Like that expansive view Jensen has from his office, he has a long-term view in mind for the Utah basketball program.<\/p>\n
Time will tell how successful Jensen is in bringing back the glory of years past to a moribund program that is nine years and counting since its last NCAA Tournament appearance.<\/p>\n
Since his hiring in March, though, the buzz has been palpable for the return of a coach renowned for his player development skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is going to be an advantage for the University of Utah and the men\u2019s basketball program,\u201d Utah basketball general manager Wes Wilcox<\/a> told the Deseret News in an exclusive interview. <\/p>\n \u201cAl (is) incredibly competent and with a track record of helping the highest level players in the world get better and improve their games at a variety of positions, not just at the big-man positions, because Al\u2019s 6-9, but at every position, because Al has done it at a bunch of different levels, be it the G League, international competitions, the NBA.\u201d<\/p>\n Jensen, too, is known for his people skills and understands \u201cthe importance of building a relationship with the individual player,\u201d Wilcox said.<\/p>\n A \u2018thoughtful thinker, processor\u2019 It\u2019s been more than a dozen years since the 49-year-old Jensen was last coaching at the collegiate level, when he worked under Majerus at Saint Louis.<\/p>\n Since his hiring in March, Jensen and his staff have gotten a crash course on the new-age college game.<\/p>\n \u201cThe game\u2019s different. Obviously, recruiting, there\u2019s a learning curve, definitely. And then I keep learning, a lot better off than I was three, four or five months ago,\u201d Jensen told the Deseret News in an exclusive interview, two days after Utah started official practices ahead of his first season as coach.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no question, though, that Utah found the right man for the job.<\/p>\n When Utah athletic director Mark Harlan<\/a> was asked during Jensen\u2019s introductory press conference<\/a> in March what impressed him most about Jensen, Harlan gave a telling answer into why the Utah native fit so well into what the university was looking for.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t X and O\u2019s, it had nothing to do with that. When we went face-to-face, it was just getting to know each other better. We\u2019ve had a chance to meet on more than a few occasions,\u201d Harlan said. \u201cWhen you make these hires, you become a partner with somebody that you\u2019re investing with.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Part of what made him worth investing in became clear in those discussions.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the process went on, he just asked such thoughtful questions,\u201d Harlan said. \u201cI can tell his excitement was there, but he\u2019s just a very thoughtful thinker, processor.\u201d<\/p>\n Shaping a basketball identity <\/p>\n Jensen\u2019s basketball path has been paved with successes.<\/p>\n It\u2019s taken him from starring at Viewmont High, where he was named Deseret News\u2019 Mr. Basketball in 1994<\/a>, to a successful run at the University of Utah, where he helped the Utes reach the 1998 national championship game and earned Mountain West Player of the Year honors in 2000. <\/p>\n Following that, the tough-minded forward spent seven years playing internationally in Europe.<\/p>\n Then his old coach, Majerus, reeled him into coaching. <\/p>\n Jensen spent four years as an assistant coach under Majerus before jumping to the pro level and becoming better acquainted with his GM at Utah, Wilcox, when Jensen worked alongside him for two seasons as the head coach of the NBA D League (now G League) Canton Charge.<\/p>\n \u201cMan, that was some of the best basketball experiences in 25 years in the business,\u201d said Wilcox, the former NBA executive who hired Jensen as Canton\u2019s head coach. \u201cVery early on it was clear that Al was going to have an incredible future as a head coach, whether that was in the G League, international basketball, the NBA or a major college.\u201d <\/p>\n That first taste of coaching at the pro level is something Jensen can lean on as he enters his first season at Utah.<\/p>\n \u201cThe D League for me, I think the best part about it was \u2026 it was my first head coaching job, so I just came from Majerus, and I realized quick that I\u2019m not Majerus. You learn to be yourself, so your personality comes out and it becomes more authentic,\u201d Jensen said. \u201cAnd the beautiful thing about the D League is you get to make mistakes. In my case, it wasn\u2019t broadcast on TV. Unless you read the Canton Repository, you didn\u2019t know if I messed up.\u201d<\/p>\n That set the stage for Jensen\u2019s path to bring him closer to him, as he followed that by working for 10 years as an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz \u2014 where his player development chops were on full display, with guys like All-Star center Rudy Gobert \u2014 before coaching the last two years as an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a road that\u2019s prepared Jensen for this moment, taking on the challenge of building a winner during the name, image and likeness era where revenue sharing and the transfer portal are critical parts of the roster management process.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter what level of basketball, it\u2019s still the guts of it. The things I learned from Majerus are still the core,\u201d Jensen said. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting being here now, because I think college, it\u2019s evolving, but it\u2019s kind of like a combination of the D League and Europe, the NBA a little bit, and it\u2019s going to continue to change. It\u2019s kind of like there\u2019s different aspects of all that that\u2019s true in college now. <\/p>\n \u201cI played in Europe, I coached NBA, in the D League, in college, so it\u2019s kind of like you have memories or situations that are similar that you learn from and pull from, and same goes for my staff.\u201d<\/p>\n Influences in his coaching life<\/p>\n Understandably, conversations about Jensen\u2019s playing and coaching career bring up a key figure in his development: Majerus.<\/p>\n The former Utah coach turned the program into a juggernaut during his time as the Runnin\u2019 Utes coach from 1989-2004. Utah made the NCAA Tournament 10 times under Majerus, including the school\u2019s most successful run during the mid-to-late 1990s, when Jensen played a key role on teams that also featured talents like Andre Miller<\/a>, Keith Van Horn<\/a>, Hanno Mottola<\/a> and Michael Doleac<\/a>.<\/p>\n Those times, and the subsequent years working with Majerus at Saint Louis, have helped influence who Jensen has become.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know there\u2019s phrases that he would use all the time that still echo in my head. And being back here, it\u2019s been kind of interesting that we\u2019ll be talking about something or we\u2019ll go somewhere, and I\u2019ll be reminded of a teaching moment or a story,\u201d Jensen said.<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as coach Majerus goes, I\u2019ve never been around a better teacher of the game. He was a savant \u2014 he lived it, breathed it \u2014 but even if you were his assistant, you learned the game and how it was supposed to be played.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as coach (Rick) Majerus goes, I\u2019ve never been around a better teacher of the game. He was a savant \u2014 he lived it, breathed it \u2014 but even if you were his assistant, you learned the game and how it was supposed to be played.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 \u00a0Utah basketball coach Alex Jensen<\/p>\n There\u2019s been other figures, too, who\u2019ve been influential in Jensen\u2019s career, many of which have come through his time working in the NBA. <\/p>\n \u201cAs far as my coaching progression has been, it\u2019s been wonderful,\u201d Jensen said. \u201cI remember, I went to the D League and I would learn a ton. Byron Scott was the coach of the (Cleveland) Cavaliers, (Canton\u2019s NBA affiliate). His son was my assistant, learned a lot from him and his assistants.\u201d <\/p>\n Jensen spent eight years working as an assistant for former Jazz coach Quin Snyder<\/a>, who\u2019s now the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks.<\/p>\n \u201cI came here, and his first year was kind of a transition from the Sloan era (following) coach (Tyrone) Corbin. I learned a lot, because that was kind of similar to the Sloan era that had been so consistent, so good for 30 years. But then I also got the opportunity with Quin to go through that change, to start off not being very good, to build it up,\u201d Jensen said. <\/p>\n \u201cI learned a ton from Quin, great mind, great coach. That was a fun eight years with the Jazz. And then my last year with Will (Hardy), learned a lot, kind of came from a different background. And then I was lucky enough to go to Dallas with coach (Jason) Kidd, be around Luka (Doncic) and Kyrie (Irving).\u201d<\/p>\n The values Alex Jensen brings to Utah basketball<\/p>\n Like Majerus, those who know Jensen recognize his abilities to teach the game.<\/p>\n \u201cIn many ways, he was Rick Majerus\u2019 brain on the court. Given his vast NBA coaching experience and his knowledge of Utah basketball, this is a great fit,\u201d ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla said of Jensen in a quote the program shared when he was hired.<\/p>\n During the team\u2019s first official day of practice on Sept. 22, there was a moment when the assembled media had a chance to see his teaching in action.<\/p>\n He pulled fifth-year senior James Okonkwo aside for a quick conversation, and even from more than 100 yards away, it was clear from the body language the respect that both men had for each other as they discussed whatever nuances of the game were being verbalized.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this probably goes across all sports, but especially basketball. I think a player, every player, knows two things \u2014 if you care about them and if you know what you\u2019re talking about. I learned that in the D League as well. It\u2019s hard to teach or coach somebody without a relationship,\u201d Jensen said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they know that you care and you know what you\u2019re talking about, then teaching can happen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf they know that you care and you know what you\u2019re talking about, then teaching can happen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 \u00a0Utah basketball coach Alex Jensen<\/p>\n Building relationships is another Jensen speciality, one that makes him so good at his job.<\/p>\n \u201cThe combination of incredible basketball acumen, just deep personal integrity and character with relentless work effort and competitive makeup, along with the highest level social skills to understand and lead a group in a way that is super unique,\u201d Wilcox said of what stands out about Jensen\u2019s ability to build relationships. <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he\u2019s one of the best. He\u2019s one of the best who can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Jensen thrives in these environments \u2014 that\u2019s the fun part, getting to know the individuals on his team and on his staff, and it extends beyond the game.<\/p>\n \u201c(My) first year, I knew it was going to be like that, but (the) majority of my time isn\u2019t spent coaching,\u201d he said. \u201cI remember in the D League, the funnest part was, even in my first few years with the Jazz, I remember I was in Canton coming back with a player at night \u2014 because they didn\u2019t have a car, so you\u2019d go pick them up \u2014 and you\u2019d come back and it\u2019s just you and the player in the gym. Like, that\u2019s the fun part.\u201d<\/p>\n Again, Jensen harks back to Majerus when discussing the importance of growing together as a team.<\/p>\n \u201cMajerus always had a great line. He said, \u2018There\u2019s nothing like being on a team.\u2019 He said, \u2018In three months none of you guys are going to be on a team again.\u2019 There\u2019s nothing like it because during the season, you spend more time with your players and fellow coaches and staff than you do with your family, so you get to know somebody really quick, and that\u2019s the fun part \u2014 the learning, the relationships and actually, coaching, helping,\u201d Jensen said. <\/p>\n \u201cThat was the fun thing about college, when I was last there. You had a kid for more than one year and they were young, and you saw him grow and then at the same time, you learned as a coach.\u201d<\/p>\n What Utah\u2019s players have already learned <\/p>\n Over the summer and into the fall, Jensen has had those opportunities to work, many times one-on-one, with his newly assembled group of players that will make up the Utes\u2019 2025-26 roster.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a group that includes 12 new faces<\/a> \u2014 ranging from players who joined Utah from other power conferences to smaller-college schools to international players and even high school talents \u2014 and a group of three returnees headlined by junior forward Keanu Dawes<\/a>.<\/p>\n He has a vision for how he wants the Utes to play: with confidence, while emulating the Runnin\u2019 Utes mantra. <\/p>\n \u201cI want to play fast,\u201d he told the Deseret News in June. \u201cI think that could be interpreted in a lot of different ways. But I want to run. I want to pass the ball. And I want guys to be confident, not be afraid to make mistakes. I think that all ties into the Runnin\u2019 Utes.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to let my players play instinctually.\u201d<\/p>\n From speaking with his players, that reputation of being a \u201cconsummate player development coach,\u201d as Utah president Taylor Randall put it, is shining through, even before the Utes\u2019 first game. <\/p>\n The identity they want to showcase is already hitting home.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to play with grit, we\u2019re going to play hard,\u201d said forward Seydou Traore, a transfer from Iowa. Added guard Elijah \u201cChoppa\u201d Moore, a Syracuse transfer, \u201cIt\u2019s one of those things where I\u2019d rather just allow our game to do the talking, and you guys to just see it when it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n Behind the scenes, that work has been going on for months, and players have appreciated the opportunities to learn from someone with a vast array of experience, including more than a decade at the NBA level.<\/p>\n \u201cComing in and being able to pick his brain every day, being able to listen to him, has been huge for me and my game and us as a team,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n \u201cComing in and being able to pick his brain every day, being able to listen to him, has been huge for me and my game and us as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 \u00a0Utah guard Elijah “Choppa” Moore, on Alex Jensen<\/p>\n Added Dawes: \u201cFor me, (it\u2019s) just his level of IQ basketball-wise, just keeping the game simple but also expanding my knowledge of the game. And even just the little things, like spacing, getting deep corners and being efficient with your dribble when you\u2019re getting to the basket, really seeing how much he knows about basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s building a culture of maximum effort, forged in communication and trust.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s patient, and he\u2019s trusting. He will empower his staff to do their jobs,\u201d Wilcox said. \u201cAnd if you come to watch a practice, he\u2019s constantly saying to an assistant, or, you know, for instance, Kim Tillie, who\u2019s a graduate manager, he\u2019ll say, \u2018Kim, what\u2019d you say? Say it. Please. Everybody listen to Kim.\u2019 Or Jordan (Mason), our video coordinator, \u2018Jordan, please speak up, say it to the team.\u2019 Or \u2018coach (Eric) Daniels, make the point to the group.\u2019 <\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ll oftentimes see Alex very present, observing, empowering the group, but then very quick to step in and to command the attention and to make decisions or to lead as necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n From family man to forging bonds<\/p>\n Jensen\u2019s approach to coaching and building relationships has a trickle-down effect outside of the game as well, even if his profession can make family life a balancing act.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3LD2OMPVQ5ER5OAIRM734KENRA.JPG\")
Alex Jensen, University of Utah men’s basketball head coach, talks with players as they stretch at the end of Utah Utes basketball practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/FQXN5CKQDBDEJDS3JV7GUUYLDY.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen shows a basketball from the 1998 NCAA Tournament Final Four game that he played in when Utah beat North Carolina 65\u201359, which is on display in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/C2RH2A76AJCXJHXJZNJLXS6KBM.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen answers interview questions in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/VPO3YY5UTRGBZN6P2X7PH7HEBA.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen shows a calendar planner that belonged to former Utes coach Rick Majerus in Jensen\u2019s office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/E5MSDW6JKFH45DPIOUUA7YWS5E.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen poses for a portrait in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2UVAWLG3HBA2TCQSF36J5PRDLQ.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen answers interview questions in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1759548010_950_FQXN5CKQDBDEJDS3JV7GUUYLDY.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen shows a basketball from the 1998 NCAA Tournament Final Four game that he played in when Utah beat North Carolina 65\u201359, which is on display in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/VXDBKXMWPZCC5NKD7KUFDRNX6Q.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen answers interview questions in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IVL2ZLF6NRATVNI3SDVXPVAVG4.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen answers interview questions in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/JT7Y2IRX7NAFZCNHP2A6C6RKHA.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen poses for a portrait in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/OFT3NYG7GJBLDMC5RAYAZFN73M.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen answers interview questions in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/QXSDTMORC5DHJK22EQRUTYTKYQ.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen shows a basketball from the 1998 NCAA Tournament Final Four game that he played in when Utah beat North Carolina 65\u201359, which is on display in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/RK4PS2LFTRC6BJPUIDXZXL6BVA.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen answers interview questions in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/HAAF4TSXFVECRHQ6GOPCD2GGTU.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen poses for a portrait in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/C56QMJ4I55FEBGO2A4AO3UKMW4.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen answers interview questions in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GZFFSEUSIBGFPKINFYFT4MROVA.JPG\")
University of Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen answers interview questions in his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/UD4FHHOQQYHT7QT63P7EHC6MNY.jpg\")
Andre Miller and Rick Majerus led Utah to the 1998 Final Four in San Antonio and an appearance in the national championship game. | Ravell Call, Deseret News <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/G635PCSTQJHYBJ7KMUYHZS2E2Q.JPG\")
Alex Jensen, University of Utah men’s basketball head coach, talks with James Okonkwo at the end of Utah Utes practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ETOGQ6RZBHIIL5ADMXO77DRSJY.jpg\")
Utah coch Rick Majerus shouts out plays during the game against New Mexico Saturday, Feb 28, 1998. | Gary M. McKellar, Deseret News <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/4Z7BIDP2JVGQXDW56DFIQZ4U3Q.JPG\")
Alex Jensen, University of Utah men’s basketball head coach, laughs at the end of Utah Utes practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WXLM5QTUYFFZFPAJFKEEKKCLRE.JPG\")
Ibi Traore, Kendyl Sanders, Don McHenry and Keanu Dawes finish practice with the Utah Utes at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/DEETEMWRJVGK7FHRNFSQUBJVC4.JPG\")
Jahki Howard shoots at the end of Utah Utes basketball practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1759548015_360_G635PCSTQJHYBJ7KMUYHZS2E2Q.JPG\")
Alex Jensen, University of Utah men’s basketball head coach, talks with James Okonkwo at the end of Utah Utes practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/BW7ZJNVPYBDPNM46GGQCMKWQJY.JPG\")
Keanu Dawes dunks the ball at the end of a Utah Utes basketball practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/DPANDZRPCVFT5LIP4RJOAEOGSU.JPG\")
Alex Jensen, University of Utah men’s basketball head coach, talks with members of the media after Utah Utes practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/YUR2STDSV5FT7JWKBERGMAG43Y.JPG\")
Elijah “Choppa” Moore and James Okonkwo talk to members of the media after a Utah Utes basketball practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/YOV27ZZEGBFSNPPXIKVHNDOPKA.JPG\")
Elijah “Choppa” Moore and James Okonkwo talk to members of the media after a Utah Utes basketball practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/44P3Z4SZKRBDZCEIRA3SKV7EGI.JPG\")
Keanu Dawes stretches at the end of a Utah Utes basketball practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PLSELZRZ55EB7PLMYHZVOTPLLM.JPG\")
James Okonkwo stretches at the end of a Utah Utes basketball practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/CXD47AN4IVG67H2U5ROX7EPCBU.JPG\")
Alex Jensen, University of Utah men’s basketball head coach, talks with members of the media after Utah Utes practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/776WWWPRZBCJRNNXHAMZ7IMOVA.JPG\")
Keanu Dawes runs during a Utah Utes basketball practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WFKLG2DFEBGUPP5JONFUGFWVN4.JPG\")
Kendyl Sanders shoots at the end of a Utah Utes basketball practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1759548019_646_3LD2OMPVQ5ER5OAIRM734KENRA.JPG\")
Alex Jensen, University of Utah men’s basketball head coach, talks with players as they stretch at the end of Utah Utes basketball practice at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AWA6FNJX45FRZDQBUCNDTRVMBM.JPG\")
Alex Jensen\u2019s family attends a press conference to introduce Alex Jensen as the new head coach for the University of Utah men’s basketball team at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 17, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/673LNK3R3JDMZD25UCJR3Y7IYQ.JPG\")
Utah men\u2019s basketball head coach Alex Jensen flashes the \u201cU\u201d during Fox\u2019s \u201cBig Noon Kickoff\u201d pregame show held at the Smith\u2019s Ultimate Tailgate Experience near Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, preceding the No. 16 University of Utah Utes versus the No. 17 Texas Tech University Red Raiders football game. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alex Jensen has a picturesque view from his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":188816,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,14475,85],"class_list":["post-188815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-news-feed-national","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188815\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}