Utah's Head Coach Alex Jensen on Recruiting, Culture & Restoring Runnin' Utes Basketball

Alex Jensen sits down to talk about his journey from Viewmont High School standout and Utah's Mr. Basketball to the 17th head coach of the University of Utah Runnin' Utes men's basketball program. Coach Jensen opens up about getting recruited by the legendary Rick Majerus, starring on Utah's 1998 Final Four team, winning the first-ever Mountain West Conference Player of the Year award, and playing professionally overseas. He also shares what he looks for in recruits now that he's back on the other side of the table, the coaching philosophies shaped by nearly two decades in the NBA — including 10 seasons with the Utah Jazz and two with the Dallas Mavericks — and why this upcoming season at Utah has him more excited than ever. Whether you're a Utes fan, a Big 12 basketball follower, or a hoops junkie who loves a great homecoming story, this one is for you.RELATED VIDEO:Coach Judkins Interview: https://youtu.be/L-UV2WCvwS8🔔 Subscribe for more exclusive interviews with top basketball coaches and players.⏱️ Timestamps: 0:00 Our First Meeting0:30 Alex Jensen Moments1:34 Elite Defender3:27 Most Difficult to Guard4:41 Andre Miller5:10 Getting Recruited to the U7:20 Role of Assistants during Majerus8:19 Coach Judkins Memories9:55 Why Majerus Yelled at Alex10:37 What the U offers Recruits now12:07 Picking Coach Jensen's Staff12:58 Recruiting HS vs Portal vs Europe14:26 What Really Matters to a College Coach15:40 Biggest Jump From HS to College17:20 NBA Experience19:27 Best Way to Practice21:22 Feel vs Teach vs Enforce23:29 Utah "Style"25:04 Size of Recruiting Pool26:34 Parent Involvement vs Agents27:18 Relationship with AAU Ball27:53 Looking Forward to This Season28:43 Making Practice Plans30:05 College Basketball Schedule31:13 Two Halves in College. Why?31:40 Last Season Pros and Cons32:42 Has it all been worth it?34:12 Staying Present📲 Follow us here on YouTube as well as: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/making_the_team/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@making.the.team