Can the Aztecs get a key road victory, or will the Broncos rebound after a tough home loss?
Who: The Boise State Broncos (12-5, 3-1) vs the San Diego State Aztecs (15-3, 4-1).
When: Saturday, Jan 20, 2024. 11:00 am MT (10:00 am PT).
Where: Extramile Arena; Boise, Idaho
TV: CBS
STREAM: FuboTV — get a free trial
Line: SDSU -1 on KenPom
The San Diego State Aztecs are traveling to Boise Idaho to take on the Boise State Broncos. It is a battle of heavyweights as these programs have won the conference the last two years, and both are pushing for another championship this season.
Boise State is coming off a tough home loss to UNLV, and will be looking to get back in the win column. A second home loss could remove them from the race for the conference title.
SDSU is coming off a home win vs Nevada and will want to expand their win streak. Picking up a win in Boise would put the Aztecs in a Prime position to win the conference.
Keys for SDSU:
The Aztecs will need to find a few key things. First, they will need to handle the crowd. They let the environment get to them in the Pit and blew a double-digit lead to lose by 18. This Aztec team will need to stay more composed.
The Broncos can occasionally be turnover-prone, and the Aztecs will want to force that issue.
"San Diego State we always want to play defense and rebound the ball, it's a staple of what we do. We weren't too happy about what we did last game so we wanted to come out and really make sure we did this game."
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) January 18, 2024
—Jaedon LeDee on @Aztec_MBB's win over Nevada pic.twitter.com/sA6VDQ2GvI
Lastly, Boise State plays an aggressive style of defense that can result in committing extra fouls. The Aztecs will want to try and get key players in foul trouble early, especially O’Mar Stanley. That will let Jaedon LeDee get more work done down low.
Keys for Boise State
The primary focus needs to be slowing down Jaedon LeDee. LeDee is on pace for an all-American level season, and the Aztecs haven’t had consistent help for him. Other guys may play eel for a couple games, but he’s been the only constant. Slowing him down is a must.
The other key is offensive rebounding. It is a problem that has plagued the Aztecs off and on all season. Freshman JT Toppin had nine offensive rebounds on his own against SDSU. If the Broncos as a team can get second chances it will wear down the Aztec defense.
X-Factor
Rebounding. The Aztecs had 20 offensive rebounds in their win over Nevada. Boise State did rebound well in their loss against UNLV. If the Broncos clean that up they should win. If not the Aztecs should pull off the victory.
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