This Day In Utah Sports History: Runnin’ Utes Reach NCAA Championship
Mar 30, 2025, 11:05 AM
SALT LAKE CITY – On this day 27 years ago, Utah basketball took the national stage, battling the Kentucky Wildcats in the 1998 NCAA Tournament Championship game.
While the Utes ultimately fell by nine, that team and their memorable March run remains one of the most iconic chapters in program history.
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Utah Basketball Reaches Second National Championship In 1998
Led by program legends like Andre Miller, Michael Doleac, Alex Jensen, and head coach Rick Majerus, the Runnin’ Utes in the late 1990s were special.
The culmination of their talent came in 1998 as they received a three-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Their ‘Big Dance’ started with a 17-point blowout win over San Francisco. The first tests came in the next two rounds as they squeaked out single-digit wins over Arkansas and West Virginia in the Round of 32 and Sweet 16.
Utah’s dominance was on full display in the Elite 8 as they ran the No. 1 Arizona Wildcats off the floor in a 25-point rout. Finally, they defeated No. 1 North Carolina by six in the Final Four to punch their ticket to the title game.
20 years after @UtahMBB made history, we welcomed back 1998’s Final Four team! #goutes #Pac12Hoops pic.twitter.com/5r0bY8owmg
— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) February 11, 2018
The wins over UNC and Arizona showed the world that the Utes were ready for any challenge put in front of them.
The only team left standing at the peak was the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats. Utah was fresh off a win over a college basketball blue blood; what was one more?
That was exactly the energy that Utah brought in the first half as they outscored the ‘Cats 41-31 through the first 20.
Unfortunately, the second half was a different story. Kentucky picked up on Utah’s playstyle and forced them to play their game after the break. The Utes’ fast pace changed to rushed, a key difference that resulted in turnovers and fastbreak points.
Kentucky outscored Utah by 19 in the second half to win by nine and be crowned college basketball champs.
Utah vs Kentucky in the 1998 tournament finals pic.twitter.com/L5zGh4PecJ
— Retro Awesomeville (@retro_70s) May 13, 2022
About The 1997-1998 Utah Basketball Team
With a 30-4 (12-2) record, the Runnin’ Utes weren’t just a top team in the Western Athletic Conference but in the entire nation. They peaked at second in the Coaches Poll and seventh in the AP Top 25.
Dating back to the 1996-1997 season, Utah won 59 of 67 total games and 27 of 30 games in conference play. Truly, the only blemish on this team’s era was a first-round loss in the 1998 WAC Championships.
Three starters – Miller, Doleac, and Möttölä – went on to be NBA Draft picks. Miller had a very successful professional career and is one of the best true point guards in NBA history.
Connecting to the present day, one of this team’s most impactful players is back with the program. It was announced at the end of the 2024-2025 season that Alex Jensen would take over as head coach. It is also speculated that Utah could look to add Andre Miller as an assistant.
