A CONTRAST IN STYLES.

Byline: Rob Moseley The Register-Guard

Rick Majerus has been around long enough to know you don't get too caught up in rankings and seedings and all the rest.

Now in his 14th season as head coach at Utah, the gregarious Majerus may have thought the Utes deserved better than their No. 9 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament, which means a game against Oregon on Friday at about noon PST in Nashville, Tenn. After all, Utah went 24-7 in the regular season, and was in the top 20 of the RPI despite losing in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament.

But Majerus, who is 307-89 in his tenure with the Utes, with 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and four trips to the Sweet 16, isn't fazed by his team's seed. Experience tells him it wouldn't be worth the effort.

"Who knows what's fair and what's not fair? It doesn't do you any good to (complain) about it," said Majerus, who also led Ball State to the NCAA Tournament in 1989. "I've been in 11 of these tournaments, and that's a lot to be in. I understand you've got to just come and play. I've got a greater concern for how my team is playing."

There does appear to be reason for concern for Majerus. Utah enters the tournament on the heels of a bad loss to Nevada-Las Vegas in the Mountain West Conference Tournament, and it appears the Utes will be without their best player on Friday.

Majerus said Monday that Britton Johnsen, the 2001-02 MWC player of the year, will not play against Oregon due to an enlarged spleen caused by mononucleosis, and indeed he didn't travel with the team to Nashville on Tuesday. Though Johnsen averaged a workmanlike 11.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, Majerus called him Utah's best player, and compared his loss to the Ducks hypothetically playing without Luke Ridnour.

In Johnsen's absence, Utah will start only one player taller than 6-feet-4, that being 6-10 center Tim Frost from Klamath Falls. Freshman Richard Chaney, 6-4, started in the two MWC tournament games that Johnsen missed and probably will draw the same duty Friday.

"If he hadn't gotten this mono, we would have been really good," Majerus said.

Though Johnsen was to undergo further evaluation as the week progresses, and may travel to Nashville to watch the game, Majerus said the Utes are definitely preparing to play without him.

That would seem to mean more pressure on Frost, but Majerus said Johnsen's absence will cause a void that can't be filled by just one player.

"Johnsen took a lot of pressure off of Frost because of his excellent defense," Majerus said. "Now we lack size. Britton was our MVP, he was our best player. It affects the whole team, not just Frost."

While Utah will be without its former conference player of the year, though, Oregon seems to be hitting its stride behind the Pac-10's current MVP. Ridnour led the Ducks to the Pac-10 tournament title, and drew the majority of Majerus' praise in the coach's assessment of his opponent.

Not that Majerus needed any more film study to recognize Ridnour's talents. After all, the Utes were one of the finalists to sign Ridnour out of high school before the point guard joined the Ducks.

"I told him he'd be an NBA player, and he is," Majerus said. "Whether he goes out this year or next year, he's an NBA player."

Majerus compared Ridnour favorably with Texas point guard T.J. Ford, a favorite for national player of the year honors, and Alabama's Mo Williams. The Utes beat the Crimson Tide 51-49 earlier this season when Alabama was ranked No. 1, and Majerus saw Ford last season when the Utes beat the Longhorns.

"I like Ridnour better, and I've got firsthand experience with those guys," Majerus said. "He can shoot, which those other guys can't do as well. Ford can't even think about shooting it as well as Ridnour. He has no discernible weakness."

Ridnour will be the catalyst for a contrast in styles Friday, as the up-tempo Ducks meet the more deliberate Utes. Oregon scored 80 or more points 16 times this season, but the Utes did so just twice, including one overtime appearance for each.

In their two most recent games, the Utes scored 42 points to beat Air Force to open the MWC tournament, then lost 64-41 to the Rebels, though they closed the season by beating Wyoming 86-70, beating a fast-paced team at its own game.

"We're going to have to get back on defense," Majerus said. "They're a great transition team, and (Ridnour) is a great transition guard."

But despite all Ridnour has done for the Ducks, and despite Johnsen's absence, Majerus is comfortable with his team entering Friday's game. After all, this is a guy who took two full-time returning starters, a key reserve, a transfer in Frost and a true freshman point guard and molded them into a 24-7 team.

The jumbled parts contributed to Majerus labeling this a "rebuilding" season for the Utes, but his ability to build a 24-win season with them offered further proof that he is one of the best coaches in the country.

"We've had a great year," he said. "We won our league for the 10th year since 1990. We played poorly against Vegas, but we have played a good schedule and we've had a good year."

CAPTION(S):

Utah head coach Rick Majerus has taken 10 teams to the NCAA Tournament and four teams to the Sweet 16, including the 1998 team that reached the national championship game. Eric Jamison / The Associated Press Utah coach Rick Majerus compares Oregon guard Luke Ridnour favorably with Texas point guard T.J. Ford and Alabama's Mo Williams. "He can shoot, which those other guys can't do as well," Majerus said.