There maybe hasn’t been a game circled on the schedule with a thicker marker for Marcus Shaver Jr. than this one.
It’s his Senior Night and his final home game at ExtraMile Arena. But it’s also his chance at payback against San Diego State.
Shaver Jr. watched helplessly from the sidelines with an ankle injury earlier this month when the Aztecs dominated the Broncos in a 72-52 loss in San Diego.
Now he’s back and hoping to make a difference as Boise State looks to cement its status in the NCAA Tournament when No. 18 San Diego State rolls in to Boise for a 7 p.m. start on CBS Sports Network.
“Man that was probably one of the toughest moments of the season to be honest with you,” Shaver Jr. told Bronco Nation News on Monday. “Just watching my teammates go through that, it was a tough one to watch.
“It hurt a lot just being on the sideline and not being able to help my teammates out there. I’m hungrier than ever being able to go back out there and help my teammates this time.”
Boise State’s starting point guard is third on the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game and leads the Broncos in rebounds (5.8), assists (3.8) and steals (1.6).
Shaver Jr. re-aggravated a high ankle sprain against Air Force three days prior, and was unable to play in the first-place showdown at San Diego State. Freshman Jace Whiting started in his place but struggled with the full-court pressure from the Aztecs and at times couldn’t even get the ball across half court.
“There was zero percent chance I could have played,” Shaver Jr. said. “I was in a walking boot, I could barely walk and I had crutches the day before the gamer. If I could have been out there I would have played but there was just no chance.”
The Aztecs feasted off the Shaver-less Broncos, using a big crowd and suffocating defense to jump out to a 43-21 lead at the break.
“We don’t make excuses but it was tough not to have Marcus,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said Monday. “There’s no sugar coating it. We’re a different team without him.
“When you have a senior like that with that much experience, you could say that about most teams if you have one guy like that. Take him out of any lineup and it’s a huge impact. So yeah, that certainly makes a big, big difference for us.”
But Shaver Jr. wasn’t the only problem for the Broncos that night. Leading scorer Tyson Degenhart was in foul trouble all game and mostly a non factor, and starter Naje Smith was playing at well less than 100 percent due to a knee injury suffered in the same Air Force game Shaver Jr. was injured in.
Boise State should be at full strength and in a much better spot Tuesday night for the rematch – along with having a likely sellout home crowd behind them.
“A completely different team,” Shaver Jr. said. “A hungrier team. I don’t know if they will be hungry since they already got the trophy and they already celebrated, but it doesn’t change our mindset at all. We’re coming in to compete and get that game back for us.”
Boise State’s loss at San Jose State Saturday combined with San Diego State’s buzzer-beating win at New Mexico makes it nearly impossible for the Bronco to win the Mountain West. Boise State would have to win the last two games (they finish Saturday at Utah State), and hope San Diego State also loses its final game at home against Wyoming.
The Aztecs have already clinched a share of the Mountain West title and can win it outright with one win in their past two games.
Boise State, meanwhile, still has plenty to play for. The Broncos could use one win in the final two games to help their status for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. A win over the 18th-ranked Aztecs Tuesday would likely lock up a tournament bid for the Broncos.
“We want to get to the Big Dance,” Shaver Jr. said. “Obviously win the Mountain West Tournament as well, that’s the main goal, but our team wants to go to the Big Dance and win that first game for this program and leave an impact on this team.”
That would likely be one step closer to happening with a win on Tuesday. And Shaver Jr. is just thankful to have a say in the outcome this time.
As for the matchup with the Aztecs? Boise State has won six of the previous 10 meetings at ExtraMile Arena, including a thriller last season in which Abu Kigab made two free throws with barely a second on the clock in a 58-57 win.
The Broncos also won the Mountain West Championship game over the Aztecs, 53-52, when San Diego State missed two shots in the final seconds before time expired.
Another crazy ending could be on tap Tuesday night.
“These games are epic,” Rice said. “We’ve had a lot of great ones with us and San Diego State. A lot of great memories over the 13 years going way back…the fans have seen some amazing performances in some of these games on both sides and some amazing finishes. They’ve been what you want to pay money to come see.”
THREE SENIORS SET TO BE HONORED
Shaver Jr., Smith and Lukas Milner will be honored prior to the game. It will be the final home game for the three seniors.
“The leadership they brought, the character they brought on and off the court, they are all graduating,” Rice said. “They represented our program so well and they are great teammates.The cool thing is I can say that about all three of them but they all did it their own way. Naj does it with his flare and his style, Lukas is a little more reserved, but a very thoughtful, deep thinker, Shave is really quiet but a great leader in his own way.
“I’m proud to have coached these guys and excited for their journey in life because I know they will be successful in whatever they do. They’ll be fun to watch, and they’ll be proud Broncos forever. Each of them transferred here and each one of them grew. I’m just really proud of their time here.”
Very limited tickets are still available at BroncoSports.com.
