Tooele
The Black Magic 1981 Running Utes Basketball Season
THIS PRESENTATION IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
DRAFT ONLY
The 1980–81 Utah Utes men’s basketball team
Date: June 12, 2026
Part 1: The Black Magic Season
The 1981 Runnin’ Utes
Title: I’m Gonna Break Your Knees
By: Doctor Dunkenstein ( a.k.a. Christopher Lee Winans )
Date: June 9, 2026
Part 1: The Black Magic Season
The 1981 Runnin’ Utes
Title: The NFL Gambler & The Ponzi Scheme
The 1981 Runnin’ Utes Basketball Team.
By: Doctor Dunkenstein
(a.k.a. Christopher Lee Winans )
The 1981 Utah basketball team had four returning Senior starters, three future NBA stars, and lots of experience.
On a personal level, all the guys on the 1981 Utah basketball team had nice personalities, with a good sense of humor and were intelligent and interesting people. Nevertheless, on the basketball court it was a war, they were experienced veteran soldiers playing for life changing results.
The three future NBA players were already married with children to feed and bills to pay. It was a group of men, not boys. Results in basketball had actual life consequences.
During the Lake Powell trip, the one shared vice that these men all manifest was a passion for gambling.
Date: June 10, 2026
Part 1: The Black Magic Season
The 1981 Runnin’ Utes
Title: Tooele
By: Doctor Dunkenstein (a.k.a. Christopher Lee Winans )
June 10, 2026
Part 1: The Black Magic Season
The 1981 Runnin’ Utes
Title: A Wise Cute Smile Rat
By: Doctor Dunkenstein
Jerry Pimm was the Head Basketball Coach for the 1980–81 Utah Runnin’ Utes men’s basketball team. He was like a cute intelligent smiling rat, who always gets the cheese and never gets caught in the trap. You had to be cautious because he would sacrifice you and leave you to be snapped by the trap in order to save himself.
Jerry Pimm knew how to coach college basketball. You were a fool if you did not listen to everything he said on the basketball court and in the locker room at half time. He knew how to teach and coach a winning college basketball team.
He had decades of extensive top level college coaching experience … click below to view the presentation: ‘The Smiling Rat’, to learn more about Jerry Pimm.
THE LOUISVILLE SLUGGERS
The Louisville Cardnals 1980
Game-
The 1980–81 Utah Utes men’s basketball team
The 1981 Utah Black Magic Season Presentation:
From Lewis Lloyd, a.k.a. ‘The Black Hand’ Strikes In Portland, as a Christmas gift.
| Dec 6, 1980* | Weber State | W 76–61 | 1–0 | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | ||||
| Dec 9, 1980* | at Utah State | W 83–81 | 2–0 | Dee Glen Smith Spectrum Logan, Utah | ||||
| Dec 12, 1980* | Oklahoma State | W 89–73 | 3–0 | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | ||||
| Dec 13, 1980* | Nebraska | W 57–55 | 4–0 | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | ||||
| Dec 16, 1980* | Utah State | W 99–74 | 5–0 | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | ||||
| Dec 20, 1980* | at No. 20 Louisville | W 78–59 | 6–0 | Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky | ||||
| Dec 26, 1980* | No. 19 | vs. Drake Far West Classic | L 68–69 | 6–1 | Memorial Coliseum Portland, Oregon | |||
| Dec 27, 1980* | No. 19 | vs. Cal State Fullerton Far West Classic | W 76–70 | 7–1 | Memorial Coliseum Portland, Oregon | |||
| Dec 28, 1980* | No. 19 | vs. Northwestern Far West Classic | W 73–63 | 8–1 | Memorial Coliseum Portland, Oregon | |||
| Jan 2, 1981* | No. 20 | at UNLV | W 76–75 | 9–1 | Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada | |||
| Jan 3, 1981 | No. 20 | at Air Force | W 74–60 | 10–1 (1–0) | Clune Arena Colorado Springs, Colorado | |||
| Jan 8, 1981 | No. 18 | Hawaii | W 100–87 | 11–1 (2–0) | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | |||
| Jan 10, 1981 | No. 18 | San Diego State | W 97–74 | 12–1 (3–0) | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | |||
| Jan 15, 1981 | No. 16 | at UTEP | W 69–64 | 13–1 (4–0) | Special Events Center El Paso, Texas | |||
| Jan 17, 1981 | No. 16 | at New Mexico | W 82–76 | 14–1 (5–0) | The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico | |||
| Jan 23, 1981 | No. 14 | Wyoming | W 55–53 | 15–1 (6–0) | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | |||
| Jan 24, 1981 | No. 14 | Colorado State | W 86–56 | 16–1 (7–0) | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | |||
| Jan 31, 1981 | No. 9 | No. 15 BYU | W 60–56 | 17–1 (8–0) | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | |||
| Feb 6, 1981 | No. 7 | Air Force | W 48–46 | 18–1 (9–0) | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | |||
| Feb 7, 1981 | No. 7 | UNLV | W 95–83 | 20–1 | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | |||
| Feb 12, 1981 | No. 6 | at San Diego State | W 62–53 | 21–1 (10–0) | San Diego Sports Arena San Diego, California | |||
| Feb 14, 1981 | No. 6 | at Hawaii | L 74–83 | 21–2 (10–1) | Neal S. Blaisdell Center Honolulu, Hawaii | |||
| Feb 19, 1981 | No. 9 | New Mexico | W 90–73 | 22–2 (11–1) | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | |||
| Feb 21, 1981 | No. 9 | UTEP | W 69–59 | 23–2 (12–1) | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | |||
| Feb 26, 1981 | No. 7 | at Colorado State | W 73–50 | 24–2 (13–1) | Moby Arena Fort Collins, Colorado | |||
| Feb 28, 1981 | No. 7 | at Wyoming | L 50–53 | 24–3 (13–2) | War Memorial Fieldhouse Laramie, Wyoming | |||
| Mar 7, 1981 | No. 9 | at No. 18 BYU | L 76–95 | 24–4 (13–3) | Marriott Center Provo, Utah | |||
| NCAA tournament | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 1981* | (3 W) No. 14 | vs. (11 W) Northeastern Second Round | W 94–69 | 25–4 | Special Events Center El Paso, Texas | |||
| Mar 19, 1981* | (3 W) No. 14 | vs. (2 W) No. 6 North Carolina Regional semifinal – Sweet Sixteen | L 56–61[4] | 25–5 | Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah | |||
The 1980–81 Utah Utes men’s basketball team
The 1980–81 Utah Utes men’s basketball team represented the University of Utah in the 1980-81 season. Head coach Jerry Pimm, and Senior stars Tom Chambers and Danny Vranes would lead the Utes to a Western Athletic Conference championship and the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.
Pace Mannion was a Sophomore starter and returning Seniors Scot Martin and Karl Bankowski completed the starting core. Pete Williams and Chris Winans substituted for the inside players, and Angelo Robinson was a substitute guard.
In the best season the Utes would have under Pimm, the team finished with an overall record of 25–5 (13–3 WAC).
Vranes and Chambers were both selected in the top 8 picks of the NBA Draft. Vranes was taken 5th by Seattle, and Chambers, drafted by the San Diego (Now Los Angeles) Clippers, would go on to play for several NBA teams in his career, most notably the Phoenix Suns, with whom he would make an appearance in the 1993 NBA Finals; and the Utah Jazz. Pace Mannion would later be drafted in the NBA by the Golden State Warriors, and Chris Winans was later drafted in the NBA by the New Jersey Nets.
the Utes to a Western Athletic Conference championship and
the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. In
the best season the Utes would have
the team finished with an overall record of 25–5
(13–3 WAC).
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Notes
Under Construction
Date July 11, 2026
The 1980–81 Utah Utes men’s basketball team
Preseason:
Five games in 10 days
Utah State Leo Cunningham ( 6’11” )
the Oklahoma State
Soph. (6’8″) Leroy Combs
Nebraska -Coach: Moe Iba
( 6’8″ ) Andre Smith 19 pts. per game
The 1980–81 Utah Utes men’s basketball team
the University of Utah in the 1980-81 season.
the Utes to a Western Athletic Conference championship and
the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. In
the best season the Utes would have
the team finished with an overall record of 25–5
(13–3 WAC).
The 1980–81 Utah Utes men’s basketball team
5-0
all games in Utah
Utah State 2x, one close in Logan,
Nebraska gave us a game, …
NOT ranked no respect, two NBA studs,
watch Danny Dunk , Olympic player,
Our first shot at national attention,
out in the media wilderness in Utah and WAS
no respect, not warranted, BYU, Ainge, Roberts, Kite, El Paso, ‘The Bear’, great teams, … Wyoming , Tubby
STEMMES from 1979-80 season let down, disappointing results,
Pimm’s system was hitting some , clitches, …
Tom’s fight and offer to bet a Louisville fan in the hotel
Louisville
The pndsey schememrs
and Bankowski’s NFL football gambling escupadde. going great …
The 1980–81 Utah Utes men’s basketball team represented the University of Utah in the 1980-81 season. Head coach Jerry Pimm, and Senior stars Tom Chambers and Danny Vranes would lead the Utes to a Western Athletic Conference championship and the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.
Pace Mannion was a Sophomore starter and returning Seniors Scot Martin and Karl Bankowski completed the starting core. Pete Williams and Chris Winans substituted for the inside players, and Angelo Robinson was a substitute guard.
In the best season the Utes would have under Pimm, the team finished with an overall record of 25–5 (13–3 WAC).
Running running and running pre-season
miles, sprints, stairs, suicides, cone circles, …. then scrimmage , …
Tom and his watch,
6’10 fastest ( and Pete Williams in the mile,
Then, the actually practices, grueling,
physical, elbows, guarding two top NBA guys everyday, 3 years older , …
difficult
studies are hard , …
Married clean gamblers,
the Lake Powell Black Jack
the downtown ponsey scheme ,
the FBI visit,
The 1980–81 Utah Utes men’s basketball team
… … the University of Utah in the 1980-81 season.
the Utes to a Western Athletic Conference championship and
the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. In
1980-81b Utah – the best season the Utes would have …
… the team finished with an overall record of 25–5
(13–3 WAC).
Pimm’s REAL educational concerns
the promo film
…………
Tom & Danny’s academic problems
Chris Hill
the tax debt on his basketball camp …. public record
My B.S. meter sound off after our first meeting … Tracy Tripuka’s immediate laugh in his office,
Running running and running pre-season
miles, sprints, stairs, suicides, cone circles, …. then scrimmage , …
Tom and his watch,
6’10 fastest ( and Pete Williams in the mile,
Then, the actually practices, grueling,
physical, elbows, guarding two top NBA guys everyday, 3 years older , …
difficult
studies are hard , …
