Such will be a similar life for the Boise State Broncos men's basketball team as they ready themselves to open Mountain West play.
The Boise State men faced their own obstacles and challenges in non-conference play. It was a daunting task and one not as successful in terms of wins as planned. But, with any hope, the difficulties belied upon the Broncos will only make them better come conference play.
In 2024, Boise State (9-4) will need all the grit, determination, and execution to navigate the gauntlet of the Mountain West and return to the NCAA tourney.
The non-conference slate provided some nice wins over teams who currently own winning records. A win over the San Francisco Dons (11-4), who defeated Fresno State and lost to Utah State by 1, started things off nicely. Along the way, the Broncos also defeated VCU (8-5), Saint Mary's (9-6), and North Texas (7-5), among others.
But it was four losses that may come back to haunt the Broncos.
If good losses were truly a measuring stick, then Boise State has them. Depending on where these opponents end the season, a good loss in computer ranking might provide some aid. To rely on that, though, is tough to swallow, knowing opportunities were there for the Broncos to improve their standing.
In a tough ACC, Clemson (11-1) and Virginia Tech (9-4) might make some noise, while Butler (10-3) should be headed to a 20-win season. It wasn't a bad loss but falling to Washington State (9-4) might ultimately be damaging, as the Cougars have lost their first two games to open PAC-12 play.
Still, the lessons and downfalls learned in these games should serve the Broncos well as they open conference play.
Mountain West: Power conference?
A glance at the records of the 11 Mountain West Conference teams indicates quite the successful non-conference schedule. Enough so that there's talk of the Mountain West steamrolling towards a four-or-five bid conference in this year's NCAA tournament.
Sometimes the records and numbers can be misleading, leading to a false sense of hope. That shouldn't be the case this season.
All 11 teams enter conference play with a winning record, including four teams with only one loss and one team with two.
The Nevada Wolf Pack (13-1) might be the most surprising. Despite returning two of the top backcourt players in the conference, I hadn't put a lot of stock into their start. That is, until the Wolf Pack defeated TCU and Georgia Tech en route to winning the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii.
Nevada's only loss was a 19-point drubbing by Drake. Jarod Lucas leads Nevada in scoring at 17.9 points per game, followed by his running mate Kenan Blackshear. Blackshear (16.1 ppg) also leads the team in assists (4.9) and is shooting 53.8 percent from the field.
Three other teams hold a 12-1 record entering conference play. Both Colorado State and New Mexico lost to Saint Mary's. The Rams are ranked 13th in the latest AP poll and are led by guard Isaiah Stevens (17.3 points, 7.3 assists), pacing Colorado State to over 84 points per game.
New Mexico, with a fantastic backcourt as well, has won 11 straight.
Utah State has won 11 straight, too, with their only loss to Bradley. The Aggies might have had the easiest non-conference slate of the bunch and may dip a little. But it's also not smart to discount this team making a run.
San Diego State, national runner-up from a season ago, carries a record of 11-2 and is fresh off a road win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Forward Jaedon LeDee is putting up All-American numbers for the Aztecs, averaging 21.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
Six teams tip-off conference play on Tuesday (1/2), with Colorado State hosting New Mexico as the highlight game. Included in these games is Boise State's opponent on Friday, the San Jose State Spartans (7-6).
The Spartans, who have dropped four of their last six, travel to Laramie to take on Wyoming.
Boise State has their work cut out for them in conference this season, but they have the talent to snag a conference title or, at the very least, secure a top-four finish.
Boise State Broncos: Individual leaders
A rotation for head coach Leon Rice is rounding into shape for Boise State, though it's not quite as deep (as of late) that I expected it to be.
Eight players see the court with consistent minutes. And the three returning starters are again pacing the team.
The leading scorer through 13 games is Chibuzo Agbo, who has found his shooting stroke (and a knack for the four-point play). Agbo averages 15.3 points per game, shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 45.9 from deep. He had a three-game stretch earlier this season where he connected on 17-29 from three-point range.
Agbo has reached double digits in the scoring column in all but two games this season, and averages 5.1 rebounds per game.
Tyson Degenhart and Max Rice have both struggled at times but are lending their all on both sides of the court. Degenhart is filling the box score in multiple ways, averaging 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Struggling from deep (28.6 percent), Degenhart is shooting 48 percent from the field. The junior also has 16 steals to his credit, leading the team.
Rice took some time to get going this season, struggling to find his shot and rhythm in playing with new point guards. The last five games have been much better for the super senior. On the season, Rice averages 11.7 points per game and is shooting 35.1 percent on three-point attempts. However, in the last five, Rice is 19-38 from beyond the arc and is averaging 18.4 points per game.
Both Rice and Degenhart joined the 1000-point club in last week's victory over Utah Valley.
Playing well all season, transfer O'Mar Stanley has been quite the revelation in Boise State's last three games. Stanley's presence in the key has buoyed the Broncos in this stretch, averaging 19 points and nearly nine rebounds per game. His finest was a 23-point, 6-rebound game against the Cougars, where he also blocked three shots.
Stanley and Cam Martin are sharing the minutes at center. Martin leads the team in assists, with 36 rebounds, and rebounds (5.5 per game). He's also contributing 7.2 points per game.
Roddie Anderson III, Jace Whiting, and Andrew Meadow have all had their moments and round out the rotation. Heading into the season, I thought RJ Keene and Kobe Young might have bigger roles. Keene started off strong but has played only 24 minutes total in the last four games. And Young is averaging only 3.7 minutes per game.
As in recent seasons, the journey to the Mountain West title won't be an easy one. And there will be bumps to contend with and massive gladiators to take down. In addition to normal keys of stellar star play, three-point shooting, and defense, Boise State will need to rely on their other weapons to reach their goals. With a little more precision, better bench support, and late-game execution, the Broncos can run the gauntlet and avoid the dreaded bubble come March.
photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Comments