Boise State’s NCAA Tournament foe, destination are out. Here’s where Broncos are going
Hello Sacramento, here come the Broncos.
The Boise State men’s basketball team received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, marking back-to-back appearances for the second time in program history.
The Broncos (24-9) received a No. 10 seed in the West Region and will play No. 7 Northwestern (21-11) in the first round Thursday in Sacramento, California. The 68-team field was announced during a selection show Sunday on CBS.
This will be the first meeting between the Broncos and the Wildcats. Tipoff is 5:35 p.m. Mountain time at the Golden 1 Center, and the game will be broadcast on truTV.
“I’m excited to get back,” Boise State sophomore Tyson Degenhart said. “I think last year we just got a taste of what it was like because I think a lot of us never had played a game in the tournament. I think we have a lot of experience with all five starters playing in a game, so it’ll be exciting.”
It is Boise State’s ninth tournament appearance overall and fourth under head coach Leon Rice.
The Broncos are 0-8 in March Madness action, having suffered a 64-53 loss to Memphis in their most recent appearance last season. 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. The Broncos are 4-4 this season against other teams in this year’s field.
“Your heart gets pounding, but it’s a great feeling,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “... You start out the season in basically August nowadays and you work for this day.”
Four Mountain West teams received tournament bids for the second year in a row — No. 5 San Diego State, No. 10 Boise State, No. 10 Utah State and No. 11 Nevada. This will be the fifth straight tournament that the Mountain West has had multiple bids and the 20th time in league history.
San Diego State (27-6) will face No. 12 Charleston (31-3) on Thursday in Orlando, Florida. The Aztecs will tip off at 1:10 p.m. MT on truTV. Utah State (26-8) draws No. 7 Missouri (24-9) at 11:40 a.m. MT on Thursday in Sacramento on TNT, and Nevada (22-10) plays No. 11 Arizona State (22-12) in the First Four on Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio. The Wolf Pack tip at 7:10 p.m. MT on truTV.
Unlike last season, when the Broncos learned their NCAA Tournament destination on a laptop in the airport, Boise State got to celebrate its selection in front of hundreds of fans Sunday inside ExtraMile Arena.
“It was great to be able to just have a nice watch party with our fans and get to celebrate,” Rice said. “It got loud when they called our name and I think everybody was excited, the players and the fans. What a special day. That’s what I talked to the team about. You’ve gotta pause and be grateful and celebrate this day because a lot goes into getting to this day. I want them to appreciate it and celebrate it.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2023 at 4:28 PM.
