The Utes are hoping veteran NBA assistant Alex Jensen can restore the program to the heights it experienced when Jensen played for Utah under Rick Majerus in the late 1990s. Utah has not earned an NCAA Tournament bid since 2016, and the Utes face a long rebuild and tough climb up the ladder in the Big 12 Conference. Utah returns only one major contributor from last season.
Keanu Dawes finished his sophomore season strong, recording a double-double
in four of his last six games. Dawes is the cornerstone of a rebuilt Utah roster and looks to take a major step forward as a junior. Fairleigh Dickinson transfer Terrence Brown started 31 games last season while leading his former team in scoring (20.6 ppg) and assists (3.2 apg). Brown gives Utah an experienced point guard who could help accelerate the rebuild in Jensen’s first season.
Dawes is the only returning player who played any significant minutes for Utah last season. A complete roster overhaul included Ezra Ausar (USC), Mike Sharavjamts (South Carolina), Jake Wahlin (Clemson), Miro Little (UC Santa Barbara) and Zach Keller (Utah State) all transferring from the program.
Key newcomers to Utah include Brown, Syracuse transfer Elijah Moore, Auburn transfer Jahki Howard, and Western Kentucky transfer Don McHenry.
Utah faces Mississippi State at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on December 13th. The Utes also hit the road in December for games against former Pac-12 foes California and Washington before settling into a grueling Big 12 schedule. Utah opens league play at home against No. 13 Arizona on January 3rd. The Utes also host No. 2 Houston on February 10th and No. 16 Iowa State on February 24th. Road tests include trips to No. 10 Texas Tech on January 14th and No. 19 Kansas on February 7th. Two January games against archrival No. 8 BYU also highlight the slate.
Jensen was an NBA assistant coach from 2013 to 2025, spending ten seasons with the Utah Jazz and two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. … Keanu Dawes’ uncle Derek Dawes played basketball for BYU from 2003 to 2006. … Sophomore guard Alvin Jackson III is the younger brother of former Duke standout Frank Jackson. … Utah has not finished with a winning record in conference play since 2019 and has reached 20 wins once in the last seven seasons.
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