Boise State Broncos
Mountain West (21-13, 9-9)
The expectations were very high for Boise State heading into the 2013-2014 campaign. Coach Leon Rice led his squad to the NCAA Tournament in 2012-2013 and it looked like this team was ready to take the next step and compete for a Mountain West title. It did not work out that way, but the Broncos still have potential to raise expectations for next season with a nice little postseason run.
Big Wins: 12/3 Utah (69-67), 2/12 New Mexico (71-70), 2/22 UNLV (91-90)
Bad Losses: 1/11 Wyoming (50-52), 3/5 Nevada (81-83), 3/8 at Air Force (61-64)
Coach: Leon Rice (4 seasons at Boise State)
Why They Can Surprise:
Boise State plays a unique game. For most teams that rank in the top 15 in fewest turnovers per game and shoot 37.6 percent from beyond the arc, the rebounding suffers. Yet, this is one of the best rebounding teams in the MW. That is almost entirely because of 6-9 senior Ryan Watkins. Watkins is a double-double machine and had a stretch of six straight double-doubles spanning from mid-January to early February. Watkins is not the only scoring threat on the team. Jeff Elorriaga is one of the best outside shooters in the nation and connects on 44.6 percent of his attempts from long range. Thomas Bropleh hits 42.6 percent of his attempts. But it is Anthony Drmic and Derrick Marks who are the best scorers for Boise State. Drmic is no stranger to collecting 30 points on any given night and rarely does he fail to reach double digits.
Why They Can Disappoint:
But as efficient as the offense may be, the Broncos defense leaves a lot to be desired. The unit will force quite a few turnovers, yet the opposition shoots just about the same from the floor as Boise State. Good teams that they run into in the postseason will take advantage of that. The other issue for Coach Rice is the complete lack of depth in the frontcourt. Freshman Nick Duncan has done an admirable job, yet Boise State does have to play some of their taller wings at the four spot quite a bit. When Watkins runs into foul trouble, which is quite often, this team gets really small really fast.
Probable Starters:
Mikey Thompson, Sophomore, Guard, 8.6 ppg, 2.5 apg
Derrick Marks, Junior, Guard, 14.9 ppg, 2.6 apg
Anthony Drmic, Junior, Guard, 15.9 ppg, 1.7 apg, 4.5 rpg
Nick Duncan, Freshman, Forward, 5.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg
Ryan Watkins, Senior, Forward, 11.9 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Thomas Bropleh, Senior, Guard, 8.0 ppg, 1.2 apg
Jeff Elorriaga, Senior, Guard, 7.7 ppg, 1.2 apg
Igor Hadziomerovic, Junior, Guard, 3.7 ppg, 1.5 apog
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 76.3 (51st in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 69.8 (160, 8)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.7 (97, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 45.6 (268, 11)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.8 (43, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.6 (54, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.7 (22, 1)
Rebound Margin: 5.0 (32, 4)
Assists Per Game: 11.8 (240, 8)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.0 (15, 3)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2013 NCAA First Round loss to LaSalle
2011 CBI First Round win over Austin Peay
2011 CBI Second Round win over Evansville
2011 CBI Semifinal loss to Oregon
2009 CBI First Round loss to Stanford
2008 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Louisville
2004 NIT Opening Round win over UNLV
2004 NIT First Round win over Milwaukee
2004 NIT Second Round loss to Marquette
1994 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Louisville
*all team stats through 3/9
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
