and leadership as his scoring and rebounding.
• PF Hanno Mottola (6-9, 250, Sr.): Preseason Playboy All-American and likely NBA lottery pick. When healthy, outstanding jump shooter who can also put it on the floor and take you to the basket. Despite missing 11 games this year, still was a first team all-MWC pick. Still, he's only about 75-80 percent healthy.

Keys to Success

Defense. One of the trademarks of a Rick Majerus team is its stifling half-court defense. In 28 regular season games this year, the Utes surrendered just 62.1 points per game. Utah was 18-1 in the regular campaign when giving up 69 or less points and 4-5 when allowing 70 or more points.

The Coach

The man with the Jigglypuff body, Rick Majerus is arguably as good as any coach in the nation when it comes to X's and O's and developing talent. He has won 78.5 percent of his games in 11 years at Utah (259-71), winning eight conference titles in that span, including the last six in a row.

He took Utah to the NCAA Championship game in 1998 where it lost to Kentucky and he's taken the Utes to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament in five consecutive seasons.

The Bench

The loss of starting guard Jeremy Killion, combined with a series of injuries that have eroded this team's depth, turns the Utes' bench into a shallow shell of itself. Jeff Johnsen is a reliable swingman who moves into the starting lineup.

That leaves guard Gary Colbert and center Phil Cullen as the primary bench players, along with F Mike Puzey, who returned in time for the first-round victory after missing the league tournament with a hairline fracture in his left tibia. Cullen is a good passer and excellent outside shooter who was a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range in Utah's 44-point blowout of UNLV.

Guard Adam Sharp, who sprained an ankle last week, suited up, but did not play Thursday.

Offense

Get ready to battle your way through lots of screens. The Utes wear you down with their big men setting picks inside and out. Key to their success is how well they're hitting their outside shots. Utah will get its share of points inside.

Defense

Very few do it better. Utah ranked fourth in the nation in scoring defense last season, giving up just 55.4 points per game. This year that number is up to 62.1 points allowed, but that was still tops in the MWC. The Utes give up very few second shots and led the conference with a plus-5.3 edge in rebounding.