What a few days it’s been for the Utah basketball program.
After winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament championship in Las Vegas two days ago, the Runnin’ Utes sat in the Huntsman Center Sunday afternoon eagerly awaiting their selection to the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
They were welcomed to the dance with open arms.
The 24-9 Utes were selected as the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region and will play the No. 12-seeded Arizona Wildcats, one of the last teams selected by the NCAA selection committee as an “at-large” team. Utah will be heading to Miami to play their first-round game against the Wildcats, which will start at 5:10 p.m. MDT.
Monday afternoon brought another surprise for head coach Jim Boylen and his Runnin’ Utes. For the first time this season, Utah was chosen in the Associated Press’ Top 25 rankings8212;it’s the first time the Utes have made the AP Top 25 since the 2004-05 season.
“We made it,” said Boylen in his weekly Monday press conference. “It was a goal of our program to be in the top 25, to win a championship in our league, and to win a tournament championship.”
That’s 3-for-3 so far, Utah.
After a grueling close to an impressive season, a veteran coach like Boylen expects his team not to be caught starry-eyed in the glitz of the tournament and expects his players to be ready.
The Utes’ No. 5 seed is the highest seed ever for a MWC team in the NCAA Tournament.
“I do know that we were around a six, seven, or eight seed, then we got some work done in our league tournament and ended up a 5,” Boylen said. “I’m proud of that and I’m proud of these seniors. No one can ever take that way from them, that they are the fifth seed in the NCAA Tournament.”
The earned No. 5 seed is something that Boylen and athletic director Chris Hill envisioned when they put together one of the toughest schedules in the nation as the Utes welcomed teams such as Cal, LSU and Gonzaga to the Huntsman Center, along with taking the long trip to Norman, Okla., to take on Blake Griffin and the Sooners.
“The schedule was a very big part of it,” Boylen said. “It helps with recruiting, toughening your team and preparing for your league. It also helps getting national exposure. Everything was premeditated toward building this program back to what I want it to be and to where it can go.”
The Utes, who were picked as the No. 4 team in the preseason MWC media poll, surprised so many with their stellar play this season, but it means nothing now as they head back east to take on one of college basketball’s most remarkable programs in Arizona.
The Wildcats (19-13) had a turbulent season as coaching legend Lute Olson stepped down before the season got underway and a slew of troubling losses have haunted them, but that didn’t stop the selection committee from picking a team that beat Gonzaga, Kansas and Washington this season. Arizona is lead by junior big man Jordan Hill, the 6-foot-10, 235-lb., center from Atlanta, GA., who averages 18.5 points per game alongside 11 rebounds per contest. The Wildcats have NBA prospect Chase Budinger, the 6-foot-7 former nationally-ranked volleyball player, who is Arizona’s “do-it-all” guy.
“Their speed, quickness, basketball talent, and ability to score points in bunches really stuck out to me,” Boylen said. “They pose some problems.”
Boylen continued on saying the Cats reminds him of BYU as they play strong zone defense and have a “three-headed scoring monster” with Hill, Budinger and guard Nic Wise.
Arizona interim head coach Russ Pennell, who took over for Olson on Oct. 25, knows Utah’s ability and knows they present dilemmas for his team.
“Utah is very big, experienced,” said Pennell in a statement. “Their top four scorers are all seniors. They are a very good team, like a well-oiled machine. We respect them and their conference.”
The MWC was only able to muster two bids for the tournament this year as Utes received the automatic win with their MWC Tournament victory and BYU was the only other “at-large” team in the MWC to be invited to the tournament. With how strong of a conference the MWC was this season, Boylen said it’s a disappointment that Utah and BYU are the only representatives.
“Believe it or not, we’re thankful for the championship but it’s a bummer for our league,” Boylen said. “I’ve said this before, and maybe it’s an arrogant statement, but for all of those people who don’t think this is a good league, come play these teams next year in the non-conference then we’ll see where we stand.”
Anyway you slice it, Utah is headed back to the dance, four years after their last appearance in 20058212;and to foreign territory. Miami is far away from Salt Lake City and Boylen said it’s essential for his squad to experience the city and the environment of the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re going to fly down there, then we’ll have a day or two where we’ll be focused, but also embracing and enjoying the moment,” Boylen said. “Then we’ll zero-in again Friday at 7:10 p.m. (ET).”
Utah’s second-year coach also gave a shout out to all the national pundits who have predicted the Utes won’t make it past the Wildcats.
“We’ve filmed them and they are great ammunition for us,” Boylen said. “We’ve been doubted all year, so we’ll be ready for it.”
Tyler CobbLuka Drca celebrates after the Utes won the Mountain West Conference Tournament Championship. The Utes were selected as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament and will face No 12 Arizona in the first round.