Boise State sophomore point guard Derrick Marks will be back in the starting lineup when the Broncos host No. 19 New Mexico, coach Leon Rice said Monday.
Marks, the team’s leading scorer at 16.3 points per game, was suspended for the Mountain West opener at Wyoming last week. Boise State won 63-61.
Sixth-man Mikey Thompson and reserve big man Darrious Hamilton, who were also suspended, will return to their regular roles for the Broncos (13-2, 1-0 MW).
“When they’re back with the team, they’re back with the team in full status,” Rice said.
Backup center Kenny Buckner is serving a three-game suspension. He will return for the home game with Fresno State on Jan. 23.
“There is a lot of internal things we’re going to have. For me, I was hired as an educator. I was hired to motivate these guys and to teach them and to discipline them,” Rice said. “For me, the most important thing is teaching these guys how to be self-disciplined. Sometimes kids go astray of the direction of the program and what they do as representatives and how they need to be. It doesn’t just stop because the stuff you do outside the program that people see stops.
“Our discipline and our moving forward as far as understanding and doing the right thing, that doesn’t stop. That’s something we’re going to continue with these guys.”
New Mexico (15-2, 2-0 MW) will have its leading scorer back for Wednesday’s game as well. Guard Kendall Williams was suspended for the Fresno State game for being late to a meeting. It was the third time this season Williams has been disciplined for being late to a game or meeting, though it was the first time he missed an entire game.
Williams is averaging 14.6 points per game.
“These aren’t easy decisions to make. Once you allow anybody on your team to do something different and the consequences are different than if it’s the 10th guy on the team, you run the risk of losing your team and, even to a greater extent, you run the risk of losing your entire program,” New Mexico coach Steve Alford said.
BIG CROWD EXPECTED FOR LOBOS
Boise State has sold more than 7,560 tickets for Wednesday’s game against New Mexico as of Monday evening. The Broncos are asking all fans to wear orange.
New Mexico moved up six spots in The Associated Press Top 25 after beating UNLV and Fresno State last week. The Lobos are ranked No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Boise State is receiving votes in both national polls.
The game is at 7 p.m. Some season tickets list the start time at 6 p.m.
Boise State averaged 4,794 fans in eight Mountain West home games last year.
“Holding serve at home is going to be something that’s a premium,” Alford said.
Home teams are 5-3 in MW play this season. Boise State is 7-0 at home.
MORE DISCIPLINE ISSUES IN MOUNTAIN WEST
Wyoming suspended guard Luke Martinez, its second-leading scorer, after he was arrested on a felony charge of aggravated assault stemming from an incident at a bar on Dec. 30, according to the Casper Star-Tribune.
Martinez injured his right hand in the incident and has missed the last two games for the Cowboys (14-1, 1-1 MW), including Boise State’s win in Laramie last week.
“This has been difficult, because I really love Luke," Wyoming coach Larry Shyatt said on the Tim Brando Show, a national radio show. “Luke made a bad decision, being out late at night, and consequently was in a little bit of a ruckus.”
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE
Game of the week: UNLV at No. 15 San Diego State
UNLV (14-3, 1-1 MW) narrowly avoided an 0-2 start in league play by topping Air Force in overtime in Las Vegas on Saturday. Preseason favorite San Diego State (14-2, 2-0 MW) has not lost a home game this season.
Wednesday: Air Force at Colorado State, 7 p.m.; No. 19 New Mexico at Boise State, 7 p.m. (ROOT); Wyoming at Fresno State, 8 p.m.; UNLV at No. 15 San Diego State, 8:15 p.m (CBS Sports).
Saturday: Boise State at Air Force, 2 p.m.; UNLV at Colorado State, 5 p.m. (NBC Sports); No. 15 San Diego State at Wyoming, 5:30 p.m.; Nevada at Fresno State, 8 p.m.
WIN TICKETS TO THE FRESNO STATE GAME
Want to see the Bronco men in action at home Jan. 23 against Fresno State? Send an email with “Boise State tickets” in the subject line to tickets@idahostatesman.com by 9 a.m. Jan. 23 for your chance to win a pair of tickets to the game.
Brian Murphy: 377-6444,Twitter: @MurphsTurph
