NCAA Tournament 2000 - Utah playbook: Majerus' magic

Utah playbook: Majerus' magic
From Coach's Edge

The Utes struggled down the stretch, losing three of their last five regular-season games. But coach Rick Majerus knows Xs and Os as well as any coach in the country, and he has the ability to implement complex game plans for specific opponents.

Majerus has worked magic in tournaments past, earning the Utes a trip to the Final Four in 1998. This season, the Utes' impact player is Hanno Mottola, and no doubt Majerus will devise schemes to get him involved in the offense.

ANIMATE THIS PLAY DIAGRAM WITH SHOCKWAVE
(A) Jeremy Killion (32) begins the action with a pass to Tony Harvey (5) on the wing and cut to the weak side.
(B) Although sidelined for much of the season with an injury, Hanno Mottola (13) is still the Utes' most dangerous threat. In the mold of Keith Van Horn and Michael Doleac, Mottola is another Ute big man that can go inside and out.

(C) Alex Jensen (50) is the Utes' best 3-point shooter (47 percent), and he draws a lot of attention on the perimeter. That enables him to dump it inside to Mottola (13).
(D) Mottola (13) has a nice soft touch inside, and his ability to execute makes the Majerus' magic even more mystifying.


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