Alex Jensen is nearing the end of a successful career at the University of Utah. The former Viewmont High all-stater has been a three-year starter for the Utes and last week was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year. Coach Rick Majerus calls him "the best defender I've ever coached" and said "Al" is one of his all-time favorite players because of the supreme effort he always gives. Earlier this year Majerus referred to Jensen as "an almost perfect human being." Jensen sat down with Mike Sorensen recently to reflect on his career and look to the future.

Deseret News: Utah has had sort of an up-and-down season with big wins over Utah State, Texas and UNLV and some bad losses to Weber State, Colorado State and Wyoming. What do you think has been the difference this year?

Alex Jensen: Probably the biggest problem is that Andre Miller went to the NBA. Also I think this year more than any other year we've had injuries that we haven't had to deal with in years past. That's kind of hurt our togetherness and camaraderie. We've had more practices with guys injured than with the whole team. Injuries have hurt but we don't have that star player and our margin for error is smaller this year.

DN : What is the state of the Utes heading into the NCAA tournament?

AJ: We really don't know where we're at right now. We just have to forget about everything and go out and do well in the tournament. I think the good thing is that the losses to Colorado State and Wyoming and BYU are still fresh in our minds and we realize we can be beat anytime. It might keep us from getting overconfident. It helped us my sophomore year when we lost (in the first round of the WAC tournament) to UNLV.

DN: How far do you think the Utes can go in the NCAA tournament?

AJ: It's more difficult to say this year than most years, because like I said, our margin for error is a lot smaller than it has been. We have untapped potential and the talent's there, but consistency has been one thing we've lacked, especially on the road, so it's harder to tell this year than in year's past.

DN: You always been known as a team player. How hard has it been to take on the role of a scorer and more of a team leader this year?

AJ: When I was a freshman, it was 'where's Keith at' and it was my job to set a pick and pass him the ball and try to go get a rebound. It's kind of been different because I've found myself getting caught in that comfort zone of just being out there instead of trying to make things happen. Now especially with Hanno getting hurt I've had to do more offensively. It's a hard adjustment because I spent two or three years getting in my comfort zone as a blender player. But Coach has helped (to get me to shoot more).

DN: How does it feel to be the so-called teacher's pet -- Coach Majerus' favorite player?

AJ: I don't know, it's good sometimes and it's bad sometimes. I get teased a lot about it by the other players. A lot of times Coach kind of uses reserve players to get the most talented guys to play better. I think he used me to get more out of Keith, saying 'if Al had your talent, Keith . . . ' He does that to try to tell them if you work hard, combined with your talent, you can be as good as you want to be.

DN: Has he ever yelled at you at practice?

AJ: Oh yeah, you should have been here in the last week. Yes, he does. There's a saying all the guys have that if he's not yelling at you, you're in trouble. There have been a couple of guys in the past who have gotten the coach's wrath. But you ask me, I think I get my fair share.

DN: Remind us how a kid that grew up as a diehard Cougar fan could end up as a Ute?

AJ: It's kind of funny -- I went down and talked to Lone Peak's basketball team before they played in the state tournament and Ryan Cuff and Shane Knight are the coaches there. Ryan took me on my recruiting trip at Arizona State and Shane took me when I went to BYU. So I joked with them and said, 'Hey, I thank you guys for me going to Utah.'

It was kind of strange because I was such a diehard BYU fan. I used to go to the Blue-White spring football game all the time. But when I was getting recruited I felt Utah wanted me more and kind of went with my gut feeling and it was the right one fortunately. Jeff Judkins and Donnie Daniels contacted me as much as they could and those two guys were a reason I came here.

DN: Speaking of Judkins, you've stayed close to him and I know Hanno mentioned him in his farewell speech the other night. How has his absence this year affected the team?

AJ: Obviously it's different, but whether it's affected it in a good or bad way is hard to say. I know a lot of guys miss him because most of us are so close to him and do stuff in the offseason with him. It's tough on a social level, but as far as basketball's concerned there's not a whole lot of bearing on it.

DN: What are some of your best memories of your career at Utah?

AJ: Probably the Final Four by far, that whole two- or three-week run we had. That was an amazing group of guys We're still close today. When Andre came back in town (to have his number retired) and Mike (Doleac) was here, we all went out to dinner. I consider those guys my best friends, not just my teammates. It was a special time.

DN: Have you ever watched a tape of the final game against Kentucky?

AJ: When we got home from Wyoming on that Tuesday afternoon (two weeks ago), I turned on ESPN and they were doing one of those things they do on the Final Four and they did like a half-hour special on that final game. It was great, but then at the end they started talking about the records we set for blowing the biggest lead and stuff like that. It was kind of bittersweet.

DN: Do you have any regrets at Utah besides that loss to Kentucky?

AJ: Every year you have the regret of the last game you lose. I don't think I've ever lost the last game of the year and felt like we should have lost. Last year Miami of Ohio was a regret because you hate to see Andre's career end like that. Obviously there are some regrets because you're going to have lose some games -- you can't go undefeated. But I can't complain because there have been more good things than bad things.

DN: What do you think about the possibility of playing in the NBA?

AJ: I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it. Obviously for anyone who plays basketball it's a dream you have. But if it happens, it happens and if it doesn't, I can't complain about my basketball career and where it's taken me.

DN: Would you consider going to play in Europe or the CBA?

AJ: It's something I'll have to take a look at after the season. If it's the right situation I'll do it, but it will have to depend on where and when. I'm not going to close the door on anything.

DN: Do you have a favorite NBA team?

AJ: I used to be diehard Philadelphia 76ers fan. Dr. J (Julius Erving) was first favorite basketball player. I remember I named a fish after him. I had a red fish and named it Dr. J.

DN: What about a favorite NBA player?

AJ: Dr. J and Charles Barkley when he was a Sixer. And even though they were the rivals back then, I liked the Celtics, Larry Bird and Kevin McHale and those guys.

DN: What about favorite college players when you were growing up?

AJ: They were all Cougars. I remember Jeff Chatman who played for BYU was a favorite of mine and Michael Smith and Andy Toolson. I remember going to the WAC tournament when it was held here and we got autographs of all the players we could, like Tim Hardaway and Antonio Davis.

DN: Are there any basketball players you've patterned your game after? I assume Dr. J isn't one of them.

AJ: No, not even if I tried. I never looked at a guy and saw a move and tried to make that move or anything like that. I think growing up I tried to pattern my game after my older brother (Andy). But there was never really anybody else.

DN: Have you ever considered getting into coaching on some level?

AJ: I don't know, I don't know if I can handle it. It's tough. I've never considered it an option really. I see Coach Majerus -- he always tells his players not to become coaches. It's a demanding job and there's a lot of pressure and lot of things out of your control that you wish you could control. It's hard.

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DN: Do you have any immediate plans after the season?

AJ: I don't. There's a few NBA all-star games and camps I'll go to, like there's one in Phoenix called the Desert Classic. I'm just going to finish up the semester at school, then go through my options at that time.

DN: Where do you expect to be 20 years from now?

AJ: Hopefully happy, with a family of my own as a 20-year season-ticket holder here at the games and being honored at halftime as a Superfan.

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