The next couple of days, or perhaps even just Wednesday, will determine when Alex Jensen will jump full force into being Utah’s head basketball coach — even while it’s evident there is plenty going on behind the scenes with the Runnin’ Utes program.
When Jensen became the 17th head coach of the Utah men’s basketball program, he made it clear he intended on finishing the season in his current role as a Dallas Mavericks assistant.
“One of the things from the get-go is — I knew it would be difficult — but I felt like I needed to finish the season in Dallas and they’ve been great, and I don’t think they would mind if I left, but I just feel it’s the right thing to do to finish it out there, which makes … hiring a staff and getting going a little more difficult,” Jensen said at his introductory press conference at the Huntsman Center March 17.
That time could be here — and most likely will even be this week.
The Mavericks, like every other NBA team, finished the regular season Sunday and have earned a spot in the league’s play-in tournament as the Western Conference’s No. 10 seed.
For Dallas to advance to the first round of the NBA playoffs, though, the Mavericks will need two wins.
The first needs to come against the No. 9 seed Sacramento Kings Wednesday night (8 p.m. MST, ESPN) in the 9 vs. 10 Western Conference play-in matchup.
If the Mavericks win that game, they will face the No. 7 seed Memphis Grizzlies Friday (7:30 p.m. MST, ESPN).
If Dallas loses to the Kings or Grizzlies, Jensen can focus his full effort on Utah with the Mavericks’ season over.
If the Mavericks win, though, his duties in Dallas are extended for an undetermined amount of time — if Dallas wins twice in the play-in tournament, it would face the No. 1 Western Conference seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the playoffs’ first round.
Even though Jensen hasn’t had his full focus on Utah yet, there is plenty going on for the head coach and his Utes.
Jensen has already brought in a solid group of support staff, which includes assistants Raphael Chillious, Martin Schiller and Eric Daniels, as well as general manager Wes Wilcox and director of operations and player personnel Rico Sylvester Jr.
The Utes have also received commitments from transfers Terrence Brown and James Okonkwo, as well as a member of the 2025 recruiting class, Kendyl Sanders.
Keanu Dawes, like the majority of his Utah teammates, entered the transfer portal, but he withdrew his name from the portal and is expected to be back with the Utes next year.
The sooner Jensen’s season is over with Dallas, the sooner he can be focused fully on building the Utes’ 2025-26 roster.
“It’s going to be a lot of work, and I know that. I’m excited,” Jensen said last month, on the importance of recruiting.
“Again, it’s hard finishing up in Dallas, but I’m going to do my due diligence to get a staff that understands that and knows that, because there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and it never stops. That’s where a lot of the wars are won is in recruiting.”