The Broncos are still alive for the NCAA Tournament, as much as any WAC team is alive in a conference tourney where Utah State is involved. The Broncos tip off in the semifinals of the WAC tournament tonight against New Mexico State, and a win tonight and another tomorrow will send the Broncos dancing.
Think the Broncos can do it? I've included some of my thoughts and some postseason possibilities after the jump. Feel free to add your opinion in the comments. Go Broncos!
Games this week:
vs. New Mexico State, tonight, 10:00 MT, ESPN2
TBD, Saturday, 8:00 MT, ESPN2
Boise State's chances at making the Big Dance
The Broncos have one shot at making the NCAA Tournament: Beat New Mexico State tonight and Utah State tomorrow night for the WAC championship and the auto-bid.
If it's not the Big Dance, it could be the little one (the NIT) or possibly one of the sit-down banquets that don't allow dancing because that's against some sort of honor code (College Basketball Invitation and the CollegeInsider.com Tournament). Prude alert!
- NCAA Tournament scenario: Win (two) and they're in.
- The NIT scenario: Boise State goes back in time and becomes either a BCS-conference team or a 25-win bubble squad. If the Broncos don't win the WAC tournament, the NIT is not likely.
- College Basketball Invitation and CollegeInsider.com scenarios: The Broncos have pretty good odds of making one of these tournaments thanks to their late-season play. A win tonight would give BSU 20 wins on the season, which should all but cement their place in the postseason somewhere.
OBNUG's WAC Tournament preview
Basketball ... what's up with that?
As lovers of football first and lovers of writing about football second, the cast of OBNUG is not really qualified to preview a basketball tournament beyond complete surface-level, shallow analysis. So here goes ...
- Utah State is really good and will probably win the whole thing barring an an act of God or La'Shard Anderson.
- The tournament started on Wednesday, kind of like dinner starts with a salad. Really? A salad? I am of the mind that dinner doesn't start until the xx is on the table and the WAC tourney doesn't start until Boise State plays in it.
- Boise State beat New Mexico State in regulation in December and lost to New Mexico State in overtime in January. This is important. Maybe.
- Utah State coach Stew Morrill looks like an elderly chipmunk.
- No. 8 seed San Jose State has scored two upsets in two days and will have a chance to topple Utah State in the semis tonight. Good luck with that.
- The WAC basketball tournament is held in Las Vegas. This is an advantage to no one except maybe Karl Benson's wing man.
- Idaho lost. Scoreboard, Jeff Ledbetter!
- Boise State is on a seven-game winning streak and is one of the hottest teams in the tournament. Utah State is ranked No. 17 and beat LaTech 72-30 their last time out.
- Utah State is expected to make the Big Dance whether or not they win the WAC tournament. Come on, complacency.
- And last but not least ... Go Broncos!
Your turn
What do you think of Boise State's chances at a WAC tournament championship? Happy to see NMSU rather than Nevada as the Broncos' semifinals draw? Will you be watching the game tonight? Share your thoughts in the comments.