NCAA Tournament projections: Boise State on bubble entering Utah State showdown

Broncos have reached three consecutive NCAA Tournaments

Boise State Broncos head coach Leon Rice. | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The Boise State men’s basketball team’s NCAA Tournament at-large chances appeared to be dashed following a disappointing mid-February road loss to San Diego State. 

But the Broncos (19-8, 11-5) came right back with victories over Mountain West Conference-leading New Mexico (22-5, 14-2) and Nevada (15-12, 7-9) to keep their at-large hopes alive. 

In Tuesday morning’s Bracketology update from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, Boise State was listed as the fifth team left out of the NCAA Tournament. The Broncos were behind North Carolina, Indiana, SMU and Xavier and ahead of Georgia, George Mason and Villanova in the pecking order. 

Boise State has reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons. 

To increase their at-large chances, the Broncos need a victory over Utah State (22-4, 14-3) in Wednesday’s MWC showdown. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Mountain time at ExtraMile Arena. 

The Aggies are going for the regular-season sweep of Boise State. Back in January, Ian Martinez converted a late four-point play that lifted Utah State to an 81-79 victory at Smith Spectrum. 

Lunardi had three MWC teams in his NCAA Tournament field of 68: eighth-seeded New Mexico, ninth-seeded Utah State and 10th-seeded San Diego State (18-7, 11-5). The Aztecs were included among Lunardi’s last four byes. 

San Diego State and New Mexico are set to face off at 9 p.m. Tuesday night at Viejas Arena. The Aztecs will be without star center Magoon Gwath, who suffered a hyperextended knee in the team’s 79-71 loss to Utah State last weekend. 

Colorado State (18-9, 12-4) did not crack Lunardi’s first eight out. The Rams have won three straight games and sit alone in third place in the MWC standings. 

Lunardi gave New Mexico a tough first-round draw in ninth-seeded UConn, the two-time defending national champion. The Huskies hold a 6-6 overall record in their last 12 games.  

Lunardi also had some fun with the Aggies by projecting a first-round matchup with in-state rival BYU, an eight seed. San Diego State was placed opposite seventh-seeded Mississippi State.

The SEC led the way with 13 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 received NCAA Tournament bids last season: Boise State, Colorado State, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State and Utah State. 

The Broncos were among the last four teams in a season ago and fell to Colorado in the First Four, 60-53.

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