Tag: rj williams

UNLV Takes Care Of Business At Home in 76-66 Win Over Boise State

Game Recap: UNLV 76, Boise State 66 Amauri Hardy and Bryce Hamilton combine for over half of UNLV’s offense in Wednesday night’s win. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Rebel duo leads UNLV over Boise State in late night win at home. Las Vegas, …

[jwplayer TtpJIvlc-sNi3MVSU]

Game Recap: UNLV 76, Boise State 66

Amauri Hardy and Bryce Hamilton combine for over half of UNLV’s offense in Wednesday night’s win.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Rebel duo leads UNLV over Boise State in late night win at home. 

Las Vegas, NV–The Runnin’ Rebels played host to the Boise State Broncos in a late Wednesday night game in the Thomas and Mack Center. And in preparation for the Mountain West Conference tournament, they started a home winning streak last night (2 strong) that they hope to continue into next week, with a ten-point win over Boise State.

The Bronco’s struggled to knock down shots early on and found themselves with a twelve point deficit going into the half down 24-34. Senior Justinian Jessup continued his strong shooting from deep and led the team in scoring with 19 points, but even he himself finished the night 5-12 from the field. The rest of the team combined to shoot 5-17 (29.4%) from deep and 15-52 (28.8%) from the field. Even leading scorer Derrick Alston Jr. had a poor night shooting but still finished the night with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

Rounding it out was senior RJ Williams got his tenth double-double of the season on Wednesday night as he finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

UNLV looked like a methodical bunch all night, as the ball movement and player cuts were there in abundance from multiple players. Sophomore guard Bryce Hamilton had a great night shooting the ball, going 7-12 from the field and from a little bit of everywhere. And though the Runnin’ Rebels as a whole shot poorly from the free throw line (14-27 for 51.9%) Hamilton was able to convert on 6-10 FTs after effectively driving the lane and getting to the line continuously.

If we were giving out a Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde award to a Mountain West team this season, UNLV would sure be a nominee. They’re back to playing some of their best basketball of the season with a deadly quartet of guards ready to make an impact in the conference tournament. Alongside Hamilton was junior guard Amauri Hardy who scored a team-high 24 points while grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists. The duo created a dangerous scoring attack all night that drew defensive attention while freeing up space for others to score.

Elijah Mitrou-Long contributed 16 points on 1-6 shooting from three but knocked down 7-14 from the field overall. And the last guard of that previously mentioned quartet is Marvin Coleman, who had Nick Blair start in his place on senior night, but managed to chip in five points and grab a team high 11 rebounds in his 29 minutes of play (he’s a 6-2 guard).

When head coach TJ Otzelberger has his guards playing smart basketball by penetrating and distributing the ball, they can win. Don’t let them settle for threes or jump shots because that is not their strength, take last night for example. The team as a whole finished 6-24 (25.0%) from deep and luckily realized early on that they weren’t going to fall and just continued to drive. Like most of the middle of the pack in the Mountain West, UNLV is dangerous.

And it looks like they have found a winning formula with missing starter Donnie Tillman out with what may be a season ending knee injury.

Up Next:

Boise State Broncos:

That’s a regular season wrap for the Broncos. Tonight’s loss was the last regular season game on Boise State’s schedule. For now, Leon Rice and company will take the weekend off, watch some conference match ups and see where they end for tournament seeding come March. 

UNLV Runnin’ Rebels:

Unlike the Broncos the Runnin’ Rebels have one more game on their slate this Saturday as the they head to the Provident Credit Union Event Center to take San Jose State. UNLV should leave with a win, and if they do they would solidify their lead over the Broncos in the final standings.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

[protected-iframe id=”09e6ca4e11e5838c3834d87c7b471ffb-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://anchor.fm/mwwire/embed” width=”400px” height=”102px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]

Mountain West Wire’s Player of The Year Watch List: Week Sixteen

Who is in the running for Player of the Year? Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Sixteen Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Jalen Harris shrinks the POY gap, Seneca Knight goes off and the Runnin’ Rebels down …

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

Who is in the running for Player of the Year?

Take A Look At the Best Performances Around the Mountain West In Week Sixteen

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Jalen Harris shrinks the POY gap, Seneca Knight goes off and the Runnin’ Rebels down the Aztecs. 

The staff at the Mountain West Wire wanted to do something a little different this year. We are going to keep track of the top performers from teams around the Mountain West throughout the year and vote on who had the best performances that week. 

How it works description now at the bottom of the article

The order for the sixteenth week is as follows:

1. Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (5 Points)

28 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists against New Mexico

20 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals against Fresno State

Nevada’s current second place standing in the Mountain West has made the transition between coaching staffs seamless for Wolf Pack Fans. Steve Alford has brought his winning Mountain West pedigree with him to Reno but a big reason if the not THE reason for Nevada’s success this season has been the man listed above, Jalen Harris.

Harris has been tremendous all season for the Wolf Pack but has really turned it on in conference play, which has included four straight games with thirty points or more and has the squad riding a current five game winning streak coming into the week.

Harris has made the biggest run at Player of the Year in the entire conference, and has turned Nevada into a real force to be reckoned with while making a name for himself nationally in February. It is a bit odd to even think his performance last week where he averaged 24.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 2.5 APG seemed like a slow week but that’s Harris’ reality at the end of February.

Most people would say that Harris has become the best player in the conference and his push for first on our list is a pretty good indicator of that notion. But even though Harris has been catching up, Malachi Flynn has kept his first place position with consistent play throughout the year. But with only two games left in the regular season for both Harris and Malachi Flynn, the February 29th showdown in Reno on senior night should settle some bets and help some voters decide.

2. Seneca Knight, sophomore guard San Jose State (4 Points):

23 points, 1 steal and 1 assists against Boise State

37 points, 3 rebounds and 1 steal against Colorado State

3. Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (3 Points):

24 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists against UNLV

4. Bryce Hamilton, sophomore guard UNLV (2 Points):

25 points, 10 rebounds and 1 block against Colorado State

11 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals against San Diego State

5. Roderick “RJ” Williams, senior forward Boise State (1 Point):

13 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists against San Jose State

27 points, 17 rebounds and 1 assist against New Mexico

Past Weeks:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9| Week 10|Week 11| Week 12| Week 13|Week 14|Week 15|

Current Overall Point Totals:

Malachi Flynn, junior guard San Diego State (37 Points)

Jalen Harris, junior guard Nevada (31 Points)

Sam Merrill, senior guard USU (20 Points)

Derrick Alston Jr, junior guard BSU (19 Points)

JaQuan Lyle, senior guard UNM (15 Points)

Nico Carvacho, senior center CSU (12 Points)

Bryce Hamilton, sophomore guard UNLV (11 Points)

Seneca Knight, sophomore guard San Jose State (10 Points)

Jazz Johnson, senior guard Nevada (9 Points)

Justinian Jessup, senior guard Boise State (7 Points)

Hunter Maldonado, sophomore guard Wyoming (7 Points)

Isaiah Stevens, freshman guard Colorado State (6 Points)

Alphonso Anderson, junior guard USU (5 Points)

Carlton Bragg Jr., senior forward New Mexico (5 Points)

Lindsey Drew, senior guard Nevada (5 Points)

Justin Bean, sophomore forward USU (4 Points)

Marvin Coleman, sophomore guard UNLV (4 Points)

Amauri Hardy, junior guard UNLV (4 Points)

Neemias Queta, sophomore forward Utah State (4 Points)

Orlando Robinson, freshman forward Fresno State (4 Points)

David Roddy, freshman guard Colorado State (4 Points)

Roderick “RJ” Williams, senior forward Boise State (4 Points)

Corey Manigault, senior forward New Mexico (2 Points)

Jordan Schakel, junior guard SDSU (2 Points)

Donnie Tillman, junior forward UNLV (2 Points)

Abu Kigab, junior forward Boise State (1 Point)

Zane Martin, junior guard UNM (1 Point)

Matt Mitchell, junior forward San Diego State (1 Point)

Ryan Swan, senior center Air Force (1 Point)

Richard Washington, junior guard San Jose State (1 Point)

Yanni Wetzell, senior forward San Diego State (1 Point)

How It Works: 

Each person will award 15 points in total to five players and should award it as so:

1st place (Player of the week): 5 pts

2nd place: 4 pts

3rd place: 3 pts

4th place: 2 pts

5th place: 1 pt

The player with the most points total will be our player of the week and we will keep track of the point totals every week so that the player who has the most at the end of the year will receive the Mountain West Wire Player of the Year award. Just copy the players below and type your names above it like we do for the pick them docs we get and award your points. 

Now some guys made the list and others didn’t. A big thing to think about was consistency throughout the week. Something that hurt some guys was having a decent game one day and a bad one the other day. Guys who made the list had a great game one day and a good one on other days, or good games both days.

This column will come out on Sunday nights or Monday mornings depending on how late some games finish on Sundays. 

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Williams, Jessup spur Broncos to Senior Day victory over UNM

Game Recap: Boise State 74, New Mexico 61 Williams ties career-high with 26 points, adds 17 rebounds Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire Senior Day goes off without a hitch as Broncos stampede New Mexico For a team with as much experience as …

[jwplayer 9FEfL71c]

Game Recap: Boise State 74, New Mexico 61

Williams ties career-high with 26 points, adds 17 rebounds

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Senior Day goes off without a hitch as Broncos stampede New Mexico

For a team with as much experience as Boise State has, Senior Day was always going to be a special evening.

For Broncos senior RJ Williams, it was one last chance to put on a career performance in front of the home fans in Boise.

Williams tied his career-high with 27 points and pulled down 16 rebounds, spurring his team to a 74-61 win at ExtraMile Arena on Sunday afternoon. The forward was nearly perfect on Sunday, making 11 of 14 shots while also posting a perfect mark at the free throw line.

Fellow senior Justinian Jessup finished with 15 points and added another trio of three-pointers to his ledger, further extending his Mountain West all-time record for triples. The prolific shooter also added five rebounds and a team-leading four assists on the day.

Derrick Alston Jr. scored 17 points for Boise State, coming off the bench in deference to seniors Alex Hobbs, Marcus Dickinson, and Robin Jorch. That said, while he is just a junior, Alston could be forgiven for stealing some of the spotlight on Sunday—the guard has long been discussed as a professional prospect, thanks to a breakout year last season.

If this was his last game in Boise, he made it memorable.

Some of Boise’s seniors didn’t get the memo.

While Hobbs, Dickinson, and Jorch were all in the starting lineup and remained on the floor until the first media timeout, none of the three were very effective in their final game in front of the home fans. The trio combined to score just four points on 1-for-12 shooting.

Still, even as those elder statesmen struggled, Leon Rice watched as the rest of his team came together to secure an 11th league victory. With the win, the Broncos remained just a half-game behind Utah State and Nevada for second place in the Mountain West standings.

The result provides even further contrast between the top six in the MW and the bottom five.

And New Mexico is squarely in the second camp now.

The Lobos have now dropped four straight since beating Wyoming at The Pit on February 8, and have lost nine of their past eleven games. If the beginning of New Mexico’s season was a fairy tale, then the back half has been the panicked journal entries of a sailor lost at sea.

Paul Weir’s roster has been decimated by on- and off-the-court issues since their 15-3 start. This most recent loss drops them to just a half-game lead over Fresno State for the #7 seed in the upcoming Mountain West Tournament.

Vance Jackson did his part to try to keep New Mexico alive in this game, pouring in a team-high 19 points and seven rebounds. Jackson was joined in double-figure scoring by only one other Lobo, Keith McGee, who finished with twelve points.

The Lobos will be happy to put Boise in their rear-view mirror as they prepare for the final week of the regular season, before heading to Las Vegas for the Mountain West Tournament. They will be guaranteed to be among the first-round contestants, solidifying their place in the league’s bottom six this week with losses to Nevada and Boise State.

UP NEXT

The Broncos will get an early taste of next week’s tournament venue when UNLV hosts Boise State on Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center. A Boise State win would clinch a first-round bye for the blue and orange. And with just one game remaining in the regular season, Leon Rice and the Broncos will be watching from home on Saturday for the final Mountain West gameday.

The Lobos finish the season with a trip to Clune Arena to do battle with Air Force, before finally heading home for their own Senior Day on February 29 against Utah State. It’s hard to know just how much is left in the tank for a team that has had a difficult season, both physically and mentally. But a win over the Aggies at The Pit would certainly be a nice send-off for seniors JaQuan Lyle and Corey Manigault.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Air Force vs. Boise State: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Air Force vs. Boise State: Game Preview The Broncos welcome Air Force to ExtraMile Arena Tuesday night with hopes of conference standing ascension. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Boise State looks to avenge seven-point loss to Air Force …

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

Air Force vs. Boise State: Game Preview

The Broncos welcome Air Force to ExtraMile Arena Tuesday night with hopes of conference standing ascension. 

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Boise State looks to avenge seven-point loss to Air Force last month with their home court advantage as added element. 

WHO: Air Force Falcons (9-15, 3-9 Mountain West) At Boise State Broncos (16-9, 8-5 Mountain West)

WHEN: Wednesday, February 11th—8:00 PM PST/7:00 PM MST/9:00 PM EST

WHERE: ExtraMile Arena, Boise, ID

TV: AT&T Sports Network 

STREAM: Get a free trial through FuboTV

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Boise State leads all-time series 12-6 

PREVIEW: 

After suffering a seven-point loss to the Falcons a little under a month ago in Clune Arena the Broncos are looking to improve their 11-1 record at home, reach second place (no matter who else is there with them) and get some revenge on Tuesday night in ExtraMile Arena. Boise State like everyone situated in 2nd-5th place in the conference at the moment is looking for a win tonight. Aside from the juggernaut season San Diego State is currently having everyone else has been handing out losses and taking them right back.

The Stakes,

Boise State is in a current three-way tie for third place with Colorado State and Utah State (who face off tonight in another important match up to keep an eye on). And the race for a top seed in the conference tournament will take a couple of turns tonight as the winner of the Rams vs. Aggies matchup dictates a lot. If Colorado State wins they keep sole possession of second place and give Boise State sole possession of third (for now). But an Aggie win creates a two-way tie for second place, knocking the Rams to third place just ahead of Nevada.

Air Force is playing for a better seed in the conference tournament at this point with the hopes of making a deep tournament run to make the big dance. The Falcons are currently sitting in two-way tie for seventh place with the Spartans of San Jose State.

Air Force

Air Force has been exactly the sort of team we usually expect them to be each year and have dished out some upsets and challenged teams at times this season. But in true Air Force fashion has also struggled at times with scoring consistency and defense (refer to their Feb. 4th box score against Nevada for further explanation). But when they’re knocking down shots they are one of the most dangerous teams in the Mountain West (refer to their Jan. 7th box score against Utah State for further explanation).

Lavelle Scottie has played well for the Falcons as of late (15.8 PPG and 6.0 RPG in his last five games). And the possible emergence of junior guard Christopher Joyce who had 23 points against San Diego State on Saturday on 5/8 shooting from deep may be just what this Air Force team needs to break a six game losing streak. Which began after their win over the Broncos last month, and what a better way to break it than with a regular season sweep of Boise State in the process.

Boise State

The Broncos have had a bit of trouble getting solid production from leading scorer Derrick Alston Jr. of late, as the 6-9 guard averaged 4.5 PPG, 1.5 APG and 2.0 RPG in two games last week. Justinian Jessup has stepped in up his absence along with fellow senior guard Alex Hobbs with big performances in a win over Wyoming on Tuesday night and a tough loss on the road against Utah State on Saturday. It’s been hard to predict a leading scorer for the Broncos recently, with five different players taking that honor over their last ten games. But Leon Rice’s crew were just enjoying a five game winning streak just last Tuesday and could use a win before they host San Diego State this Sunday at home for what could be the Aztec’s first loss of the season.

Some history, 

Aside the fact both schools are only about three and half hours away from each other by plane, these two squads have only met on the court eighteen times in their short history. A twenty year gap between their first matchup on Dec. 27th, 1991 and their next one on Jan. 14th, 2012 in Boise State’s inaugural season in the Mountain West conference.

The last time these two met back on Jan. 15th of this year, Ryan Swan scored 17 points scoring his 1000th career point in the process, becoming the 27th Falcon to do so.

Matchup of the night: Down Low

F RJ Williams Boise State vs. F Ryan Swan Air Force

The Stats: Williams (1.4 PPG, 8.0 PRG & 1.0 SPG) & Swan (12.8  PPG, 4.5 RPG & 1.8 APG)

Both are coming off of some of their worst performances of the season against San Diego State and Utah State respectfully, but both should have an impact in tonight’s Mountain West presentation of the NBA’s “small ball”. Both struggled against bigger opponents last week but both stand at 6-7 with Swan winning the weight portion of the contest and Williams winning for best motor.

Williams is at his best when he’s down low getting second chance boards and receiving assists from driving teammates. Swan gets his buckets when he’s knocking down mid-range jumpers or getting to the line, look for him to drive against a smaller Bronco frontcourt tonight.

Prediction: Boise State 80, Air force 70

This one will come down to how hot the Falcons can get tonight on the road and whether or not the Broncos can get hotter. The home record speaks for itself, and the Broncos are as dangerous as anyone in the conference when playing in ExtraMile Arena where they have averaged 84.5 PPG over the twelve games played their this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

Aggies fight off another Boise St. comeback to win 70-61 at home

Utah State won 70-61 at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Saturday night, beating Boise State to pull even in the Mountain West standings.

[jwplayer 9FEfL71c]

Game Recap: Utah State 70, Boise State 61

Aggies pull into three-way tie for 3rd place with BSU, Nevada

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Utah State bent but never broke as they evened the season series with Boise State on Saturday.

Utah State got revenge against their neighbors to the north, beating Boise State 70-61 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Saturday. While the Aggies led for nearly the entire game, the Broncos didn’t allow themselves to be put away for good until the final minute. The win pulls Utah State up into a three-way tie for third place with Boise State and Nevada.

The Aggies (19-7, 8-5 MWC) led by as many as 12 points during the second half, but they also let the Broncos stay within reach for the duration of the game. The deficit shrunk to as small as a single point after Riley Abercrombie’s field goal with just over a minute remaining.

But on the ensuing possession, the Aussie freshman was charged with a flagrant foul after pulling down Utah State’s Neemias Queta on a shot attempt.

The decision from the referees meant that the Aggies retained the ball after Queta made both free throws, and fellow USU star Sam Merrill added two more on the bonus possession. The Broncos were unable to score another point, as Utah State ended the game on an 8-0 run.

Queta led all scorers with a game-high 21 points, adding five rebounds and five blocks. Merrill contributed 17 points and four assists. Diogo Brito had 11 ponts and seven rebounds for the Aggies, while Justin Bean had 16 rebounds to go along with seven points.

Despite getting the win, Utah State will not be happy with their three-point shooting performance. They finished the game just 2-for-19 from beyond the arc, barely eclipsing the 10% mark. For a team with multiple sharpshooters, this kind of inefficiency simply does not compute.

They were bailed out in this instance, by a Boise State team that didn’t fare much better from three-point land. The Broncos went 6-for-29 from deep, good for just 20.7% on the night.

Senior guard Justinian Jessup was the only Boise State player to hit multiple threes, knocking down a trio of triples to extend his newly-earned Mountain West record for career threes made to 301. He is the first player in league history to surpass the threshold.

Jessup led Boise State (16-9, 8-5 MWC) with 20 points. Alex Hobbs had a second-straight impressive offensive showing, putting up 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. After scoring a career-high 24 points off the bench against Wyoming earlier this week, Hobbs got the start in place of Abu Kigab, who sat out of Saturday’s game with a hip injury.

Derrick Alston Jr.’s struggles this week continued through the weekend. The junior went 0-for-7 and scored just two points against the Cowboys on Tuesday. His box score improved on Saturday, but he still managed only seven points on 2-of-8 from the floor.

Abercrombie was forced into extra action against the Aggies after RJ Williams and Robin Jorch both fouled out. Though he did have some success on the interior, Abercrombie was 0-for-5 from beyond the arc—and also committed the ill-timed flagrant foul near the end of the game.

UP NEXT

Utah State’s next matchup is a Tuesday showdown on the road against Colorado State (17-8, 8-4 MWC). Now that the Aggies have climbed back into third place in the Mountain West, only the Rams stand between them and San Diego State. A win in Fort Collins would give Utah State at least a share of second place in the league. It would also position the Aggies to hold firm in that position, with their final four games all coming against teams in the bottom half of the conference.

Boise State heads home to host Air Force (9-15, 3-9 MWC). The Falcons were the latest team to put a scare into San Diego State but were unable to seal the deal at Clune Arena. Dave Pilipovich’s team has been disappointing compared to preseason projections, but they are always capable of surprising an unsuspecting team. If the Broncos want to keep pace in the MW for second or third place, they cannot afford to overlook this midweek tussle, especially with a Sunday tilt with SDSU looming.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Hobbs’ career-high 24 fuels Boise State comeback over Wyoming

Boise State narrowly avoided a bad loss in Laramie, using a late surge to push past Wyoming at Arena-Auditorium on Tuesday night.

[jwplayer 9FEfL71c]

Game Recap: Boise State 67, Wyoming 62

Boise State holds serve in the race for 2nd place in the MW

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Boise State avoids an embarrassing loss, thanks to a herculean effort from Alex Hobbs

It took Boise State roughly 35 minutes to fully wake up during this game, but a late push from the Broncos helped them avoid what would have been a discouraging loss on the road against Wyoming.

Alex Hobbs came off the bench to lead the Broncos with a career-high 24 points, including a pair of three-pointers down the stretch that helped Boise State stave off the Cowboys’ upset attempt. It was the third time in six games that the senior guard has scored in double digits and his largest offesnive output since November 9, when he scored 18 points against Oregon.

Maybe it’s something about Arena-Auditorium. Hobbs scored 17 points there last season, too.

The Cowboys led by as many as five points during the second half, but they were unable to hold off Boise State for the full forty minutes. After a pair of Trevon Taylor free throws gave Wyoming a 52-47 lead with 9:52 to play, the Broncos outscored the Cowboys 20-10 the rest of the way.

Wyoming put one final scare into Boise State when they forced a turnover on the Broncos’ inbounds pass, trailing by three points with just under 30 seconds to play.

On the ensuing possession, Jake Hendricks missed a three-pointer, but Maldonado grabbed the offensive rebound and put his team back within one point.

After Jessup hit two free throws to put the Broncos back up three, Hendricks missed another shot from beyond the arc. Boise State forward RJ Williams grabbed the defensive rebound, was fouled, and iced the game with two free throws with 4.4 second remaining.

The victory keeps Boise State tied for second place in the Mountain West, along with Colorado State. Both schools currently sit at 8-4 in the conference, a full game ahead of both Nevada and UNLV.

The Rams also won on Tuesday night, beating Fresno State 80-70 on the road.

TEAM NOTES

Boise State

During the first half, Justinian Jessup set the Mountain West record for most career three-pointers, passing former BYU standout and All-American Jimmer Fredette. The senior finished with 16 points and extended the new high-water mark with a second three-pointer later in the game. … Derrick Alston Jr. was held scoreless in the first half and added only two free throws for the entire game, giving him a new season-low. The junior guard was 0-for-7 during the game, despite coming into the night scoring nearly 20 points per game. … RayJ Dennis started for the eighth straight game in Leon Rice’s lineup. The freshman’s insertion into the starting five has allowed Hobbs to provide veteran leadership in the second unit. That dynamic played itself out perfectly tonight. … Max Rice, the son of Boise State head coach Leon, also tied a career-high off the bench. The guard scored 12 points, matching the mark he set in the season opener against NAIA opponents Life Pacific. Together, he and Hobbs outscored the rest of the Broncos, 36-31.

Wyoming

The Cowboys move to 1-11 in Mountain West play. Wyoming scored their first league victory last weekend, as they toppled San Jose State, and came very close to making it two in a row tonight. … Hunter Maldonado registered his 22nd double-digit scoring performance of the season, scoring a team-high 17 points. The do-everything Cowboy has been one of the very few bright spots for this Wyoming team. … Kwane Marble was in double digits for the sixth consecutive game, scoring 11. He was also making his second start of the season after his debut in the starting lineup against the Spartans on Saturday. Marble played more than 10 minutes just once during the first two months of the season, but he has become a big part of this Wyoming team. He is developing into a key piece for Allen Edwards. … Freshman guard Kenny Foster was yet another player to set a new career-high in this game, finishing with 12 points in 27 minutes of action.

UP NEXT

Boise State travels to Logan to take on a Utah State team that is starting to regain its form after a midseason slump. The last time these two teams met, magic happened. We’ll see what the encore brings this weekend. Utah State will be out for revenge—and a place back near the top of the Mountain West standings.

Wyoming heads into one of the Mountain West’s most hostile territories, as they take on New Mexico at The Pit on Saturday. The Lobos started the season 15-3 but have taken a terrible nosedive in the wake of injuries, suspensions, and a dismissal. Paul Weir’s team has lost five of its past six games.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Nevada vs. Boise State: Game Preview, TV & Radio Schedule, Livestream, Odds, More

Boise State vs. Nevada: Game Preview Ascension in the conference standings is up for grabs on Saturday. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Both teams need a win to help break the four-way tie for third place. WHO: Boise State Broncos (14-8, 6-4 …

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

Boise State vs. Nevada: Game Preview

Ascension in the conference standings is up for grabs on Saturday.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Both teams need a win to help break the four-way tie for third place.

WHO: Boise State Broncos (14-8, 6-4 Mountain West) At Nevada Wolf Pack (13-9, 6-4 Mountain West)

WHEN: Saturday, February 1st—10:00 PM EST/8:00 PM MST/7:00 PM PST

WHERE: ExtraMile Arena-Boise, ID

TV: ESPNU

STREAM: Get a free trial through FuboTV

RADIO: Tunein

SERIES RECORD: Nevada leads all-time series 48-27

PREVIEW: There is a lot on the line come Saturday night around the Mountain West as really places 2-10 will look very different come Sunday morning. There has been a certain level of parity around the league so far this season, as outside of San Diego State’s claim to the number one spot everyone else could finish literally anywhere this season.

Four example there is a four-way tie for third place that includes the two teams mentioned in this preview, along with Colorado State and Utah State. But whoever comes away with the loss Saturday night will get bumped out of the race for third and join some other weird tie after that. Then there is UNLV who is riding a two-game losing streak and looking for a win on the road Saturday night against Colorado State. So if UNLV happens to lose that game they will loose that second place positioning and be behind another possible three-way tie. But a win for the Rebel’s means a loss for the Rams who would then join in a two-way tie with the loser of the Boise State-Nevada game and possibly a three-way tie if New Mexico breaks their losing streak on the road against Fresno State. Not to mention the possibility of a four-way tie for fourth if Utah State loses to the Aztecs (which is highly likely), or the possibility that everyone who is currently tied for third place loses except for the one person winning in Boise, which would result in a sole third-place finish for (insert winner from Bronco-Wolf Pack game here).

Confused yet? Yeah, I am too.

Point being, there is a lot at stake around the Mountain West over the weekend and these longtime conference mates should make things interesting for fans in ExtraMile Arena.

Both teams are playing some of their best basketball of the season at the onset of February with Boise State riding a three-game winning streak beating teams by an average of 22.3 points a game. While Nevada beat in-state rivals UNLV at home last Wednesday by 14-points, tied a school record 17 threes against New Mexico and is averaging 91 points a game in their last three contests.

And while both teams have struggled on the road this season they have in turn enjoyed great success at home, with Nevada posting a 9-2 record at the Lawlor Events Center and with Boise State garnering a 10-1 record at Taco B…..oops ExtraMile Arena. This bit of information doesn’t really favor the Wolf Pack as the visiting team but nothing gives a team momentum like a high powered road win late in the year.

The players to watch in this one should be the leading scorers of each team as Derrick Alston Jr. and Jalen Harris should both see all-conference accolades at the end of the season. But don’t leave the supporting cast out as Lindsey Drew has overtaken Harris as the leading rebounder (6.3 a game) and assist man (4.4 a game) while rounding out his triple-threat stat sheet status leading the team in steals with 1.3 a game. And for the Broncos  watch out for Justinian Jessup who is chasing the all-time Mountain West three-point field goal leader Jimmer Fredette with 294 career triples, just two shy  of Fredette’s 296 and on the verge of reaching the 300th made triple mark (first in conference history)

Fun Note, 

In the search for an all-time winning total for this series I discovered a shared conference between the two teams dating back to the late 1970’s with the introduction of the Wolf Pack to the Big Sky for the 1979-1980 season after their exit from the West Coast Athletic Conference (Now the WCC).

Shared conferences between the Broncos and Wolf Pack over the years:

Big Sky: 1979-1992

Big West: 1996-2000

WAC: 2001-2011

Mountain West: 2012-Current

Prediction: Nevada 78, Boise State 74

The Wolf Pack won the last meeting they had with Boise State back at home in Reno on Jan. 4th, where with the help of 34 points from a red hot Jazz Johnson Nevada won 83-66. This is going to come down which team has the hotter hand, as each team has a big four scoring for them as of late (Wolf Pack-Harris, Johnson, Drew and Zouzoua vs. Broncos-Alston Jr., Jessup, Williams and Kigab) and should exchange baskets all night. Or a surprise element would be a stronger defensive performance as both teams have really just focused on outscoring their opponents as of late and an influx of turnovers could be the difference. I still think this one will be a close one and keep that 78-74 Wolf Pack win above as my prediction. The Wolf Pack have also won the last eight meetings between the two and would hate to break that streak in need of a win tonight.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1360]

Boise State Looks to Extend Home Streak against Pesky Spartans

Boise State men’s basketball hosts San Jose State on Wednesday night at ExtraMile Arena. The game tips off at 7:00 PM Mountain.

[jwplayer 9FEfL71c]

San Jose State at Boise State: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Both teams have already surpassed last year’s win totals

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Can the Spartans sneak up on the Broncos in Boise?

GAME DETAILS

WHO: San Jose State (7-14, 3-6 MWC) at Boise State (13-8, 5-4 MWC)

WHEN: Wednesday, January 29 — 7:00 P.M. MT / 6:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: ExtraMile Arena, Boise, ID

WATCH: Mountain West Network

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: Boise State leads the series, 32-3

ODDS: Boise State -16, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

Boise State returns to ExtraMile Arena on Wednesday night as they take on San Jose State. The Broncos have a chance to move into a third-place tie in the Mountain West, but these Spartans are not the same pushovers they were a year ago. The game tips off at 7:00 PM Mountain Time and will be shown on the Mountain West Network.

The Broncos (13-8, 5-4 MW) will be intent on extending a burgeoning winning streak, which so far features victories over Utah State and Fresno State on consecutive Saturdays. It may have taken a miracle for Boise State to escape with a win over the Aggies, but their defeat of the Bulldogs was as sound as they come. The Broncos coasted to a 34-point victory in Fresno four days ago.

The team has seemingly turned a corner in the second half of the season, thanks in part to the addition of transfer forward Abu Kigab. The former Oregon Duck is averaging 14.4 points per game and more than four rebounds nightly, having started in all eleven of his appearances since joining the active roster in December.

Kigab joins teammates Derrick Alston, Justinian Jessup, and RJ Williams as double-digit scorers. Alston, a 6’8” junior with pro potential, leads the charge with better than 19 points per game. The sharpshooting Jessup has regained his form after an early season slump, shooting 45% on three-pointers during conference play, and scores 15 points an outing.

Williams, in particular, has been a very important piece for the Broncos. He was thrust into the starting lineup at the start of this season after serving almost exclusively as a sixth man during his time on Leon Rice’s bench in 2018-19. Though he seemed somewhat miscast as the center, standing at just 6’7”, Williams responded by becoming one of the most tenacious defensive rebounders in the country. He has shown continued development with his offensive game, posting nearly 12 points per game.

The arrival of Kigab has allowed Williams to slide back into his old role—and the results have been enouraging.

And while this team has had its fair share of issues on the road, ExtraMile has been something of a safe haven for the Broncos.

All four of Boise State’s conference losses have come in enemy territory. In fairness, those games have been at The Pit, Viejas Arena, Lawlor Events Center, and Clune Arena. None of those venues are exactly welcoming. But the Broncos haven’t lost a home game since a November 15 upset at the hands of UC Irvine.

The Broncos will try to keep their eight-game home winning streak alive on Wednesday, but another Californian team could sneak up on them.

It may not be instantly obvious looking at the standings, but head coach Jean Prioleau has architected a quiet turnaround for San Jose State this season. Before judging this team solely on its 7-14 record, consider that the Spartans won just four games a year ago. They already have three victories in league play alone in 2019-20, including wins over Nevada and New Mexico.

The third member of that trio of wins came in their most recent contest, when they hosted Air Force. The Spartans prevailed 90-81 at home against the Falcons, with Seneca Knight turning in another 20-point performance.

It was the sophomore’s fifth such effort this season, and his fourth in the past five games. Knight is averaging nearly 18 points and seven rebounds in Mountain West games and will be at the center of Prioleau’s program for the foreseeable future.

For the program to find any sustained success, however, Knight needs more support from the cast of players around him.

Senior guard Brae Ivey has been a serviceable game manager in the backcourt, averaging nearly ten points and three assists, while playing solid defense (1.2 steals per game) and limiting his turnovers (1.5 per game). But Ivey isn’t best suited as the second option in this offense.

Ideally, that person would be Richard Washington, Jr. The JUCO sniper was brought over after a successful stint at Tallahassee CC and was thought to be the offensive weapon that Prioleau’s team needed behind Knight.

Unfortunately, the returns haven’t been exactly as hoped, with Washington struggling with his shot at the Division I level. The junior is shooting just 36% from the field, a number weighed down by a pedestrian 32% clip from beyond the arc.

Still, Washington has the talent to get hot on any given night. If he and Knight can coordinate their efforts, they could pose a serious threat for a Boise State team that would do well not to look past this matchup in advance of their date with Nevada on Saturday.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Boise State Heads Home With Another Convincing Victory Topping Fresno State, 87-53

Game Recap: Boise State 87, Fresno State 53 Kigab leads a hot shooting Boise State over Fresno State on the road. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Broncos continue dominant play with a win over the Bulldogs. It was a tale of two standings …

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

Game Recap: Boise State 87, Fresno State 53

Kigab leads a hot shooting Boise State over Fresno State on the road.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Broncos continue dominant play with a win over the Bulldogs.

It was a tale of two standings on Saturday evening, as Fresno State 6-13 (2-6) attempted the upset of Boise State 12-8 (4-4) at home in the Save Mart Center.

Both teams went into Saturday’s game in ties in the conference standings as Boise State was in a two-way tie for fourth with Utah State and Fresno State in a two-way tie of it’s own with San Jose State for sixth.Those current finishes are a bit malleable at this point of the season with a lot of teams hovering just around .500 with a lot of play to go in conference.

And while the Broncos needed a win to help stay in the top half of the Mountain West conference standings, the Bulldogs needed one to help them begin a climb out of the conference’s basement.

The Broncos had a lot to prove going back on the road after a brief stop back in Boise more than a week ago against Utah State where they pulled off an amazing 18 point comeback with a little over four minutes left in regulation to seal the win overtime against the Aggies.

It’s a win that gave the program momentum in their seven day break that followed but Boise State hasn’t exactly fared well on the road with a 1-6 away record versus a 9-1 at home.

The Broncos played well on both sides of the ball, keeping the Bulldogs to under 60 points and playing the way they needed to on the road with a 34-point win over Fresno State with four of their five starters scoring 14 points or higher. Boise State is as good as any when Derrick Alston Jr. and Justinian Jessup get some help from their teammates.

When that happens plus flat out good looking basketball like they played tonight, watch out. Junior forward Abu Kigab who joined this Bronco squad mid season after transferring over from Oregon last year has been just the contributor they’ve needed to make them the dominant team we saw tonight. The St. Catherines, ON native had 23 points on the night, looking comfortable picking apart the Bulldogs defense and creating motion in the Bronco’s offense that got others involved as well.

Jessup ended the night with 19 points and 8 rebounds on 5/10 shooting from beyond the arc, playing a whopping 37 minutes for Leon Rice and company.

Fresno State heads on the road next week after suffering two straight losses while struggling to find consistency with a roster that looks a lot different then last’s years. The home team struggled as a whole shooting 37% from the field and just 25% from three.

Senior guard Noah Blackwell was the only Bulldog in double-figures on the night with 14 points. They also struggled with ball security with a turnover ratio of 0.22 and only 4 assists the entire game. As previously mentioned this is a bit of a rebuilding year in Fresno but with talented freshman with loads of potential (two examples below), fans shouldn’t get down on the program just yet and maybe just wait games like this out.

Up Next, 

Boise State:

The Broncos stay home on Wednesday as they welcome San Jose State at into Extramile Arena at 7:00 PM MT. The Spartans have had a flair for upsets this season and look at the Broncos as just another potential number in their win column.

Fresno State:

Next week takes Fresno State on the road once again as the Bulldogs head back to Colorado to take on the Air Force Academy on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM. The Falcons are dangerous at home in Clune Arena and are 6-4 there this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

[protected-iframe id=”09e6ca4e11e5838c3834d87c7b471ffb-137729785-123448869″ info=”https://anchor.fm/mwwire/embed” width=”400px” height=”102px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]

Miraculous comeback by Boise State sinks Aggies’ at-large hopes

RayJ Dennis scored all of his career-high 19 points in the final 3:23 of regulation as Boise State fought back from a late 19-point deficit.

[jwplayer 9FEfL71c]

Game Recap: Boise St. 88, Utah St. 83 (OT)

Broncos erase 19-point deficit in stunning fashion

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

High drama in Boise means high stress for Utah State

It seemed for all the world that Utah State was moving past its early struggles in the Mountain West, leading comfortably in Boise with just a few minutes to play.

But a late Boise State surge propelled the Broncos to one of the most unlikely wins of the season in college basketball, the home team escaping with an 88-83 overtime win in ExtraMile Arena.

Freshman guard RayJ Dennis led the comeback charge for Boise State, scoring all of his career-high 19 points in the final three-plus minutes of regulation. Dennis shot 5-for-5, including four three-pointers. He was also a perfect 5-for-5 at the free throw stripe.

It was one of the most electrifying individual performances of the season—not just in the MW, but in the nation—and it came from one of the most unassuming players on the court.

This win wasn’t just unlikely—it was all but impossible.

According to Ken Pomeroy, the win probability for Utah State (14-6, 3-4 MW) peaked at 98.8% after Justin Bean’s free throws put them up 18 points with 4:10 remaining. The Broncos’ 0.2% shot at victory was about as slim as it gets.

But on some nights, college basketball simply refuses to be penned in by such limits.

Utah State’s collapse spoiled a season-high scoring night from its star player, Sam Merrill, who finished with 30 points on the night. Bean had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Neemias Queta added 12 points before fouling out, but those performances weren’t enough to stave off the Broncos’ late push.

The gut-wrenching loss may be the final straw that breaks the back—and heart—of the Aggies.

With just over six minutes to play in regulation, Queta hit two free throws to give the Aggies a 62-43 lead over Boise State, matching the Aggies’ largest lead of the game at 19 points. Over the next two minutes, the Broncos only managed to chisel one point off of that deficit, with Utah State leading 66-48 with four minutes to play.

Then it happened.

RJ Williams drew a foul on Queta, the fifth of the game for the Portuguese sophomore. Over its next few possessions, Utah State alternated between missed shots and turnovers, resulting in a 14-0 run for Boise State that cut the Aggie lead to four points with one minute remaining.

After two Abel Porter free throws with eight seconds to play, Utah State held a 75-70 lead and looked like they would be able to survive Boise State’s big haymaker.

But Dennis came down and capped off his out-of-the-blue explosion, nailing a three-pointer with four seconds remaining.

Boise State’s comeback hinged on forcing one last turnover.

Justinian Jessup didn’t disappoint.

The senior sharpshooter was able to intercept Diogo Brito’s inbounds pass, and he quickly layed the the ball in with 1.3 seconds on the clock, tying the game at 75.

The two teams would take that scoreline with them into overtime. With the wind fully at their backs, Boise State drew first blood in the extra period—and never gave the lead back.

Jessup and Williams both finished in double figures for the Broncos, with Derrick Alston also chipping in 19 to tie Dennis for the team-high in scoring.

The win moves Boise State (12-6, 4-4 MW) to .500 in league play—something Utah State can no longer claim. The Broncos have had issues with depth at times this year, but the big plays out of RayJ Dennis and Max Rice down the stretch is a sign of growth for Leon Rice’s bench.

It’s a step in the right direction for a Broncos team coming off two straight losses to San Diego State and Air Force. Consistency hasn’t been this team’s strong suit this season, but any indications of progress are encouraging. If nothing else, it seems unlikely that Boise State will repeat its dismal showing in the Mountain West after last season’s mess.

For the Aggies, the loss not only hands them a losing record in conference play—it might have completely dashed any remaining hopes that Utah State had to get an at-large bid in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Craig Smith’s team came into the season with massive expectations, but the Aggies have fallen well short of them. Utah State was pegged to win the league going away, with San Diego State a distant second in the league. Questions lingered about how the team would fare with Queta on the mend from a summer knee injury, but a 7-0 start to the season for the Aggies quelled those fears.

But since Thanksgiving, that narrative has been completely flipped on its head, with Utah State going just 7-6 in games since their holiday trip to Montego Bay for the Jamaica Classic. And things are getting worse in 2020, with the Aggies having won just one game in five tries so far in the new year. Those games include losses to Air Force and UNLV.

Even on the road, those were games the Aggies were supposed to win.

At this point, preseason projections have to be thrown out. Though it’s not entirely clear what is wrong with the Aggies, they are nowhere near where the prognosticators—myself included—thought they would be.

The Aztecs, meanwhile, are still standing as the last undefeated team in the nation.

Utah State does hold wins over LSU and Florida, but those victories won’t be enough to buoy the Aggies’ chances at getting an at-large bid. At this point, they may need to run the table the rest of the way to have a shot at one. Failing that, Utah State’s only way forward will likely be through the Mountain West Tournament.

They will have plenty of competition there, though, with San Diego State having already all but locked up their ticket to the Big Dance. No other team in the league can make such a claim, so the stakes will be enormous at the Thomas & Mack Center in March.

Let’s hope that all of those games can be exciting as this one was.

UP NEXT

Boise State: The Broncos will have something of a light week compared to their recent forays against SDSU, Air Force, and Utah State. On Saturday, Boise State hosts Fresno State (6-12, 2-5 MW), who has struggled to the tune of a 2-5 start in league play. The Bulldogs have weapons, though. Leon Rice would do well to remind his team not to rest on their laurels, especially with no midweek game to keep them sharp.

Utah State: The Aggies will look to right the ship at home against Air Force (9-10, 3-4 MW). Remember: this team beat the Aggies by 19 points just two weeks ago. The Falcons’ offense has been impressive behind the play of Ryan Swan and Lavelle Scottie, but Dave Pilipovich has yet to field a consistent winner on the year. Utah State will also host San Jose State (6-13, 2-5 MW) next Saturday.

It’s not a stretch to say that these are must-win games for Utah State if they are to have any hope at getting into the NCAA Tournament through the front door.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]