Final minutes of the Utah/UNC 1998 Final Four Game.

[deejtechno22]

I miss this.

[Lorenshyne]

Van Horn last year and Andre Miller and Doleac. What a team. UNC stacked as aways.

[DJMAL013]

@Lorenshyne Keith Van Horn actually was in the NBA during this year. He had already graduated. This team was indeed led by Miller and Doleac but also a guy named Hanno Mottola some dude from sweeden. This game is so depressing to me, because this might've been one of the greatest UNC teams ever

[Lorenshyne]

@Lorenshyne Yeah thats why i said Van Horn last year. How come Utah dont attrect big white recruits nowadays?

Hanno Mottolo is from Finland tho. They said he got more umlauts in his name, then he got game.

[cschnei08]

This game made me sick to my stomach. That UNC team was my favorite and I was sure they were gonna win it all. I can't say enough about Utah being able to hold them down to just 59 points. That UNC team had Jamison, Carter, Haywood, and Cota and Utah still beat them.

[charismatic9904]

@cschnei08 Dont forget the 3 point specialist shammond williams. Plus Ndiaye. Back to back final 4's we made in 97 and 98 and got beat. To this day both still kill me.

[UncleFooFoo68]

@cschnei08 I hear ya! This game still bothers me to this day. My favorite team still and Carter and Jamison were so fun to watch!

[Ninety2q]

To keep the offensive juggernaut that UNC was this season to under 60 points was just simply amazing. I really wanted to see UNC in the final this year, but Utah was fun to root for in that final.

[316lawdog]

do u know a website that i can watch this game on.

[ajgree6]

I'm a Kentucky fan but this was one of the best moments in this tournament, only second to Kentucky avenging the 1992 Duke loss in the tournament. Majerus is a class act but I know he had to hate Kentucky. They took him out of the tournament three or four different years.

[walterlv01]

@ajgree6 Try 5 times. 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2003. They even knocked Andrew Bogut-led Utah out in 2005 after Majerus had left. Amazingly, if Utah hadn't been upset in 1999 by Miami-Ohio they would have met that year also. They were also both in the same bracket as lower seeds in 2000. Jim Nantz often mentioned how Kentucky and Utah always seemed to get paired in the same bracket, and the one year they weren't, 1998, they played in the national final.

[ajgree6]

@walterlv01 I did not know that. I really don't remember the 2003 match up. I do agree with Nantz, however, that it does seem a little more than ironic that Utah was paired with Kentucky--especially on Kentucky's best years. 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998 were all final four years (two championships) and 2003 had an undefeated record in conference, heading into the tournament with that 16 game winning streak #1 overall seed but was upset in the Elite 8 and D-Wade w/ Marquette. Very interesting...

[ajgree6]

@walterlv01 1999 was another Elite 8 Kentucky team, as was the 2005 team (the latter of which I do remember). You are right about the 2000 teams. I remember that was a severely bad rebuilding year for UK, which has become the standard at UK 5 out of the last 6 seasons. I think Calipari will win a lot here but he's unorthodox in some of his methods, specifically defense and encouraging his best players to declare for the draft. Color me impressed with your NCAA tourney trivia knowledge. Ute fan??

[walterlv01]

@ajgree6 UNLV fan, actually. Went to UNLV from 1995-99 and the conference tournament was/is here every year so I saw those Utah teams pretty regularly. Calipari will definitely win a lot there but enjoy it - he will get run out of town under a cloud of investigations and violations within 10 years. He has a pretty proven track record when it comes to that. But college basketball is better overall when UK is good and a national factor. Maybe the best fan base in the sport.

[ajgree6]

@walterlv01 Kinda think that stuff about Calipari is somewhat overblown. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. You gotta look at his previous violations. He hasn't been named in any report although I don't think it's just bad luck. Camby took money from an agent and Cal reported it. The thing at Memphis was unfortunate. The NCAA had already cleared Rose although I think standards were loose at that program. He's on par with Tark as far as being "dirty." I'm of the belief that Tark

[ajgree6]

@walterlv01 was overall pretty clean but the NCAA unfairly went after him because they didn't like the type of players he brought in. The 1990 and 91 UNLV teams are two of the best teams ever. The advantage of being at a "bigger" program is you have more resources to prevent something like that from happening. One needs the right people above you. UK has been in trouble before (late 80's) but it's a different now. The UMass, Memphis and UNLV's of the world don't have those type of resources.

[ajgree6]

@walterlv01 The whole system is unfair, especially to the smaller schools. They should be held in higher regard when they do win because it's harder for them to accomplish, IMO. The NCAA needs some overhaul. All the defending I'm doing is moot if Calipari does get in trouble. Also the chances of winning a title are 50/50 at best with constant flux at the roster. He really needs a few of his freshman to return each year. BTW, I loved Jasper when he was at UK. Glad to see him doing well at UNLV.

[Whateverintheworld]

This run was not as incredible as Butler's run this year. However, although Utah lost the championship, this has to be one of the best runs in the NCAA tournaments. Maybe I write that because I am a "Utah" homer but I love being a Ute. It will be interesting what they can do for recruits now that they will be in the Pac-(12)

[pwutakenpohnpei]

Hey is there any way you could get me the original of this. I need it for a video I am doing for the U.

[verbalhigh]

damn we choked this game away Utah was good but that is a game we should have won.....we had some talent that year two.

[jephsteph]

@qukarlz hmmmmm..... not just Duke. Actually there are close to 120 schools in division 1 football and only about 30 of them have gone to bowl games the last 4 seasons in a row. UK is one of those schools. Mmmmkay?

[jephsteph]

@qukarlz Many teams, yes.  But not "everybody".

[jephsteph]

I'm a Kentucky fan, and I'll go out of my way to say Utah was simply the better team agains UNC. People seem to forget that Utah totally blew out Arizona in the region final the week before. And another thing...to reply to an earlier comment, Utah's football program is way better than UK's. They'd kick our butts almost every year.

[jcaudill6921]

I'm a Kentucky fan and I was disappointed to see Utah beat UNC. UNC and Kentucky for the title would have been awesome.

It seems that a championship match between these two teams always falls through...1993-UK lost in the semis, 1997-UNC lost in the semis. 1998-UNC lost in the semis.

[ammccray]

It seems like you should probably want to play the better team if you were looking for a good game. Utah was obviously the better team. Typical East Coast bias...

[jcaudill6921]

The most talented team doesn't always win. Utah was the typical case of a team that got hot. They didn't have more talent than UNC but they were smarter that night.

As a UK fan, I wanted to beat UNC for the title. Beating Utah is a given when you're Kentucky.

[ammccray]

Ha, I do hate Kentucky as a Ute fan. Always had our number. I can't dispute that UNC had more talented players on their team, but Utah was the better team as a whole.

That Utah team had a lot of talent though...Andre Miller is still a starting PG in the NBA, Doleac has been in the league for years and was the perfect college big (big and skilled...think Goran Suton this year), and Mottola was a lottery pick.

[jcaudill6921]

Mottola was NOT a lottery pick. He was picked 40th in the 2nd round. Andre Miller was a lottery pick.

Anyways, I'll agree that Utah played better team ball and it was a shame that it was the year AFTER Van Horn left. Seriously though, I've always wanted to know how Utah fans felt when they saw the name 'Kentucky' in their bracket. I always get a chuckle out of the thought.

[SFFOOL76]

It wasn't the final, but Kentucky lost to Michigan State in the Final 8 in 2005.

[koroseman]

how in HELL did they beat Carolina!!!

[Wallyshow07]

Kentucky is Utah's big dance punching bag, such a sad ending to this run. UNC was far better than UK was that year. I want to see a Kentucky VS Utah in FOOTBALL for a change! maybe the tide will be a different outcome for the utes.

[jcaudill6921]

Yes, UNC had much more talent than UK that year. However, UK was a better team and put together one of the best runs of all time. Three straight double digit comebacks for Kentucky in 98 to win it all.

Elite 8-Trailed Duke by 18

Final 4-Trailed Stanford by 10

Chmp-Trailed Utah by 10

[dut99002]

Great memories. That was a fun run, but with a sad ending. Kentucky is Utah's b-ball bane.

[bleigh82]

Not to take anything away from the Utes at all...however, it would have been sweet to see a UNC Kentucky final.

[DG4NJ]

how did andre miller outshine vince carter and antwan jamerson man i wanted unc to go at kentucky that year.

[utesichiban]

Because Utah was a better coached team and Miller was on a tear. Miller is still a very solid NBA player, I would argue as good as Jamison as a pro. Don't short change the guy just because he hasn't had the opportunity to play for a good NBA team.

[SFFOOL76]

He's doing a good ass job with the Sixers and overall has been a solid point guard his whole NBA career. Doleac has had a solid (not spectacular) NBA career. But yes they are no Jamison and Carter. But as Utesichiban mentioned Majerus did outcoach Gutheridge.

[Wallyshow07]

git r done!

[jasondh22]

Interesting how the last minute of the game turned out to take NINE MINUTES!