Boise State basketball season predictions: A Gonzaga upset, Pac-12 finish and postseason fate

While Boise State football is chasing a College Football Playoff bid, the Broncos men’s basketball team will begin its season on Wednesday against West Coast Baptist.

Tip-off between Boise State (0-0) and West Coast Baptist (0-1) is slated for 7 p.m. Mountain time at ExtraMile Arena.

The Broncos slumped to a 20-12 overall record last year and had all five starters depart the program.

Here are some preseason predictions for head coach Leon Rice’s rebuilt team entering Year 1 of the new Pac-12.

Team MVP: Forward Dovydas Butka, fifth-year senior

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Butka will bring a different element to the Broncos as an interior scorer and playmaker.

Butka put up monster numbers last year for Campbell, averaging 13.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 50.3 percent from the floor. Butka made just 5 of 30 attempts from beyond the arc but proved to be a reliable inside scorer.

Butka could lead Boise State in scoring and rebounding while also functioning as a point-forward.

Most intriguing game: Wednesday, Jan. 6 at Utah State

There will be no easing into Pac-12 play for the Broncos, who will head east to Logan for their Pac-12 opener at raucous Smith Spectrum.

Utah State has won seven of the last eight meetings between the programs, including two blowout victories last year. The Aggies have a first-year head coach in Ben Jacobson but are still expected to contend for the Pac-12 title with star point guard Mason Falslev and multiple impact transfers.

The Broncos will have a golden opportunity to make a statement at the start of Pac-12 play.

Best win: Wednesday, Feb. 10 vs. Gonzaga

It’s a perfect spot for the Broncos, who will have nearly a week off to prepare for their first home game against Gonzaga since 2000.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, will play at San Diego State on Saturday, Feb. 6 before heading to Boise. Gonzaga could also be looking ahead to a critical home matchup with Utah State on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Mark Few’s team may only lose one or two games in Pac-12 play this season, but the schedule sets up for a Boise State upset at ExtraMile Arena.

Pac-12 finish: Fifth

Boise State’s preseason projections are all over the map.

KenPom has Boise State all the way up at No. 62 nationally and third in the Pac-12 while Bart Torvik (No. 86, fifth) and Evan Maya (No. 90, sixth) are much lower on the Broncos. Boise State was picked sixth in the preseason Pac-12 media poll.

With Ty Rodgers potentially out for the season and Lamar Washington lacking eligibility, it’s hard to envision the Broncos cracking the top half of the new Pac-12. But if Washington gains eligibility and Rodgers returns for the stretch run, the Broncos could finish as high as third behind Gonzaga and Utah State.

Postseason fate: NIT

Boise State has enough talent to sniff around the fringes of the NCAA Tournament bubble, especially with the expanded field.

But this ultimately feels like an NIT team due to a lack of three-point shooting and rim protection.

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