UTAH BASKETBALL HISTORY UTAH MEN’S BASKETBALL One of the most successful Only 15 teams have more Final Four appearances programs in the history of college than Utah. All-Time Winningest basketball, ranks 11th all-time in College Programs Great Names in the Game the NCAA in both win percentage By Total Wins (.654) and total wins with record Numerous outstanding coaches and athletes of 1,651-875. have contributed to the building of Utah’s proud Team W L Pct. tradition. One of the greatest coaches in the 1. Kentucky 2017 629 .762 2. North Carolina 2004 719 .735 One of just 26 schools with more than 1,500 history of the game, Jack Gardner, manned the 3. Kansas 2003 796 .716 victories, won the first of its three national titles Utah bench from 1953-71. Gardner, who was 4. Duke 1914 822 .699 5. Syracuse 1783 811 .687 in 1916, winning the AAU National Tournament. inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984, 6. St. John’s (N.Y.) 1749 885 .664 went 339-154 (.688) in 18 seasons at Utah. He led Utah also captured the NCAA Championship in 7. Temple 1740 966 .643 1944 and the National Invitational Tournament the Utes to NCAA Final Four appearances in 1961 8. UCLA 1676 743 .693 in 1947. Utah is one of only 35 schools that have and ‘66. 9. Notre Dame 1673 919 .645 10. Pennsylvania 1663 971 .631 claimed the NCAA Div. I men’s basketball title. 11. Utah 1651 875 .654 Vadal Peterson has the most wins in school Indiana 1651 930 .640 In its 101-year history, Utah has posted a losing history, going 385-230 (.626) in 26 seasons from 13. Illinois 1630 868 .653 14. Western Ky. 1623 792 .672 record just 20 times—and only 13 times in the 1927-53. Rick Majerus, who stepped down during 15. Washington 1616 1057 .605 the later part of the 2003-04 season, became the last 77 seasons. The U. has also recorded 20-win 16. Texas 1610 955 .628 seasons 33 times and advanced to postseason third Ute coach to reach 300 wins and has the 17. BYU 1608 1000 .617 play on 41 occasions. best winning percentage since the 1910’s with 18. Louisville 1607 844 .656 a 323-95 (.773) record in 15 seasons. When he 19. Oregon State 1606 1197 .573 20. Purdue 1594 933 .631 Utah ranks 15th all-time in NCAA Tournament retired, Majerus’ .742 career winning percentage 21. Arizona 1584 873 .645 appearances (27) and is 18th in games played in 20 seasons as a head coach tied for 18th in 22. West Virginia 1581 979 .618 23. Princeton 1574 995 . 613 (65). The Utes have a 35-30 record (.538) in NCAA NCAA history. 24. Cincinnati 1572 931 .628 Tournament play. Utah has made four trips to the 25. NC St. 1554 940 .623 NCAA Final Four: 1944 (NCAA champions), 1961 Before Keith Van Horn became Utah’s all-time (4th), 1966 (4th) and 1998 (NCAA runner-up). scoring leader in 1997, Billy McGill had manned By Winning Percentage the throne since 1962. Despite playing just three seasons, McGill scored 2,321 career points. In Team W L Pct. 1. Kentucky 2017 629 .762 his final season at the U. in 1961-62, he averaged 2. North Carolina 2004 719 .735 38.8 points per game to lead the nation in scoring 3. Kansas 2003 796 .716 and post a school record 1,009 points. 4. UNLV 1083 438 .712 5. Duke 1914 822 .699 6. UCLA 1676 743 .693 McGill, Van Horn and Josh Grant are the only 7. Syracuse 1783 811 .687 three Utes with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds 8. Western Ky. 1623 792 .672 in their careers. Utah has had six consensus first 9. St. John’s (N.Y.) 1749 885 .664 10. Louisville 1607 844 .656 team All-Americans in Bill Kinner (1936), Arnie 11. Utah 1651 875 .654 Ferrin (1945), McGill (1962), Van Horn (1997), 12. Illinois 1630 868 .653 Andre Miller (1999) and Andrew Bogut (2005). 13. Arizona 1568 858 .646 14. Notre Dame 1673 919 .645 15. Temple 1740 966 .643 Bogut became Utah’s first ever consensus 16. Villanova 1530 858 .641 National Player of the Year in 2004-05, winning Arkansas 1501 840 .641 the Wooden, Naismith and Associated Press Connecticut 1499 839 .641 18. Indiana 1651 930 .640 awards, among several others. Van Horn and 19. Weber State 872 507 .632 Miller were runners-up for the Wooden Award in 20. Pennsylvania 1663 971 .631 1997 and 1999, respectively. Purdue 1594 933 .631 21. Cincinnati 1572 931 .628 22. DePaul 1360 832 .620 Here is a look at the highlights of 101 seasons of 23. Murray State 1428 811 .611 Utah basketball. undefeated season with an 11-0 record overall 1915-16 and a 6-0 mark in Rocky Mountain Conference In its eighth season, Utah won the first of its play. three national championships by capturing the National AAU Tournament title in Chicago, Ill. The 1918-19 Utes defeated the Columbia Athletic Club and the Utah captured its third Rocky Mountain Wat Misaka (above) in 1944 and Arizona’s Olympic Athletic Club before defeating the Illinois Conference title with a 7-0 record. Under second- Mike Bibby in 1997 are the only two freshman point guards to lead their teams to an NCAA Athletic Club, 28-27, in the championship game. year head coach Thomas Fitzpatrick, Utah made Championship title. Coach Nelson H. Nordgren led Utah to its only its second appearance in the National AAU WWW.UTAHUTES.COM 113 UTAH MEN’S BASKETBALL UTAH BASKETBALL HISTORY 1946-47 Conference Champs Utah took a 16-5 record into the NIT and went By Season on to capture its third national championship. State Competition Western Athletic The Utes won three games by a total of seven 1909 Brigham Young Conference points, defeating Duquesne (45-44), West Virginia 1910 Utah 1963 Arizona State (64-62) and Kentucky (49-45). Vern Gardner was 1911 Brigham Young 1964 New Mexico/ named the tournament’s MVP. 1912 Brigham Young Arizona St. 1913 Utah 1965 Brigham Young 1948-49 1914 Brigham Young 1966 Utah Utah took a 24-7 record to New York and lost a 1915 Brigham Young 1967 Wyoming/BYU 1916 Utah 1968 New Mexico 64-63 NIT first round thriller to San Francisco. 1917 Brigham Young 1969 Wyoming/BYU 1918 Utah State 1970 UTEP 1952-53 1919 Utah 1971 Brigham Young Head coach Vadal Peterson, Utah’s all-time 1920 Utah 1972 Brigham Young leader with 385 wins, stepped down after 1921 Utah 1973 Arizona State 26 seasons. Peterson guided the Utes to two 1922 BYU 1974 New Mexico national tournament titles and six league crowns. 1923 Utah 1975 Arizona State 1924 Brigham Young 1976 Arizona One legend succeeded another as Peterson was 1977 Utah replaced by Jack Gardner (deceased, 2000). Rocky Mountain 1978 New Mexico Conference 1979 Brigham Young 1954-55 1925 Brigham Young 1980 Brigham Young Arnie Ferrin was the first of three freshmen in NCAA Utah took a 23-3 record into the tournament 1926 Utah State 1981 Utah/Wyoming Tournament history to be named Final Four MVP in where it opened play against Bill Russell and the 1927 Montana State 1982 Wyoming 1944. He is also one of only two players ever to win 1928 Montana State 1983 Utah/UTEP/ NIT, NCAA and NBA championships. University of San Francisco Dons, who knocked 1929 Montana State Brigham Young Tournament, April 18-19, nearly a month after its off the Utes, 78-59, on their way to winning their 1930 Montana State/ 1984 UTEP perfect regular season had concluded. The Utes first of back-to-back NCAA championships. The Utah State 1985 UTEP lost both games in Los Angeles to finish 7-2. three “Bs” (Art Bunte, Morris Buckwalter, Gary 1931 Utah 1986 Utah/Wyoming/ Bergen) were the stars. 1932 Utah/BYU UTEP 1919-20 1933 Utah/BYU 1987 UTEP The Utes competed in the National AAU 1934 Brigham Young 1988 Brigham Young 1955-56 1935 Utah State 1989 Colorado State Tournament for the second consecutive year, this Utah went 21-5 to make its second consecutive 1936 Utah State 1990 Colorado State/ time making the trip to Atlanta, Ga. After winning appearance in the NCAA West Regionals. This 1937 Utah/ Mont. St. BYU all four regular-season games, Utah won its first time the Utes met Seattle in the first round, 1991 Utah round AAU Tournament game and lost in the taking an 81-72 win, but San Francisco derailed Skyline 1992 BYU/UTEP second round to Rutgers. Conference 1993 Utah/BYU 1938 Utah/Colorado 1994 New Mexico 1939 Colorado 1995 Utah 1943-44 1940 Colorado 1996 Utah The “Blitz Kids” finished the regular season with 1941 Wyoming 1997 Utah an 18-4 record and went on to give the school its 1942 Colorado (Utah won div.) first NCAA basketball championship, defeating 1943 Wyoming 1998 UNLV Dartmouth, 42-40 in overtime, in the finals in 1944 No champ (Utah won div.) New York City. The Utes actually had been invited 1945 Utah 1999 Utah to the NIT that year. But after losing to Kentucky 1946 Wyoming (Utah won div.) 1947 Wyoming in the first round, they filled in for Arkansas in the 1948 Brigham Young Mountain West NCAA Tournament and went on to win the title. 1949 Wyoming Conference Vadal Peterson (deceased, 1976) was the coach 1950 Brigham Young 2000 Utah/UNLV and Arnie Ferrin, who later served as Utah’s 1951 Brigham Young 2001 Utah/BYU/ athletics director, was named tournament MVP.