Boise State coach Leon Rice knows his players could use some days off – and he’s promised them they are coming. It just can’t be until next week.
The Broncos, who have played nine consecutive games without more than three days in-between them, will finally enjoy a bye in the schedule next week. But first comes maybe the most important week of the season when the Broncos play at Colorado State on Tuesday and at Utah State on Saturday.
Rice has increased bench minutes in recent games to fight fatigue and has done what he can in practice to keep players fresh for the stretch run. He’s hoping they still have plenty left in the tank this week.
“I think they are doing great,” Rice said. “They know what’s coming and that we do have a bye coming and we’ll give them some days off then. That’s where the bye feels like it’s coming at a great time to keep our guys and our focus not on five more weeks, but on ‘OK, we have some time after this.
“But not now. We don’t have the time now, so let’s get our minds right and our bodies will follow. I think that’s our mindset.”
Boise State was the unlikely team given the first bye of the Mountain West schedule, meaning they got a week off when they didn’t really need it ahead of the start of conference play. That means just one bye during the entire 18-game conference schedule that runs for 10 weeks.
With the Mountain West having 11 teams, one team doesn’t play during either the midweek or weekend windows. Boise State’s final bye comes next week, when they get a week off following the road trip to Utah State on Saturday before hosting Fresno State on the following Saturday, Feb. 17th.
Tuesday at Colorado State will be the third game in seven days for the Broncos and the second on the road and at altitude. The trip to Logan on Saturday will be the third road trip in four games.
But one thing that’s helped? The increase in charter flights. Boise State has chartered to every road game in Mountain West play to this point – and did so again on Monday afternoon to Fort Collins. The Broncos also chartered to Clemson earlier this season – something which would never have happened in previous years.
The increases in charter flights may seem like a small deal to some, but getting home at 1 a.m. following a road game instead of 2pm the next day after a morning wake up call and a connecting commercial flight adds up over the course of a season.
And the Broncos are hoping that means still having fresh legs for a huge week on the road.
“It’s huge because all the travel and stuff is cumulative,” Rice said. The less time you spend in airports and traveling…you spend more time in your own beds, you’re not getting two hours of sleep sleep to catch the flight. All those things matter. It’s what great programs do.
“It’s great to be back after the game because you can start your prep instead of fighting travel the next day and guys never get a day off and you’re always in airports. That can be rough and that weighs on you maybe not that next day but down the road it does. It can catch up with you.”
Tuesday marks the first time the Broncos will play an opponent for the second time this season. Boise State topped Colorado State 65-58 at ExtraMile Arena on January 9th.
The Rams still rank higher than the Broncos in most of the predictive metrics and rankings – and in terms of current projected seeding for the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s really hard to beat a good team twice,” Rice said.
Even more so when you have to do it on the road. Moby Arena is one of the tougher places to play in the Mountain West with the Rams 4-0 at home in league play this season and 11-1 at home overall.
“It’s crazy because you just got done talking about the last place we played (New Mexico) as one of the hardest in the country and now five or six days later it’s ‘well this place is the best’,” Rice said. “It’s hard to win a road game and when you look at peoples numbers on the road there’s a reason they are where they are in terms of wins and losses.
“It’s one of the toughest conferences in the country to play on the road because we have factors other places don’t have.”
Boise State has actually done well of late in Fort Collins. The Broncos have won five of the past seven road games at Colorado State dating back to 2018.
The Broncos also are coming off one of the best road wins of the season in all of college basketball last Wednesday at The Pit. After winning in that hostile environment, the Broncos know they can win anywhere.
“It has to help your confidence,” Rice said.
But the Rams won’t make it easy by any means. Point guard Isaiah Stevens is an All-American candidate at 16.6 points and 7.1 assists per game and the Rams have three other players averaging at least 11.9 points per game.
They’ve also played much better this season at home.
“They pass the eye test, led by one of the best players and point guards in the country,” Rice said. “They are a handful. They are a handful at both ends, they are a handful with their home court. It feels like when you watch them at home they play faster and they shoot it better, like most teams do. They can get it rolling in there.”
Boise State is currently in a tie with Utah State atop the Mountain West standings. The schedule eases up a bit after the bye week, but even one win in the two road games this week would be massive for the Broncos to stay in the title race and add another Quad 1 win to their NCAA Tournament.
Two big games. A huge opportunity. And some needed rest getting closer.
“We’re not focusing on two, we’ve got one tomorrow and that’s it,” Rice said. “We’ve done a good job of chunking things out that way.”
Tip off is set for 7 p.m on the Mountain West Network. Bronco Nation News will have complete coverage from Moby Arena including the Lithia Ford of Boise Postgame Show immediately after the game on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
