How to watch Boise State men’s basketball vs. Utah State: TV channel, live stream

The Boise State men’s basketball team will face its toughest environment of the season Saturday night against No. 25 Utah State at the Smith Spectrum.

Tipoff for the Mountain West Conference game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Mountain time.

The Aggies (15-1, 5-0 MWC) hold a 22-4 all-time record against Boise State (12-4, 4-1) at the Smith Spectrum, including an 80-61 victory last season. Utah State has won four consecutive games overall in the series.

Broncos senior point guard Alvaro Cardenas said the Smith Spectrum is his favorite venue in the MWC.

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“I really enjoy playing there,” Cardenas said. “It’s a great atmosphere, and I think the special thing about it is there’s so many students. Half the crowd is basically students, so it’s pretty dope.”

The Broncos did defeat Utah State on the road in 2022 en route to the MWC title.

“It’s been a tough place to play since the dawn of men, since they’ve had basketball there,” Boise State head coach Leon Rice said. “It’s nothing new. It’s a great atmosphere, great energy, and a great team. So you’ve got a lot of challenges that you’ve got to be able to step up to, and you’ve got to be a together unit, or else you’ve got no chance.”

Boise State is red-hot coming off an 81-59 dismantling of UNLV (9-6, 3-1). Forward Tyson Degenhart led the way with 21 points and 11 rebounds, the senior’s third double-double of the season.

Degenhart, the preseason MWC player of the year, averages 17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

Under first-year head coach Jerrod Calhoun, Utah State is a balanced team that excels at both ends of the court. Star guards Mason Falslev (16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.5 steals) and Ian Martinez (16.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists) are the Aggies’ go-to players.

Utah State has ripped off five straight wins since suffering a 75-73 home loss to UC San Diego (14-2, 4-0 Big West).

“Obviously, they’re a great team,” Cardenas said. “They also play a zone the whole game basically, so it’s definitely a different game. We’re excited for it.”

The Aggies are favored by 6.5 points over the Broncos. The over/under is set at 149.5 points.