Riding 7-game win streak, Boise State emerges as one of country’s top defensive teams
During its current seven-game winning streak, the Boise State men’s basketball team has emerged as one of the best defensive squads in the nation.
The Broncos rank 17th among Division I teams in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com, with 12 of the 16 teams ahead of them ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
Boise State (10-4, 1-1 MW) puts its streak on the line Saturday when it plays its first Mountain West road game of the season at Wyoming. Tipoff in Laramie against the Cowboys (11-2, 0-0) is 2 p.m. at Arena-Auditorium, and the game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
So what are the characteristics of a good defensive team, and what stands out about the Broncos?
“First, it starts with a team that gives multiple, multiple efforts. Not just one and not just start off the possession with an effort, but you’ve got to finish possessions,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “We’ve got guys that fly around and play hard. ... Then we have good athleticism, we have pretty good toughness — not pretty good — I think we have real good toughness. Then that ability to finish with good rebounding, because you can’t have good defense if you can’t rebound, and I think we check all the boxes.
“They’re taking pride in it. When it becomes your identity and you take a lot of pride in it, that’s how you get good at (defense).”
Over roughly the final 5 minutes of each game during their winning streak, the Broncos have outscored their opponents 103-49 — including runs of 14-2 vs. Tulsa, 8-2 vs. Santa Clara and 17-5 vs. Fresno State — and held each opponent to 60 points or less.
It marks just the fourth time in program history that Boise State has held seven consecutive opponents to 60 or under, and the first time since the 1988-89 season. Two of the previous three streaks stopped at seven games, and the school record is eight, set during the 1986-87 season.
The Broncos have also shot 51.1% from the field or better and had a double-digit rebounding advantage in five of the seven games. Meanwhile, opponents are shooting just 37.5% from the field and 27.6% from 3-point range.
“Our guys are understanding roles better and we’re understanding where our shots come and the strengths and weaknesses of our team. They’re just getting more comfortable with it,” Rice said.
During Rice’s tenure, Boise State is 82-11 when holding opponents under 60 points, including 7-2 this season. The Broncos held 14 foes under 60 in 2014-15 on their way to winning the Mountain West regular-season title.
BOISE STATE AT WYOMING
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: Arena-Auditorium (11,612), Laramie, Wyoming
TV: CBS Sports Network (Dan Dickau, Chris Lewis). That’s DirecTV channel 221, DISH Network channel 158 and Sparklight channel 139.
Radio: 670 AM (Bob Behler, Abe Jackson)
Records: Boise State 10-4, 1-0 MW; Wyoming 11-2, 0-0
Series: Boise State leads the all-time series 19-14. The Broncos are 8-3 in Laramie since joining the Mountain West in 2011-12, which is the most wins and best winning percentage of any Mountain West opponent at Wyoming during that stretch.
Vegas line: Wyoming by 1.5
KenPom rating: Boise State 51, Wyoming 89
KenPom & ESPN predictions
Ken Pomeroy, who created the popular college basketball statistical website KenPom.com, ranks every Division I team using an adjusted efficiency margin, which Pomeroy defines as the difference between a team’s offensive and defensive efficiency.
According to Pomeroy’s detailed statistical analysis, Boise State has a 49% chance of beating Wyoming. His score prediction is a 66-65 Cowboys victory.
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index: Wyoming has a 52.3% chance of winning with a predicted point differential of 0.5.
This story was originally published December 30, 2021 at 6:42 PM.
