It was a ride to remember. The 1996-97 University of Utah basketball season flamed out Saturday night, doused once again by the too-talented Kentucky Wildcats.
But it was fun while it lasted.Led by All-American forward Keith Van Horn, this year's Utes reached the NCAA Elite Eight playing a disciplined team game and tenacious defense. That unselfish spirit was epitomized by Van Horn's decision last year to forgo the National Basketball Association draft and return for his senior season.
His capstone year helped garner Utah another Western Athletic Conference championship, enshrined him as the WAC's all-time scoring leader and helped take the Utes to the brink of the Final Four for the first time in 31 years.
Van Horn is projected as a top-three pick in the upcoming NBA draft, so his wait will be well-rewarded. But his commitment to complete his schooling in an era when too many young athletes bolt for greener pastures at first chance is refreshing.
While Van Horn was this year's marquee Ute - who with his year-long steadiness hit last-second shots to win two games at the WAC tournament - he was surrounded by hard-working teammates who understood their respective roles and played them well.
Of course, captaining the ship was Rick Majerus, who has established himself as one of the premier college hoop coaches in the country. Under his tutelage, Utah ended the season 29-4, ranked second nationally and claimed its third straight WAC crown.
Unfortunately, for the third time in five years the U. ran into a Kentucky brick wall in the NCAA tourney. The defending national champion Wildcats bounced Utah from the tournament in 1993 and 1996. Unlike this year, those two games were blowouts. Last Saturday, the contest was tied with 9:36 left and was within five points with 5 minutes remaining when Utah lost starting point guard Andre Miller to injury. Lightning-quick Kentucky's pressure finally broke the Utes down, and their fate was quickly sealed.
At that, Kentucky players knew they had been in a tussle. Utah's trademark scrappy style left its mark on the Wildcats and on local fans who will long remember its banner 1996-97 campaign.