Five things to know following Boise State basketball’s exhibition win against Carroll
Think of Boise State’s exhibition opener kind of like a pickup game.
No plays. No pressure. Just basketball.
The Boise State men’s basketball team shared a of slice of what’s to come this season in its 76-58 win over NAIA squad Carroll College on Tuesday at ExtraMile Arena.
Coach Leon Rice said Tuesday was all about shaking off the nerves before the season begins in earnest.
“Part of the game plan is not to run any plays or sets or direct the ball, and just kind of let our flow and our motion just play out of that,” Rice. “Sometimes what you see out of that is shot selection that you won’t see, hopefully, in one or two weeks. We’ll clean all that up.”
While the Broncos kept a lot of technical elements close to the vest in anticipation of next week’s season opener against South Dakota State, here were five things we learned about the 2022-23 squad.
1. Starting five, sixth man
Of the 10 returning lettermen and six new faces, the Broncos debuted a starting lineup largely familiar to fans who saw the team last season.
The only player in the starting five who wasn’t on last year’s team was Texas Tech transfer Chibuzo Agbo. The junior guard was joined by returning starters Tyson Degenhart and Marcus Shaver Jr., plus returners Max Rice and Lukas Milner.
“It felt good to play in front of our fans on our new court,” Degenhart said. “It’s nice to play an actual game and get into the flow of things. And now we have film to look at, and we’re gonna take the next week to look at that film and get better from it.”
Degenhart paced the Broncos with 19 points, while Shaver and Agbo each added 14. Rice contributed two points, tied for the team lead in rebounds with six and led the Broncos in assists (4) and steals (3). Milner finished 2-for-7 from the floor for four points — on two dunks — with six rebounds.
Fifth-year senior forward Naje Smith was the first off the bench and could factor into the starting lineup when the Broncos want to go with a smaller, more athletic group. Twelve players in all logged playing time against Carroll.
2. NgaNga makes quiet debut
Freshman guard Sadraque NgaNga, the highest-ranked recruit in program history, is going to need more time to develop.
NgaNga had two points and a rebound in just under 7 minutes in the exhibition.
“There’s a lot thrown at him, and you gotta remember, English is his fifth language,” Leon Rice said. “And then Boise State basketball is his sixth language. So it’s hard to pick up all these things. ... It’s kind of like a big league pitcher, you’ve got to find a way to not throw him into the fire too early. He’s working though. I have a lot of faith in him and a lot of belief in him, too. He’s got a lot of talent, a lot of ability.”
3. Injuries
Junior guard Pavle Kuzmanovic did not participate in Tuesday’s exhibition because of an injury.
Kuzmanovic suffered a sprained right ankle last week and was wearing a boot. He is expected to return and contribute this season, Leon Rice said.
“He was playing great, and we need him back,” the coach said.
In September, redshirt freshman guard RJ Keene had season-ending surgery on his left shoulder.
4. Who’s redshirting?
The Broncos have four freshmen on their roster, but Leon Rice did not want to reveal yet which of the four would be redshirting.
Early projections have NgaNga and Jace Whiting logging playing time this season, while walk-ons Kade Rice and Vince Barringer are likely to redshirt.
Whiting recently returned from a two-year church mission but looked confident in the exhibition. The 6-foot-2 guard from Burley High had nine points.
“He’s playing (this season),” Leon Rice said of Whiting.
5. Shaver takes over point position
After playing shooting guard for most of his basketball career, Shaver will play point guard for the Broncos this season.
The 6-2 Phoenix product flashed his high-level passing ability at times last season. He uncharacteristically committed four turnovers in the exhibition.
“He’ll be one of the best,” Leon Rice said.
Boise State officially opens the season next Wednesday, Nov. 9, when it hosts South Dakota State at 7 p.m. at ExtraMile Arena. The Jackrabbits are a perennial contender in the Summit League and won it last season, losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Providence. Prior to that they were in the NCAAs three straight years, 2016-18.
The game will be streamed lived on the Mountain West Network, which is available at broncosports.com/mwn, or listen on the radio on KBOI 670 AM.
This story was originally published November 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
