Boise State Broncos ON SI

NCAA Tournament projections: Boise State falls off bubble ahead of New Mexico showdown

Broncos are 0-5 against Mountain West’s top teams 
Bob Lundeberg|
Boise State Broncos forward Tyson Degenhart.
Boise State Broncos forward Tyson Degenhart. | Brian Losness-Imagn Images

The Boise State men’s basketball team had played its way back onto the NCAA Tournament bubble following four straight victories in Mountain West Conference play.

The winning streak came to an end last weekend at Viejas Arena as San Diego State hammered the Broncos, 64-47. The Aztecs (17-6, 10-4) also defeated Boise State (17-8, 9-5) at ExtraMile Arena in January. 

In the latest NCAA Tournament Bracketology update from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the Broncos were not included among the first eight teams left out of the NCAA Tournament. Boise State was in Lunardi’s next four out entering the San Diego State game. 

The Broncos, who are down to No. 48 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 50 in KenPom, are a combined 0-5 against New Mexico (22-4, 14-1), Utah State (22-4, 12-3), Colorado State (16-9, 10-4) and San Diego State, the top four teams in the MWC. 

Senior forward Tyson Degenhart said the Broncos must do a better job handling pressure against stronger opponents. 

“Especially when you talk about San Diego State and New Mexico,” Degenhart said in his postgame radio interview following the San Diego State loss. The Broncos host New Mexico at 8 p.m. Mountain time Wednesday. 

“(New Mexico and San Diego State) play similarly. They have the athleticism to get up in you and make you work up the court, make (point guard Alvaro Cardenas’) life really tough. We’re just going to have to give him some outlets to ease the pressure off of him. I think we just have to get a little better about setting better screens and relieving some of that pressure.”

Lunardi’s update, which was unveiled Tuesday morning, had three MWC teams in the NCAA Tournament: New Mexico (nine seed), Utah State (nine seed) and San Diego State (11 seed). 

The Aggies and Lobos were both safely in the field of 68 while the Aztecs were among the last four in. Lunardi has San Diego State facing Oklahoma (16-9, 3-9 SEC) in the First Four.

Lunardi’s first eight out were VCU, Georgia, SMU, North Carolina, Indiana, Xavier, Kansas State and UC Irvine. 

The Broncos, who have reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons, will likely need to win the MWC Tournament to extend the streak.

The SEC received 14 bids in Lunardi’s latest update, followed by the Big Ten (10), Big 12 (eight), Big East (four), ACC (four) and MWC (three). 

A record six MWC teams reached the NCAA Tournament last season: Boise State, Colorado State, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State and Utah State. 

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Bob Lundeberg
BOB LUNDEBERG

Bob Lundeberg is a reporter for Boise State Broncos On SI. An Oregon State graduate, Bob has lived in Idaho since 2019 and is an avid hiker and golfer.

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