Your Local SEO and Digital Marketing Experts in San Diego County
SDSU at Boise State
When: Today, 1 p.m. PST
Where: ExtraMile Arena, Boise
On the air: CBS; 760-AM
Records: SDSU 8-3, 1-1 MW; Boise State 11-3, 3-0
Series history: SDSU leads 18-13, but has lost six of the last seven, including three straight in Boise. The Broncos swept the season series last year, winning 67-66 in Boise and 79-77 in overtime at Viejas Arena.
Aztecs update: A quirk in their schedule has them at 11 games, with only 10 against Division I opponents, which is tied for fewest in the nation. Boise State has played three more times, and some teams have played as many as six more. After six games over 16 days in November, the Aztecs have played just five times over the next 33 days. There was a break for final exams, a shorter break for Christmas and then a midweek bye in the Mountain West schedule this week. It makes for a rested team, although freshman forward Pharaoh Compton rolled an ankle Monday and did not practice the next three days. He’s on the trip but is considered questionable. Frontline depth is important because Boise State can put a huge lineup on the floor, sometimes going 6-foot-5, 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8, 6-foot-8 and 7-foot. No one under 6-3 is the rotation. “They’re big,” coach Brian Dutcher said. “That’s my No. 1 concern, rebounding against all their size and strength.” The Aztecs are 33-4 in their last 37 games following a loss. They didn’t take too much of a metrics hit from last Saturday’s 67-66 home loss against Utah State, currently at No. 42 in Kenpom, No. 47 in the NET and between Nos. 34 and 49 in other metrics. They are 14th in defensive efficiency after holding opponents to 35.5% shooting, third best in the country. Kenpom projects a 70-68 Boise State win.
Broncos update: They have won five straight, but only one of those (67-65 against Saint Mary’s in Idaho Falls) came against someone inside the Kenpom top 150. They’re 3-0 in the Mountain West, all against the bottom tier (San Jose State, Air Force and Wyoming). They have a marquee win against Clemson at home but losses against USF, Washington State and 167 Boston College. Their current metrics – 58 in Kenpom, 52 in the NET, 62 in ESPN’s BPI – are just outside what usually makes the NCAA Tournament. The key returnees are Mountain West preseason player of the year Tyson Degenhart (18.1 points, 6.1 rebounds) and fellow forward O’Mar Stanley (9.7 points, 6.5 rebounds). They added veteran Spanish point guard Alvaro Cardenas (11.1 points, 6.6 assists) from San Jose State. But guards Max Rice (the son of head coach Leon Rice) ran out of eligibility and Saint Augustine High School alum Chibuzo Agbo transferred to USC, leaving the Broncos a little light on perimeter shooting. They rank 301st nationally in 3-point accuracy at 31.0% and 320th in makes (6.2 per game). Instead, they rely on their heft on the boards, ranking 13th in average rebound margin (plus-10 per game), and by shooting 18 free throws per game, tops in the Mountain West. They’re 6-0 at ExtraMile Arena this season, winning by an average of 27.3 points per game.
Next up: Wednesday vs. Air Force (7:30 p.m., FS1)
— MARK ZEIGLER
Originally Published:
Your Local SEO and Digital Marketing Experts in San Diego County