Boise State men’s basketball vs. Utah State: How to watch, prediction and odds
The Boise State men’s basketball team has been one of the best in the nation at 3-point percentage defense.
The Broncos lead the Mountain West in that category, limiting opponents to just 28% from deep, a mark that ranks No. 13 nationally.
That defense is about to receive its toughest test of the season when the Broncos host Utah State at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at ExtraMile Arena.
While the Broncos excel at limiting 3-point damage, the Aggies are adept at making them. No team in the country has a better 3-point field goal percentage than the Aggies, connecting at a rate of 43.36%.
“It’s gonna be a challenge for us, especially how well they shoot the 3,” Boise State sophomore Tyson Degenhart said. “We’ve had some games where we’ve given up a lot of 3s, but I think we improved against San Jose State, so we’re just gonna continue to build off our defense against San Jose State and hopefully continue that into Saturday.”
The Aggies also boast the nation’s top 3-point shooter by percentage: junior guard Steven Ashworth (53.77%). Ashworth leads the Mountain West and ranks fifth in the nation in 3s made per game (3.80). He has knocked down 57 3-pointers in 15 games.
“We’re going to focus on trying to shut him down,” Boise State redshirt senior Max Rice said. “But we’re just going to stick to kind of the stuff we do and kind of approach it how we approach every other game, and we’ll see how it plays out.”
Ashworth is part of a potent bench for the Aggies, who have one of the most productive in the country, averaging 33.27 points per game. A Utah State reserve has led the team in scoring in eight of 15 games. Ashworth has led the Aggies off the bench five times, while grad forward Dan Akin and sophomore forward Zee Hamoda have done so twice apiece.
Utah State is also one of just 11 teams in the nation with five players averaging double figures: Ashworth (16.9 ppg), forward Taylor Funk (13.6 ppg), guard Max Shulga (12.3 ppg), Akin (12.3 ppg) and guard Sean Bairstow (10.7 ppg).
“They’ve got starters on the bench, no doubt about it,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “And not just (Ashworth). ... Mountain West, high-level starters, so we’ve gotta have an A game from a lot of guys.”
Rice playing through injury
Max Rice has started all 15 games for the Broncos this season, averaging 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
And he’s been doing it all while dealing with a nagging injury.
Leon Rice said Thursday that Max is playing with a herniated disc.
“He’s out there and he’s fighting through it,” Leon Rice said. “Some days it’s better than others, and travel sometimes affects things because you’re crunched up. But I know two programs where there’s other kids that have the same thing he has and they’re not even playing. It shows you how tough he is.”
UTAH STATE AT BOISE STATE
When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: ExtraMile Arena, Boise
TV: Fox Sports 1 (Derek Clark, Richie Schueler)
Radio: KBOI 93.1 FM and 670 AM (Bob Behler, Abe Jackson)
Records: Boise State 11-4, 1-1 MW; Utah State 13-2, 2-0
Series: Utah State leads the series 34-20, but the Broncos have won the past four meetings.
KenPom rating: Boise State 65, Utah State 31
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 51% chance of beating Utah State. His score prediction is a 70-69 BSU victory.
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index: Boise State has a 59.6% chance of winning with a predicted point differential of 2.5.
