Center Luke Nevill will play in the annual Hershey’s College All-Star Game, an event sponsored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and held the day before the Final Four begins next weekend in Detroit.

Nevill will anchor a team coached by former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson that also includes Brigham Young's Lee Cummard and fellow Australian Aron Baynes of Washington State. The opposing team includes Santa Clara's John Bryant, against whom Nevill played as a junior, Gonzaga's Josh Heytvelt, who matched up against the Utes this past season, and Josh Bostic, the leading scorer for the undefeated Division II national champion Findlay Oilers, who will meet the Utes in a preseason exhibition to open next season.

The game is schedule for 2:35 p.m. MDT at Ford Field, site of “Final Four Friday,” before the national semifinals get under way on Saturday.

With new players poised to play such a prominent role for the Utes next season, many readers have wondered how the redshirts developed while practicing but not playing last season under coach Jim Boylen.

In a word, promisingly.

That's how Boylen feels about point guard Chris Hines, center Jason Washburn and forward Josh Sharp — although Sharp is due to leave on an LDS Church mission soon and isn't scheduled to return to the Utes until the 2011-12 season. But Hines and Washburn both could play major roles next season, and maybe even start.

The 6-foot-1 Hines is the more physically mature player, really built, who probably would have played last season had a lingering ankle injury that nearly required surgery not led to his redshirt (the Utes did not want to force him back into action, and perhaps make the injury worse). Boylen calls him a “guy that plays with force at both ends.”

“He's a bulldog defender that can guard you 94 feet,” Boylen said. “He's an off the dribble player who can play off the bounce — which we don't have a lot of that — and he's very competitive and is very physically tough. He has the leadership ability. He has a voice and he's not scared of anybody.”

The 6-11 Washburn clearly has skills and agility, especially for a guy his size. The big question will be his ability to gain some strength and weight — he's listed at only 210 pounds now, and clearly prone to getting pushed around inside by older players. “Big-time motor,” Boylen said. “Runner, very good hands. Needs to gain weight and put on strength and become more physical. He's not soft, he just needs to become more physical.”

Boylen credited Washburn with helping center Luke Nevill improve, giving him an opponent nearly his size to battle every day in practice. “Washburn every day was right in his mug,” he said. “Big, long, trying to block everything Luke did, and I thought it really made a difference for Luke.”

And even though Sharp won't be back for awhile, Boylen sees a lot of potential in him.

“He already came tough,” the coach said. “He's a wiry-type tough. He's a Cummard-type body with a Cummard-type wiry tough, if I could explain that thing. I also think he has a little Alex Jensen in him, meaning Alex Jensen maybe wasn't great at anything, but played winning basketball. That's what Sharp is. If you need him to rebound, he'll rebound. You need him to guard the best guy, he'll guard the best guy. You need him to take open threes, he does that. He does everything well but I've asked him to improve on his shooting and ball skills, so he can be a big wing in our program.”

Anybody wonder whether the Utes might have to rebound from a season-opening exhibition loss to a Division II team again next season?

Probably, we wouldn't bet on it.

But in their first game after losing so much of their production, the Utes will be opening next year against Findlay University of Ohio, the team that won the Division II national championship over the weekend and finished a perfect 36-0 season. The Oilers became just the fourth Division II team to go unbeaten since 1957.

Perhaps fortunately for the Utes, the Oilers will be losing three of their top four scorers, all of whom started every game. And the Oilers don't generally shoot nearly as many three-pointers as did Southwest Baptist, which hit 16 of 32 in its stunning exhibition win over the Utes last season.

The meeting with Findlay will be one of two preseason games, just like last season, with the other being the closed exhibition scrimmage against the University of Colorado. Then, the Utes are scheduled to open the regular season against Idaho. The team is still working on arranging one final non-conference road game, before announcing the full schedule.

Leading the Utes into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years could pay off handsomely for Jim Boylen.

The coach and the university are in the early stages of negotiating a new contract, his agent confirmed today. “The intent is to get something done,” agent Warren LeGarie said. “Sooner, rather than later. But ultimately, it will be the university's decision.”

Boylen just completely the second year of a five-year contract that pays him $480,000 annually — not including bonuses and other benefits, such as the use of a car, country-club membership and $20,000 annually for an education savings fund for his children. By leading the Utes into the NCAA Tournament last week to conclude a 24-10 season, he earned a $25,000 bonus, according to the terms of his current contract.

Both Boylen and athletic director Chris Hill declined to comment on the negotiations.

“What I can say is we're happy with Jim and the direction he's taking the program,” Hill said. “We want him to be here for a long time, and I think he does, too."

Center Luke Nevill averaged about 17 points for the Utes this past season, led the league by grabbing nine rebounds per game, shot 60.7 percent from the field, 79 percent from the free-throw line, blocked a school-record 92 shots and was named player of the year in the Mountain West Conference.

So how do the Utes propose replacing all of that?

Coach Jim Boylen said that it's probably fair to expect some kind of rotation involving mostly redshirt freshman Jason Washburn and returning LDS Church missionary David Foster -- though incoming junior-college transfer Matt Read and freshman Jeremy Olsen also can play center, though their outside shooting skills allow them to play power forward, too.

"Maybe we'll have a center-by-committee, a two-headed monster there," Boylen said. "Guys that can run, guys that can block shots. They're both, I would say, way above average shot-blockers. One's 6-10 1/2, 6-11, and one's 7-2, 7-3. So our center position may not get 34 minutes to one guy. It may be 21 and 18. I don't know how it will shake out, but that's what I'm planning on."

In fact, Boylen seemed to expect that Foster will be ready to contribute to the Utes next season, even though he's not scheduled to return from his mission until May. Asked whether he thought Foster would be a redshirt candidate if he's still regaining his fitness, Boylen agreed, saying “we'll do what's best for the guy” but noted that Brigham Young's Jackson Emery returned from his mission only a few months before playing a big role for the Cougars this past season.

“Didn't look like it bothered him much, did it?” Boylen said. “He was rolling.”

What's more, Boylen seemed especially excited to add another 7-foot-2 body to his roster, in Foster.

“We feel like he's a guy in our program with his attitude and ability who can really help us win,” Boylen said. “I love a big center ... our defense is built around having centers. Luke's success this year at the center spot, you know, a lot of it was his effort, and his toughness and his improvement. But the system is also built to have a center succeed at the defensive end. We think David fits right into that spot.”

And speaking of LDS Church missions ... forward Josh Sharp is going to serve his in Houston -- Boylen's old stomping ground with the NBA's Rockets -- and is scheduled to depart in early May. “He's pumped,” Boylen said, smiling. “Good food in Houston, too -- a little barbeque, a little Mexican food. We're gonna get some meat on his ass. He's not going somewhere where he doesn't like the food, so I think it's great.”

Meanwhile, Olsen is expected to join the Utes for next season before embarking on his own church mission, suggesting that he will be a strong candidate to redshirt next season.

One of the first things that coach Jim Boylen discussed in his final press conference the other day was how drastically the Utes will be changing next year, losing nearly 70 percent of their scoring and 60 percent of their rebounding production with the departure of their four seniors.

"It's going to be an interesting transition," he said.

But not just for them.

Boylen noted that 14 of the 20 leading scorers in the Mountain West Conference from this past season will be gone, along with 30 seniors. "I don't know if I've ever seen that," he said.

"You're going to see not only our team in transition," he added, "but I think, every team in the league will be in transition, which is going to make for a real interesting preseason as far as who's picked where and who's on the all-conference team, preseason. All of that. It's going to be interesting how that all shakes out."

The coach wasn't ready to predict which returning players would wind up playing the biggest roles next season -- it's too early for all of that, he said -- but he did say that the addition of his new batch of recruits will help the Utes become "big and faster and tougher, all those things" and create some intense competition for starting spots and playing time next season.

"From talking to all those guys ... those guys are going to work like they want to start," he said. "There's going to be a lot of competition at position, and that's a good thing."

Coach Jim Boylen covered a lot of ground in his final press conference of the season today, touching on just about every aspect of the Utes in the wake of their season-ending loss to Arizona in the NCAA Tournament last week.

"I'm still stinging a little" from that, he said.

Still, Boylen said he felt "really proud" of the great strides his team made, sharing the Mountain West Conference regular-season title and winning its tournament championship -- the Utes finished 24-10, with one of the toughest schedules in the country -- while leading the league in field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw percentage.

"I've never been part of a team that has done that," he said.

But the Utes also lose their top four scorers, who accounted for about 70 percent of their offense, and Boylen addressed the need to commit fewer turnovers and improve the team's athleticism next season. He also discussed his incoming recruits and their prospective roles, next season's schedule (should be pretty good, again), the departure of forward Morgan Grim (the sophomore gave no reason when asking for his release, Boylen said), the progress of the redshirted players and his summertime plans -- all in such detail that we'll have to break it all down in separate posts later.

So keep an eye out in the coming days!

Looks like coach Jim Boylen made a smart move, "oversigning" recruits in his last class, in case of unforeseen departures.

Forward Morgan Grim has been granted his release, the Utes announced today, after a sophomore year in which he seldom played, even before he suffered a broken foot that sidelined him for most of the second half of the season. The 6-foot-8 native of Riverton plans to transfer to another school, the Utes said, and keeps the team from having more players than available scholarships next season.

"We would like to thank Morgan for his work and contribution to this program," Boylen said. "He will leave in good standing as a student-athlete and we wish him luck in the next stage of his collegiate career."

Word is that Grim hasn't decided where he will transfer, and he couldn't be reached for comment; the Utes said he was declining interview requests.

In any case, we probably should have seen it coming, considering how little Grim played for the Utes, even after Boylen "re-recruited" the 2007 Class 5-A Most Valuable Player after taking the job two years ago, believing he was one of the top recruits in the state. And now, the Utes will be right at the scholarship limit next season, presuming that incoming recruits Matt Read, Jay Watkins, Marshall Henderson, Shawn Glover and Jeremy Olsen all enroll as expected.

"I am very thankful for my time at Utah," Grim said in the school's statement. "However I believe it is in my best interest to continue my career at another institution. I appreciate the chance to be a Ute but I think it is time to explore other opportunities."

Coach Jim Boylen managed to avoid tearing up again when asked after the season-ending loss in the NCAA Tournament what he would remember most about his four departing seniors -- center Luke Nevill, guards Lawrence Borha and Tyler Kepkay and forward Shaun Green – but did have some poignant thoughts to share.

"I'm going to remember the tough days, the days when they didn't like me very much, and then I'm going to remember the days that we improved, when we grew together and we trusted each other," he said. "You know, there's things that cannot be taken away from these guys now. They won the league championship, won the conference tournament, won the Wilkes championship. These guys won three championships this year. These guys have never won anything in their lives. Lawrence Borha said, 'I've never won anything in my life.' That's what I remember.

"These guys are leaving winners," he added. "They're leaving Utes, and they'll be Utes forever and they'll be my guys forever."

The mood in the locker room following the Utes' mostly disastrous 84-71 loss to Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last night was disappointed, as you might imagine.

But coach Jim Boylen clearly did a good job of convincing everybody that they had simply had a bad night at the wrong time, rather than anything worse than that. The players were disappointed, sure, but not inconsolable, or completely devastated -- seemingly following Boylen's lead in saying that "it wasn't one of our better nights, but you know, that happens."

Indeed, it does.

Certainly, the Utes wish they would have performed better on the national stage to help validate -- in the eyes of others, at least -- their championship season in the Mountain West Conference. But the fact is, that would have been merely gravy on what already had turned into a remarkable season for a group of players who were also largely responsible for one of the worst periods in program history just a couple of years ago.

That the season evaporated in the fumes of Arizona's ferocious, full-court press almost hardly mattered in the big picture.

"Yeah, you don't script it to start that way," Boylen acknowledged. "You don't talk to your team about starting that way. But we've had bad starts before and won. We got it to two. We turned the ball over when we got it to two and then the game kind of separated again.

"My guys battled," he added. "I thought 'Utah' across their chest meant something today, and I'm proud of what we did. We didn't win, and that's the tough thing about this business. Somebody wins, somebody loses. But we're going to keep building this program. We're going to keep getting tougher. We're lifting Monday morning at six o'clock. The beat goes on."

Give the Utes credit for fighting back and giving themselves a chance to win near the end of their 84-71 loss to Arizona tonight in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. But still, that start was an unmitigated disaster.

The Utes looked as if they had never seen a full-court press before, never mind one applied by players as staggeringly fast and athletic as the Wildcats. Still, coach Jim Boylen said "we were ready for the press. We expected the press. We practiced the press. Didn't do a good job of handling the pressure."

And that is your leading candidate for understatement of the year.

The Utes had their heads spinning within seconds after tip-off, with point guard Luka Drca in particular looking as flustered as ever. They made just one basket in the game's first 7 1/2 minutes, shooting miserably and watching center Luke Nevill get into foul trouble while finding just about every way to commit a turnover. Long passes out of bounds. Bounce passes inside. Traveling calls, and just flat-out having the ball taken away from them.

In all, the Utes committed 14 turnovers before halftime -- 20 for the game -- at which point they were lucky to be trailing by only five.

"They came out aggressive as can be, and they're long and athletic," point guard Tyler Kepkay said. "They just made it tough in the very beginning, and I think that kind of hurt us for the rest of the game because I think if you take away that first -- I don't know, six, seven minutes of the game, it's a different game. But that's the way it goes."

The Utes did battle back to cut it to 64-62 on Kepkay's three-pointer with 5:16 left -- the Utes hit only 8 of 32 on the night, though -- but coughed up two more turnovers and missed a shot while the Wildcats scored six straight points as part of a 10-1 run that put the game away.

"The second half, we were grinding uphill and grinding uphill, and got it to two and just didn't make enough plays," Boylen said. "I thought we had some good looks. I thought we had the right guys shooting the ball, and they didn't go down. We won the rebound game, we lost the turnover game and we were 8-for-32 from the three. Tough to win that way, tough to win."

So maybe you're wondering how much safer the Utes might be, since a No. 5 seed already has been upset by a No. 12 seed in this NCAA Tournament, when Western Kentucky beat Illinois.

The answer?

Only slightly.

In five of the seven previous years since 2000 in which a No. 12 has upset a No. 5 – like Arizona will be trying to do to the Utes in about a half-an-hour here – at least two of the No. 12 have pulled off the stunners. Maybe not great odds, eh?

For what it's worth, though, No. 12 seeds had only a .350 winning percentage against No. 5 seeds entering this tournament, and failed to pull a first-round upset in 2000 and 2007.

The Utes weren't sure what they were going to wind up doing to kill time until their game against Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament tonight, with coach Jim Boylen said he was going to leave the decision up to his seniors.

Whatever they wind up doing, they will get to American Airlines Arena knowing they're no longer underdogs – not to the oddsmakers, at least.

The Utes are now 1 1/2-point favorites against the Wildcats, but still have been fielding questions all week about being widely viewed as a possible upset victim. But Boylen also said that the fifth seed the Utes were award shows great progress for the program.

"We're thankful for the fifth seed," he said. "I think it's great for our program. I think it shows what we're building. I think it shows that we're back on the map. It's a great testament to what my seniors have done and what my team has done and the schedule we've played.

"But I was in the NBA for a long time," he added. "We won the world championship from a six seed and won nine road games. So if guys believe in each other, they care about each other, they fight for each other, they've got a shot. And that's what we're going to try to do."

Interim coach Russ Pennell has a theory about how the Utes opened as everybody's underdog against his Arizona Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, jokingly speculating that the notion sprang from Salt Lake City itself, as an easy incentive.

"Because that would fire me up, if I was them," he said.

And it has.

Stuck in the unusual situation of being widely viewed as an upset target despite having one of the better seeds in the tournament, coach Jim Boylen has been using every slight to full motivational advantage -- playing for his players video of broadcasters picking against them and citing statistics of online polls that show fans favoring the Wildcats.

"It's been a trend, all year, that we've been the underdogs," point guard Tyler Kepkay said, "so we're pretty used to it. So we're just going to handle it, prepare, and take care of business."

The 24-9 Utes actually have gone from slight underdogs to slight favorites among oddsmakers, suggesting there's actually plenty of sentiment working in their favor.

But the question of how a No. 5 seed like the Utes could be almost universally expected to lose to a No. 12 seed such as Arizona has become the main storyline of the game, surpassing even those surrounding the inside battle between Utah's Luke Nevill and Arizona's Jordan Hill, Boylen's rebuilding effort with the Utes and Pennell's handling of the Wildcats in the wake of legendary coach Lute Olson's retirement five months ago.

"I think that's based on the fact that a lot of people aren't familiar with Utah," Pennell said. "I don't see how in the world a 12 seed could be a favorite over a 5, especially one that played in a tough league like they played in, got a share of the conference championship, then won the conference tournament."

Boylen agreed.

"I don't think the country is used to a Mountain West team being a fifth seed," he said. "So they're assuming that maybe because our conference doesn't get the exposure that the other ones do, that we're not worthy of a fifth seed, and therefore when you play team like Arizona that has tradition and a national kind of following, they assume that it's a game maybe that we should not be picked in. You know, we've been facing that all year. … All I can tell you is we'll be ready to play."

The Utes have won four straight games and 12 of their last 14 -- the Wildcats have lost five of their last six -- and acknowledge some bemusement at hearing analysts doubt them.

"It's not like a huge deal to where we're like dwelling over it and feeling bad for ourselves," forward Shaun Green said. "We more look at it as motivation, to just keep proving people wrong. We were picked fourth in our conference, and we ended up being tied for first. I don't think anybody picked us to win the conference tournament, and we ended up winning that.

"Now, we're underdogs it seems like, again … and that's fine," he added. "We've been that all year. We're just going to keep playing the way we've been playing, just keep trying to prove people wrong."

While the Utes figure to rely on the Nevill inside and hope their squadron of outside shooters has a good night, the Wildcats need a determined effort behind junior forwards Hill and Chase Budinger, two first-team All-Pac-10 Conference players. The Cats like to run, too -- defense has not been their strong suit, lately -- and probably will hope to push the pace against the more half-court oriented Utes.

But the Wildcats did not give the Utes any extra bulletin-board material at their pre-game press conference today, crediting them with playing a tough schedule that shows their toughness -- point guard Nic Wise noted that the Utes beat UNLV, which beat Arizona -- and promising not to get caught up in all of the pre-game talk of an upset.

"We try not to hear that kind of stuff," Budinger said. "Utah is a very good team. They've got the five seed for a reason. They had a great year, and they're a good team. And even though people are saying that this is an upset-type game, we're not letting that get to us at all because we know that Utah is a very good team. We're not going to overlook them at all."

Just returned from watching the Utes practice and address the media, and came away with just the slightest sense that they're taking a more intense an approach to the game. The Arizona Wildcats seemed, somehow, just a little less interested in the whole thing.

But who knows?

My feelings lately – that the Utes would be only a No. 7 seven seed, but with a chance to stay out west in the NCAA Tournament – haven't exactly panned out precisely. But the Utes did say all the right things, from center Luke Nevill not needing to score but to play good defense for the Utes to win, to coach Jim Boylen insisting that all of the talk about favored seeds is meaningless.

"What I try to do as a head coach is prepare my team, no matter who we're playing, no matter where we're playing," he said.

Boylen seemed downright giddy at being a coach at the tournament for the first time, too, happily bouncing from interview to interview and back-slapping with some old friends from his NBA days.

Meanwhile, his players insisted that they were here on business, and not distracted by the flamboyant city, the predictions that they will be upset victims or the prospect of carrying the water for the Mountain West Conference -- which now has only one team left in the tournament after what had been described as the best season in its history.

"We don't really have to worry about what anybody else is doing," forward Shaun Green said. "Our conference spoke up for how good our conference is in the preseason and everything, when we competed against the teams in the nonconference. Now, it's just all about us, really, and we're just out here to prove that we're a good team."

Coach Jim Boylen already has started using the trip to the NCAA Tournament as a recruiting tool. In fact, he was scheduled to make phone calls to a list of prospects the other night, to update them on where and when the Utes will be playing.

But Boylen said he's feeling just as much interest from recruits these days as he tries to convey to them.

"I can't text recruits anymore," he said. "They changed that. But I can get texts back from recruits, you know, 'Saw your game, great win, love the way you play.' So these kids are dialing in. The recruiting process is pretty interactive now, and the one thing I tell recruits is, 'You have to recruit us, too.' ... The worst kind of love is when only one's in love, right? So I talk to my recruits. 'We need some coming back, it let's me know you're interested when we get a little back.' It's been good."

We're on a stopover during our flight to Miami for the NCAA Tournament, but have just enough time to let you know that at least one big-time prognosticator is picking the Utes to beat Arizona on Friday.

You know him as Mr. President.

That's right, President Barack Obama has picked the Utes in the bracket he filled out for ESPN's Andy Katz, though he expects the Utes to fall in the second round to Wake Forest. Still, that's a lot more credit than many national analysts have been giving the Utes.

For what it's worth, Obama also is picking North Carolina to beat Louisville in the championship game, after those teams dispatch Pittsburgh and Memphis in the Final Four.

So the Utes aren't expected to win the NCAA Tournament. They're not even favored to win their first game.

But getting ejected?

Coach Jim Boylen might just be your man.

Oddsmakers at the online gambling site BetUS.com have listed Boylen as a 5-to-1 choice to get run from a game in the tournament, though he's hardly the favorite in that category. USC's Tim Floyd is a 2-to-1 favorite, with LSU's Trent Johnson and UConn's Jim Calhoun listed at 3-to-1 followed by North Carolina's Roy Williams at 4-to-1.

The better odds are on the Utes getting upset, following the widespread expectations that the Utes won't survive Arizona in the first round in Miami on Friday. The Utes are 4-to-1 picks to get upset, though Michigan State and Kansas are 3-to-1 to meet that same fate, with Oklahoma State and Cal also listed at 4-to-1.

Siena, for what it's worth, is listed at 2-to-1 as the team most likely to get in a brawl.

Fun story about center Luke Nevill in the Arizona Daily Star, which notes his fondness for skateboarding and does a nice job enumerating how the Arizona Wildcats view him, compared to other centers they have faced.

Interim coach Russ Pennell said during his press conference the other day that Nevill reminds him somewhat of Santa Clara's 6-foot-11 John Bryant -- who scored 24 on the Wildcats in November, and had 17 in a victory over the Utes last season. Pennell also said Nevill's length is similar to that of former Stanford players Brook and Robin Lopez, but that he might be a step slower than Washington State's Aron Baynes.

"When you're 7-2, 270 pounds," Pennell said. "That's a great place to start."

Also, Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News ranked the Utes 31st in his list of championship contenders in the tournament. That's 10 places behind the Wildcats.

ESPN's Andy Katz added that the Utes have the toughest first-round game in the Midwest Regional, drawing "one of the most talented 12 seeds in recent memory."

Don't think coach Jim Boylen did not notice popular broadcasters such as ESPN's Dick Vitale and Digger Phelps proclaiming the Utes would be an upset victim against Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.

"We've taped those things and it's great ammunition for us," he said. "I think we've been doubted all year. We'll be ready for it."

Many oddsmakers actually made the Utes an early 1-point underdog, despite having a No. 5 seed and playing a team that many analysts thought might miss the tournament, though the game has settled at a pick'em.

"You get at this level, there are just good, good teams," Arizona interim coach Russ Pennell said. "All it takes is a team getting hot on a given day and that's how come you see some of these upsets."

Don't know if anybody else noticed, but watching the Utes play San Diego State in the championship game of the Mountain West Conference tournament, something was just not right. Something was different. Something was missing.

Then, it hit me.

Forward Carlon Brown was playing without his trademark tight lycra undershirt -- though it was hardly his choice. Having thrown his game clothes into the team laundry after the win over Wyoming in the semifinals, Brown discovered his white undershirt missing when his uniform was returned.

"So I came to the game, and I had to go bare" under his jersey, he said. "I had no white socks, either. I don't know if you noticed, I had black socks on, too."

Turned out, Brown enjoyed a pretty good game, scoring 10 points with five rebounds and three steals in the 52-50 victory. But that's not enough to get him to keep playing without an undershirt. He said he expects to wear the looser one that he owns -- he prefers the tighter version, of course -- when the Utes meet Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, since the Utes are seeded higher and again will be wearing their home white jerseys.

When coach Jim Boylen was informed, near the end of his weekly press conference, that the Utes had finally cracked the AP Top 25, he thrust his arms into the air.

"We made it!" he cheered, only half-jokingly.

That's because achieving a national ranking was one of the things the 24-9 Utes set out to do this season. "That was a goal of our program, to be in the top 25," he said. "It was a goal of our program to win a championship in the league. Goal of our program to win a tournament championship, and a goal of our program to be ranked, to be a top 25 program."

The Utes have not been ranked since they entered the NCAA Tournament four years ago, and checked in at No. 25. The remain outside the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, however, leading to a question about whether that means the reporters who vote in the AP Top 25 know more than the coaches. Boylen thought about that for a minute, then finally decided, "ah ... I'm not going to say it."

While the big story for the Utes has been simply making it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years, the big deal for the team they will play -- the Arizona Wildcats -- has been keeping alive a streak of streak of 25 consecutive appearances in the Big Dance.

The Wildcats had feared finally missing out, after losing five of their last six games.

"But if we have learned anything about Bracketology in the past two seasons it is this," columnist Anthony Gimino wrote in the Tucson Citizen, "The selection committee values a team's entire 'body of work' -- an oft-repeated phrase this time of year -- and quality victories much more than the general public does."

And the 19-13 Wildcats had some of those, against teams such as Kansas, Gonzaga and UCLA – which was important because they also suffered what were viewed as embarrassing losses to teams like Alabama-Birmingham and Stanford. The end result was popping up on the selection screen almost as soon as the broadcast began, against a Utah team that several ESPN analysts -- and oddsmakers, who have made the Utes early 1 ½-point underdogs in the game at American Airlines Arena in Miami on Friday -- predicted the Wildcats will beat.

"I must have hugged the same guy five times," Arizona interim coach Russ Pennell said. "It was a moment I'll never forget. ... The moment the kids saw it was like everything they've gone through was worth it."

The Utes knew they had played well and achieved something significant, winning the Mountain West Conference tournament. They knew they had challenged themselves with one of the toughest schedules in the country, and proven they could compete with some of the best teams in college basketball.

Yet they were still surprised -- and oh, so pleasantly -- to see just how nicely they were rewarded.

The Utes had barely settled into their seats at the Huntsman Center today when they learned they had earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and will play No. 12 Arizona at 5:10 p.m. MDT on Friday in sunny Miami. No team in Mountain West history has enjoyed a better seed; even the Utah team that reached the Sweet 16 four years ago started out one spot lower.

"I don't think anyone was expecting a five seed," Green said, "because we shared our conference regular-season [title]. But the tournament, I think, is what got us a five seed. We're playing really well right now ... and now we're excited to go to Miami."

Coach Jim Boylen said it was an "awesome accomplishment" to be seeded so well, and said the 24-9 Utes earned it by playing their tough schedule and then beating TCU, Wyoming and San Diego State to win the Mountain West tournament. "It's a long ride, but it's a great place to play," he said. "We say we'll play anyone, anytime, anywhere, and we'll be ready to play down there."

While the Utes have been widely considered a lock for the tournament for weeks based on a Ratings Percentage Index ranking in top 10 nationally, many analysts had expected the 19-12 Wildcats to miss the tournament for the first time in 25 years. Once they were selected, though, several broadcasters on ESPN -- including Dick Vitale and Digger Phelps -- picked them to upset the Utes.

"I told you we'd get in," Arizona's David Bagga told reporters after the selection announcement.

The Wildcats have proven an enigma under interim coach Russ Pennell, who was appointed to replaced the legendary Lute Olson when he retired in late October.

Junior forwards Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger were named first-team All-Pac-10, and the Wildcats beat four conference champions -- Kansas, Gonzaga, Washington and Weber State -- as well as UCLA. But they also won just two of 11 road games, and lost five of their last six, including a 68-56 decision to rival Arizona State in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Conference tournament.

For the moment, though, the Utes were happy to revel in the accomplishment of reaching the tournament -- "we couldn't ask for anything better," center Luke Nevill said -- and promised to get back to work preparing for the Wildcats today at practice.

"It's going to be a great ride," Boylen said.

Not to get all jinx-y about it, but the first thing that crossed my mind when the Utes were announced as a No. 5 seed playing Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament was ... Sweet 16.

Certainly, the Utes were thrilled with the terrific seed, which allows them to play a team that most analysts figured was only 50/50 to reach the tournament field at all, after losing five of its last six games. And if the Utes get past that game -- which they should -- they will get either Wake Forest or Cleveland State.

Quite winnable, either way.

One of the things that helped get coach Jim Boylen so emotional after the victory last night was guard Lawrence Borha's answer to a question about whether he could have imagined winning the Mountain West Conference and reaching the NCAA Tournament, back when Boylen was hired two years ago.

"I don't think anybody knew where the program was going to go," Borha said, recalling the time after former coach Ray Giacoletti was fired. "But Coach B, like, he was the best pick. You know, I remember in his press conference the first day he came, he was like, 'Yeah, my guys back there.' That's when I noticed, I have to stay. He did his work, believed in us, thought we could win. That's when I knew we were going to be a good team."

Boylen was straining to hold back tears the whole time, and later finally described what each of his three-year seniors means to him. "It's very gratifying to have a championship outright," he said.

Only a few hours remain until the Utes learn their seed and destination in the NCAA Tournament, following their tough and impressive victory over San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference tournament championship game last night.

And everybody is making their final predictions.

ESPN's Jerry Lunardi has the Utes as a No. 7 seed in his popular “Bracketology” -- playing Dayton in Greensboro, N.C. Meanwhile, Jerry Palm at CBSSports.com projects the Utes as a No. 7 seed playing Creighton in Minneapolis (with the chance to meet coach Jim Boylen's mentor Tom Izzo and Michigan State in the second round), and Andy Glockner of SI.com has them as a No. 8 seed playing Dayton in Philadelphia (better to play Dayton than to go here, for sure).

Even more promising, Marlen Garcia of USA Today had the Utes as a No. 6 seed playing Penn State in Minneapolis (and that was before the Mountain West title game was over), and Mike Huguenin of Rivals.com also has the Utes as a No. 6 seed, though his projection does not include opponents or sites.

My guess is the Utes will be a No. 7, and might actually have a shot at playing at one of the Western sites, either Boise or Portland. But that's just a hunch. Stay tuned this afternoon to find out what happens ...

Nothing you can say about these guys now, except congratulations. No quibbling about the shocking early losses (which, henceforth, will remain nameless) or the title-denying late ones. No questioning their heart or talent or toughness. Nothing.

No, the Utes removed the last significant question about their ability -- could they finally beat a good team away from home? -- by beating San Diego State 52-50 in the championship of the Mountain West Conference at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday night, and proved that they will be a team to be reckoned with at the NCAA Tournament next week.

"We're just going to soak this in tonight," forward Carlon Brown said.

Tomorrow, the Utes could find themselves armed with perhaps a No. 5 seed -- certainly, nothing worse than a No. 7 -- after the defensive lockdown they put on the Aztecs to win their first tournament title in five years and win their third game in three nights on a floor where they had lost six of their previous seven games, overall.

And no matter where they end up, they will stand a puncher's chance against any team against which they're matched, on account of center Luke Nevill and their squadron of supporting players. My two questions about this team entering the postseason were whether they had the fortitude to win three in a row on subsequent days and whether they could win more than one game at the NCAA Tournament.

The Utes have delivered one strong answer, already, and I'm not going to doubt them on the other.

Shaun Green saved the best for last in his remarkable career.

The senior forward poked the ball away from San Diego State's Richie Williams with time winding down in the championship game of the Mountain West Conference tournament, allowing the Utes to escape with a dramatic 52-50 victory, their first tourney victory in five years and an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

It also gave coach Jim Boylen a chance to mention me in his post-game television interview, noting how I teased him last week that he should have cut down only a third of the net after sharing the regular-season league championship with two other teams.

"I got the whole thing, now," he said.

And boy, he earned it.

Williams had just hit three straight jumpers -- the last two, three-pointers -- to cut the lead to 51-50, and Utah's Lawrence Borha missed the second of two free throws with 5.7 seconds left. San Diego State's Ryan Amoroso rebounded and passed ahead to Williams, who raced up the court looking for a potential game-tying shot.

But Green's salvation swipe kept him from ever attempting it, and brought red-clad fans streaming onto the court to celebrate with the players.

"Awesome win, man," Boylen said on the post-game radio broadcast, with tears in his eyes.

While center Luke Nevill secured tournament Most Valuable Player honors by scoring 18 points and grabbing 15 rebounds, the Utes smothered the Aztecs after halftime the same way they did last month back home. The Aztecs scored only 30 points in the second half before Williams' threatening flurry, and shot 39 percent.

Borha added 12 points and Carlon Brown had 10 for the Utes, who improved to 24-9 and probably can expect at least a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, now that they have beaten a team in the Top 50 of the Ratings Percentage Index away from home. They had lost all four previous attempts.

Maybe all of the water isn't entirely under the bridge yet, between coaches Jim Boylen and Heath Schroyer, even after three games between the Utes and Wyoming Cowboys have passed without incident since the men engaged an post-game shouting match over a controversial alley-oop dunk.

Why do we wonder?

Although he gave Boylen and the Utes plenty of credit for what they have accomplished this season -- "Jim has done a great job," Schroyer said -- the Wyoming coach also made a point during his post-game press conference late last night to praise Boylen's much-maligned predecessor, Ray Giacoletti, for recruiting the players with whom Boylen is now winning. The implication seemed to be that Boylen hasn't yet proved he can win without having had a full cupboard of talent left for him -- a particularly nasty jab given how little regard exists for Giacoletti within the Utah community.

"I give Jim a lot of credit," Schroyer said. "I also give Ray Giacoletti, the former coach at Utah, a lot of credit for bringing on so many of these guys and having the foresight to put that team together. They have everything.

"Years ago, they brought in young players -- Nevill, Green, all those guys were so young," Schroyer added. "They got their butts kicked for awhile. But now as juniors and seniors, they're really good. They've got four, five guys that have played together for so long. They're mature. They don't get rattled. They've got as good of a post presence as there is in the country offensively right now, and they put four guys around him that can shoot 'em. ... They can make a serious run in the NCAA Tournament."

All along down the stretch of this season, my sense about the Utes was that while they had improved drastically to reach the point where they could beat almost anybody at home and most mediocre to poor teams on the road, they had yet to grow quite enough to show they could win a big game against a really good team on somebody else's floor.

Well, tonight's their chance.

The 23-9 Utes are in the championship game of the Mountain West Conference tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center -- not against hometown UNLV, as many might have expected, but against San Diego State, the league's third-best team in the Ratings Percentage Index with a No. 31 ranking. The Utes are ranked 12th, but have not won any of their four games away from home against Top 50 teams.

What's more, the 23-8 Aztecs seem to be flying just as high as the Utes -- the Aztecs are actually 1-point favorites -- and coach Jim Boylen expects a close game.

"We struggle with their athleticism, their size," Boylen said. "It's going to come down to grit, toughness, who wins the loose balls and who makes their open looks. They got us at their place, we got them at our place. I've felt San Diego State was one of the best teams in our league, and I think it's proven to be that.

"What they've done is handled adversity all year long," he added. "They've had the flu bug hit their team. They've had injuries, they've had issues on their team where their lineups haven't been consistent. ... In my mind, they're just starting to catch their groove because they're healthy and feeling better. Nobody in the league -- I think I can speak for the league -- doubted whether they're one of the top teams. They are, and they're proving it this week."

And if the Utes can beat them, they will have proven something every bit as important and impressive.

One night after he managed just a single basket, center Luke Nevill once again blew apart the Wyoming Cowboys.

The 7-foot-2 center had another huge game against the Pokes, erupting for 23 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in a 68-55 victory in the semifinal of the Mountain West Conference tournament late last night that delivered the Utes to tonight's championship game against San Diego State.

"He's our first option, our No. 1 option," coach Jim Boylen said. "Every guy on my team gets better when he's on the floor, so we try to go to him as much as we can."

It worked early, as the Utes sought to establish an early tone, and Nevill scored 10 of his team's first 13 points. And it worked again when the Cowboys had cut a 13-point lead to five midway through the second half and were trying to rally the energy to complete the comeback. Nevill made a couple of easy hooks over the worst defense in the league – it futilely tried a zone defense against him, this time -- and scored 10 points in less than six minutes to help restore control.

"We have the MVP of the league on our team," point guard Luka Drca explained. "So we concentrate on punching the ball inside, and Luke executed every play."

Pretty much, yeah.

And the Cowboys didn't have anything new with which to stop him. Nevill had 29 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks in the first meeting of the regular season, and 15 points and 12 rebounds in the second. The Utes won both, easily.

"When he can drop step over both shoulders, he's dominant," Boylen said. "And when he can throw his hook, you saw what that does. It's an unblockable shot. ... And when he makes his hook, in my opinion, it's like some of the teams in our league when they make a three. You know, when BYU makes a three, they kind of raise up a level. New Mexico makes a three, their team kind of [raises up]. When Luke makes a hook, our team gets jacked up, and I thought you saw some of that tonight."

Said Nevill: "That's our goal, to throw the ball inside. That was our first option, from the get-go, and I was open, so I was making plays, making shots. When the ball gets thrown into me and it's a one-on-one situation, I'm going to score -- I'm going to try to score -- every time."

Well, the oddsmakers have posted a line for tonight's game between the Utes and Wyoming in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center here in Las Vegas, and the Utes are 9-point favorites as they aim for a third straight win over the Cowboys and a spot in the tournament final.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys are riding high after their upset of New Mexico in the quarterfinals, when all-conference guard Brandon Ewing scored 20 points while teammate Sean Ogirri added 17.

"We watch The Mtn. just like everybody else does, and everybody counted us out," Ewing said. "They knew New Mexico was going to be in the championship game. We came into this game with a lot of pride. We didn't want to lose this game. We were so nervous at tip-off. I think we missed a lot of easy shots, and they made some shots. Once we got the nerves out, we played pretty good."

Oh, and the latest version of ESPN's "Bracketology" is out, and analyst Joe Lunardi has the Utes as a No. 7 seed playing Boston College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Kansas City.

The moment the ball left his hands from the corner of the floor, guard Lawrence Borha said his only thought was, "I hope this goes in. ... It felt good, but a lot of my shots felt good, so I wasn't sure."

Indeed, the senior was only 1-for-6 from three-point range before hoisting what turned out to be the game-winning shot with 0.8 seconds left in the Utes' 61-58 victory over TCU in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center last night. But nobody seemed to lack any faith that perhaps the biggest shot of his career was going to fall.

"He has made some clutch, clutch plays," coach Jim Boylen said, noting the game-winner against New Mexico earlier this season.

For his part, Borha was his usual almost-sheepish self after the big shot. But he insisted that while he would rather the Utes have comfortable leads instead of the need for last-second heroics, he's not going to shy away from taking big shots. He also credited teammates Shaun Green and Tyler Kepkay for keeping the Utes in the game when center Luke Nevill and forward Kim Tillie were in serious foul trouble. It's a good thing forward Morgan Grim returned to practice from a broken foot just a few days ago, in fact; the Utes needed him to help in the frontcourt during the first half.

“Without them being the players that they are, we would have let this game slip,” Borha said.

Kepkay scored seven straight points late in the first half to help the Utes reach halftime with a lead, while Green made two outside-the-area-code three-pointers down the stretch to help combat TCU's seven straight scoring possessions.

So what was going through Borha's mind in those tense final seconds?

Point guard Luka Drca “was supposed to come off a high pick-and-roll, get the last shot,” Borha said. But “he finds me in the corner. I'm in the corner, just waiting, not believing it was going to come, but it comes. And I shoot it, it feels good, and when it goes in, I'm just excited, relived, just want to jump and down. So happy."

Theoretically, the Utes just found an easier path to the Mountain West Conference tournament title game.

Not long after they pulled out a 61-58 victory over TCU in the quarterfinals at the Thomas & Mack Center, the Wyoming Cowboys came back to upset New Mexico 75-67 to set up a semifinal meeting with the Utes late Friday night. The Cowboys are the sixth seed in the tournament while the Lobos were the third, having shared the regular-season title with the Utes and Brigham Young.

Still, the Utes would have liked a shot at the Lobos, who beat them in Albuquerque last week to help deny them the outright regular-season crown. But the Lobos are headed home -- and probably out of the NCAA Tournament, while the Utes still are hoping to win the tournament for the first time in five years.

Wyoming earned the victory mostly from three-point range, making 10 of 19 shots from distance while holding the Lobos -- the best three-point shooting team in the league -- to a miserable 3 of 23, including a brutal 0-for-8 long-range performance for senior forward Chad Toppert.

Well, that was a little too close for comfort.

The Utes nearly spoiled their regular-season championship with a quarterfinal catastrophe against TCU in the Mountain West Conference tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center tonight, but survived after TCU's Ronnie Moss missed a lay-up and guard Lawrence Borha buried a game-winning three-pointer with 0.8 seconds left for a 61-58 victory.

"I wasn't aware of the time" exactly, Borha said. "But ... I was just ready in the corner, ready to shoot the ball if it was coming to me. It came to me and I was ready to shoot it. I shot it, and I made it."

Yet even Borha said he would prefer not to have to provide such heroics, certainly not against what figured to be the least challenging test they would face at the tournament. But guard Tyler Kepkay said that he felt as if teams that win tournaments have to win games like that somewhere along the way, and coach Jim Boylen was proud that the Utes hung in there -- especially down the stretch, when the Horned Frogs were poised to pull away while scoring on seven straight possessions.

"We coach our guys ... to learn how to win," he said. "We've put all those guys ... in end-of-game situations in practice all year long, where they're the guy that has to make a play. And we've done it more than any team I've ever been with in 22 years of coaching."

Most notably, the game was marked by ragged play and foul trouble that hampered both sides. While TCU's Kevin Langford ultimately fouled out with just five points, Utah's Luke Nevill played only four minutes in the first half and had to be careful in the second. The league player of the year made just one basket, but made all eight of his free throws, including two with 44.9 seconds left that tied the game before Moss missed his lay-up and set up the winning sequence for the Utes.

Forward Shaun Green stepped up to lead the Utes with 14 points, including two long three-pointers down the stretch, and guard Tyler Kepkay scored seven straight late in the first half to give the Utes a halftime lead. "We feel like we're a complete team," Green said. "It's not just Luke Nevill and the rest of us. It's a complete team. We made plays, like coach said. Tyler made a bunch of shots in the first half to keep us in it. I made a couple of shots. LB made the biggest one at the end."

So here's an intriguing pre-game story ...

Evidently, coach Jim Boylen fielded a phone call today from a person claiming to represent the sponsor of a poker tournament here in Las Vegas in which the comedian Adam Sandler is somehow taking part. And according to the caller, Sandler has family members who live in Utah and occasionally attend Utes games, so he was wondering whether he could get some tickets to tonight's Mountain West Conference tournament game against TCU at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Sounded plausible enough, so the Utes left some tickets. Now, just keep your eyes peeled!

And one last thing before we really get the Mountain West Conference tournament fired up.

Remember how former coach Rick Majerus famously (and justifiably) complained about the league holding its tournament in a gambling city like Las Vegas while on the other hand giving lip service to anti-gambling messages? Lest you forgot, here's a priceless quote from 1998:

"We're at the WAC tournament and they want us to show the kids a film on gambling," he said. "And we're staying on top of a casino. I asked them where do they want me to show the tape, at the blackjack table, the craps pit or when the boys are checking out their Keno numbers?"

So where do you suppose Majerus and his St. Louis Billikens are playing the Atlantic-10 Tournament this season?

That's right, beautiful Atlantic City!

It worked out fairly well to start, with the Billikens beating LaSalle in overtime to earn a quarterfinal date with top-seeded Xavier -- though the Musketeers crushed them today. Still, Majerus always had a good point on the double-standard, and it's worth remembering.

"Don't get me started on that tournament," Majerus said. "I don't like taking kids into casinos, I don't like taking kids into smoke-filled rooms, I don't like the proximity to gambling. I think it's the biggest betting handle in American sports. All of a sudden we're down there and a viable player in the (upcoming NCAA tournament), and the kids don't know who they're talking to. I think it's tough to put those kids in that situation.

"Believe me, I'm not a pollyanna," Majerus added, "I've spent a lot of nights in Las Vegas -- I'm the king of Las Vegas. But if we really cared about the kids we wouldn't do those types of things."

Incidentally, almost every team and many of their supporters are staying at a league-sanctioned casino during the tournament this week.

So we all want to know who's favored to win the Mountain West Conference tournament, right? Not any easy deduction, given that three teams tied for the regular-season title with almost identical resumes?

Naturally, the oddsmakers here in Las Vegas are helping with that.

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the Las Vegas Hilton casino has made the Brigham Young Cougars the 7-to-4 favorite to finally go home with the trophy, after finishing as runners-up the past two seasons. The Utes and UNLV are listed as 3-to-1 chances to win -- the Utes insist they won't be lacking motivation -- with the New Mexico Lobos listed at 4-to-1 and San Diego State to 7-to-1. Everybody else is at least 40-to-1.

"We've beaten every team in the conference, so we're very confident," forward Shaun Green said. "We just need to stay focused and stay determined to win a championship. It's three days, three games. Anything can happen, any team can get hot. We've seen in this league where it's been tough top to bottom ... so not any game is given, and you have to go into each game with a focus and determination to win each game."

Meanwhile, the Utes are big 10-point favorites in their quarterfinal game today against the TCU Horned Frogs, who have lost 10 of their last 11 and seem to be hoping that one of the usual cliches proves true -- it's hard to beat a team three times in a season, they're well-rested, and they have nothing to lose.

"The one thing I could promise was that these guys would play their hearts out every night, and I think they did," TCU coach Jim Christian said. "Did we play the smartest or very well at times? No. But did we play hard every time and never quit? Yes."

The Utes have beaten the Horned Frogs twice this season, most recently just five days ago. Neither game was especially close, with the Utes winning 62-54 on the road and 68-49 at home.

By the way, been forgetting to mention that one addition to the home schedule for next season will be ... drum roll, please ... the Idaho Vandals!

Woo-hoo!

The alma mater of your favorite U. hoops blogger -- under the impressive new direction of former Utah State assistant Don Verlin -- is tentatively scheduled to visit the Huntsman Center for the season opener on Nov. 13, director of operations Jonathan Dykema confirmed, only a few days before the Utes are scheduled to meet the Aggies. That should help in the preparation a bit, given that the Vandals and Ags run some similar stuff, on account of the coaching connections.

And sure, the Utes will be favored to win that game, but let's not discount the magic that Verlin (and former Ray Giacoletti assistant Mike Score) have been working in Moscow. The Vandals are entering the WAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed after sweeping the rotten Boise States and building a 16-14 record after years of disastrous results.

Surely, only the cruel and heartless could fail to be impressed.

Meanwhile, the Utes also are hoping to add Michigan to the home schedule, though the teams could play in Ann Arbor if the Wolverines get scheduled for a road game in the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Center Luke Nevill knows it's important for the Utes to focus on one opponent at a time at the Mountain West Conference tournament, but he also acknowledged that New Mexico is the one team they really would like to meet again.

"We're hoping we can meet them in the second round, just to get things even again," he said. "We feel like we didn't play our best basketball down in The Pit, and we feel like we have something to prove against them."

The Utes lost for the seventh straight time at New Mexico last week, costing them a chance to win the league's regular-season championship outright. The Utes have lost two of three meetings with the Lobos in the Mountain West tournament, and will meet them again in the semifinals if they beat TCU in the quarterfinals tonight and the Lobos beat Wyoming.

The Utes are in Las Vegas now, getting ready for their quarterfinal game against TCU in the Mountain West Conference tournament tomorrow night and insisting that they don't lack for motivation -- even though they already have won a share of the regular-season league championship, and assured themselves of reaching the NCAA Tournament.

"We're going to the tournament to win the tournament," center Luke Nevill said. "We favor ourselves. We haven't played our best game down in Vegas and we have something to prove. We have to go out there and be strong. To share the conference is great, but we want to show that we're above the rest, and by winning this tournament, we can do that."

No doubt about that.

The 21-9 Utes haven't won a league tournament in five years, and winning it now probably will require three straight big performances from Nevill, the league player of the year who many view as a future first-round pick in the NBA Draft. That would definitely help the Utes in several ways, too -- effectively breaking the three-way tie for the regular-season title and improving their seed for the upcoming NCAA Tournament and perhaps even placating coach Jim Boylen, who complained this week that his team has not received enough credit for its accomplishments so far.

"We just want to go to the tournament in do well," guard Lawrence Borha said. "Whether that means breaking the three-way tie or getting a better seed in the NCAA. We want to do both."

"We've beaten every team in the conference, so we're very confident," forward Shaun Green added. "We just need to stay focused and stay determined to win a championship. It's three days, three games. Anything can happen, any team can get hot. We've seen in this league where it's been tough top to bottom ... so not any game is given, and you have to go into each game with a focus and determination to win each game."

It's probably going to be almost a daily thing for the next little while, center Luke Nevill hauling in awards.

Today, it was the announcement that the 7-foot-2 senior has been voted the District VIII Player of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Nevill also was named to the USBWA's All-District first team, after making the second team the past two seasons.

Nevill became the first player in Mountain West Conference history to win both the league's player of the year award and its defensive player of the year award in the same season, and was named first-team All-District by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

The Utes have put season-tickets for next season on sale already, hoping to capitalize on the excitement over winning a share of the Mountain West Conference championship and all but certainly heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years.

Better still, prices will not increase.

The Utes said seats in the upper bowl will cost as little as $100 each, and that they have created a new area in which fans can buy lower-bowl seats for as little as $199 each. That area includes sections S, T, U, V, G and H -- basically, behind the baskets -- above the 21st row.

"I hope our fans understand how important they are to the success of our team," coach Jim Boylen said in a statement. "As we continue our commitment to re-establishing this program, we need the support of our fans. We were able to win a championship this year and it was great to see the Huntsman Center filling up. ... Hopefully our attendance keeps growing as we grow this program back to a national power."

The home schedule next season might not be quite as glamorous as it was this season -- that would be a tall order -- but it will include powerful Oklahoma, as well as Utah State and Illinois State in the inaugural MWC/MVC Challenge. The Utes said "an additional marquee home game" will be added soon.

Coach Jim Boylen set out to ensure that the Utes would have a trip to the NCAA Tournament wrapped up by the time the Mountain West Conference tournament rolled around, by playing a non-conference schedule so difficult that they would not need to make a spectacular stretch run just to convince the selection committee they were worthy.

And the plan worked.

The Utes are 21-9 and a dead-solid lock to make the tournament for the first time in four years, by all accounts. Nevertheless, Boylen complained at his weekly press conference that the Utes have not received enough credit for having "set the standard for the league" with their scheduling philosophy, which has rewarded them with a No. 11 ranking in the Ratings Percentage Index on Monday, and a strength-of-schedule component that ranked 17th in the nation.

"It's just unbelievable," he said. "And they're not getting enough credit for it, which is disappointing, because everybody's focused on the league, which is great. I understand that. But it's just, nobody's talking about it -- what this team has done, who we've played."

The Utes played Gonzaga, Cal, Oklahoma, Mississippi and LSU, among others, as part of a schedule that actually seemed to receive quite a bit of attention from all corners, from the moment the Utes announced it and heavily promoted its attractive home games.

Still ...

"We set the standard for the league," Boylen said, "how you get into the NCAA Tournament, who you have to play and how you should run your program, in my opinion. We set the standard on how you schedule, why you schedule it, and it's not getting enough [attention]. For what these guys have done, it's not getting enough. Maybe it's because we lost those two games, at BYU and at New Mexico, and if that's the case, that's a shame. It's a shame."

Boylen was asked to clarify whether he meant the news media wasn't giving the Utes enough credit.

"Are you guys talking about it?" he asked.

"As far as what this team has accomplished," Boylen continued. "Are you guys talking about it? ... I don't notice it. I don't see it. I only hear people talk about losing to Southwest Baptist or losing to Idaho State. That always comes up, in every article. I don't understand it. I feel bad for my guys on that, because they've played an unbelievable schedule. Unbelievable."

Boylen later said he perhaps could have explained himself better at the press conference, but stood by his feeling that not enough people seem to appreciate the achievement of transforming a team that had a losing league record last season into one that is going to the NCAA Tournament no matter what happens at the league tournament this week in Las Vegas.

The Utes could have forward Morgan Grim back for games in the Mountain West Conference tournament, coach Jim Boylen said, with the 6-foot-8 sophomore returning to practice today for the first time since breaking a bone in his foot six weeks ago.

"We'll see how it goes," Boylen said.

The coach also said that point guard Luka Drca dislocated a rib in his back during the victory over TCU the other day, which accounted for his limited playing time. Drca was in "a ton of pain," Boylen said, even after trainers popped the rib back into place. "It's almost like a bruise, now."

Still, Drca is expected to be available for the Utes when they meet the Horned Frogs again in the tournament quarterfinals on Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

So let's just say right off the bat that it's ridiculous that the Mountain West Conference lists so many players as all-conference honorees. It released a first, second and third team today, along with a sprawling group of honorable mentions -- for a total of 26 players in a league with 45 starters.

And orange slices for everybody!

Nevertheless, center Luke Nevill justifiably and predictably won player of the year honors, but coach Jim Boylen was denied coach of the year honors -- probably because of the loss at New Mexico last week. Without that, the Lobos and coach Steve Alford don't work their way into the three-way tie for first place that allowed Alford to win the award, on account of having been picked in the preseason poll to finish fifth, one spot behind the Utes.

Five other Utes were honored, but only because the league patted so many people on the head. Guard Lawrence Borha was named to the third team, while guards Luka Drca and Tyler Kepkay and forwards Carlon Brown and Shaun Green were all named honorable mention. Green also was named sixth-man of the year.

For what it's worth, my ballot had Borha on the second team, and Green on the third (as well as the top sixth-man). Boylen as the coach, too, because he deserves credit for daring to play the difficult schedule that he did.

Voters around the league disagreed only slightly with my first-team ballot, choosing Wyoming's Brandon Ewing instead of Kyle Spain of San Diego State. Otherwise, my choices of Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette and Lee Cummard, New Mexico's Tony Danridge and Nevill all appeared on the final first-team list.

While talking to the seniors for today's article about their last home game for the Utes against TCU at the Huntsman Center, with the Mountain West Conference championship on the line, we came up with a lot more than could fit in the newspaper.

For example, forward Shaun Green seemed to be expecting the most emotion today, having grown up in Salt Lake City dreaming of playing for the Utes. He said he's thankful that coach Jim Boylen took over and turned around the program to the point that the Utes are enormous 14 1/2-point favorites against the Horned Frogs.

"I've definitely matured and grown up," Green said. "With basketball, to where if a couple of things go wrong in the game, it doesn't really phase me a lot. But when I was a freshman, a couple things went wrong, my mind would be all over the place and I was always rattled. Now, it has definitely helped playing a lot of games and just aging and maturing to where you get down by eight points, you still feel like we're going to win the game."

"We've always had the talent and always been able to play," he added, noting that the Utes had beaten some good teams under former coach Ray Giacoletti, but too often seemed to fall to the bad ones. But Boylen "just helped change the mentality of everybody, helped them believe in themselves more."

Guard Lawrence Borha agreed, again praising the coaches for changing the tenor of the program. He always has felt that the previous coaching staff was too distant and unpredictable. Now, he said, "you know you're going to play, if you do the right things."

"We didn't have leaders on the team," Borha recalled of his first two years in the program. "We had people that tried to play the role, but it wasn't really being passed through to everybody else. Now we have -- I don't want to say four, just the seniors -- we have a lot of leaders on the floor. Luka Drca is one of the top leaders on the team, and he's just a junior. We have all the senior leaders. Carlon is a leader on the team, and still we have all the coaches. So everybody's just leading."

For his part, Boylen said he's proud that the players have developed they way they have, but that he's most happy that they gave him a chance to help them.

"They've all improved as players, but I think the biggest success is how they've improved as people," he said. "I don't want it to come out that they're bad kids, that's not what I'm saying. They've listed and they learned and they understand what it is to work hard and allowed me to coach them and teach them. They've bought in, and you have to give them credit for that, because change is tough. Change is hard on a kid at this age, at this level. A lot of doubt comes in."

But that doubt is gone, along with the days when the Utes had nothing to play for on the last day of the season.

So the ballots for the All-Mountain West Conference teams are due into the league office soon, and mine is already pretty much filled out.

But who would you choose?

Voters are asked to pick the five-member first, second and third all-conference teams, as well as the player, coach, defensive, freshman and newcomer of the year. Oh, and the five-man all-defensive team. You don't have to do all of that, but it would be interesting to know how you feel about some of those categories -- and then we'll unveil my ballot on Sunday and see how they compare.

Center Luke Nevill has picked up the first of what figures to be a bunch of postseason awards, being named first-team all-district by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and becoming eligible for the State Farm Coaches' Division I All-America team.

"We are excited that Luke made the first team and we are very proud of the season he is having," coach Jim Boylen said in a statement. "With our success as a team and his dominating numbers, we expect him to make a strong push for the All-America team."

Heading into the final home game of his career, the 7-foot-2 senior leads the Mountain West Conference with 8.6 rebounds per game and a school-record 80 blocked shots, and ranks second with his 17-point scoring average and 60.1 shooting percentage. He was a second-team NABC All-District selection the past two seasons.

And now, a word about tiebreakers.

Obviously, the Utes would just as soon clinch the Mountain West Conference championship outright by beating TCU and having both Brigham Young and New Mexico lose on Saturday. But that does not appear likely to happen -- not with the Cougars playing Air Force at home and the Lobos playing at Wyoming.

So, long story short, the Utes will win any tiebreaker for the top seed in the league tournament next week at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, as long as they beat TCU and UNLV wins at San Diego State on Saturday -- ultimately, on the strength of their superior Ratings Percentage Index ranking. However, if the Aztecs beat UNLV to finish alone in fourth place and Brigham Young is involved in a tie with the Utes at 12-4 atop of the standings, the Cougars will win the top seed on account of their season sweep of the Aztecs.

Got it?

Now, the question becomes whether the Utes would really prefer that top seed.

Winning it would give the Utes a quarterfinal match-up against either Colorado State or Air Force, the two worst teams in the league, and the noon tip-off of that game also would afford them the most rest of any team in the field before meeting either UNLV or San Diego State in the earlier of the two semifinals on Friday.

On the other hand, though, there would be some benefit to having the second seed.

For starters, the Utes wouldn't have to wait to learn who they play in the quarterfinals. The game between CSU and Air Force takes place less than 24 hours before the quarterfinal game, but we already know the second seed will play TCU, which is locked into the seventh spot. The Utes wouldn't even have to break out new game film, for that. They also wouldn't take as much of a hit to their Ratings Percentage Index ranking -- although that probably doesn't matter much after 29 games -- and potentially would not have to meet UNLV on its home floor until the final, if both teams advanced that far.

Now, if the Utes, Cougars and Lobos all lose on Saturday, and San Diego State wins to create a four-way tie for the title? Don't ask ... just prepare for the apocalypse.

So, never mind all my fear-mongering. ESPN's Joe Lunardi is almost certain the Utes are going to make it to the NCAA Tournament, no matter what happens against TCU and in the Mountain West Conference tournament next week.

"I think they're 95 percent in," the renowned bracket analyst said.

"Clearly, their RPI is an outlier this season," he added. "It was nine yesterday. I don't think any reasonable person would suggest they're the ninth-best team in the country. But they're not 59th, either. Maybe they're 29th, and I say that puts them somewhere in the seven to 10 range [for an NCAA Tournament seed], depending on how they finish. I feel pretty good about the Utes being in."

And don't forget about the women.

Coach Elaine Elliott's team plays its final home game of the season against New Mexico tonight at 7 in the Huntsman Center, where it will be aiming to clinch a share of the Mountain West Conference women's championship in the last home game for seniors Morgan Warburton, Katie King and Deanne Stevenson.

If the Utes beat both the Lobos and TCU on the road Saturday, they can win their seventh regular-season title outright, but one victory will be enough to reach 20 for the 20th time in Elliott's distinguished career.

Technically, the Utes are at risk of blowing what had been a two-game lead in the Mountain West Conference standings with three games to play -- which obviously doesn't look good.

But you can make an argument that they're simply suffering from the arrangement of opponents on the schedule. Had the games at Brigham Young and New Mexico been played earlier in the season, and the Utes still lost them, they probably would be viewed now as coming on strong to make a play for the league title -- considering the games they have just lost probably would be substituted for victories over other teams that, as it stands, they played earlier in the season.

Still, failing twice now to clinch at least a share of the title -- however challenging the opponents and arenas -- has to be weighing on the Utes, as they prepare for what figures to be a must-win game against TCU in the regular-season finale at the Huntsman Center on Saturday, for a couple of reasons.

Obviously, there's the league title.

The Utes don't want to give that away.

But there's also the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Is it possible the Utes -- long viewed as a stone-cold lock to make the 65-team field -- could miss out entirely? That seems doubtful, given their still-impressive resume. But losing three in a row to finish the regular season (including a finale at home against a TCU team that ranked 158th in the Ratings Percentage Index) would be one way to give the selection committee something to debate, especially if they followed it up with an early exit from the league tournament next week.

And nobody wants to risk that -- or even simply a lower seed in the national tournament.

"We have to go home and get ready to play," forward Shaun Green said.

Added center Luke Nevill: "We just have to regroup, get our game plan in, and get ready to dominate."

And just like that, everybody loves Wyoming.

Now that the Utes have given up sole possession of first place in the Mountain West Conference by losing to New Mexico 77-71 at The Pit tonight, the Cowboys are the team that can help the Utes win the league title -- outright, even -- by beating Brigham Young tonight and New Mexico on Saturday. Of course, the Utes are going to have to beat TCU in the regular-season finale on Saturday to make that happen, or at least share the title if the Pokes can't do enough damage at home.

"We have to regroup and go home and win," coach Jim Boylen said.

Certainly, the Utes put up a good fight against the Lobos, but their seventh straight loss at The Pit shows again that while they have made giant strides over the past two years, they're still a few shades short of a great team. They're capable of beating just about anybody at home and bad-to-mediocre teams on the road, but stopping good teams in tough environments on the road -- such as Oklahoma, BYU and New Mexico -- remains just outside their grasp.

"We were right there," Boylen said. "A play here, a play there. Couple tough calls that maybe don't go your way. … We were right there. I'm proud of my team, proud of my staff. We have a good basketball team and we're going to keep growing."

The Utes shot an impressive 56 percent and held the Lobos to 42 (including 4-for-13 on three-pointers), but gave up 13 offensive rebounds while grabbing only one, allowing the Lobos to take 18 more shots. Between that, and 18 turnovers — 12 in the second half, and four during a five-minute scoreless stretch — the Utes "never could recover," center Luke Nevill said.

"The bright side is, we made them miss," Boylen said. "The bad side is we didn't get the ball. … We've got to get those balls."

Nevill fouled out with 16 points and five rebounds, but the big killer was the 12-0 run the Lobos made while the Utes went those five minutes without scoring in the second half, to take a 60-47 lead. The Utes steadied themselves to cut the lead to five with two minutes left, but the Lobos made 11 of 14 free throws the rest of the way to keep them from coming any closer.

The Lobos enjoyed monster games from two of their seniors in the final home game of their careers, with forward Tony Danridge scoring a career-high 29 points and center Daniel Faris adding 16 and 10 rebounds, getting the benefit of three offensive foul calls in the post to help foul out Nevill for the first time all season.

Nevill clearly was frustrated by the calls that met such roaring approval from the 18,018 fans. At one point during the scoreless stretch, he pushed away teammates during an on-court huddle, and after fouling out held up three fingers to referee Bob Staffen to emphasize his disgust at the offensive fouls.

"I thought we were both just going at each other," Nevill said. "I mean, hands were up in the air. I was just too physical, I guess."

Point guard Tyler Kepkay led the Utes with 20 points despite suffering a cut over his right eye that required three stitches to close, and forward Shaun Green added 13 points. Boylen praised his team for playing "awesome" defense, and for fighting back down the stretch. He also said mid-court confrontation with New Mexico's Steve Alfordwas a misunderstanding stemming from Boylen having to run onto the court amid the din in order to get a referee's attention so he could call timeout after back-to-back Lobo lay-ups.

"The refs knew that," Boylen said. "I had to get a timeout called and nobody is looking at me and the place is going nuts."

After a cordial post-game discussion in the handshake line, Alford agreed.

"He's competitive, I'm competitive," Alford said. "We're all trying to win a league championship. I think he's out on the floor; he thinks I'm out on the floor. He thinks I'm nuts; I think he's nuts. That's just being competitive. It's all part of the game, and it's all fun. His staff's holding him back, and my staff's holding me back, so it all turned out well."

Well, for him, maybe.

The Utes still could use a little help from those Cowboys, never mind a big win on Saturday.

Scrape together that loose change!

The Utes have announced a "Name Your Own Price" promotion for the regular-season finale against TCU at the Huntsman Center at 4 p.m. on Saturday, with 2,000 upper-bowl tickets available for whatever a buyer would like to pay for them. And there's no minimum -- the only catch is that tickets will be limited to 10 per person.

Fans can buy tickets at the Rice-Eccles Stadium ticket office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, or by calling 801-581-UTIX.

Five seniors will play the final home game of their college careers for the Utes, who might need to beat the Horned Frogs to clinch a share of the Mountain West Conference championship. The Utes also will honor legendary former All-American Arnie Ferrin at halftime, in commemoration of his induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

"We are planning on a huge crowd for our last game of the season," coach Jim Boylen said in a statement. "It's a big night for our program, our seniors and Arnie Ferrin."

It could be the most anxious, pulsating, dramatic game of the season for the Utes tonight, when they take on fellow championship contender New Mexico and its legion of wild fans in the last game that legendary University Arena – otherwise known as "The Pit" -- can hold more than 18,000 fans, because of an upcoming renovation.

And coach Jim Boylen knows it.

His Utes traveled to Albuquerque a day earlier than usual out of concern about potential travel and sleep disruptions -- he went out of his way to note that the players have been strong academically, so missing an extra day of class "isn't the end of the world" -- giving them two full days in town before the big showdown that will seriously affect their championship dreams and seeding hopes for the NCAA Tournament.

"We played well in the Pit last year and we've had some terrific games with New Mexico," Boylen said. "I don't expect anything different."

The Utes and Lobos have played six straight games decided by fewer than three points or in overtime, and tonight's game easily could go that way again.

Oddsmakers have the Utes as about 4 1/2-point underdogs, which stands to reason since the Lobos, too, are playing for a piece of the Mountain West Conference title, and in the final home game for seniors Tony Danridge, Chad Toppert and Daniel Faris. The Lobos, at least, are expecting a showdown of historic proportions.

"I know there will be an awful lot of emotions," Faris said. "It's my last game in the Pit. It will be packed, it's a big, big game. It's going to be crazy, but it's hard to say just what it's going to feel like because there will be so many emotions. But I'm looking forward to it."

The Utes have struggled in their last two road games, surviving in overtime at Colorado State but losing at Brigham Young, and could really use a statement road win to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume and clinch a share of the league title before the regular-season finale against TCU at home. And one guy who might prove to be key is point guard Luka Drca, who has really had a rough time the past few games.

"We have to defend the three-point line and you have to rebound the ball," Boylen said. "Those are two huge things in this building."

So, how badly did that loss over the weekend hurt the Utes in their pursuit of an NCAA Tournament berth?

Not much, if you believe ESPN's Joe Lunardi.

In his latest "Bracketology" projection of the tournament field, Lunardi pegs the Utes as a No. 7 seed, meeting Ohio State in its own backyard in Dayton, Ohio. Though that wouldn't be a favorable location, the seeding is only a notch lower than Lunardi had the Utes last week, before they lost 63-50 at Brigham Young.

For what it's worth, the victory didn't do much for the Cougars. They're still considered a No. 8 seed, according to Lunardi, though he's now projecting the Mountain West Conference to place only three teams in the tournament, instead of four. So long, Aztecs ...

The Utes will honor former All-American and athletic director Arnie Ferrin at halftime of the regular-season finale against TCU at the Huntsman Center on Saturday, in commemoration of his induction into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this season.

Ferrin was inducted into the hall's third class, along with former players Charles Barkley and Danny Manning, former coaches Jim Phelan and Nolan Richardson and broadcasters Billy Parker and Dick Vitale.

Now retired, Ferrin was one of the greatest influences in school history.

He was a four-time All-American and member of the school's All-Century Team who led the Utes to the 1944 NCAA Tournament championship and the 1947 NIT championship. He later won two NBA championships with the Minneapolis Lakers and returned to work at the university in several capacities, most notably athletic director. His No. 22 jersey is retired and hangs in the rafters at the Huntsman Center.

Coach Jim Boylen for national coach of the year?

Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated writes that should at least be included in the conversation, as one of the top 10 candidates, though Boylen is likely to chafe at another mention of the early-season losses to Division II Southwest Baptist and Idaho State (he hates hearing about that):

"The Utes had a couple of bad early losses to Southwest Baptist and Idaho State," Davis wrote last week, "and since they play in a mid-major league and get limited exposure, it's doubtful Boylen will garner much attention for COY.

"Still, the Mountain West is arguably stronger than it has ever been, and Utah has been a model of consistency as it has built a two-game lead atop the standings and ascended to No. 11 in the RPI. The Utes also have two impressive non-conference wins (albeit both at home) over Gonzaga and LSU (which Utah walloped by 30 points). Boylen's NBA background (he spent 13 years as an assistant with the Rockets and Bucks) and Michigan State bloodlines (five years as an assistant under Jud Heathcote and two under Tom Izzo) have proved to be a potent combination in both recruiting and coaching."

All in all, a fine bit of exposure for the Utes. Oh, and just for the record, Davis' top choice for coach of the year is Oklahoma's Jeff Capel, whose Sooners beat the Utes earlier this season.

Incidentally, forward Kim Tillie finally make another basket for the Utes against Brigham Young.

One of them, even for his own team.

The 6-foot-10 junior had been 0-for-7 from the field since the TCU game on Feb. 4, having missed the first shot of the game against the Cougars, and his attempt to tip a defensive rebound against the glass late in the first half wound up dropping into the Cougar basket to cut an eight-point Utah lead to six.

But with his mother and brother in town from his native France to watch him play, Tillie buried a jumper to start the second half and end his personal skid. Now, his mother joked the other day, if he can just convince coach Jim Boylen to give him a few more minutes ...

Hard to figure who was more magnanimous at the game yesterday, the guy who graciously invoked the "Sugar Bowl champion" Utes during the pre-game prayer (and probably assured that he will never be asked to do it again), or coach Jim Boylen afterward.

Having spent much of the pre-game warm-ups himself chatting with rival players whom he admires such as Lee Cummard and Chris Miles, Boylen was far from bitter in defeat and offered all manner of compliments to the Cougars who had just beaten his Utes 63-50 at the Marriott Center.

Not only did he praise Cummard and point guard Jimmer Fredette as great players, but he credited Miles with improving after missing two crucial free throws in the last meeting between the teams, an overtime Ute victory at the Huntsman Center.

"He starts the game making his free throws, it changes the whole mentality of their team," Boylen said. "He misses those, it's like, 'Oh, geez, they want Chris to beat us and I don't think he can do it.' Last time, he didn't. This time, he did. Obviously, this was big for him. He's a good kid. I'm disappointed we lost, but it's nice to see a guy improve."

"I want to win, I want to beat BYU, I want us to be great here -- we're going to be great here -- but it's about the kids, too, and those relationships," he added. "I'm hoping he tells a Utah kid that we're recruiting that, 'You know what? I'd like to play for that guy.' To me, it's all about those relationships."

Boylen also raved about the atmosphere in the Marriott Center, where more than 20,000 fans roared along with a student section clad in white T-shirts that waved towels and created a big-time environment -- very unlike the Huntsman Center. "You have to give them credit, they were unreal," he said. "We were here an hour and a half early, and there was 2,000 kids up there before we got here. Their student section was great."

"I felt great here," he added. "Their players are really good to me. I've recruited Utah now for basically two years. I think people like the way we play. ... I came down early to recruit, and people stopped me on the street, 'Hey, love what you're doing. We don't like Utah, but we love what you're doing. We like your team.' This is a basketball state. This is a great place to be a coach, it really is."