Words that fade some seasons, grow larger in others. In 2023-24, those four words are written in bold. And, much like when Eddie Adams imagines the name Dirk Diggler in neon lights in Boogie Nights, so, too, does the idea of the Broncos winning an NCAA tournament game flash bright.
This is our year.
The upcoming season for Boise State brings the highest expectations and most hype yet of the Broncos finally picking up that elusive NCAA tournament win. Four times they have made appearances under head coach Leon Rice, the most recent as a 10-seed and quick exit to the Northwestern Wildcats, 75-67.
Picked to finish second in the Mountain West, a solid non-conference special and a mix of solid returning players and fantastic newcomers has the Broncos on track to finally secure that victory.
Boise State Broncos: Glance at the schedule
Fresh off a 24-10 campaign last season, Boise State hopes to build even better in '23-24, starting with a non-conference schedule built to make the Broncos better and stronger. It's a schedule meant to maximize competition and provide opportunities for key wins to help build a resume for March.
Two home games set the season off right for Boise State, November 7 against Vanguard and November 12 against the San Francisco Dons. The Dons have made a return to prominence in recent seasons, reaching the NCAA tournament in 2021-22. They faced some struggles last season but were selected to finish third in the WCC preseason poll.
The talk of the WCC preseason is that the Gonzaga Bulldogs were not selected to win the conference. That honor belongs to the Saint Mary's Gaels, who just so happen to being facing Boise State in a neutral site game (in Idaho Falls) on December 1. The Gaels enter the season with an AP preseason ranking of no. 23.
Prior to this meeting, the Broncos have a road test in the ACC, taking on the Clemson Tigers. This leads into the ESPN Events Invitational November 23 - 26, where Boise State has the potential to face another team with a preseason top-25 ranking. The Broncos open with Virginia Tech, then face either the VCU Rams or Iowa State Cyclones.
It is the third game of that tournament where Boise State might face Texas A&M or Florida Atlantic, both who are currently ranked and on the top half of the tournament bracket.
Washington State and North Texas are among the other non-conference games on Boise State's agenda.
Things won't get easier in conference play, where the national runners-up from last season are predicted to again win the Mountain West Conference.
The San Diego Aztecs saw their special NCAA tournament run end fall just short last spring and enter this season ranked no. 17 in the AP preseason poll. (Fans will have to wait until January 20 for the Broncos to meet the Aztecs in Boise.)
The New Mexico Lobos, UNLV Runnin' Rebels, Colorado State Rams, and Nevada Wolf Pack are also teams vying to usurp the Aztecs and Broncos this season. (If all goes right, I can see the conference receiving four or five bids to the NCAA tourney next spring.)
Navigating this schedule will surely have ups-and-downs but if anything, Boise State's roster is built to weather the storm.
Key returners for Broncos
A trio of starters, all who were major contributors to last season's Boise State run, will again help lead the way in '23-24.
Tyson Degenhart, Max Rice, and Chibuzo Agbo all bring plenty of experience, talent, and leadership to form the core of the Boise State lineup.
Degenhart, despite seeing added focus from opponents and carrying more of the burden for the Broncos, led the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game. Degenhart played in all 34 games and shot 53.7 percent from the field. Three-point shooting was down to 32.7 (from 42.5 as a freshmen), some of which can be attributed to opponents throwing more at him.
The junior is the team's top returning rebounder, pulling down 5.3 per game last season.
Not far behind Degenhart in many of the stat categories is Max Rice. Rice has been almost invaluable on occasions throughout his Boise State career and everything seemed to come together for the guard in '22-23. Rice averaged 14 points per game and pulled down 4.6 rebounds. He, too, played in every game and connected on 74 three-pointers, shooting 40.9 percent.
Another sharpshooter will also take the court again for Boise State this season. Agbo made 66 threes, shooting 40.3 percent. The senior averaged 11.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Agbo averaged just under 30 minutes per game last season, partially due to finding foul trouble now and again. Both Rice and Degenhart averaged over 34 minutes a game last season, a number I'd like to see go down slightly, especially with Rice. Both are valuable, of course, but a deeper bench can help offset some of those minutes, keeping the legs fresh come March.
A deep bench is a huge possibility this season. Not only do the Broncos have players like Jace Whiting, Kobe Young, Mohamed Sylla, and a healthy RJ Keene ready to contribute, but a slew of newcomers is ready to run the court.
Newcomers set to shine bright
Upperclassmen highlight the top of Boise State's roster but there are plenty of transfers and lower classmen set to contribute.
Replacing big men Naje Smith and Lukas Milner will be no easy feat but coach Rice went out and found some great possibilities in the transfer portal. Junior O'Mar Stanley arrives from St. John's, where he made 18 starts last season.
The real x-factor might be senior Cam Martin. Martin redshirted the last two seasons while at Kansas. Though he only played four games for the Jayhawks, Martin arrives with a highly-decorated resume from his years at Missouri Southern State.
There, Martin played 86 games, averaging 23.7 points.
Toss in freshman Andrew Meadow, who already boasts an outstanding highlight reel and a flair that has won over fans, and the Broncos seem primed to be set in the frontcourt.
The backcourt, too, needs some help with the departure of Marcus Shaver Jr. Shaver was a stalwart during his time at Boise State. In addition to the returnees, a couple of new faces will help fill the void at guard.
Roddie Anderson III arrives from UC San Diego, where Anderson led all Big West freshman in scoring at 15.8 points per game. Anderson's scoring is a plus but his defensive pressure will be key and he's also an excellent rebounder from the guard position.
Freshman Chris Lockett Jr. arrives as the Louisiana State Gatorade Player of Year. It will be interesting to see where Lockett fits in this season. There seems to be a strong chance he will contribute but I wonder if coach Rice gives Lockett a redshirt season to prep for the future.
Depth will be needed if the Boise State Broncos are to succeed in finally securing that first NCAA tournament victory. This is not to stay 10-11 players should average between 10-25 minutes per game. But it is a team that can easily go 10 deep, with all contributing in a variety of ways. No matter how it does play out, a healthy Boise State season will mean a lot come March. And that may mean, finally, the four words on the chalkboard can take on an entirely different meaning in the future.
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