The 1990-91 Sweet Sixteen Season

At the beginning of the year, Utah was picked to finish 6th in the 9-team WAC; behind New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado State, UTEP, and BYU (in that order). Utah coach Rick Majerus sat out the previous season after undergoing heart bypass surgery, and no one knew what to expect from him in his first full year as the head coach. The only returning starter of note was Junior Josh Grant, and the rest of the team was made up almost entirely of 1st and 2nd year players (including JC transfers and Prop. 48 players).

The Utes shocked everyone with their great success in the non-conference schedule, finishing at 11-1 with their sole loss coming early in the season (December 1st) against Michigan. However, once WAC play began, everyone expected the Utes to stumble. After all, they would be facing two teams that were nationally ranked (New Mexico and Wyoming) and a third that was expected to gain national attention (Colorado State). But the Utes continued their winning streak, putting together 17 consecutive victories. They went through the entire month of January without a loss, having faced every WAC team during that stretch. Of course many of these victories were very close games, but the scrappy Utes always found a way to win despite the fact that they possessed less talent and athletic ability than most of their opponents.

On January 17th, the Utes validated their growing national acclaim by defeating Wyoming in Laramie. Prior to this game, the Cowboys were 13-3, were undefeated in WAC play, and were ranked 25th in the nation. Future NBA prospect Reggie Slater was averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds a game, and was easily the most athletic player in the league. However, the Utes held him to a mere 6 points, 5 rebounds and 2-for-9 shooting - the worst game of his career.

How did the Utes do this? In an interview following the game, coach Majerus expressed it well. "They're a great group of guys that compete," he said of his squad. "You know what it is? It's characterized by the word `team.' Everybody contributes. Everybody's happy for everybody else. We just kind of fish around out there and see what happens. I'll tell you, some of these guys are very, very tough. Soto's tough, Rydalch is tough, McGrath is tough, Tate's tough . . . some of the guys not so tough are skilled . . . and they help each other out."

That is what stands out in my mind about this team: the sheer determination, the fanatical effort, and, above all, the incredible sense of team unity. At one point during the season, backup center Paul Afeaki was shot in the shoulder during a traffic dispute. But this seemed to only help the team become more unified. In the final game of the season, the Utes defeated BYU in the Huntsman center to win the WAC title, and the first player hoisted up to cut down the nets was Paul Afeaki, dressed in street clothes and wearing a sling on his arm.

This phenomenal group of overachievers went on to finish the WAC season with only one loss -- to New Mexico at the Pit in Albuquerque. They amassed a 28-2 overall record (including three consecutive victories in the WAC tournament) and received a #4 seeding in the NCAA tournament. In the first round of the tournament, they faced South Alabama. After trailing for most of the first half, down by seven points at halftime, the Utes made an amazing 20-2 run to start the second half and went on to win the game 87-72.

Two days later, the Utes faced Michigan State and their budding star player Steve Smith. Everyone thought Smith would be the next Magic Johnson, and his game justified the comparison. No one seriously thought the Utes would win this game, but the scrappy Utes would not give in. The contest went in to double-overtime where, thanks to Josh Grant, the Utes won the game 85-84. Grant had the game of his life, after dedicating the game to his sister-in-law (Deanne) who was in the hospital dying of cancer. Grant totaled 29 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals against Michigan State, making the Utes one of the "sweet sixteen" teams remaining in the tournament.

The Utes' next opponent proved to be too much for the team to handle. The #1-ranked UNLV Runnin' Rebels were undefeated, with a 43 game winning streak going. They also had five starters on the floor who all went to the NBA, two of which became stars stars (i.e., Larry Johnson & Stacy Augmon). Still, the Utes hung with the Rebels in the first half, trailing by only 6 points at halftime. Then in the second half, the Rebels went into their dreaded "amoeba" zone defense, which exploited their superior athletic ability to provide fast-break opportunities. The Utes could no longer control the tempo of the game (which had been their strength all season) and they ended up losing by 17 points (83-66). UNLV went on to the national championship game, where they lost in a stunning upset to Duke, 79-77.

The Utes came home to huge reception of fans at the airport, proud of their team for doing so well in the tournament. Several civic clubs issued resolutions in congratulating the Utes, including (ironically) the Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce. Rick Majerus was voted the UPI coach of the year, as well as the Playboy coach of the year. The Utes success proved to be an important springboard for the program, which has gone on to consistently garner national attention.