What Alex Jensen said after Utah basketball's first week of fall practices

Runnin' Utes head coach addressed the media a week after his team began practice

Utah Runnin' Utes head coach coach Alex Jensen enters his first season at the helm of his alma mater. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

With fall practices in full swing, the Utah basketball program is set to usher in the Alex Jensen era.

Jensen, a former Runnin' Utes player under Rick Majerus, has made his way back to Salt Lake City after spending the past dozen years in the NBA ranks, most recently with the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant to Jason Kidd.

Jensen will look to balance his modern approach to recruiting and roster building, along with his understanding of the traditions associated with Utah basketball, to guide the Runnin' Utes back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016. Though, despite his disdain for losing, he and the rest of Utah's staff understand long-term success isn't built overnight.

Here's what Jensen had to say about his roster and the adjustments he's made while coming back to the college level during his media availability session on Tuesday.

On adjusting from the NBA to college ranks

"It's actually fun. There's definitely a learning curve coming from the NBA to college, but it's exciting at the same time. You want to take two steps forward. It's a little too fast, if that makes any sense. But no, it's actually fun because, we have a new roster, staff is new, and so that's kind of the fun part about coaching, is watch it play out and see how the pieces come together."

Jan 28, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (41) and assistant coach Alex Jensen look at a laptop before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Vivint Arena. | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

On learning the team's identity

"[We're] getting a better idea every day. I mentioned it earlier; it's one of the fun parts about the situation we're in and one of the struggles, and that's probably what makes it fun. Because we talk about, we don't know who's going to start right now, what the rotations will be like, and it's actually been enjoyable, because I like the group we have, and there's a lot of different combinations, I think that we can go through."

"So that'll be the good thing about practice starting on Monday; we'll have more opportunity to see those combinations together. There'll be positions that some of our players haven't been in a lot, but it's fun to watch it come together and those guys play together in different roles."

On the evolution of recruiting

"I think it's evolving; like it's changing every day, so you're trying to figure out how it works right now. We're coming from the NBA. It's a learning experience. But at the same time, you're trying to anticipate how it's going to evolve and change in the future. But I think we talk about all the time, no matter what level you're on, there's certain things that bring success in basketball, and we keep going back to those and have as our foundation."

On what he believes will be successful for Utah in his first season

"It's a good question. I'm not sure how to measure that, but I can say this: Nobody wants to win more than us. I tell recruits and people all the time that myself and the staff, [general manager] Wes [Wilcox] — we had jobs. We didn't come here to knock it out of the park in a year. But like I said, no matter what level of basketball you're on, there's certain characteristics that breed success. We don't want to be successful for one year or two."

"We want to be successful for the duration. And through the decisions I've made to the staff and the roster and other things, been very methodical and going to do it the right way. Now, again, like I said, I'm not going to want to ever lose a game, and I'm sure it'll happen. But I think there's a process."

On the importance Keanu Dawes has as one of the team's few returners

"He's been really important. In fact, that's one of the challenges we've given him because of that and other things to be more — I don't want to use the word leader, but be more aggressive, more confident, not afraid to make mistakes. It's a message I've tried to give to all of our guys, but he's made a lot of strides, I think, this summer, and he's going to be a big, big piece to what we do and our success."

Jan 22, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Utah Utes forward Keanu Dawes (8) and Houston Cougars center Cedric Lath (2) battle for a rebound during the second half at Fertitta Center. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images