Takeaways From Utah’s 86-84 Loss To Butler In College Basketball Crown Tournament
Mar 31, 2025, 7:57 PM
Utah basketball's Gabe Madsen. PHOTO courtesy by College Basketball Crown tournament.
SALT LAKE CITY—In the opening round of the inaugural College Basketball Crown Tournament, Utah lost to Butler, 86-84, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The Runnin’ Utes enjoyed a very productive first half, but season-long issues hurt them in the second half.
With this loss, the Runnin’ Utes season comes to an end with a 16-17 record. All focus turns to the offseason and the program’s rebuilding efforts with Alex Jensen at the helm.
This game highlighted season-long issues for Utah and provided an idea of what is needed this offseason.
Butler’s 19-5 run was actually a 24-7 run
At the 14:19 mark in the second half, Gabe Madsen was assessed a technical foul after complaining about a missed foul. That moment is when the tide turned in favor of the Bulldogs.
Utah held onto a 60-49 edge when Madsen was whistled for the tech. Butler scored three straight free throws, the tech plus a shot foul, which got the ball rolling.
From 14:19 to 6:13, the Bulldogs went from down 11 to up 6 with a 73-67 lead. The Utes had lost their edge on the defensive end, giving up multiple open looks, including four from deep.
Utah also fell out of a groove offensively. Ball movement stagnated, and the offense’s overall execution suffered. Utah went 1-of-10 from the field during this stretch.
They struggled to break down Butler’s defense, leading to forced, contested shots and turnovers. Utah eventually regained a pulse on offense, but those eight minutes proved to be too harmful.
Utah needed more from its backcourt
Mike Sharavjamts, Miro Little, and Gabe Madsen combined to score 23 points. This is not a great number, but it is also not awful. However, the 34 shot attempts to net those 23 points are downright terrible.
The Utes just did not get any sort of quality production from the backcourt today. Madsen did his best to shoot Utah back into a win late in the second half by knocking down three 3-pointers in the final four minutes, but it wasn’t enough.
Utah’s sore spot this season has been this inefficiency in the backcourt. Contrasted against the production of Dawes and Ausar, who combined for 34 points on 14 shot attempts, it’s maddening that Utah didn’t shift the offensive focus to these dynamic forwards.
Utah HAS to bring Keanu Dawes back
Yet another double-double for Keanu Dawes in this one, as he finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, leading the team in both categories.
He’s turned into an efficiency monster with his productivity, ability to knock down free throws, and timely shots outside the paint, all of which was on display in this one.
With how the season played out for the Utes, Dawes turned into a real bright spot over the last month or so. As such, he’s become a big priority in the eyes of the fanbase.
Dawes’ return next season has been rumored to be a priority for Alex Jensen, who actually hasn’t publicly spoken on the matter. Regardless, it seems Utah needs to do all that it can to keep him in Salt Lake City next year.
The lack of progress in offensive execution
Utah’s struggles today also speak to a lack of development these players experienced over the course of the season. Today’s offense looked the same today as it did in November.
Greater accountability needs to exist in offensive execution, not just in terms of protecting the ball but also in terms of working for quality shots. This was absent most of the season, and Utah’s execution hardly improved.
Utah never created an offensive identity beyond Madsen’s 3-point shooting and Ausar’s work in the paint. Players struggled to figure out when and where to look for their offense and shot opportunities because they weren’t clearly defined. Coming from the NBA, this is where Alex Jensen should help the most as head coach.
A complete reset in identity and culture
Jensen will finish out the season with the Dallas Mavericks, but whenever he officially takes over the program, he’ll have his work cut out for him.
Not only does Utah need improved offensive talent, but it must also completely reset its identity and culture. This team has lacked in the details that have hurt execution, often due to carelessness and mindlessness.
Attention to detail is apparent on both ends of the floor, whether it be mindlessly stepping out of bounds with the ball, not being in the right position to execute a play, or missing a defensive assignment.
Utah needs to be an elite defensive team. Effort is only part of that equation and this team, to their credit, played with a lot of effort on that end. To be elite, it’s the attention to detail and precision in execution that is all the difference and that is where Utah lacked.
Resetting the culture will take time and a collective effort to build it the right way. Jensen will need a more process-oriented approach to genuinely develop that culture, his players, and the team overall.
UP NEXT – The offseason
This is a big one for Utah, who awaits the official start of the Alex Jensen era as he finishes his time with the Dallas Mavericks.
However, Raphael Chillious and Wes Wilcox will lead the program’s recruiting efforts, which additional staff hires will bolster.
Jensen has plenty of work to do to finalize his staff and start piecing together the 2025-26 roster. Utah has already welcomed a few transfer portal visitors and will be active in bringing others in for visits over the coming weeks and months.
