Utah’s Alex Jensen admits he felt rushed to assemble a competitive team last season, his first as head coach of his alma mater.
“I felt (like we were) playing a lot of catch-up that first year,” he said. “I think we’re in a much better place now.”
An impressive overtime win against Oregon in a recent exhibition appears to support that claim. It certainly added to the renewed excitement the Utes have in their program as they begin the new season at home Monday against Long Beach State in Salt Lake City.
Utah wants to reestablish a winning culture after finishing in last place in the Big 12 at 10-22 overall and 2-16 in league action. The Utes are also hoping to win back a fanbase that has turned its focus to the school’s powerhouse football team after years of struggles in hoops.
The Utes, who used to be March Madness regulars and occasional contenders, have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2016.
“We know that we have a lot of fans who are used to winning, who have seen a lot of Ute wins,” newcomer Jackson Holcombe told KSL.com. “And so our goal is to just earn their trust back and get back to the same standard eventually.”
Holcombe and Trey Campbell each scored 20 against Oregon, while Taison Chatman nailed a key 3-pointer that helped force overtime. Though they aren’t official stats, they do offer some preseason hope.
Malek Gomma, who had 10 points and nine rebounds, believes Utah’s hustle and effort will pay off.
“That’s the standard. We are so blessed to be in the position we are in right now,” Gomma said. “To not dive on the floor for a ball, I feel like it’s selfish — selfish to the team, selfish to Coach Jensen and (general manager) Wes (Wilcox), who invested in us. That’s just the standard for us.”
Utah welcomes five transfers in Holcombe (Utah Valley), Gomma (Weber State), Chatman (Ohio State), Campbell (Northern Iowa) and TJ Burch (Wright State).
Rebuilding was the theme of the offseason for Long Beach State, which enters its third year under head coach Chris Acker.
Long Beach State (10-22, 6-14) placed ninth in the Big West in 2025-26.
Christian Jones is the only returning player, but the coach likes his new group’s potential.
Newcomers include Kaleb Smith (Grand Canyon), Noah Amenhauser (Oregon State), Jaden Tengan (Cal State Monterey Bay), McCaden Adams (Snow College), Yohann Sissoko (Florida Atlantic), Jack Payne (Idaho) and Henry Lau (Pitt).
“There are a lot of guys in that locker room that are genuinely hard working, hard-playing guys with the right mindset,” Acker said. “You’ve got to bring your hard hat when you compete against these guys.”
