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 8, 2026
Part 1: The Black Magic Season
The 1981 Runnin’ Utes
Title: Run, Run, Run & Run Some More – The 1981 Runnin’ Utes Basketball Team.
By: Doctor Dunkenstein ( a.k.a. Christopher Lee Winans )
In the Summer time month of July, prior to my Freshman year in 1980, the Utah basketball program had arranged for all incoming and veteran players to be in Salt Lake City. We played full court 5-on-5 pick-up games every afternoon on the Huntsman Center arena main court.
It was my first experience of basketball for any length of time with a court full of college basketball players. Many former Utah players who had turned professional would also join in the games. Sometimes we let a BYU or a neighboring college player into the games. It was a pick ’em and play situation, winners stay on, losers go to the back of the line.
It was an extremely challenging, difficult and fun experience. I was surprised that the games were so fast paced, rough, and competitive. I learned quickly that the older players were more talented than I was and that they played to win, even in pick-up games. No quarter was to be provided to me just because I was a Freshman. You got selected to play according to your ability to help the arranged team win and continue playing.
During that Summer, the new Freshman were given a pre-arranged job and housed in the campus dormitory. The upperclassmen all lived off campus in private housing and had their individual personal lives well established. There wasn’t much personal off court contact between the new comer players and older guys. My first experience of hanging out with the entire team was during the annual Grand Canyon Lake Powell trip.
The University did not begin classes at Utah until the late date of October 1st.
After five weeks of summertime pick-up games, we would break during August and September, then we returned a week before school commenced to meet and travel to Lake Powell for 4 days of recreational fun, water skiing, mountain hiking, cliff jumping, lots of tasty meals, all in the sunny warm Fall weather of the Grand Canyons. This was my first experience in getting to know the older team members on a personal level.
[ Read: Snowbird Utah’s Secret Recruiting Weapon’, for a detailed presentation about the exciting adventures to Lake Powell. ]
The NCAA always established Oct. 15th as the first allowable day of official practice for all University basketball programs in the country. After returning from Lake Powell, we had two weeks of grueling preparations, run by one of the lower graduate assistant coaches, before official practice began, but our preparation did not wait for Oct. 15th.
For two weeks we would run, run, run, and then, run some more. After we ran, then we played pick-up games until everybody had their daily fill of basketball. We ran sprints, we ran mile distances, we ran the stadium stairs, we ran cone drills, then we played. Everything was timed and incremental time limits were set for every drill. We also jumped rope daily like rabbits for extended periods of time, just to warm-up. It was grueling, and more running than I had ever done in my entire life. When official practice rolled around on October 15th, you were in good shape and ready for more running and serious coached practice sessions.
The first game of the season was not scheduled until December. by that time, you were either dead or ready to play college basketball the ‘Runnin’ Ute’ way. I was ready.
That way included using the home court 5,000 foot elevation above sea level to our advantage. We could run most teams into a fourth quarter of fatigue and gain a few steps ahead while running the basketball court.
We played 5 games in 10 days when the 1981 basketball season started in December. We won all five games and I played in every game. The 1981 Utah basketball team was not an easy team to find playing minutes on in games. The team was loaded with great basketball players, some of the best in the country. I was proud of my new found ability to play and contribute when the season got going.
Date: June 9, 2026
Part 1: The Black Magic Season
The 1981 Runnin’ Utes
Title: River Boat Gamblers – 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. You earned everything you got on that team.
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. Drugs were not ever used by anyone on the team, alcohol was conservatively consumed, if at all by the team members. Some guys enjoyed a beer once in a while. But real Vegas style ‘black jack’ with real money was played every night on the big houseboat during the Lake Powell trip. It was a tradition. The Utah players knew how to play black jack quite well. I had never played.
I learned the game, and played my first hand of black jack in Lake Powell, Utah.
I learned that everybody on the Utah team was a gambler. It wasn’t gripping or addictive to me, I wouldn’t get into the games with much at stake. They older team members had years of experience and they would play until the late hours of the night down in the lower main cabin of the houseboat. I usually fell asleep on the houseboat roof in my sleeping bag under the never ending sky of shooting stars to the loud sounds of the winners and losers of the nightly black jack games down below. The previous nights results would be dragged and carried over in conversation throughout the following days of outdoor fun activities, awaiting and discussing someones further gains or deeper losses. I didn’t risk much and wasn’t financially able to play at that level, but we all played a little, and we all had fun.
It wouldn’t be the last time these gamblers challenged the odds in the 1981 basketball season.
On the first day of the season an F.B.I. agent was sent to formally inform the Utah basketball team as a group about the serious nature of unlawful betting on college basketball by college basketball players. I took this as standard procedure at the time we were told about the strict laws. I already knew, you would go to jail if you bet on college basketball games. I was told, this law enforcement visit happens every year, the F.B.I. does this to every basketball team in the country. I did not think much of it until months later.
Gambling was the furthest thing from my mind at the time.
I knew one thing for sure, this group of players on the 1981 Utah team always played to win in any basketball situation.
Date: June 10, 2026
Part 1: The Black Magic Season
The 1981 Runnin’ Utes
Title: The House
By: Doctor Dunkenstein (a.k.a. Christopher Lee Winans )
The first off court Utah basketball team rule I learned was: sacrifice yourself for a teammate while playing black jack. Give up your money on the table during the card game bet for a teammate, if it gave a teammate a better chance to win big.
I learned this during my first adventure with the Utah basketball team during its annual trip to Lake Powell in 1981 playing black jack.
We were all trying to bet and beat ‘the house’ during our black jack games in Lake Powell. It was us against him, the dealer with the cash. The ‘House’ wanted to beat all of us just as much as we wanted his money. It was an infamous competition for many years.
After dinner on the preseason trips to Lake Powell, in the Grand Canyons of Utah – and great food was available 24 hours per day during the annual trips – everybody knew the magnificent stunning sunsets just had to be taken in for observation. As a team, we would climb to a peak which allowed a panoramic view over the water filled red stone Grand Canyons. It was breathtaking scenery. The nightly ‘black jack’ on the house boats was never scheduled before sunset and not until the ‘House Money Man’ was prepared and ready for battle.
The annual trip always included about a dozen or so booster families. We had a central beach side parking spot for all the houseboats and the booster’s speed boats. There were multiple activities of skiing, cliff jumping, hiking and fishing simultaneously occurring daily, you could pick the one you wanted to partake in throughout the day, or just relax and work on your tan. But come nightfall, every basketball player gathered around a table in the lower kitchen cabin area of the player’s house boat to watch or play in the nightly black jack game.
One of only a few well known and experienced wealthy boosters would be that night’s Vegas ‘house dealer’. He would be the card dealer, the rule enforcer and the bank money source for every hand played. His reputation was on the line.
These gentlemen would often travel with the team throughout road games during the season. They had been friends of the program for years. His reputation and the results of his performance during the ‘Vegas House’ black jack games on the Lake Powell trip could follow him for months as he traveled as a fan to away games. As black jack basketball players we wanted to take all the money we could from him and win. As the ‘House’, he did not want to carry the mantra of being a loser at the annual games to follow him for the entire season. And believe me, the results were going to be spoken of by all parties in forthcoming ribbing and joking, at some point during the seasons the black jack results would be a part of the interactions with boosters.
Everybody wanted to win. He wanted to remind us for months about how he ended up with everybody’s money on the annual Lake Powell trip.
We would all be laughing and screaming, showing each other our cards, and breaking rules at the table which ‘Vegas’ wouldn’t ever allow without throwing you out of the casino. But this was Lake Powell House boats rules, 10 against 1, anything goes, if you could get away with it.
Everybody vocalized their hand of cards, giving reactions and thoughts on every hand played during the black jack games. Everybody was paying attention to the cards played on the table, and guessing about the cards still available in the dealers deck. It was a team card count and everybody against the dealer.
The rule, if everybody thought a money card – face card or an ace card – was due and it would help a player beat the booster house dealer, … if your bet was small, and a teammate had a high bet on the table, you passed on taking a card.
That was the first off court Utah team basketball rule I learned: You must sacrificed your chance to better your low risk hand and pass up the opportunity on taking a card, just for the chance that a teammate could use the next dealt card and beat the house dealer with his high risk bet. We worked as a team against the dealers.
The Nightly Booster ‘Vegas House Dealer’ might lose $300 to $400 dollars to any given basketball player over the three night event. He might lose that much to a few more players. He usually was going to end up taking all the money from most of the Utah team players. Sometimes, he won it all. Then he had bragging rights for a year. Sometimes, we as players got deep into his pockets. Whatever the final results were after the vacation trip, the bragging rights would live on throughout the season. Teasing each other during travel trips was expected. It was always fun and festive, loud and raucous, it was the annual team gambling Lake Powell event.
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 , …
