Utah Basketball Looking Forward To The College Basketball Crown Tournament
Mar 30, 2025, 11:53 AM | Updated: 2:38 pm
Feb 17, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes center Lawson Lovering (34), forward Ezra Ausar (2) and forward Jake Wahlin (right) react to a play against the Kansas State Wildcats during the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
(right)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah men’s basketball team will take on the Butler Bulldogs to kick off the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament event in Las Vegas on Monday.
The two teams compete in the event’s opening game, and Utah and Butler will duke it out on the hardwood for the first time since 2017.
Tip-off is at 1 p.m. (MT) / Noon (PT) inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Tim Brando will have the action alongside former UConn Husky Donny Marshall.
Viva Las Vegas! pic.twitter.com/OasuzzEOC8
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) March 29, 2025
Utah basketball ready to take on the Crown Tournament
This tournament gives the players one last opportunity to compete together after a difficult season, which is something they’re looking forward to.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity, something new, but to have another opportunity to play with these guys, it’s been such a fun team, it means a lot to us,” forward Jake Wahlin said.
Despite the transfer portal entries, Utah is expected to have everyone available for the tournament except Caleb Lohner, who is going through the NFL draft process.
“We want to finish on top; we’re coming into this, and we want to be the first team to ever win the crown,” Keanu Dawes shared. “Everybody has their individual goals, but this is the last opportunity to play together, and all we want to do is win.”
Wahlin and Dawes represent a team that has mostly entered the portal but will still compete in the tournament. Interim head coach Josh Eilert acknowledged the uniqueness of the situation but credited the team for staying committed to this opportunity.
“The situation we’re in, everyone is kind of in the portal,” Eilert said. “I think these guys have been very professional in how they’ve handled everything. I give a lot of credit to our staff and players, who have stayed focused and locked in on what we’ve got going on.”
What to know about the Butler Bulldogs
“We’ve had plenty of time to prepare, and we’re using the time wisely,” Josh Eilert said of their preparation for the tournament. “In tournaments like this, staff will divide up scouting reports, but by no means are we looking past Butler.”
Butler enters the inaugural tournament 14-19 overall and 6-14 in Big East play. The Utes are 1-3 against Butler all-time, with the Bulldogs taking the last meeting 81-69 in Indianapolis.
Led by Thad Matta, the Bulldogs are well-coached and played hard on both ends of the floor. They are a tough defensive team, while also capable of scoring efficiently on the offensive end.
Senior forward Jahmyl Telfort led the team with 16.0 points, 4.7 boards, and 3.6 assists per game, but he is not expected to be available for Butler.
Pierre Brooks II scores 15.2 and grabs 5.0 rebounds, while Patrick McCaffrey adds 11.2 and 4.4 rebounds per game. McCaffrey is a knockdown shooter at 41.5% from 3-point range, while Brooks is a forward similar to Utah’s Ezra Ausar.
What is the College Basketball Crown Tournament?
The College Basketball Crown is a new 16-team men’s postseason tournament. It features schools from the Big Ten, Big 12, and Big East and at-large participants.
Teams that did not participate in the NCAA Tournament will be eligible for the event. Two automatic qualifiers will come from each participating conference, and a select committee will choose additional teams.
The field is set. Two weeks from today it all goes down in Vegas. 16 teams. 1 crown. Tickets available via @vividseats now – https://t.co/VjK7Uctf7B pic.twitter.com/5sxdVoFdk7
— College Basketball Crown (@CBBCrown) March 17, 2025
The Utes are among five Big 12 programs in the field, which includes Arizona State, Cincinnati, Colorado, and UCF. If the Utes advance past Butler, they will face the winner of George Washington vs. Boise State. That game will be played on Wednesday, April 2, at 5 p.m. (MT).
RELATED: Will Utah Shift Focus Towards Adding Andre Miller To Basketball Program?
Alex Jensen Rebuilding Runnin’ Utes Program Will Strengthen Utah Basketball Community
With Alex Jensen now leading the University of Utah men’s basketball program, the former Runnin’ Ute standout will soon begin to lay the foundation for his program.
Jensen’s connection to the university and extensive coaching background uniquely positions him to reconnect the program with its storied history and inspire optimism for the future.
It’s become clear, though, that his mere presence is already resonating with the Utah basketball community, which bodes well for him and the program’s future.
Introducing, the 17th Head Coach in Runnin’ Utes History, Alex Jensen‼️ pic.twitter.com/khgmVsyjHB
— Utah Basketball (@UtahMBB) March 18, 2025
Within the state of Utah, there is a strong basketball community. Thanks to the Utah Jazz and the success of nearly every local college program, basketball carries a lot of value here. The hiring of Jensen strengthens Utah basketball’s own community, which is a tight-knit, passionate group with a dedicated fanbase and former players.
His mere presence has already resonated with Runnin’ Utes fans. Utah’s ticket office has seen a surge in inquiries regarding season tickets, particularly from fans who had distanced themselves in recent years. Not only have previous season ticket holders expressed interest in returning to the Huntsman Center, but hundreds of totally new season ticket requests have flooded the ticket office.
That speaks to one aspect of the Utah basketball community, but another is the relationship between the program and former players. Many Runnin’ Ute alums have expressed renewed enthusiasm, eager to see Jensen steer the program back to prominence.
