Christmas comes early for Boise State men’s basketball with Kigab set to debut in Hawaii
Since he was added to the men’s basketball roster in January, the anticipation over Abu Kigab’s Boise State debut has grown exponentially with every mention of his name.
The 6-foot-6 junior forward’s wait finally comes to an end Sunday when Kigab is eligible to play for the Broncos in their Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic opener against Georgia Tech (3 p.m. MT, ESPNU) at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.
“The thing that I’m most excited for is the way he can guard. He’s got a physicality, and he’s got a verbal presence,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “He’s probably the loudest kid I’ve ever coached as far as how vocal he is at practice, and that’s what this team needs. That’s one of the ways he’s going to help us right away. He’s an excellent rebounder, and he’s got a toughness about him.
“If you could make a Christmas wish list and say, ‘Here’s what we want for Christmas to add to our team,’ he’d pretty much look like Abu.”
While the Broncos (6-4, 1-1 MW) can’t wait to see Kigab in action, the team knows they’ll have to help keep him from getting too hyped when he first takes the court against the Yellow Jackets (4-5, 1-1 ACC).
“I know he’s dying to get out there. He’s working out like three times every day and lifting like crazy. He’s definitely gonna be ready for the moment,” Boiser State senior Justinian Jessup said. “All of us have to be kind of a calming presence for him and just settle him down, because we know he’s going to be excited to get out there.”
Sunday’s matchup against Georgia Tech will be Kigab’s first game in more than a year. He played his last game at Oregon on Dec. 15, 2018, ironically against Boise State. While Kigab enrolled at Boise State in January, he could not travel with the Broncos until his eligibility began after the first semester of the 2019-20 school year, which just finished up this week.
“I’m just very excited to start playing again. I haven’t played in a whole year, so I’m just really excited to get out there and play,” Kigab said. “I’m going to bring competitiveness, rebounding, defending and a bit of scoring. At the end of the day, I just want to win games, and that’s my goal every single time. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
If the Broncos defeat Georgia Tech, they’ll play the winner between Houston and Portland in a 5 p.m. MT matchup Monday on ESPN2. A loss would pit the Broncos against the Houston-Portland loser at 2:30 p.m. MT on Monday on ESPNU. The other teams in the tournament are Ball State, Washington, UTEP and Hawaii. The championship game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday on ESPN2.
Rice said the trip to Hawaii won’t be all basketball all the time. The team has plans to visit Pearl Harbor and attend a luau. And Rice hinted that Santa Claus might make a visit to the team hotel.
What are the odds Santa Claus is Rice in disguise?
“I’m definitely taking that bet,” Jessup said. “I’m putting a lot of money on that.”
Alston organizes coat drive
Boise State redshirt junior Derrick Alston has teamed up with fellow members of the BroncoLife program to spearhead a coat drive to support the Boise community.
“It’s the season of giving and cold weather and there are a lot of men, women, boys and girls in Boise right now who can use our help staying warm,” Alston said in a press release. “We wanted to use the platform that athletics gives us to make a positive impact on others, especially people in our community.”
New and gently used coats will be collected at the men’s basketball game against Cal State Northridge on Saturday, Dec. 28. Coat donations will begin when the doors open at 3 p.m. at ExtraMile Arena Lobby 2. Tipoff is 4 p.m. Coats will be donated to the Boise Rescue Mission.
Fans who donate a coat will receive a discounted $7 ticket to the game.
“What a great thing. It makes you proud as a coach,” Rice said. “It wasn’t anything that we told him or made him do. He just saw a need for it and wanted to help out.”
Women’s basketball: Broncos conclude nonconference slate
Before enjoying a 10-day stretch between games, the Boise State women’s basketball team will play its final nonconference game of the 2019-20 regular season.
The Broncos (9-4, 2-0 MW) host Pepperdine (6-3) at 2 p.m. Sunday at ExtraMile Arena. It is the fourth meeting between the two programs, with the Waves holding a 2-1 advantage.
Boise State resumes Mountain West play Jan. 1 at Wyoming, followed by a home date with Nevada on Jan. 4.
This story was originally published December 21, 2019 at 3:45 PM.
