First, however, is slipping in (and living up) to the preseason accolades bestowed upon this team heading into the 2024-25 season.
Entering his 15th-season as head coach of the Broncos, Leon Rice and Boise State were selected as the preseason favorites to win the Mountain West. The Broncos also received votes in both the AP and Coaches polls, though are not in the top-25 (considered a snub, in some instances).
Boise State also had three players selected to the preseason all-conference team, led by conference player of the year favorite Tyson Degenhart.
Despite losing several key players, Boise State enters the season with high hopes and dreams of glory. Where nothing less than a Mountain West title, fourth-straight NCAA tourney appearance, and finally winning a game in the Big Dance hoisted upon their shoulders.
No pressure, though.
Boise State: Roster returnees, turnover
The Broncos were minutes away from advancing past the First Four in last season's tournament. Cold final minutes led to a loss to Colorado, ending a season in which Boise State won 22 games and finished tied for second in the Mountain West.
Disappointing, yes. But Rice and the Broncos are resilient. Though you can count the number of returning players who contributed valuable minutes on one hand, good stuff is on the horizon.
Players like Degenhart and O'Mar Stanley are two who will lead that charge.
Degenhart, already with three seasons as a starter under his belt, is primed for his best season yet.
He comes off a season in which he led the Broncos in scoring (16.7 ppg) and was second in rebounds (6.2). Degenhart shot 50 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from deep, notching 12 games with 20+ points. His best was a 29-point outing against Air Force, shooting 11 of 12 from the field.
Prior to a forgettable NCAA tournament game (3 of 10 from the field, six points), Degenhart had a 11 straight games in which he scored in double figures.
Stanley had an outstanding season of his own, with long stretches of greatness throughout. The center led the team in rebounding (6.6 per game) and was third in scoring at 12.7. Pointing to one spectacular performance is tough but one for sure was a 30-point, 11-rebound game against the San Jose State Spartans.
Degenhart and Stanley are tops among the returners who contributed valuable minutes. Andrew Meadow brings the most minutes and RJ Keene II should be involved more. Also expected are big things from Chris Lockett Jr. and Emmanuel Ugbo.
Turnover was high for Boise State last offseason. Between graduation and players transferring, the Broncos lost roughly 35 points per game from last season.
Seniors Max Rice and Cam Martin finished their eligibility. And the transfer portal was hit hard, where Chibuzo Agbo (USC), Roddie Anderson II (Xavier), Jace Whiting (UNLV), and Kobe Young (Cal State Fullerton) among those finding new homes.
Still, the Broncos were just as active in the portal, including one of the top guards in the Mountain West finding his way to the City of Trees.
Key newcomers for Broncos
The third player selected as a preseason all-conference pick is guard Alvaro Cardenas. Cardenas arrives from San Jose State, where he averaged 13.1 points and 5.7 assists per game. He shot 45.7 percent from the field and 38.5 percent on three-point attempts.
Cardenas will bring tons of experience to the point guard position, where depth might be tested early. Still, he is a great ball handler and ranked 40th in the nation last season in the assists-to-turnover category.
Transfers at the forward and center positions are key, where Dominic Parolin (Lehigh) and Dylan Anderson (Arizona) should contribute right away. So should Javan Buchanan, who brings with him a scoring punch from Indiana Wesleyan, where he finished sixth in the NAIA with 718 points.
A talented group of four freshman are set to suit up for the Broncos and I imagine at least two of them will be valuable contributors by the end of the season.
Non-conference schedule
The non-conference schedule for Boise State has the potential to be just as challenging as a season ago. Opponents - postseason a year ago...
Staring strong with a home game against Oakland (11/6) - last season. Clemson Tigers, an Elite Eight team from last season, comes to Boise on November 17. Texas Southern also played in a postseason tournament and comes to town on December 17.
Two neutral court games in the confines of cozy Idaho also appear on Boise State's schedule. The first is in Boise, against the Washington State Cougars (12/7). Then, it's a rematch in Idaho Falls with Saint Mary's on December 14. A season ago, the Broncos defeated the Gaels 63-60.
Boise State has an early road test with the San Francisco Dons (11/9) and then heads to the Cayman Islands Classic for pre-Thanksgiving fun for three games starting November 24. Here, the Broncos open with Hampton, followed up with a game against either South Dakota State or Duquesne. The final round will be November 26, where Boise State will face one of four teams (Missouri State, High Point, Old Dominion, or Boston College).
All this leads to conference play, where six teams represented the Mountain West in last season's Big Dance. Boise State will play three conference games before the calendar flips to 2025.
A lot of basketball is to be unfurled in the coming months. Attached to this Boise State team are high hopes, and for good reasons. The '24-25 chapter has a lot unwritten but if everything falls into place, the words will be excellent, and the brass ring, obtained.
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