Jerry and Kathy Jensen have a dilemma tonight when Weber State takes on Utah at the Huntsman Center (7:30 p.m., KJZZ-TV).
You see, their sons, Andy and Alex, will be starting frontcourt players for the two in-state opponents. The 6-foot-7 brothers, who grew up in Centerville and starred for Viewmont High School, are playing against each other for the first time, aside from pickup games.Andy is two years older (24), left-handed and a little bulkier at 230 pounds to Alex's 215. Although both are starters, Alex was more highly sought out of high school and has had a more successful college career as an integral part of a nationally ranked Ute squad for three years.
So whom will the Jensen parents be cheering for in Tuesday night's contest?
"Just whoever has the ball, I guess,' said Jerry. "It'll be kind of fun to see them playing in the same game."
Andy and Alex aren't likely to guard each other, since Andy plays the center position for the Cats, while Alex is the Utes' small forward, although they'll certainly be bumping into each other at times on the court.
Alex, the Utes' top defender, will likely take Harold Arceneaux, a JC transfer averaging 23.3 points for the Wildcats. Meanwhile, look for Andy in the middle of a zone defense, which most Ute opponents have played this year because of the Utes' shooting woes. Otherwise, he'll probably guard center Nate Althoff or forward Hanno Mottola.
The two brothers have always been close. They played ball together a lot growing up, and both started on Viewmont's 23-1 team that lost in the state semifinals in 1992. On Tuesday, Alex waited for Andy after the Wildcats worked out at the Huntsman Center and drove him to his home in West Valley (Andy is married, Alex still lives at home).
As a freshman, Andy played for Southern Utah and started three games, averaging 2.8 points in 26 games. After an LDS mission to Portugal, he transferred to Utah and mostly sat the bench for a deep Ute squad that made the NCAA Sweet 16. However, he didn't get to play with his brother, who had left on his mission to London the previous summer.
Seeing he had no future with the Utes, Andy transferred the following year to Weber State and sat out the 1995-96 season as a redshirt. Last year, he was all set to face his brother for the first time but suffered a broken finger two days before the game and sat out nine games. He ended up starting the rest of the season and averaged 10.2 points and 7.2 rebounds.
This year Andy is averaging 8.2 points and 6.2 rebounds, similar to Alex's averages of 10.3 and 6.3.
Besides Jensen and Arceneuax, the Wildcats will start Eddie Gill (12.8 ppg) and Damien Baskerville (8.3 ppg) at guards and 6-9 Eric Ketcham (1.6) at forward.
"We are playing a very good Weber team, probably the best in the decade I have been at Utah -- certainly the most athletic,' said Utah coach Rick Majerus.
GAME NOTES: Majerus is 5-2 against Weber State, while Abegglen is 2-4 against Utah, having lost four straight after winning his first two . . . The last Weber win in Salt Lake was way back in 1978, by an 86-81 score . . . Utah leads the all-time series with Weber, 16-10. . . . Joe Cravens, who coached the first game for Utah in 1990 against Weber State after Majerus underwent heart surgery, is a Weber State assistant. . . . After tonight's game, the Utes head back on the road again Thursday night for a game with Texas in Austin on Saturday night.