Utah Utes men's basketball
The Utah Utes men's basketball team, also known as the Runnin' Utes, represents the University of Utah as an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Big-12. They play their home games at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The school has made the NCAA tournament 29 times. They last made the tournament in 2016. Utah won the NCAA Championship in 1944, defeating Dartmouth College 42–40 for the school's only NCAA basketball championship. However, the school also claims the 1916 AAU National Championship, which was awarded after winning the AAU national tournament. They have also won the NIT once, defeating Kentucky in 1947. In 1998, the Utes played in the NCAA championship game, losing to Kentucky.
History
began play in 1908, finishing with a record of 3–8. However, by 1916, they had won their first national championship, winning the National AAU Tournament. The team would compete in the tournament two other times, in 1918 and 1919. But it wasn't until 1927 that Utah really began laying the foundation for what would become one of the winningest programs in college basketball.That began with the hiring of Vadal Peterson, who would become the winningest coach in Utah basketball history. Peterson would guide Utah to 6 conference and state championships and reached the ultimate prize in 1944, when the Utes won the national championship. Oddly enough, Utah had turned down a bid to the NCAA tournament because they wanted to play in the NIT. However, after being bounced in the first round by Kentucky, Utah was given a second chance to play in the NCAA tournament. The Arkansas Razorbacks were forced to withdraw after two of their players were badly injured in a car accident. Needing another team to take the Razorbacks' place, the NCAA invited Utah. The Utes accepted and went on to defeat Dartmouth 42–40. Arnie Ferrin was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 28 points in the final two games. Three years later, Peterson would lead Utah to the more prestigious NIT championship, as they defeated, ironically enough, Kentucky 49–45. Peterson would retire from Utah with a 385–230 record and is the only coach in Utah history to have won a national championship.
Wataru Misaka — who had led the Utah Utes to the 1944 NCAA and 1947 NIT championships — later became the first person of color to play in modern professional basketball when he joined the New York Knicks, just months after Jackie Robinson had broken the color barrier in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
After Peterson retired, Utah basketball was known as one of the strongest in the west. That tradition helped convince Kansas State head coach Jack Gardner to accept the job. Gardner had led the Wildcats to two Final Fours prior to accepting the job and during his 18 years at Utah, he built a legacy that many today feel is the strongest in Utah history.
The Gardner era
was known for his quick offenses, which is where Utah got its name as the Runnin' Redskins. Because of his radical offensive sets, the Utes were widely regarded as the team that helped usher in a new era of college basketball. By his second season, Gardner had the Utes in their first NCAA Tournament since the 1945 season and the Utes dominated their way to a conference championship. Finishing the year 24–4, Utah reached #7 in the rankings, but was eliminated in the second round.In Gardner's third season he once again guided the Utes to a conference championship and an NCAA tournament berth. That year the Utes climbed to 11th in the polls and made it to the Elite Eight, before bowing out to eventual champion San Francisco, who was led by future NBA legend and Hall of Famer Bill Russell. The Utes kept their postseason streak alive for Gardner's fourth and fifth seasons, making the NIT, however, they lost in the first round both years. In 1959, Utah again returned to the NCAA tournament, before losing to Idaho State in the second round. The Utes would make the NCAA tournament again in 1960, and were defeated in the second round, this time by USC.
1961 Final Four
After getting eliminated in the second round in consecutive years, Jack Gardner and Utah finally made a run at the national championship in 1961. That year the Utes finished 23–8 and 12–2 in conference play. They were ranked 11th in the nation and faced Loyola-California in the first round. The Utes easily won 91–75 and advanced to the Elite Eight, where they defeated Arizona State 88–80, to make the school's first Final Four in 17 years. There they would face the eventual national champions Cincinnati Bearcats, losing 82–67. Though the season had ended short of the national championship, Utah had returned to the national stage and would prove to be a worthy national foe for years to come.Western movement and a return to the Final Four
A season after the 1961 Final Four ushered in great change for Utah athletics. The Utes, along with the Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, New Mexico, and Wyoming decided to form the Western Athletic Conference. The highly competitive conference made it far more difficult for the Utes to win, as Gardner struggled in the first three years of the conference's formation. During that span the Utes would go 12–14, 19–9 and 17–9. However, by 1966 Utah was once again ready to make a national splash, after cruising to a conference championship and the program's first tournament berth since the 1961 season during that season.File:Jerry Chambers Utah.jpeg|thumb|left|Utah forward Jerry Chambers was named NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1966.
Utah received a first round bye and faced Pacific in the semifinals. After a relatively easy 83–74 victory over the Tigers, Utah advanced to the Elite Eight where they would face the Oregon State Beavers. In a highly competitive game, the Utes came out on top, defeating the Beavers 70–64 to once again advance to the Final Four. This was a historical achievement for Jack Gardner, because it made him the first coach to guide two different teams to two Final Fours. But it was the cultural significance of this Final Four that would have far reaching historical impact and change the game of college basketball forever.
After getting by the Beavers, Utah faced Texas Western in the Final Four, with the winner advancing to play Kentucky for the national championship. Though the game was tight, Utah wore down at the end and the Miners edged the Utes 85–78 to advance to the national championship game. There Texas Western, under the leadership of the legendary Don Haskins, started five black players for the first time in NCAA Championship history. Texas Western would go on to defeat Kentucky, led by Adolph Rupp, to claim the 1966 national title, and would be inducted as a team in 2010. Though Utah lost to the Miners in the Final Four, Jerry Chambers was named the Most Outstanding Player, joining Arnie Ferrin as the only other Ute to win the award.
After the Utes' trips to the Final Four, the program would gradually regress in Gardner's final years. Though they posted winning seasons every year, they failed to make the NCAA tournament and only appeared in two NIT tournaments. After the 1971 season, Gardner decided to retire, ending his career at Utah with a 339–154 record. He's the only coach to lead the Utes to two Final Fours and his legacy lives on, as Gardner was integral in getting the athletic department to build the Huntsman Center, the current home to the men's basketball team.
The revival of Utah basketball
Though the program had proven to be strong under Gardner, the team had struggled during the final years of his coaching career. After his retirement, Utah was faced with the daunting task of not only replacing a legend, but finding a coach who was capable of bringing Utah back to elite status.The Utes looked to New Jersey, Rutgers to be exact, and found a successful unknown coach who had guided the Rutgers basketball team to some of their most successful seasons ever. Bill Foster, in the early part of 1971, was named the head coach of the Runnin' Utes. And though his stay with Utah wasn't long, he was essential to Utah's rebuilding plans. Though Foster got off to a slow start at Utah, going 13–12 and 8–19, his third and final season would prove to be a glimpse into Utah's successful future. He guided the team to a 22–8 season and an NIT berth. In the first round, Utah would face Foster's former team, Rutgers, however, they proved to be no match for the Utes as they easily dispatched of them 102–89. In the second round Utah blew out Memphis State 92–78 and then dominated Boston College 117–93 to advance to the title game. There they faced Purdue and though Utah kept it close, the Boilermakers prevailed, winning 87–81. Even with the loss, Utah basketball was showing signs of returning to its past glory, but it would have to do it under another coach, as Bill Foster quickly left Utah to rebuild Duke.
Under coach Jerry Pimm
Utah did not have to go far for their next head coach, as they promoted Foster's assistant Jerry Pimm. The hire would prove to a good one, as he would continue what Foster had started. In Pimm's third season he guided the Utes to a conference championship and the NCAA Sweet 16, where they narrowly lost to UNLV. In his fourth year at Utah, he once again guided the Utes to the Sweet 16, however, again coming up short, losing a tough one to Notre Dame. Pimm would take Utah to its third NCAA Tournament in a row, but unlike the past two years, the Utes were upset in the first round by Pepperdine. After a year of not making the NCAA tournament, the Utes returned, crushing Northeastern 94–69, before barely losing to North Carolina 61–56. The Tar Heels would go on to the national championship game before losing to Indiana.Though Pimm had been a successful coach at Utah, his relationship was strained with the athletic department and his final season with the Utes occurred in the 1983 campaign. Like he had in years before, Pimm would lead the Utes to the NCAA tournament and yet another Sweet 16 appearance, after Utah knocked off 7th seeded Illinois and then stunned 2nd seed UCLA in the second round. Yet, like in years past, the Utes failed to advance beyond the Sweet 16 and Utah's loss to eventual national champions North Carolina State would be Pimm's last game as Utah's head coach. He left the Utes for UC Santa Barbara. Pimm's record at Utah was 173–86. He won three conference championships and had four 20+ win seasons.