For the first time in program history, Boise State will take on George Washington University on the hardwood. Monday’s matchup will be the first step on the Broncos’ quest for the College Basketball Crown title, a new tournament with a $300,000 NIL grand prize to the winning team. The Broncos are favored to win the tournament per oddsmakers, but will need to get past the Revolutionaries first.
The game tips off at 3:30 MT on FS1 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The winner advances to play the winner of Butler/Utah in the second round on Wednesday.
About George Washington
Coached by third-year man Chris Caputo, George Washington is 21-12 and went 9-9 in conference play this year in the Atlantic 10 conference. The Revolutionaries are a balanced squad who have shown an ability to win in fast-paced offensive games, are win a slower paced dog fight type game. They’re led by 6-11 forward Rafael Castro. Castro does it all for Caputo’s squad, he’s their leading scorer with 14 points per game on 66% shooting, he anchors their defense with 2.6 blocks per game, leads the team with 9.1 rebounds per game and even chips in a couple of assists per game. Much like the Broncos, George Washington plays a balanced lineup, regularly playing an eight-man rotation with multiple bench players getting 20+ minutes.
While Castro is their most efficient player, their offense is uniquely balanced. Like the Broncos, eight players have a usage rate between 16% and 24% and six players with a shot rate above 18%. Everyone is capable of scoring and willing and ready to shoot for George Washington. Caputo’s offense emphasizes attacking the rim with downhill guards, as a result they have the 24th highest free throw rate in college basketball. The downside of that style of offense is you get lots of guards attacking rim protectors, which leads to nearly 14 percent of their shots getting blocked, 4th highest rate in the nation. Additionally, they have the ball stolen on 11.5% of possessions, 30th highest in the nation. Boise State would be wise to emphasize ball pressure on their guards and go for steals. Lastly regarding their offense, George Washington plays with four guards on the floor most of the time, but lacks outside shooting. Despite 42% of their shots being three pointers, the Revolutionaries are shooting 31.3% from three on the season, 299th in the nation.
George Washington’s best side of the ball is on the defensive end. They play an aggressive defense with hard closeouts and eager helpers that look to force turnovers. In layman’s terms, it looks like they have five RJ Keene’s out on the floor at all times. They steal the ball on 13% of possessions, 17th most in the nation and force turnovers of any kind at the 61st highest rate in the nation. Their emphasis on closeouts and helping leads to one of the more effective shot defenses in the nation (65th in eFG% allowed), but also leads to a propensity give up offensive rebounds. The Revolutionaries give up offensive rebounds on 32.7% of missed shots, 316th in the nation.
How the Broncos matchup
I believe it’s a favorable matchup for the Broncos. KenPom gives Boise State a 75% chance to win and projects them as eight-point favorites, while oddsmakers make it 8.5 points. At times, George Washington’s can rely on offensive rebounding when their shooting goes cold, and the Broncos are the 3rd best defensive rebounding team in the country. Offensively, Boise State will have trouble getting open looks, but they should be able to dominate on the offensive glass and score enough to outpace George Washington. Conversely, I don’t see a clear advantage for the Revolutionaries. They shouldn’t be able to win on the offensive glass, and their stifling three-point defense isn’t negating a strength for Boise State, rather amplifying a weakness that already exists. Expect a slow-paced game with both teams using plenty of clock to get the best shot possible.
Players to watch
The players who have had big games against George Washington are ones that are effective at attacking closeouts or know how to cut against a collapsing defense. Boise State has a player who is exceptional at both. I believe we’re primed for a massive Andrew Meadow game. Look for Meadow to attack closeouts on the wing, grab offensive rebounds and use timely cuts for a big offensive performance.
Conversely, Boise State has struggled with big, athletic forwards like Rafael Castro this season. Emmanuel Ugbo and O’Mar Stanley will need to be at their best against Castro, who has scored 10+ points in 18 consecutive games and averaging 17 points per game and 9 rebounds per game in 2025. Boise’s bigs will need to be at their best to slow down their star.
It’s an interesting matchup for Tyson Degenhart. Outside of Castro, they only have one rotation player with the size to matchup with Degenhart, Sean Hansen. Hansen and Castro don’t often play together. When Leon Rice opts to play Degenhart at the five, I imagine Castro will be the primary defender. When Stanley or Ugbo are on the floor, I expect Degenhart will have a smaller defender on him and may be able to take advantage. It will be fascinating to see how much time Leon puts Degenhart out there with Ugbo or Stanley.
Keys to victory
Like most Boise State games, controlling the glass will be essential to winning. Boise State’s lack of three point shooting emphasizes their need to win on the glass, and this matchup in particular provides opportunity for Boise State to win with second chance points.
Additionally, the three-point line will be essential for the Broncos to win; particularly, that the three point line not decide the game. Neither team is a good shooting team from outside. If either team gets hot from three (say 40% or better) it is likely to be the deciding factor. Boise State’s three-point defense will be pivotal in moving on to the CBC Quarterfinals.
