A season to remember: A decade later, Utes reflect on magical run to NCAA Finals

Michael Doleac has played in the NBA for 10 years and played against the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard. He's also played with O'Neal on the 2006 NBA championship team, which included Dwayne Wade.

Yet, ask Doleac what the highlight of his basketball career is, and he'll tell you without reservation it was the 1997-98 Utah basketball season when the Utes won five NCAA games to reach the NCAA championship game against Kentucky.

"It was a great experience, the most fun I've ever had playing basketball," he said. "Even winning the title with Miami doesn't even come close."

Ask Alex Jensen about his 1998 experience and he calls it a "fairy tale" and a "dream."

"I can remember running off after the North Carolina game and jumping around like little kids," he said.

Drew Hansen recalls the "fond memories" and how it "was such a pleasure playing with a great group of guys who

were such great friends."

Trace Caton remembers upsetting Arizona and everyone dancing together with their uniforms on in the shower, including coach Rick Majerus. "That was a side of him we never saw before," Caton said.

The 1997-98 basketball season is certainly one to remember for the University of Utah. Despite not even being picked to win their conference, the Utes started off with an 18-game winning streak, were ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation and eventually finished with a 30-4 record.

It was 10 years ago this week that the Utes were in San Antonio — just as UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas and Memphis are today — on college basketball's biggest stage.

"It was an incredible thing going to the Final Four," Doleac recalls. "All the activity, the fans, being on the Riverwalk, hanging with the guys, just incredible."

"It was quite the experience," Jensen said. "I remember we didn't get much sleep for a few days."

So what made the 1997-98 team so special?

Former Utah assistant coach Jeff Judkins, who's now the women's head coach at BYU, talks about the "balance" the team had with no superstars after losing Keith Van Horn the year before and a young group of backups. On different nights, different players would step up. But perhaps the team's best quality was its mental toughness.

"They wouldn't let anybody beat them," Judkins said. "They thought they could win any game."