Boise State men’s basketball vs. Texas A&M: How to watch, prediction and odds
Through its first seven games, the Boise State men’s basketball team has held each of its opponents below 70 points while forcing double-digit turnovers.
The result is allowing 57.3 points per game, which ranks 17th in the nation this season. Boise State is ranked 29th in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
It’s a defense-first mentality that the Broncos are embracing.
“I feel like our defense has really picked up as the games have gone on,” fifth-year senior Marcus Shaver Jr. said. “But we still have a lot that we need to improve on on the defensive end.”
The Broncos’ defense will need to be sharp this weekend as they travel to Fort Worth, Texas, for The Battleground 2k22, where they will face Texas A&M at 5 p.m. Mountain time Saturday at Dickies Arena.
“They’re athletic, and they play really, really hard,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said of Texas A&M. “They’ve won a bunch in a row now and they’ve solved a lot of problems that they maybe had (at the) Myrtle Beach (Invitational). Buzz (Williams) is a great coach, and they have terrific players, so we’re gonna have to go down there and really, really play well.”
Boise State’s success this season has started on that defensive end. The Broncos have forced at least 10 turnovers every game, with a high of 19 against South Dakota State. They’re limiting opponents to just 38.0% shooting from the floor, a mark that ranks 35th nationally.
“I like where we are defensively. The numbers, it’s crazy,” Rice said. “You get done with a game and you look at the score sheet and you’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh, we held them to 45 points or 48 points.’ That’s pretty impressive. These guys are doing a great job with that.”
The Broncos held Loyola Chicago to a season-low 48 points and have limited three opponents to 55 or fewer points. Texas A&M enters Saturday’s game averaging 78.6 points per game.
“They look like a really tough team and a really talented team,” Shaver said. “We know it’s gonna be a dogfight.”
Shaver, one of two returning starters from last year’s NCAA Tournament team, is off to a strong defensive start. He is tied for the lead in the Mountain West and ranks 22nd in the nation with 19 overall steals. Max Rice has the second-most steals among Boise State players with nine.
“He just knows our system,” Leon Rice said of Shaver. “We say it on both ends, really, if you learn the system, the system will set you free, because then you don’t have to think. Then you’re in the right spots, and when you’re in the right spots, the ball’s gonna come to you.
“And then he’s got great instincts and great hands. He’s quick. He can go from Point A to Point B fast and change speeds. I think both he and Max, they’re smart players, they know where the ball’s going and really understand the system.”
Texas A&M was an NIT team last season under Williams and made the semifinals, losing to Xavier by a single point. The Aggies have won three straight games this year since losing by 28 points to Colorado in Myrtle Beach. Boise State defeated Colorado 68-55 in the same event.
BOISE STATE VS. TEXAS A&M
When: 5 p.m. Mountain time Saturday
Where: Dickies Arena, Forth Worth, Texas
TV: ESPNU (Kevin Brown, Jon Crispin)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM (Leonard Barry, Abe Jackson)
Records: Boise State 5-2, Texas A&M 5-2
Series: First meeting
Vegas line: Texas A&M by 5.5
KenPom rating: Boise State 70, Texas A&M 46
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 35% chance of beating Texas A&M. His score prediction is a 69-64 Texas A&M victory.
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index: Texas A&M has a 74.9% chance of winning with a predicted point differential of 7.2.
This story was originally published December 2, 2022 at 3:26 PM.
