'I've never wavered': Gabe Madsen's fight on display as he becomes all-time 3-point leader

SALT LAKE CITY — With just under two minutes left to play in a tight game against No. 17 Kansas, Gabe Madsen faked to his left to shake off his defender before side-stepping to his right.

The senior guard quickly created some open space and rose up to drain his fifth 3-pointer of the night as a raucous Huntsman Center crowd celebrated the lone player that has stuck with Utah the last four years despite an ever-changing roster each season.

The shot with 1:54 left in the game proved to be pivotal and gave Utah a 7-point lead in what turned out to be a 74-67 win over Kansas.

But more importantly, on a personal level, it was arguably the biggest shot of Madsen's career as it made him the all-time leader in made 3-pointers at Utah with 288, topping Nick Jacobson's (2000-04) record of 287.

"I mean, it's been an up-and-down year for me shooting wise, so to do it tonight and in that fashion is just, it's pretty cool," said Madsen, who was short for words when speaking about himself. "I mean, that's one I'll remember for a long time."

Teammate Jake Wahlin, who was sitting next to Madsen, interjected to highlight the work ethic Madsen has shown over his four seasons with the Utes.

"People have no idea how consistent and how perseverant this guy is, and he won't let anyone know about it; it's his thing," Wahlin said. "And it's been so cool for me to see and be a part of, and his consistency and his hard work and effort. He's a great example to everyone in the locker room, and I'm proud of him — love him."

Madsen said he didn't know the record was close before the game — saying he's not one to look at stats or anything — but was made aware just before the game in somewhat of an accidental way.

"I was shooting before the game and I was walking off, I hear, 'Gabe Madsen's five 3s away from the record.' And I was like, I really wish I didn't know that," he said. "I didn't know, but then I did right before the game."

That effort in a win over a top-25 team that was slated to be one of the top 16 teams in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, according to the selection committee's bracket preview released Saturday afternoon, caught the attention of Kansas head coach Bill Self.

"What he does, I think, is very impressive," Self said. "I think he's one of the best movers without the ball in order to free himself. He's good at getting a defender to stop and then move quickly. He probably doesn't get the credit that he probably deserves on being athletic, because he can create separations and he's got great legs and everything."

'It's just pretty special': Madsen twins joined up at Utah to get 'closure that we never got'

An NCAA Tournament berth for the twins was always the ultimate goal in college, but their time at Utah is more about ending their collegiate careers together.

It's a common theme for Madsen, who has made a career off getting separation — whether off a screen or side-stepping a defender — to hit clutch shots for the Utes. But it hasn't always been easy, especially this season.

Madsen found himself immersed in an extended shooting slump for much of conference play before recently finding his shot again.

"It's been up-and-down year, and something I've never really struggled with, necessarily, like those kind of stretches," Madsen said. "But I said ... I'm gonna always stay consistent. I think that's kind of a test for me of do I believe in what I do? And do I believe in the work that I've put in?

"I've never wavered, and, yeah, it's been an up-and-down year, but I think I've really grown a lot, just mentally and it's just a test. It's just cool that it happened tonight."

For head coach Craig Smith, Madsen's perseverance through it all has made him breaking Utah's record the most rewarding. And the fact that he did it while not really thinking about himself is even more impressive, Smith said.

"It's really rewarding," Smith said. "He's such a great kid. All he cares about is winning; that dude doesn't care. Like, is (the record) cool? Yeah. (The) guy's always been about the team; it's all he cares about. Like, he doesn't talk about himself. He doesn't — all he wants to do is win; it's all he wants to do.

"I'm so happy for him, and obviously it helps our team. I mean, because when you have a weapon like that, and when you can make shots, it just makes us a way better basketball team on so many levels."

For many reasons, Madsen's success on the court has translated to wins for the Utes. As Madsen goes, so goes Utah.

It's not always a guarantee — as was the case earlier in the week when Madsen hit eight 3-pointers and Utah still lost — but Utah has Madsen to thank for much of its success over the years, even if the Utes haven't always won at a consistent rate.

Wins and losses will come and go, but Smith said he's most proud of Madsen on a personal level that goes beyond the game.

"It's hard. It hurts when you see him going through the struggles and the pain," Smith said. "Nobody has higher expectations for Gabe than Gabe; like, I have to tell the dude to stop sometimes with the amount of time he puts into the gym, because I just think it affects his — he forgets how long of a season it is and the grind.

"I'm so happy for him. He puts the time in, he works his you know what off."

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