Coming off its remarkable runner-up finish in the NCAA tournament, the University of Utah bas-ket-ball team will play a mixed bag of opponents this year, including several big-name schools and a few unknown lower-division schools.
The Utes will officially open at home on Nov. 14 against their favorite patsy, Azusa Pacific, an NAIA school from California, which they've played the past two seasons.After meeting Utah State on Nov. 18, the Utes will play in the Maui Classic, meeting Arizona State in the first round. Others in the tournament include Indiana, Michigan, Kansas State, Syracuse and Clemson.
For the second straight year, the Utes will play in the Great Eight Classic in Chicago, this time against Rhode Island on Dec. 2.
The Utes also play non-league road games against Long Beach State (Dec. 5) and Texas (Dec. 12). Texas tried hard to hire Utah coach Rick Majerus after last season.
The home schedule will be highlighted by a visit from Wake Forest on Dec. 28. It will mark the fourth straight year the Utes have met the Demon Deacons. The Utes play their annual game with Weber State at home this year, on Dec. 9.
The Utes will play Loyola Marymount Dec. 19, St. Francis (Pa.) Dec. 22, High Point, a Div. II college in North Carolina, Dec. 30 and Ripon College, a Div. III college in Wisconsin, Jan. 2.
The WAC season begins Jan. 9 at home against BYU. Six of the Utes' WAC games will be televised nationally, including three straight Big Monday games at Hawaii Jan. 18, at home against Fresno State Jan. 25 and at New Mexico Feb. 1.
The Feb. 6 game at BYU will be on ESPN2, while the Feb. 20 game at Fresno State will be on ABC and the Feb. 27 home game with New Mexico will be on CBS.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
1998-99 UTAH SCHEDULE
Nov. 6 - Exhibition
Nov. 9 - Exhibition
Nov. 14 - AZUSA PACIFIC
Nov. 18 - UTAH STATE
Nov. 23-25 - at Maui Invitational (ESPN)
Dec. 2 - Rhode Island (ESPN)
(at Great 8 Classic in Chicago)
Dec. 5 - at Long Beach State
Dec. 9 - WEBER STATE Dec. 12 - at Texas
Dec. 19 - LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
Dec. 22 - ST. FRANCIS
Dec. 28 - WAKE FOREST
Dec. 30 - HIGH POINT
Jan. 2 - RIPON COLLEGE
Jan. 9 - BYU
Jan. 16 - at San Diego State
Jan. 18 - at Hawaii (ESPN)
Jan. 23 - SAN JOSE STATE
Jan. 25 - FRESNO STATE (ESPN)
Jan. 30 - at UTEP
Feb. 1 - at New Mexico (ESPN)
Feb. 6 - at Brigham Young (ESPN2)
Feb. 11 - SAN DIEGO STATE
Feb. 13 - HAWAII
Feb. 18 - at San Jose State
Feb. 20 - at Fresno State (ABC)
Feb. 25 - UTEP
Feb. 27 - NEW MEXICO (CBS)
March. 2-6 - WAC Tournament at Las Vegas