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SALT LAKE CITY — Stunning as it is to believe, given its rich tradition, the Utah men's basketball team has not made the NCAA Tournament in seven years.
Marking 25 years since the Utes played in the national championship game, the program has a long history of NCAA Tournament appearances dating back to 1944. The glory years came in the 1990s, when Rick Majerus' teams played in the tournament seven times.
BYU's last NCAA appearance isn't nearly as bad, having last made it in 2021. Before going one-and-out two years ago, the Cougars went five seasons without making the tournament (which includes the 2020 tournament that was canceled).
Even worse for both teams, neither was good enough to earn an invitation to the NIT this year. Utah has not played in the NCAA or NIT tournaments since 2018.
Tough times, indeed, for traditionally the state's two premier college basketball teams. Maybe it's time to rethink their previously earned status.
Move over Utes and Cougars, upstart Utah State is crowding your space. The Aggies are the only men's team in the state dancing in March Madness, playing as a No. 10 seed against No. 7 Missouri on Thursday in Sacramento.
Mixing a strong combination of transfers with returning veterans, the Aggies were 26-8 and finished second in the Mountain West. They rode a seven-game winning streak into the conference tournament championship before suffering a narrow loss to 20th-ranked San Diego State.
Not even a change of coaches has slowed down Utah State. Craig Smith, now Utah's coach, guided the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and 2021 before giving way to Ryan Odom, who led the Aggies to the NIT last season and back into the preferred tournament this year.
Odom, who coached the first No. 16 seed to beat a top seed when UMBC stunned Virginia in 2018, has a team devoid of superstars but one that has meshed well together. Three veterans — Steven Ashworth, Max Shulga and Sean Bairstow — and two transfers — Taylor Funk and Dan Akin — form the nucleus.
"There's a lot of different styles to play this game that work," Odom said during an interview on The Zone. "The bottom line is the most balanced teams on offense and defense usually win. That's what you have to have in order to make the NCAA Tournament. Then you have to have a little luck. Obviously in our situation, you've got to be really good within your conference. You've got to compete for those top few spots in your conference, and you're going to have a chance on some level."
Funk, the second-leading scorer, and top rebounder Akin have made an immediate impact. Ashworth, who prepped at Lone Peak, has enjoyed a breakout season (leading the team in scoring at 16.3 points) after serving in lesser roles his first two seasons.
In addition to his own work ethic, credit goes to the coaching staff for helping Ashworth and other players improve from season to season. Utah and BYU have not matched Utah State's track record with impact transfers and player development.
"Kids want to improve; they want to be coached," Odom said. "They want to understand: How can I get better. Steven is one of the best examples of what I've ever been around, because he's constantly seeking information. He wants to know how he can get better."
For anyone claiming Utah State has an easier path to the tournament, try again. The Mountain West sent four teams to the tournament for two consecutive seasons. The Pac-12 also sent four teams this season.
"I know I probably speak for the rest of our coaches, we're really proud of the fact the Mountain West two straight years has gotten four teams in the NCAA Tournament," he said. "That's not easy to do."
