Beginning Monday, June 21st, 2004 CHN began unveiling 144 Team previews in 144 Days. CHN ranked the nations top 144 teams, and is unveiling one per day leading up until the opening day of the 2004-05 Season.

Bookmark the 144 Teams in 144 Days home page, and check back each day to see which team is previewed next.

#78 Boise State Broncos
WAC
2003-04: 23-10, 12-6, 3rd
2003-04 postseason: NIT

By Joel Welser

Boise State made the post season for the first time in ten years last season under the leadership of head coach Greg Graham in just his second year at Boise State.  Not only did the Broncos make the post season, they made a deep run into the NIT by knocking off UNLV and Wisconsin-Milwaukee, before falling to Marquette.  Expectations are higher in Boise then they have been in quite some time and Greg Graham will have the Broncos ready for his third season at the helm.

Who’s Out: Aaron Haynes led the team with 14.8 points per game.  The 6-7 forward also averaged 6.1 rebounds.  Haynes was one of the few big guys on the squad last year who made an impact.  Bryan Defares racked up some big numbers for his senior campaign.  The 6-6 wingman averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists.  Both of those big time scorers will be missed.  The loss of Joe Skiffer may make the biggest impact.  Skiffer was a true point guard dishing out 3.0 assists per outing and only scoring 2.3 points.  His defense and ball control, as well his leadership, proved to be invaluable for the squad.  Guard Booker Nabors was a great threat for the Broncos off the bench.  Nabors scored 6.3 points per game in 32 outings during his senior season.  Little used Kostas Avgerinos, Josh Bates and Rich Fried are also not returning to Boise.

Who’s In: Graham is slowly getting the players he wants in order to run his up-tempo offense.  This year he brings in mostly junior college players to fill in the needs of the front court and depth concerns at the guard spots.  Robert Pankowski, a 6-8 230 pound forward, averaged 21.6 points and 9.3 rebounds last year at Walla Walla Community College.  Tezarray Banks and Kareem Lloyd are a couple more junior college transfers who should compete for time in the frontcourt.  As a freshman last year at Scottsdale Community College, Seth Robinson averaged 10.6 points and 10.6 rebounds.  He will see some minutes fighting it out with the rest of the newcomers for a spot in the Bronco frontcourt.  The only incoming freshman of the class will also contend for some minutes under the basket.  Andrew Green, a 6-6 forward, averaged 21.4 points and 16.3 rebounds as a senior in high school.  The only new guard is Antonio Fitzgerald.  He is an up-tempo player who should see some minutes.

Who to Watch: The entire frontcourt isn’t leaving Boise.  Jason Ellis is back for his senior year and will have to be the go to guy under the basket.  Even though scoring isn’t the 6-7 forward’s specialty, he averaged a solid 8.7 points per game last year.  Ellis makes the biggest impact on the glass and on defense.  He grabbed nine rebounds per game last year, which was good enough for 2nd in the conference and should become the schools all time leading rebounder during the 2004-2005 season.  On the defensive end Ellis managed one block per game.  Usually matched up against much taller centers, Ellis can shut down anybody in the conference.

Projected Conference Rank: Jason Ellis has plenty of help in the frontcourt with all the newcomers.  The question is whether or not all the new guys can pull it together quickly.  A new point guard in Eric Lane brings up even more questions.  They all have the ability to be quality starters and players and will led Boise State to a 4th place finish in the WAC and a second straight trip to the post season.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

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