Mason Madsen’s college basketball career has taken him to a lot of different places.
The Runnin’ Ute guard played two years at Cincinnati and two years at Boston College before transferring to join his brother, Gabe, in Salt Lake City.
One thing he hasn’t seen: an NCAA Tournament appearance.
“This is my last year,” he said this week. “I would come to terms with it, but I think it will be a regret if I don’t ever make the tournament. I’ll do whatever it takes to win.”
The Utah senior knows that starts this weekend for the Utes, who take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Iowa currently sits at 52nd in the NCAA’s NET Rankings, just outside the top-50 status that would qualify as a Quad 1 win for the Utes on a neutral court. But the Hawkeyes are rounding into form and could move up as the season progresses, making Saturday’s matchup an important one Craig Smith’s squad.
“We told our guys it gets real now,” the Utah head coach said.
A Big 12 schedule will give the Utes plenty of challenges but also the opportunity for other resume-building wins. Nine of the conference’s programs are among the top 50 NET teams as of now, with Utah (59) and BYU (53) just on the outside.
“Obviously there’s a real sense of urgency,” Smith said. “There’s a lot of time to make up ground, but it’s a big game.”
Still, Utah can’t overlook Saturday’s opportunity.
“You can say that stuff doesn’t matter, but obviously it does,” Madsen said of the potential for a Quad 1 victory. “If our aspirations are the tournament, I wouldn’t say it’s a must-win, but it’s up there. It’s close.”
The Utes and Hawkeyes met in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament last March, a 91-82 victory for Utah.
“They’re a little bit different. We’re definitely different,” Smith said this week.
The Utes will have to slow down the Hawkeyes’ 12th-ranked offense. Smith called Iowa forward Payton Sandfort “an elite shooter” who is “rounding into form” after dealing with some injury issues.”
Saturday’s game will tip off at 4 p.m. MT.
The game will be played at the 3,200-seat Sanford Pentagon, home of the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce.
“It’s going to be a tough environment in a great venue,” Smith said. “I’m expecting there are going to be a lot more Iowa fans than Utah fans there. They say it’s neutral but I don’t think it will feel like that.”
