Heading into the midpoint of Mountain West play, the Boise State Broncos (13-7, 5-4) men's basketball team will likely need the former to achieve NCAA tournament dreams.
The season started out in fine form for Boise State, posting a record of 8-3 in non-conference play. Mountain West play of "win one, lose one" has put the Broncos in fifth place. A tough spot for the preseason favorite to win the conference.
Boise State has lost three of four. All three losses were on the road, two of which were by a combined five points. Closing out games, or digging themselves big holes only to fall just short in a comeback, have been culprits in losses, going as far back as non-conference play. Two were against solid WCC teams, where USF (17-6) is in second place and Washington State (15-7) is in sixth.
The third non-conference loss does not look too great. Boston College, after winning the Cayman Islands Classic on a last-second shot against Boise State, was 6-1. Since? Well, the Eagles are only 3-10 and currently sit in 17th place out of 18 teams in the ACC.
Good news for Boise State is that 11 conference games remain. The top six teams are bound to move within the ranks of each other, meaning a top spot is possible. Head coach Leon Rice recently promised changes to the 11-player rotation he currently employs. Meaning this team has a chance, with the right buttons pushed, to get going and make the deep run hoped for.
Degenhart, Cardenas top notch
With only three players returning who saw heavy rotation minutes for the Broncos in 2023-24, hiccups and uneven flow were to be expected. Except in non-conference play, those worries were seemingly set aside.
Lately, some of that cohesiveness is gone and the Broncos struggled. The problem, in many ways, is team play on defense. Boise State goes through long stretches, or halves, where intensity is lacking. Surprising, considering a Rice-coached squad usually excels at the defensive end.
In the last three losses, Boise State allowed all three opponents to score over 70 points, with two of them crossing the 80-point mark. Inexperience does factor in but at this point in the season, it is hardly an excuse.
On offense, however, Boise State is consistent (well, aside from three-point shooting that is hot and cold far too often). Aside from the first half against Colorado State and a meltdown against New Mexico, this offense has been in sync. That starts with stars Tyson Degenhart and Alvaro Cardenas.
Degenhart is averaging 18 points and 6 rebounds per game. The senior is shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 29.7 percent on three-point attempts. Only once in nine conference games has Degenhart failed to reach double digits in scoring and dropped 19.6 points in the last five games.
Cardenas has given the Broncos the true point guard missing in recent seasons. The transfer from San Jose State is averaging 11.5 points and 6.9 assists per game. Three times this season Cardenas had a game with 10+ assists and over the last five games, is putting up 13 points and 7.6 assists per game.
In recent games, for the most part, Cardenas is taking care of the ball. He had only 10 turnovers in the last five games, seven of which came in the loss to New Mexico.
Boise State is also getting solid play from Andrew Meadow (11.9 ppg), Javan Buchanan (10.6 ppg), and freshman Julian Bowie.
One surprise has been the play by O'Mar Stanley. Penciled in for big things this season, Stanley has struggled with consistency. Though Stanley averages 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds, both numbers are down from a season ago (12.7/6.6, respectively). Numbers dipped even more over the last four games, where Stanley only has 15 points and 15 rebounds, though he did have four blocked shots against the Lobos.
Getting Stanley going and back to a level a play from last season is a must for Boise State. More post touches would be nice, and consistent strong finishes, too. This will get Boise State into a better flow on offense, opening cleaner looks for the shooters.
Conference outlook, upcoming games for Boise State
New Mexico (17-4, 9-1) sits atop the Mountain West standings, with their lone loss coming to San Jose State. The Utah State Aggies (18-2, 8-1) are fighting alongside the Lobos, with their lone loss to San Diego State. Prior to their last two wins (by an average of 25 points), the Aggies had not won a conference game by more than seven points.
Boise State's four losses were to team's ahead of them in the standings, where Colorado State and San Diego State sit third and fourth. Teams play every other team twice in conference play, so there are opportunities for the Broncos to even up the season series with these teams (three of the games will be at ExtraMile Arena). The goal of winning the Mountain West is in reach, and a first-round bye in the conference tournament is doable.
The Mountain West is down compared to a season ago in regard to quality wins and overall rankings. Barring an 11-game winning streak, chances are the Broncos need to win the Mountain West tournament to secure entry into the NCAA tournament. One factor in Boise State's favor is victories over Clemson, where the Tigers (17-4, 9-1) are currently in second place in the ACC and Saint Mary's, who sit atop the WCC.
Three of the next four games for Boise State are at home. First up is a game with the Nevada Wolf Pack (1/29), followed by a meeting with Fresno State (2/1). The two teams are a combined 4-14 in conference play. These are two prime opponents for Boise State to reclaim their dominance and start on the road climbing back to the top of the Mountain West.
More on Boise State men's basketball 2024-25
- Broncos reclaim swagger in win over Wyoming
- Boise State routs UNLV
- Broncos stumble in home loss to San Diego State
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