‘Special honor’: Boise State gets rare shot at NCAA Tournament — its highest seed, too
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March Madness for Boise State
Mountain West champion Boise State is a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Broncos open play against Memphis in Portland.
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‘Special honor’: Boise State gets rare shot at NCAA Tournament — its highest seed, too
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While fans attended a watch party at ExtraMile Arena on Sunday afternoon, the Boise State men’s basketball team learned its NCAA Tournament fate gathered around a laptop awaiting a flight home at the airport in Las Vegas.
The Broncos earned a No. 8 seed in the West Region and will open tournament play Thursday against No. 9 Memphis (21-10) at the Moda Center in Portland. The 68-team field was announced during a selection show Sunday on CBS.
Boise State’s first-round game is set for 11:45 a.m. MT on TNT.
It will be the second all-time meeting between the two teams. Memphis eliminated Boise State 59-56 in the quarterfinals of the 2021 NIT Tournament in Denton, Texas.
“To get your name called, whether it’s automatic qualifier or at-large, it’s a really special day and it’s a special honor,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “It’s something these guys are worthy of, because they’ve earned it. It’s pretty exciting.”
Minutes after the announcement was made on television, a video of the Broncos watching the selection show from the Las Vegas airport was played over the big screen inside ExtraMile. Several dozen fans later greeted the Broncos at the airport when they arrived in Boise shortly after 7:30 p.m.
“I was definitely envisioning our fans would be with us (for the announcement),” Boise State’s Abu Kigab said. “This was a little bit different, but it is what it is. You can’t sulk too much about it.”
Boise State (27-7) swept the Mountain West’s regular-season and tournament championships to secure its first March Madness appearance since the 2014-15 season. It will be Boise State’s eighth NCAA Tournament trip and third under Rice.
The No. 8 seed is the highest for Boise State since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
“Little did I know that we’d be all watching the selection show on a computer in the Vegas airport,” Rice said. “… We were the first group to pop up and you’re like, ‘Whoa, that was it. Let’s go.’ Then we jumped on the plane and came home.”
The Broncos are 0-7 in March Madness action, having suffered a one-point loss to Dayton in their most recent appearance. Boise State earned automatic bids by winning the Big Sky Tournament in 1976, 1988, 1993 and 1994 and the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in 2008, while they earned at-large berths in 2013 and 2015.
Four Mountain West teams received tournament bids, which is the most for the conference since it sent five teams in 2013. This will be the fourth straight tournament that the Mountain West has had multiple bids and the 19th time in league history.
Colorado State received a No. 6 seed, San Diego State checked in at No. 8 and Wyoming at No. 12. The Rams are in the South Region and open against No. 11 Michigan, while the Aztecs face No. 9 Creighton in the Midwest Region. The Cowboys draw No. 12 Indiana in the First Four.
“What does (the seed) really matter?” Rice said. “There’s not one place that you could be and you’re going to go, ‘Oh, the team we’re playing is not (good).’ Everybody in the tournament is good. And every team’s gonna have to play great basketball from here on out, which that’s the way it’s been for us in the last month it seems like, so it’ll be nothing different.”
How to buy tickets to watch the Broncos
Boise State has a limited allotment of tickets, which fans have until noon Tuesday to request.
Men’s basketball season-ticket holders have priority in purchasing tickets, and the university said it is unlikely all requests will be honored.
Visit broncosports.com/tickets to make your request.
Those requesting tickets will be limited to a maximum of four tickets. Tickets are $100 each and will be good for Boise State’s first-round matchup only. Fans are asked to select the payment plan option when requesting tickets, as paying for tickets in full does not guarantee you will receive tickets. If you do not receive tickets and pay in full, you will be refunded in full. Should the Broncos advance to the second round, the card on file will automatically be charged for the same quantity of tickets at $100 each. There are no exceptions.
Once the ticket request period has ended, fans will be contacted within 24 hours via email, informing them whether the school can accommodate their request. Those receiving tickets will be sent an email with details on how to claim digital tickets. Those who do not receive tickets will receive instructions on how to purchase tickets through other means.
Tickets for all rounds of the NCAA Tournament are digital. Individuals who do not have a smartphone and require printed tickets are asked to email the Bronco Ticket Office at ticketoffice@boisestate.edu.
Digital tickets will be delivered no later than noon Wednesday.
NO. 8 BOISE STATE VS. NO. 9 MEMPHIS
When: 11:45 a.m. MT Thursday
Where: Moda Center (19,980), Portland
TV: TNT
Radio: KBOI 670 AM (Bob Behler, Abe Jackson)
Records: Boise State 27-7, Memphis 21-10
Series: Memphis 1-0
Last meeting: Memphis eliminated Boise State 59-56 in the quarterfinals of the 2021 NIT Tournament in Denton, Texas.
Vegas line: Memphis by 2.5 (Tigers opened as 1.5-point favorites)
KenPom rating: Boise State 26, Memphis 28
This story was originally published March 13, 2022 at 4:06 PM.
