Boise State men to host Top 10 team for just sixth time in program history
Justinian Jessup’s face broke into a broad smile when he was asked about the feeling he gets playing in front of a packed crowd at Taco Bell Arena.
“It’s crazy. ... When it’s at almost full capacity, it can get going,” Jessup said. “We feed off the energy for sure on defense, on offense, when we make big plays. It’s huge for us. The crowd is huge.”
Jessup and the Boise State men’s basketball team will take any help they can get Tuesday night when they host a Top 10 team for only the sixth time in program history.
Boise State (8-8, 3-0 MW) and No. 10 Nevada (16-1, 3-1) will square off at 7 p.m. at Taco Bell Arena in a Mountain West Conference game that will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.
“There’s a really small margin for error against (Nevada), for sure,” Jessup said. “... You can’t make mental mistakes against them. You’ve got to be ready to compete, and I think we’ll be ready for that.”
The Broncos last hosted a Top 10 team in 2014, losing 67-65 to then-No. 5 San Diego State. They’ve never beaten a Top 10 program and are 8-48 all-time against ranked teams. The highest-ranked opponent Boise State has beaten was No. 11 Creighton in 2012 in Omaha, Nebraska.
With limited opportunities to host Top 10 competition, the Broncos hope to take advantage of the rare opportunity.
“Just be in attack mode. Don’t back down. Just be really competitive, I think that’s the biggest message right now,” Jessup said. “... We’ve just got to go out there and compete and play our hardest. That’s really what it comes down to. Making those winning plays and those tough plays is what’s going to give us a chance to win.”
Boise State lost both regular-season meetings against the Wolf Pack last season and trails in the all-time series 44-27.
Nevada opened the 2018-19 season with 14 straight wins and climbed as high as No. 5 before losing 85-58 at New Mexico on Jan. 5.
Although Boise State coach Leon Rice says it’s hard to pin down any weaknesses with the Wolf Pack — who start five redshirt seniors — he cited defensive rebounding and the Broncos’ ability to limit Nevada beyond the arc as potential game-changers.
“There’s a lot of teams that have tried, and a lot of teams that have failed at it,” Rice said. “It’s a big, big challenge, no question.”
Broncos add Oregon transfer
Nevada has turned itself into a basketball power with the addition of transfers from Power 5 programs, and Boise State doesn’t plan on getting left behind.
University of Oregon sophomore Abu Kigab joined the Broncos’ program on Monday as a mid-year transfer.
“There’s some people that complain about transfers and do this and that, and there’s others that adapt,” Rice said. “The ones that adapt survive.”
The 6-foot-6 forward will be eligible to play midway through the 2019-20 season and will have a year and a half of athletic eligibility remaining.
“We’re getting an exceptional player in Abu,” Rice said. “Not only is he great on the court, but he’s also a high character student-athlete who is going to be a perfect addition to the team.
“We couldn’t be happier that he chose to continue his collegiate career here at Boise State.”
Kigab played in 35 of 36 games for the Ducks as a freshman in 2017-18. The native of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, averaged 2.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in 10 games this season for the Ducks, including three starts.
“There’s many reasons why I chose to come to Boise State,” Kigab said. “The coaches, players and team culture here really stood out to me. I feel like I will have an opportunity to show people what I can do and contribute to the team’s success.”
According to Boise State, Kigab is the second-highest rated player (as a prep) to join Boise State. Kigab was a four-star recruit with a scout grade of 81, according to ESPN.com. Current Chicago Bull Chandler Hutchison had a scout grade of 83 when he signed with the Broncos.
This story was originally published January 14, 2019 at 6:08 PM.
