Eight minutes into the game, fans on Twitter were getting their pitchforks sharpened. Boise State had scored just three points and was on pace to score 15 points in the game. The Broncos responded by scoring 86 points over the final 32 minutes, 108-point pace over a full game. The offensive outpouring led to an 89-59 victory over an overmatched George Washington side in the first round of the College Basketball Crown (CBC) Tournament. The game illustrated the highs and lows of this team. At their worst, long stretches of fruitless offense, unable to score in the half-court. At their best, a lockdown defense with surgically efficient offense.
The slow start is a major problem for Boise State. It isn’t an abnormality, and it’s the type of stretch that has this team playing in the CBC instead of the NCAA Tournament. George Washington’s defense played aggressively in the paint, eager to let Boise State take threes. Boise State was just as eager to take them. In their first five possessions, Boise State went 0/4 from three and had a turnover. Despite insistence otherwise, this team is not a good three-point shooting team. Their 31.2% on the season ranks 311th nationally, and when they start working defenses trying to create good looks from three it has led to long stretches of fruitless offense. The Broncos’ first basket of the game was after Emmanuel Ugbo was subbed-in and made an eight-foot jump-hook. Possibly a larger issue is the fact that Tyson Degenhart, Boise State’s all-time leader in scoring, didn’t take his first shot until the 10:45 mark. Often these slow stretches for the Broncos are times when Degenhart isn’t getting looks. Despite not getting a shot up for the first nine minutes, Degenhart finished with 19 points on 8/12 shooting. The solution to these droughts going forward? Emphasize getting to the hoop and getting the ball in Tyson’s hands.
In a more positive vein, Boise State’s offense looked unstoppable in the second half. The 57-point outburst was more than the Broncos had in the entire Mountain West championship game against Colorado State. It’s the most points in a half since a 61-point outing against Prairie View A&M in 2021. That game was Tyson Degenhart’s fourth career start. Everything worked for Boise State’s offense. In the second half, 50% from three-point range, 34 points in the paint, and 12 second-chance points.
Most shocking was Boise State’s 27 points off turnovers for the game. Boise State has an exceptional defense defined by their rim protection and elite rebounding, they typically don’t force turnovers. On the season, Boise State has forced 10.7 turnovers per game, against George Washington they forced 22. That’s the most turnovers the Broncos have forced in a game since 2020. Led by Carmichael’s 6 steals, the Broncos played a style of defense we haven’t seen all season. They were eager to jump into passing lanes, swiping for the ball when faced up and playing active help defense forcing the Revolutionaries to make tough passes. The aggressive defense for the Broncos led to run out opportunities where we saw a deadly transition offense. Looking forward to next season, Andrew Meadow, RJ Keene and Pearson Carmichael showed exceptional aptitude running out in transition. Keene’s one of the best transition passers in recent Boise State memory and Carmichael/Meadow have shown the willingness to run the floor and the ability to finish when they get the ball. Not everyone on this year’s roster has shown that same aptitude, but it was a major reason for the Broncos blowout win on Monday, and something to tuck away for next season.
The most encouraging part of Boise State’s win should be Javan Buchanan’s performance. After a 17-point outing against Nevada in late November, I declared that Buchanan should be one of Boise State’s stars in the future and a focal point of the offense. Buchanan proceeded to have 3.4 points on 6/26 (23%) shooting over the next seven games. Against George Washington, Buchanan looked like the version we saw for most of January and February. The box score won’t blow you away, 11 points on 5/9 shooting, 5 rebounds and 1 steal, but the film doesn’t lie. For the first time in over a month, he looked comfortable getting to his spots and the shot was falling. He flashed passing we haven’t seen from him this season and was engaged defensively and as a rebounder. I’ve been vocal that I think Buchanan is an All-Mountain West type player next season; he needs to be if Boise State wants to get back to the big dance. Buchanan flashed that upside once again on Monday.
Looking ahead, Boise State takes on Butler in the CBC Quarterfinals. The Bulldogs took down Utah, 86-84, in the first round, led by Pierre Brooks II’s 22 points. Butler is 15-19 on the season and their scouting report is fairly simple. They have one of the best offenses in the CBC (41st in KenPom) and one of the worst defenses in the CBC (148th in KenPom): the Bulldogs want to outscore everybody. They will be without leading scorer Jahmyl Telfort, who announced he will not be playing in the CBC due to an ankle injury. The Bulldogs looked fine without Telfort in the win over Utah, shooting 41% from three on 32 attempts. However, I think it’s a favorable matchup for the Broncos. Despite their offensive firepower, their lack of defense and rebounding should be things the Broncos can exploit. When Butler gets beat, it’s typically been with teams that can attack the interior of their defense. While they do have plenty of size in 7-1 Andre Screen and 6-11 Boden Kapke, it hasn’t necessarily translated to rim protection. Butler gives up a middling 51% from two-point range and blocks just 6.7% of shots (315th nationally). The weakest link of Butler’s defensive philosophy is their, for lack of a better way to put it, passiveness. The Bulldogs are 362nd in turnover rate at just 11.5% per game. Boise’s had issues with physical, in your face defenses that want to force turnovers and get out in transition, but that’s not how Butler wants to play.
It’s an intriguing matchup for the Broncos, one that they are more than capable of winning. They will need to play with the defensive intensity we saw against George Washington. If they do, I think Boise State should do enough to slow down Butler’s offense and get the win. It will be key for the Broncos to crash the offensive glass and avoid turnovers, maximizing their opportunities and limiting Butler’s shot opportunities. Tyson Degenhart needs to have a big game attacking Butler’s bigs and trying to get them into foul trouble. Leon Rice should make a point to get Degenhart the ball early and letting him get shots up early. Additionally, look for Javan Buchanan to build on Monday’s strong performance and break down Butler’s defense in the half court.
The quarterfinals tip off Wednesday, April 2, at 5:00 PM MT at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The game will be broadcast on FS1; Bronco Nation News will be providing pregame and postgame coverage on our social channels.
Nathan Carroll is a part-time contributor for Bronco Nation News and host of the TBA Basketball Podcast. Nathan works for Pro Football Focus as part of their data collection team, specializing in charting player data at the FBS level. Previously, he graduated from Boise State’s Honors College with a degree in Quantitative Economics and worked 5 years in Boise State’s athletic department. Follow him on X at Nathan_26_
