Who will start for Boise State in 2018-19? ‘The guys that will rebound will get to play’

The Boise State men’s basketball team finished the 2017-18 season ranked No. 7 in the country in rebounding margin, with an average of +8.1 per game.

In order to keep their place among the nation’s elite again this season, the Broncos must replace the production of their top two rebounders from a year ago.

Chandler Hutchison and Chris Sengfelder combined for 14.3 rebounds per game, or about 37 percent of the Broncos’ 38.5 average.

“That’s a big concern for me, and that’s always been a staple of our program,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “That’s what these guys have to understand. The guys that will rebound will get to play. I’ll find out who those are, and we’ll put a team out there that can rebound.”

With the Broncos’ 2018-19 exhibition opener set for Nov. 5 against Vanguard and seven new faces on the roster, Rice and his staff will have the next month to get a feel for what players can produce that necessary production.

Senior forward Zach Haney (6-foot-11) started all 32 games for the Broncos last season and is a leading candidate to assume a major role on the boards. Haney is the Broncos’ top returning rebounder after averaging 5.5 per game last season.

And as one of three seniors on this year’s roster, Haney is well-versed in what Rice expects on the court.

“Coach Rice emphasizes (rebounding) every year,” Haney said. “So I don’t think we’ll lack at all in rebounding this year.”

The Broncos outrebounded their opponent in 27 of their 32 games last season, which established a new school record. They also ranked No. 16 in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (28.47) and 40th in total rebounds per game.

Haney said Monday ahead of the Broncos’ first official practice of the season that this year’s team is being “underrated” by outsiders.

That chip-on-the-shoulder mentality is already showing up in practice.

“I just think that everybody’s chasing a spot and everybody’s just excited for the season, so they’re going to work and do whatever they can to get on the court and help the team out,” he said. “... We think we’re underrated, so we’ve just got to prove people wrong and we’ve got to bust our butts to do it every day.”

Rice says he doesn’t like to distinguish potential starters from nonstarters too early in the season, but he and Haney hinted Monday that junior college transfer Roderick Williams should have an immediate impact. The 6-7, 209-pounder from East Los Angeles College averaged 19.3 points and 6.3 rebounds last season.

Rice said Williams has a “natural ability to score” and is a “great rebounder.”

Haney had a similar assessment.

“Roderick, he hustles his butt off. He can rebound the basketball. He’s a very athletic, agile guy,” Haney said. “He’s exciting to play with, and he’s a good piece to the team.”

But there’s one skill that likely will play the biggest role in determining this year’s starting five.

“(Rebounding’s) a big factor, because it’s what we’ve been good at. It’s what we hang our hat on. It’s one of our identities of our program,” Rice said. “When I am differentiating between two players, I’m going to lean to the guy that rebounds a little bit better, and these guys know that. They’ve seen that over and over.”

Notes: Boise State will host its sixth annual open scrimmage at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, in Bronco Gym. Admission is free. ... All of Boise State’s games at the 2018 Cayman Islands Classic, which runs Nov. 19-21, will air on Stadium’s live Facebook page at Facebook.com/StadiumCollegeBasketball.

This story was originally published October 1, 2018 at 10:18 PM.