A Boise native returns and is ‘honored’ to be part of Broncos basketball
Tyson Degenhart has played his final game for Boise State basketball, but his impact on the program is still being felt.
The latest example? He was part of the reason forward Drew Fielder decided to come home to Boise State from Georgetown after entering the transfer portal last month.
“You guys saw it all last year,” Fielder told the Idaho Statesman on Friday as to why he thinks he’ll be a good fit at Boise State.
“With Degenhart, he’s a great player, and he does a lot of things on the court,” Fielder continued. “And I think I’m like him in that way, where you can just plug and play me anywhere.”
Fielder arrives at Boise State having played at Georgetown for two years. He started in 31 games at center for the Hoyas last season, averaging 7.1 points and 5.4 rebounds as Georgetown went 18-16 overall and 8-12 in Big East play.
His ability to help replace Degenhart isn’t the only reason Fielder chose Boise State.
The 6-foot-11 junior-to-be is a Boise native. Growing up, Fielder was a fan of the Broncos and went to games when he could. He attended Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian for two years before transferring to a basketball prep academy in California.
“They’re getting a super talented kid. He can do a lot of different things at his size,” Dane Roy, Fielder’s former coach at Rocky Mountain and now the athletic director at Owhyee High School, told the Statesman.
Fielder described himself as an “ultra competitor” who lets his game speak for itself. What can fans expect in his two seasons in Boise?
“He’s really filled out and gotten much stronger over the last few years, and so he can kind of take his game inside and dunk on someone,” Roy said. “He’s a really good rebounder, but he’s also skilled enough to dribble the ball up the court and catch on the outside, and he’s gonna pick and roll.”
Fielder may have found his way back home after several years away, but his reason for entering the transfer portal wasn’t because of Boise State.
Fielder told the Statesman that his goal is to reach the NBA, and he wants to be at a program that will allow him to “flourish” and win. He initially committed to USC on April 7, but immediately had second thoughts.
“I just think it wasn’t the right decision for me,” Fielder said.
Two days later, he had changed his mind officially about the Trojans and committed to play for Leon Rice at Boise State. He joins a roster quickly retooling for 2025. In early April, UCLA point guard Dylan Andrews committed to Boise State from the portal to replace the graduating Alvaro Cardenas.
“I want to be a Bronco, and I’m honored and truly just grateful to be able to have the opportunity,” Fielder said. “I know I was briefly committed to USC, but Boise is the place for me, and I’m ready to get to work already.”
