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The New York Knicks coaches know exactly what they have in Jordan Clarkson. The 33-year-old has long established himself as one of the league’s premier hired guns — a guy who can bring quick points, high energy and hot streaks. That hasn’t been the case for the majority of this season, however.

The free agent signing has struggled to find his footing and mostly watched from the bench over the last few weeks. Prior to last night in Utah, the Knicks played 11 games since the All-Star break and Clarkson was a DNP-CD six times. He had only seen the court for 27 minutes, most of which have come during this recent West Coast road trip.

So of course, in his return to Salt Lake City, Clarkson scored a season high 27 points on 10 of 15 from the field in 26 minutes – his most since Christmas. He knocked down three triples, snagged five offensive rebounds and was +19. The 2021 Sixth Man of the Year also received a video tribute in the first quarter and a loud ovation from the fans in Utah, who got to live the Clarkson experience for five-plus seasons.

“It’s not the first time I’ve been hot in this building,” Clarkson told MSG Networks after the 134-117 victory. “I’m just glad it happened here. I love this city.”

The Knicks trailed by nine points at halftime and it was the jolt Clarkson provided that swung the game. He was named the defensive player of the game for the second time this season by coach Mike Brown. He’s been a good teammate, true professional and showed the importance of staying ready.

“It’s who he is. He comes in and works every single day,” Jalen Brunson told Steve Popper of Newsday. “Love him. Example for anybody: Doesn’t matter where you are in your career things may not be going your way and continue to work and persevere.”

Accepting a diminished role isn’t easy, especially for someone who’s made more than $190 million and is considered one of the best backups to ever do it. There’s been plenty of Clarkson chucking up early-in-the-shot-clock bricks on night’s he’s not his old microwavable self. He’s averaging a career low 17.7 minutes and 8.6 points while shooting an unsightly 32.8% from long range.

The team’s elder statesman opened the season as the first Knicks guard off the bench and played in each of the first 44 games, including being a big part of New York’s comeback against San Antonio in the NBA Cup Championship. But since the Knicks 114-97 loss to Dallas on Martin Luther King Day, Clarkson has mostly fallen out of the rotation.

When his shots aren’t falling there’s not much else he brings to the table. The 12-year pro isn’t elite from long distance and is a defensive sieve. Clarkson shoots with no conscience, and he’ll keep shooting in hopes of getting hot. That’s what makes him such a fun and unique player, after all.

Clarkson has never been an All-Star or darling among the analytic community. He’s streaky as they come and has started less than a third of his career games. But the 6-foot-3 combo guard has come to define the modern sixth-man specialist archetype by feasting against opposing second units. In 809 career games with the Lakers, Cavaliers, Jazz and Knicks, he’s averaged 15.5 points.

Clarkson Has A Long Track Record Of Getting Buckets

His flashy playmaking and ability to hit contested shots has made Clarkson one of the league’s most valuable players off the bench since being drafted 46th overall in 2014. Earlier this season, the Filipino sniper surpassed San Antonio legend Manu Ginobili to move into seventh place all-time among scorers off the bench. Only Lou Williams, Jamal Crawford, Dell Curry, Eddie Johnson, Ricky Pierce and Thurl Bailey have more bench buckets.

The trade deadline acquisition of Jose Alvarado further moved Clarkson down New York’s depth chart. The former Pelican has had his own struggles and I can’t imagine his spot in the rotation is very secure considering the punch Clarkson has brought in recent days. The cagey veteran brings an element of unpredictability and fight that gives the bench a different look.

There’s been just a handful of players that have embraced a part-time role yet have the capability to change a game the way Clarkson has. We will see if the homecoming outburst against one of the worst team’s in basketball means he’s back in the rotation. Either way, he’ll be ready.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Attorney General Derek Brown assured Utah won’t back down from pursuing litigation over Live Nation and Ticketmaster alleged monopoly, despite the U.S. Department of Justice’s settlement.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the settlement against the ticket giants on Monday, but Utah’s Attorney General Derek Brown confirmed Utah will continue to fight against them Wednesday morning.

“For years, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have made it harder for Utahns to see the artists they love by driving up ticket prices and squeezing out the competition. As Utah’s Attorney General, I’m committed to securing the best outcome possible for Utah consumers who have been forced to pay too much at Live Nation and Ticketmaster venues,” Brown said.

Judge urges states to settle Live Nation claims after US strikes deal but states say no chance

Utah joined forces with the U.S. Department of Justice along with 38 other states to file a lawsuit against Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster. The states believe the companies dominated the live entertainment industry to skyrocket ticket prices and limit competition. Their dominance allegedly includes artist management, concert promotion, venue ownership, and ticketing.

Utah argues that Live Nation is using unfair practices to maintain dominance over the industry. Furthermore, the practices used by Live Nation allegedly include buying rivals, tying artists’ use of promotion services to amphitheaters and locking into long-term contracts with venues, which, in turn, blocks outside competition.

In response to the alleged unfair practices, the Office of the Attorney General says, “The result has been higher ticket prices, numerous additional fees, and fewer affordable, transparent ticket options for Utah families. “

Justice Dept. and Live Nation reach settlement over Ticketmaster illegal monopoly case

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Utah residents alone spent over $400 million on live entertainment in 2024.

The jury trial commenced last week and was scheduled to continue for another four weeks in the Southern District of New York. The Office of the Attorney General stresses their commitment to bring fairness and protection to industry fans within Utah.

States joining Utah in this litigation include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

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Sales taxes expected to bring in a total of $88 million to state and local governments in Utah won’t be charged on tickets for the 2034 Winter Games under a bill passed during this year’s just-concluded state legislative session.

But state and local governments should count on recouping the lost revenue, according to the sponsor of HB537, Rep. Jon Hawkins, R-Pleasant Grove, the House chairman of the Legislature’s Olympic oversight committee.

Just how that will work has yet to be decided, since the bill still awaiting action by Gov. Spencer Cox only deals with the exemption for the privately funded, nonprofit Olympic organizing committee.

“I can’t answer that with a full, ‘Here’s what it’s going to be’ right now. But I can say that because of the relations we have with the organizing committee, I think we’ll be OK,” Hawkins told the Deseret News.

The original version of the bill authorized what’s formally known as the Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to “charge a government Olympic services recovery fee” to cover state and local public safety costs.

That fee, the original bill stated, could not exceed the combined state and local sales tax rate collected where the organizing committee is headquartered, Salt Lake City, and could be collected on tickets, hospitality packages or merchandise sold by organizers or their affiliates.

“We took it out because we wanted to be able to work that out in finer detail,” Hawkins said, noting organizers were in Italy for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games during much of the legislative session.

Instead, language was added to exempt the organizing committee from sales tax.

“This was something that, it’s kind of not a heavy lift to do, and especially while the team was in Milan focusing on other things, we could do it pretty quickly and simply,” said Hawkins, who also spent time in Italy observing Games preparations.

Will there be fees added to Utah’s Olympic tickets in 2034?

Former Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, now the CEO of the organizing committee, said no decision has been made yet about charging a separate fee on the sale of tickets and hospitality packages.

Wilson said the amount that Olympic organizers anticipate needing to reimburse state and local governments for public safety services in 2034 as part of their $4 billion budget will be close to what would have been raised by collecting sales taxes.

“We may charge a fee on top of our tickets to offset those costs,” he said. “We’ll make that decision probably in about four years if we’re going to do that and what that would look like. What we don’t want is to collect and remit sales taxes.”

Without the exemption, Wilson said tickets sold through a third-party vendor would be subject to sales taxes. He said a sales tax exemption may also be sought for Olympic merchandise, such as T-shirts and plush mascot toys.

Organizers have long committed to relying on private sources of funding rather than state or local revenues. Money will come largely from the sale of broadcast rights, sponsorships and tickets, with tickets accounting for 30% of projected revenues.

“We have to pay for the services, regardless of how much we generate,” Wilson said.

What lawmakers said about exempting Olympic tickets from sales tax

Hawkins’ bill easily passed in both the House and the Senate.

Still, a few lawmakers had questions about giving up what fiscal analysts estimated would be $58 million that would have been collected by the state, plus another $30 million by local entities.

During debate on the House floor, Rep. Nicholeen Peck, R-Tooele, said she wanted “to make sure I’m understanding that the people rolling out the red carpet for the Olympics are not going to be thrown under the financial bus.”

Sen. Brady Brammer, R-Pleasant Grove, expressed a similar sentiment when the bill was heard in a Senate committee. He suggested in the future, legislation may be needed to require Olympic organizers to come up with at least what the sales tax would have generated.

“I just want to make sure that we’re not coming out behind despite spending billions of dollars getting ready,” Brammer said. “But I don’t necessarily want us to come out ahead, either, in that sense. I just want to make sure we’re protecting the state.”

Hawkins told the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee members he believes organizers are well aware of that concern.

“Obviously, they have to make their plans,” he said. “But the idea is to increase the price of a ticket with that fee commensurate to the sales tax rate.”

Were tickets to Utah’s 2002 Olympics taxed?

Taxing Olympic ticket sales was a much more contentious issue ahead of Utah’s last Winter Games, in 2002.

In 1998, the Utah Legislature approved imposing sales taxes on tickets, despite opposition by what was then known as the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, or SLOC, which claimed the added costs could affect attendance and reduce revenues.

Lawmakers at the time said they needed to close a “loophole” they warned was already being exploited because sales taxes weren’t being collected on merchandise sales at SLOC’s downtown headquarters.

The larger issue was the growing awareness that state and local governments would need to provide public safety and other services at the Winter Games and somebody would have to foot the bill.

By 2000, though, lawmakers had removed the sales tax on tickets after a deal had been worked out with what was also a privately funded organizing committee to use the $13 million that would have been paid in sales taxes to offset public safety costs.

Although the federal government will be in charge of security at the Olympics and pick up much of the tab, organizers plan to pay state and local governments for everything from using police officers to direct traffic at venues to snow removal.

Wilson said contracts for state and local services won’t be negotiated until a year or two before the start of the Winter Games because organizers “want to be making these decisions with the leaders that will be implementing them.”

It’s Utah taxpayers who are on the hook for any budget shortfalls, as the guarantor in the International Olympic Committee’s contract for hosting a second Winter Games that was signed by the governor in 2024.

Wilson said that means organizers must work toward meeting their budget objectives, even though the Games are years away.

“I’ve got a list that we’re trying to check off. This was one that was simple to do, and we had legislative enthusiasm and support to work on it, so we moved forward,” he said, adding, “We’re just chipping away at the things we can.”

Did anyone else have a good Tuesday afternoon? What did you say? ██ ███████ dropping █ points? I have no idea what you’re implying. You’re speaking nonsense. Over here, we’re only focused on things that are actually real and matter, such as Utah staying inside the top five so they can have the best chance at keeping their pick. And that mindset begins tonight, as the third-seeded Knicks come to town looking to create some separation between them and the lower dwellers in the East. Albeit I did crack a smile at seeing Blake Hinson hit a dagger shot over Draymond Green Monday night, that win crossed some dangerous territory for Utah; the chosen children Mavs are only one game behind the Jazz in the Tankathon standings. As we all know, they are the most deserving of AJ Dybantsa after only being in the finals a pitiful two years ago.

It’s a perilous trajectory for Utah, considering the rebuild has yielded only one top-five pick and a couple of late lottery picks. Now they must call a forfeit against a cold-streaking Knicks team that has dropped three of their last four matches. New York has practically been playing on dead legs after playing 12 playoff contenders in their last 16 games. And they’ve mirrored a lot of the Jazz’s mistakes — during that stretch, they’ve recorded a higher turnover percentage (16.1%) than the founding fathers of poor ball security, as well as 33.6% three-point percentage that ranks 22nd in the league.

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This is a team that threw in all their future chips for Mikal Bridges, who is literally being played off the floor by rookies. He’s been the weakest link of the Nova Knicks trio, scoring his fewest points per game since 2022 (15.2). They may chow down on the actively trying to lose each possession Jazz if they’d like, none of this concerns the front office, who have been throwing out lineups composed of guys on two-way contracts and guys fighting for their next contract.

Case in point, Monday night in the Delta Center, where the closing lineup consisted of Cody Williams, Elijah Harkless, John Konchar, Blake Hinson and Kyle Filipowski. Keyonte George played through two and a half quarters before unfortunately falling ill to cholera. Brice Sensabaugh had 21 points through three quarters before stubbing his pinky toe while walking back to the bench.

But what all eyes are actually falling on is the return of The Flamethrower. JC. Sixx. Manila Man. All the nicknames I could find online. Jordan Clarkson is welcomed home in the Delta Center for the first time since his departure in the offseason. We saw a glimpse of him in the Knicks orange when the Jazz visited them back in December, but now it’s really gonna hit home Though he’s been shackled to the Knicks bench, rarely playing over 10 minutes a game, Mike Brown would be a cruel and sickened man not to give him extended runtime against the city that embraced him with open arms for over six years.

The Knicks are going to hilariously beat them down, or at least in theory — no one is sure what Blake Hinson is capable of as of this moment. The Jazz are once again going to see how long they can get away with using the illness label on any player capable of contributing more than a single win share. Keyonte gets hit with a big fat questionable on the injury report, John Konchar is uncertain with left calf soreness, but Ace and Collier rejoin the team.

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ESPN gives the Jazz a 13.5% chance to win. That’s a little higher than what I’m comfortable with, but one man’s toxic sludge is another man’s potpourri. It’s tough to say out loud that your team needs to be as bad as possible, but this is more about future survival in a brutal Western Conference than anything else.

Injury Report

Jazz:

QUESTIONABLE – Keyonte George (illness), John Konchar (left calf soreness)

OUT – Lauri Markkanen (right hip impingement), Jusuf Nurkic (nose surgery), Jaren Jackson Jr. (left knee surgery), Walker Kessler (left shoulder surgery)

Knicks:

QUESTIONABLE – Josh Hart (left knee soreness)

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OUT – Miles McBride (hernia surgery)

How to watch:

Who: Utah Jazz (20-45) vs. New York Knicks (41-25

When: March 11th, 6:00PM Mountain Time

Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City

Channel: Peacock, Jazz+, KJZZ

Radio: 97.5/1280 The Zone

This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as more information becomes available.

WAYNE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A 4.0 magnitude earthquake occurred around 10:32 p.m. on Monday night near Cainesville, Utah.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), there was a 4.0 magnitude earthquake approximately 30 kilometers to the northeast of Torrey, Utah. The earthquake occurred around 10:32 p.m. at a depth of 2.8 km.

USGS says there is a 6% chance that a 4.0 magnitude earthquake has at least one aftershock within a week of the initial occurrence, a 7% chance that an aftershock occurs within a month, and a 9% chance that an aftershock occurs within a year.

Notably, many aftershocks and even initial earthquakes can be too small to feel. Below a 2.0 magnitude, the majority of people cannot feel an earthquake, according to USGS.

Officer-involved incident leads to southbound I-15 closure near Bangerter Highway

According to the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, Utah had 16 earthquakes on March 9. All but one, this 4.0 magnitude earthquake, was under 2.0 magnitude.

ABC4 also spoke with Katherine Whidden, a research scientist with the University of Utah seismograph stations, who gave us a little insight into this earthquake. Whidden said, “It’s in an area that we don’t usually have a whole lot of earthquakes, but Utah is a seismically active state and it’s not unusual to have an earthquake of this size really anywhere.”

Whidden noted that Utah has had several earthquakes this year, but they don’t appear to be related to each other.

“Earthquakes happen kind of in a random distribution… so we wouldn’t expect them to happen perfectly evenly in time. An analogy is like if you think about raindrops falling on dry pavement… they fall in little groups and clusters,” Whidden said.

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“It seems like there’s a lot of seismicity, and it is a little bit higher than normal, but it’s not unusual,” She continued. “We do know where larger events are likely to happen. Here in Northern Utah, we do live in earthquake country, Southern Utah as well, actually.”

According to Whidden, there are multiple things you can do to prepare if you live in an area where earthquakes are frequent. She recommends having a 72-hour kit with food, water, and medicine. Additionally, she said bereadyutah.gov has several online resources.

While Whidden says it is good to be prepared, she said this earthquake does not guarantee a bigger one occurring along the Wasatch Front, “The earthquake that we had last night is not really part of that system. It’s not really close to the Wasatch Fault. I don’t think it’s going to affect it whatsoever.”

Did you feel the earthquake? Let us know where you felt it and send us any videos of the earthquake at news@abc4.com for a chance to be featured!

Earthquake safety

While it is difficult to prepare for earthquakes ahead of time, it is important to stay aware of what to do if one occurs.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that you should immediately drop down onto your hands and knees, cover your head and neck underneath a sturdy piece of furniture, and hold on to your shelter.

If you cannot drop to the ground or get underneath a shelter, the CDC recommends that you sit down or remain seated. You should find something to protect your head and neck, such as a large book, a pillow, or your arms.

If you’re outside when the earthquake starts, it’s best to go to an open area away from trees, telephone poles and buildings. However, if you’re inside during an earthquake, you should stay inside.

After an earthquake

Once the initial earthquake is over, there still may be aftershocks. The CDC says you should avoid taking elevators, because the power could go out. Gas lines or water lines could also burst, leading to potential hazards.

If you are a shoreline following an earthquake, you should immediately head to higher ground and move inland, as the earthquake may have generated a tsunami.

It’s possible that there will be fallen debris and other hazards in the area, so the CDC says you may need to travel on foot. If you’re in a moving vehicle, they recommend stopping as quickly and safely as possible and set the parking brake. If a downed power line falls on the car, you should stay inside until a trained individual removes the wire.

You can learn more about earthquake safety here.

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Utah is among eight states the federal government has selected to test the future of electric aircraft and other aviation technologies, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday.

The state is poised to be part of a three-year pilot program on Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL), meant to safely integrate highly automated aircraft into the national airspace with planes that use electric propulsion and can take off and land vertically, according to the Utah Department of Transportation.

The state will lead a partnership with Oregon, Idaho, Arizona and Oklahoma, along with industry leaders “to test new aviation technologies and gather data.”

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“This partnership puts Utah at the forefront of the next generation of aviation technology while creating new opportunities for economic growth, research and workforce development across our state,” Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement. 

The program is part of an executive order President Donald Trump signed last year “unleashing American drone dominance,” which mandated his cabinet to accelerate technologies like eVTOL aircraft since they “promise to modernize methods for cargo delivery, passenger transport, and other advanced air mobility capabilities.”

“Congratulations to the great American innovators behind each of these exciting pilot programs,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a news release. “Working together, we will ensure America leads the way in safely leveraging next-gen aircraft to radically redefine personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics, emergency medicine, and so much more.” 

The president’s vision for air traffic modernization may include advancements in short-range air taxis, and lower-cost emergency-management response. 

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The eVTOL testing will take place in different environments across the West, including urban and rural areas, mountainous terrain and wildfire-prone regions, UDOT said in a news release. But that’s not an entirely untapped market for Utah. The state has already tested advanced aviation technologies, operating mobile command centers “that allow crews to connect aircraft systems, monitor live video and flight data, and coordinate testing operations from the field.”

“The project could also support future transportation planning as Utah prepares to host the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, where emerging aviation technologies could assist with logistics, emergency response and regional mobility,” the department said in the release.

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It’s been reported by multiple outlets now that the Utah Jazz have waived Vince Williams Jr. The news was expected; Williams Jr. tore his left ACL after colliding with Houston Rockets Forward Tari Eason on February 23rd. After being acquired with Jaren Jackson Jr. in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, Williams Jr. only appeared in 6 contests for the Jazz before the injury where he averaged 4.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game in 14 minutes of action a night.

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After spending four years at VCU, Vince spent most of his pro career in Memphis playing sporadic minutes, but found moderate success in the Grizzlies injury riddled 2023-2024 season. That year he was a bit of a utility player averaging 10 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 stocks per game. His true “calling card” was his reliable backup ballhandling with occasional playmaking masterclass performances like when he had 17 assists against the Pelicans or 15 assists against the Kings.

The release comes at a time where the Jazz are also battling the injury bug and they will now need to add a player to the roster to finish out the season to be in compliance with the NBA’s minimum roster requirements. The team themselves have not announced the move at the time of writing but I do expect it within the coming hours.

I was certainly a fan of his time in Utah and viewed him as a serviceable bench player that we could have had a role for next year. With the timing of the injury and the recovery time required it is unlikely that we’ll get to see him on the court next year, but I hope that once he is healthy he’s able to get on a roster and prove what he can do.

Now that leaves us with an open roster spot. Who do you think the Jazz should sign for the rest of the year? Who would you like to see the most in a Jazz uniform or who do you think we should give a chance to (potentially for a roster spot next season)? Sound off in the comments with your suggestions! Be kind, tell someone you love them.

The end of Alex Jensen’s first season as Utah basketball head coach has gotten rocky, as the Runnin’ Utes head into the Big 12 tournament on a five-game losing streak.

Worse yet, two of Utah’s most uncompetitive efforts all season came in losses against Colorado and Baylor last week.

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In both of those contests, the Utes gave up more than 50 points in the first half, and against the Bears, Utah gave up more than 100 points for the first time this season.

Expectations are low for Utah (10-21, 2-16) going into the conference tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City when the No. 16 seed Utes play No. 9 seed Cincinnati in the first round Tuesday (1 p.m. MDT, ESPN+).

Jensen still wants to see that fire in his team, after using words like embarrassing, selfish and disappointing to describe their effort in recent contests.

“(It’s) the same message. It’s an opportunity and it’s hard because there’s no excuse to come out and start the games the way we have,” Jensen said. “We’ve done it before and those have been our best games of the year, I think, is when we’ve come out and started well and sustained it for five or 10 minutes and kept fighting instead of getting down.

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“I expect more from the group and I hope they expect more from themselves.”

In the 101-76 loss to Baylor last Saturday, the Bears hit 21 of their first 25 shots and led by as many as 26 points in the first half before taking a 53-33 lead into the break.

In the first half, Baylor converted 10 Utah turnovers into 22 points, and by game’s end, it was 31 points on 16 turnovers.

The Bears also shot 61.5% for the game and dominated most statistical categories.

That loss ensured that Utah had the worst Big 12 conference finish of the past five seasons. The Utes’ two conference wins is the fewest since Iowa State went 0-18 in league play in the 2020-21 season.

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Utah will be a heavy underdog against Cincinnati at the conference tournament — ESPN Analytics only gives the Utes a 19.1% chance of victory.

When the Utes and Bearcats met three weeks ago for the only time during the regular season, it was one of Utah’s best chances to earn a Big 12 win that slipped away.

The Utes overcame a nine-point first-half deficit and had one of their better defensive games of the season, as Utah held a 65-60 lead with under two minutes to play.

Cincinnati scored the game’s final nine points, though, squandering a chance for the Utes to grab a road win.

“I thought we played hard, and it’s a shame, because I told them all along, we’re good enough to win these games and they’ve done a better job,” Jensen said after that loss. “You got to forget yourself and figure out how you fit into the team and do that job, and we’ll be fine.”

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In Kansas City, Utah will face a Cincinnati team that has had its share of ups and downs this season.

While the Bearcats (17-14, 9-9) have wins against Iowa State, Kansas and BYU to bolster their résumé, they are likely on the wrong side of the NCAA bubble going to the Big 12 tournament and need to make a run to enhance their chances.

The winner of Tuesday’s game will face No. 8 seed UCF in the second round, and the winner of that contest is set to face top-seeded Arizona in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals.

Jensen would like to have that momentum builder that a win in Kansas City could bring, not only for his program but for his players as well.

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“I think it’d go a long way, just (building) momentum. I think there’s always momentum throughout the year and even going into the offseason,” Jensen said. “I think that one of the disappointing things for our guys is I want it for them, and the problem is I think sometimes I want it more than they want it.”

In watching clips from the previous game against the Bearcats, Jensen noticed a common theme this year for Utah. If the Utes did a bit more improving things they can control, like boxing out or talking on defensive possessions, there were potentially more winnable games this season.

Tuesday, they’ll have another chance to show they can control the controllables.

“It’s another opportunity for our guys and it’s another game because I think as coaches or players, you should learn and grow every game. I truly mean that,” Jensen said. “There’s nothing like a tournament experience. You know, it’d be great to win a game and then see what comes after that.”