Boise State

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the WAC?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:24:04 -0500

WAC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:22:02 -0500

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Conference Rank: 14th

All-WAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Armon Johnson	Nevada	So
G	Kyle Gibson	La Tech	Jr
G	Jonathan Gibson	New Mexico St	Jr
F	Luke Babbitt	Nevada	Fr
F	Gary Wilkinson	Utah State	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
High-Major All-Americans Gary Wilkinson All-Freshman Luke Babbitt		Points: Kyle Gibson 16.5 Rebounds: Chris Oakes 7.2 Assists: Anthony Thomas 4.2 Team Points: Boise State 81.4

WAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

59	Nevada	WAC	1	NCAA
77	New Mexico St	WAC	2	NIT
124	Utah State	WAC	3
163	San Jose State	WAC	4
217	Fresno State	WAC	5
225	Louisiana Tech	WAC	6
246	Boise State	WAC	7
266	Hawaii	WAC	8
306	Idaho	WAC	9

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the WAC?

Other WAC Content

Head Coach Interviews

Greg Graham: Boise State

Conference Media Poll

WAC Poll & All-Conference Team

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Rise & Fall: The WAC

College Football: #8 BYU @ #24 TCU Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:10:38 -0400

Thursday night is here, and for those of you with little or no interest in the ALCS there are a couple of intriguing college football games on tap. Florida State has a chance to make a statement in the ACC Atlantic race when they visit NC State. Yes, the Wolfpack have struggled this season, but keep in mind that they did beat East Carolina (a win that looks less impressive by the week it seems) in Raleigh and QB Chrisitan Ponder hasn't exactly lit it up against FBS competition for the 'Noles.

But that one's a mere appetizer when compared to the Mountain West showdown in Fort Worth. BYU's season won't be a simple cakewalk to their finale at Utah, and this game at TCU is one big reason why. QB Andy Dalton leads a solid Horned Frog attack, and head coach Gary Patterson runs one of the nation's best defensive schemes. Could another undefeated team go down? It's quite possible. Rounding out the pre-Saturday slate is Hawaii visiting #15 Boise State on Friday night.

What looked like an easy win for the Broncos when the season began will be a challenge, with Warriors QB Inoke Funaki playing good football recently after struggling in Hawaii's first few games. But Boise State has an explosive offensive unit with redshirt freshman QB Kellen Moore spreading the ball around to an array of weapons, including RB Ian Johnson (it seems like he's been around for ten years or so). Here's a preview of three games that will set the tone for each conference race.

Florida State @ NC State 7:30 PM EST on ESPN

It seems like the Seminoles are beginning to figure things out on offense under Jimbo Fisher. It's hard to put too much stock in their statistical rankings due to the fact that they began the season with two consecutive FCS opponents, but the running game has been productive the past couple of weeks. RB Antone Smith leads the ACC in touchdowns (10) and ranks third in the conference in rushing yards per game. Smith eclipsed the 100-yard mark in their win over Colorado and contributed to their season-high 310 yards on the ground against Miami.

The question in this one will be how productive can QB Russell Wilson, RB Andre Brown and the rest of the State be against one of the better defensive units in the ACC. While a nighttime crowd can keep the Wolfpack fired up for a bit, it won't mask the fact that Tom O'Brien's team ranks last in the ACC in both total offense and total defense. Expect a Seminole victory.

#8 BYU @ #24 TCU 8 PM EST on Versus

This is one of the significant roadblocks for the Cougars on their way to an undefeated season, but it seems like many around the country have ignored every other game besides the regular season finale at Utah. If Bronco Mendenhall's team goes into tonight's game with that attitude, they'll get beat. As a matter of fact, even if all their attention is on the Horned Frogs they could still get beat. While BYU leads the Mountain West in total offense thanks primarily to QB Max Hall and the passing game, they haven't been as successful on the ground. And it won't help that they're facing the nation's best rush defense tonight (TCU allows twenty yards per game on the ground).

The Cougars, who rank seventh in rush offense, ran for 124 yards as a team in their 21-3 win over New Mexico last weekend. The 382 yards of total offense was a season low for BYU, and the Lobos may have provided TCU with a way in which to knock off the Cougars: keep the BYU offense on the sideline. In the second and third quarters BYU had the edge in time of possession, which coincided with their outscoring the Lobos 14-3. But the first quarter, which ended in a scoreless tie, saw UNM hold onto the football for an astonishing eleven minutes. And with TCU boasting the conference's second-best rush offense, they could do the same in Fort Worth.

The question for TCU will be whether or not they can slow down the BYU passing attack, given their ranking of fifth in the conference in pass defense. But don't be fooled by that ranking, for the Horned Frogs are the Mountain West's best in regards to pass efficiency defense. Steven Coleman (3 INT) and Jerry Hughes (2 INT) are two guys that Hall will have to be on the lookout for in this one. Hughes, who is a defensive end, also ranks second in the Mountain West in sacks (7.0) while bookend Matt Panfil ranks fourth (4.5).

If this reads like a setup to pick TCU in an upset, that's because it is. TCU wins this thriller and forces major outlets to look at the Mountain West as more than just BYU and Utah. They play some pretty good football out there.

Friday: Hawaii @ #15 Boise State 8 PM EST on ESPN

When the season began, the WAC race looked to be a two-team battle between Boise State and Fresno State. Well two weeks ago Hawaii went to Fresno and knocked off the Bulldogs in overtime, so maybe the defending WAC champs have a better shot than many anticipated to win the league. The defense has played better than expected (3rd in the WAC), led by linebackers Adam Leonard and Solomon Elimimian. But they'll have their hands full with the conference's second-best passing offense, which is a large part of the reason why the Broncos are second in the WAC in scoring offense.

Ian Johnson (4th in the WAC in all-purpose yards) is a household name by now, but get to know WR Jeremy Childs, who ranks second in the conference in receptions per game and fourth in receiving yards per game. Tying it all together for head coach Chris Petersen is Kellen Moore, who leads the WAC in pass efficiency and ranks behind only New Mexico State's Chase Holbrook in passing yards per game. Look for Boise State to win another home game, moving to 16-1 all-time in home games on national television.

WAC Preseason Poll & All-Conference Team

Press Release — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:20:36 -0400

WAC MEDIA POLL

DENVER – The 2008-09 Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball media poll has tabbed Nevada as this year’s favorite. Utah State senior forward Gary Wilkinson has been named the preseason Player of the Year. Nevada freshman Luke Babbitt was tabbed this year’s preseason Newcomer of the Year.

Nevada received 255 points and 20 first-place votes. Utah State was picked second with 220 points and four first place votes. New Mexico State garnered 201 points and two first place votes for third place followed by Louisiana Tech with 149 points. Boise State was fifth with three first place votes and 142 points followed by San Jose State with a first place vote and 132 points. Fresno State was seventh with 114 points, followed by Hawai‘i (103) and Idaho (34).

Wilkinson averaged 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last season, helping Utah State to a share of the conference regular season crown last year.

Babbitt, a 2008 graduate of Galena High School in Reno, became the third player in Nevada prep history to be named a McDonald’s All-American.

The All-WAC team included Wilkinson, New Mexico State junior guard Jonathan Gibson, Louisiana Tech junior guard Kyle Gibson, Nevada sophomore forward Armon Johnson, and San Jose State junior center C.J. Webster.

The following is the complete 2008-09 WAC men’s basketball media poll with first-place votes in parentheses (points awarded on a 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis):

Rank Team Points

1. Nevada (20) 255

2. Utah State (4) 220

3. New Mexico State (2) 201

4. Louisiana Tech 149

5. Boise State (3) 142

6. San Jose State (1) 132

7. Fresno State 114

8. Hawai‘i 103

9. Idaho 34

Preseason All-WAC Team

Jonathan Gibson, Jr., G, New Mexico State

Kyle Gibson, Jr., G, Louisiana Tech

Armon Johnson, So., F, Nevada

C.J. Webster, Jr., C, San Jose State

Gary Wilkinson, Sr., F, Utah State

Preseason Player of the Year: Gary Wilkinson, Sr., F, Utah State

Newcomer of the Year: Luke Babbitt, Fr., F, Nevada

WAC COACHES POLL

The Western Athletic Conference announced its men’s basketball preseason poll and all-WAC teams, as voted on by the nine head coaches in the league. Nevada was selected to win the WAC, while Nevada sophomore Armon Johnson was tabbed the league’s preseason Player of the Year.

Nevada, the 2007-08 WAC regular season co-champion, received seven first place votes and 63 points. Utah State captured second place with 57 points, receiving two first-place votes. New Mexico State took third place with 48 points. With 43 points, San Jose State was voted fourth. Boise State (30) and Louisiana Tech (29) followed closely behind in fifth and sixth place, respectively. Hawai‘i (25) and Fresno State (20) finished seventh and eighth, respectively, while Idaho (9) was ranked ninth.

The coaches also voted on preseason first and second all-WAC teams. Nevada sophomore forward Armon Johnson, the 2007-08 WAC Freshman of the Year, leads the list of first-teamers. San Jose State junior center C.J. Webster and Utah State senior forward Gary Wilkinson, 2007-08 all-Newcomer team honorees, also earned spots on the preseason first team. New Mexico State guard Jonathan Gibson and Louisiana Tech guard Kyle Gibson round out the first team.

Second-team selections include Luke Babbitt (Nevada), Brandon Fields (Nevada), Anthony Thomas (Boise State), Tai Wesley (Utah State) and Jahmar Young (New Mexico State)

Nevada shared the 2007-08 regular season title with Boise State, Utah State, and New Mexico State. The team advanced to the first-ever College Basketball Invitational Tournament last season.

2008-09 Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Rank Teams (1st Place Votes) Points

1. Nevada (7) 63

2. Utah State (2) 57

3. New Mexico State 48

4. San Jose State 43

5. Boise State 30

6. Louisiana Tech 29

7. Hawai‘i 25

. 8. Fresno State 20

9. Idaho 9

Preseason All-WAC Teams

First Team Second Team

Jonathan Gibson, Jr., G, New Mexico St. Luke Babbitt, Fr., F, Nevada

Kyle Gibson, Jr., G, Louisiana Tech Brandon Fields, Jr., G, Nevada

Armon Johnson, So., F, Nevada Anthony Thomas, Jr., F, Boise State

C.J. Webster, Jr., C, San Jose State Tai Wesley, So., F, Utah State

Gary Wilkinson, Sr., F, Utah State Jahmar Young, So., G, New Mexico St.

Player of the Year: Armon Johnson, Nevada

College Football: Louisiana Tech @ #17 Boise State Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:34:02 -0400

If tonight's WAC opener between #17 Boise State (3-0) and Louisiana Tech (2-1) can match the drama of last night's game, viewers will be in for a treat. Middle Tennessee (2-3, 1-2 Sun Belt) knocked off defending Sun Belt co-champion Florida Atlantic (1-4, 0-1) thanks to a touchdown pass from Joe Craddock to Malcolm Beyah as time expired. The successful point-after gave the Blue Raiders a 14-13 win and their first conference victory of the season.

Despite having the football for little more than twenty five minutes, Middle Tennessee found themselves trailing by just six before their game-winning drive thanks to four FAU turnovers. Next up for FAU is a showdown with Troy next Tuesday, while Middle Tennessee will take on Florida International on the 11th.

Louisiana Tech @ #17 Boise State, 8PM EST on ESPN

Can the Broncos crash the BCS party yet again? After winning three non-conference games to start the season, Chris Peterson's squad looks to reclaim the WAC title after losing out to Hawaii in 2007. The star thus far has been redshirt freshman Kellen Moore, who has looked rather comfortable in running the Boise State attack. Moore leads the conference in passing efficiency (179.8 passer rating) and has thrown five touchdown passes to just one interception. Other dangerous weapons include RB Ian Johnson and WR Jeremy Childs.

The Bulldogs counter with Georgia Tech transfer Taylor Bennett under center, but his numbers haven't been up to par in the early going. Bennett has completed just 41% of his passes with two touchdowns and three interceptions, but the Bulldog offense ranks third in the WAC in rushing compensate. WR Phillip Livas currently leads the conference in all-purpose yards so keep an eye on him whenever he touches the football.

Defense will tell the story of this one, as the Broncos hold the advantage in all major statistical categories. If Louisiana Tech can't slow down Moore through the air (Boise State- 1st in pass offense, Louisiana Tech 9th in pass defense) it'll be a long night on the "smurf turf" for Derek Dooley's team. And even if they do have some success against the pass, I like the Broncos to move to 4-0.

- Florida LB Dustin Doe will miss at least two weeks following surgery to repair a double hernia. Doe suffered the injury in the Gators win over Miami back on September 6th and aggravated it this past weekend.

Head Coach Q&As: Boise State's Greg Graham

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:06:55 -0400

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College Basketball's Best Coaches

CollegeHoops.net is lucky to have access to some of the best coaches in college basketball. As part of our preseason interview series, we thought it would be appropriate to ask these basketball minds about the best things that their team and college basketball has to offer.

Greg Graham: Boise State

We continue this month long Q&A Series with seventh year Boise State coach Greg Graham, the reigning WAC Coach of the Year. Coach Graham was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer questions for CollegeHoops.net:

CollegeHoops.net) Who are the best leaders on this year's squad?

Greg Graham) Our point guard, Anthony Thomas.

CHN) What will be the best strength of this year's team?

GG) Overall team size and length.

CHN) What's the best change you've made in your coaching style in recent seasons?

GG) Having been able to recruit players that fit our style of play better.

CHN) What's the best arena you visit during the year?

GG) Utah State and Nevada have nice places.

CHN) If everything goes well this season, what's the best case scenario?

GG) Post-season play.

CHN) For out of town fans, what are the best tips you have for killing time before & after a Broncos game?

GG) Boise is loaded with great restaurants and places to visit

CollegeHoops.net 08-09 Preview: Interviews | Complete Top 144 Ranking | 08-09 Preview Homepage | Discuss the Preview

2008 CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-Americans

CHN — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:24:19 -0400

CollegeHoops.net High Major Player of the Year: Gary Forbes (UMASS)

CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-American
G: Drew Lavender (Xavier)
G: Robert Vaden (UAB)
F: Gary Forbes (UMass)
F: Reggie Larry (Boise State)
F: Trent Plaisted (BYU)

CollegeHoops.net Second Team High-Major All-American
G: Eric Maynor (VCU)
G: Adam Emmenecker (Drake)
G: Jaycee Carroll (Utah State)
F: Will Thomas (George Mason )
F: Will Daniels (Rhode Island)

CollegeHoops.net Third Team High-Major All-American
G: Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga)
G: Rob McKiver (Houston)
G: Dionte Christmas (Temple)
F: J.R. Giddens (New Mexico)
F: Pat Calathes (St. Joseph's)

CollegeHoops.net Fourth Team High-Major All-American
G: Brian Robers (Dayton)
G: Josh Young (Drake)
G: Stefon Jackson (UTEP)
G: Lee Cummard (BYU)
F: Josh Duncan (Xavier)

CollegeHoops.net High-Major Honorable Mention:
Wink Adams (UNLV), Antoine Agudio (Hofstra), Matt Bouldin (Gonzaga), Bryant Dunston (Fordham), Osiris Eldridge (Illinois State), Randal Falker (Southern Illinois), Leemire Goldwire (Charlotte), Justin Hawkins (New Mexico State), Marcelus Kemp (Nevada) Jermaine Taylor (Central Florida), Jeremy Wise (Southern Miss)

The CollegeHoops.net All-American teams are voted on by staff writers. Up tomorrow are the Mid-Major All-American teams.

CHN 2007-08 Postseason Awards

All-Americans, All-Rookie, Top Coaches & more!

Poll: What Will be Friday's Big Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:43:23 -0400

Bracket Tactics: Tuesday's Tip of the Day

Jon Teitel — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:59:23 -0400

Leading up to the 2008 NCAA Tournament, we'll be presenting daily tips to help you fill in your bracket.

Today's Bracket Tactic

FACT: #14 seeds who score less than 76.5 PPG are 2-54 in the 1^st round since 1985, and only two #14 seeds have made the Sweet 16 since 1985 (Cleveland State in 1986 and Chattanooga in 1997).

BRACKET TIP: Do not pick Georgia because they score less than 76.5 PPG, but if you are feeling lucky, you can pick one of Boise State/CSU Fullerton/Cornell to win 1 game because they each score over 76.5 PPG.

Editor's Tip: Don't be fooled by overall records. Some teams are great at home, but struggle to win true road games. Similarly, its not enough to look just at road games.. but you need to check out neutral records as well. If a team's combined road & neutral record is substantially worse then their home record.. look out. One prime example is Vanderbiilt. The Commodores are 19-0 at home, but just 7-7 on the road.

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2008 NCAA Tournament Capsule: Boise State

Joel Welser — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:22:27 -0400

Boise State Broncos

Western Athletic Conference (25-8, 12-4)

Big Wins: 12/29 BYU (73-70), 2/14 Nevada (77-68), 3/14 vs Utah State (88-78)

Bad Losses: 11/16 at Montana State (84-86), 12/8 Loyola Marymount (74-76), 2/9 at New Mexico State (80-99)

Last NCAA Appearance: 1994, First Round loss to Louisville

Coach: Greg Graham (First NCAA appearance)

Probable Starters:

Anthony Thomas, Sophomore, Guard, 8.6 ppg, 4.2 apg

Matt Bauscher, Senior, Guard, 9.4 ppg, 3.2 apg, 3.5 rpg

Tyler Tiedeman, Senior, Forward 14.0 ppg, 3.1 apg, 3.4 rpg

Reggie Larry, Senior, Forward, 19.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.1 bpg

Matt Nelson, Senior, Forward, 15.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.1 apg

Key Roleplayers:

Jamar Greene, Junior, Guard, 3.4 ppg, 1.5 apg

Paul Noonan, Freshman, Forward, 4.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg

Mark Sanchez, Junior, Forward, 3.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg

Kurt Cunningham, Sophomore, Center, 2.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

Only one team in the nation has a better team field-goal percentage than Boise State. The Broncos shoot 51.0 percent from the floor and that is in large part due to Reggie Larry and Matt Nelson. Larry, a 6-6 forward, does not just dink and dunk around the basket. The senior can get to the basket with ease, but he also has some nice range on his shot and will knock down a three-pointer or two just about every game. Larry, who averages 19.6 points per game, makes this team tick and he will use his great athletic ability to grab 9.3 rebounds per contest. He is also a decent passer, defender and shot blocker. If Coach Greg Graham needs his team to do something, Larry can do it.

As nice as Larry’s 53.8 shooting percentage may be, it pales in comparison to Matt Nelson. The 6-9 forward will stay under the basket, but he ranks third in the nation with a 65.0 percent field-goal rate. That is some efficient offense under the basket. Small forward Tyler Tiedeman keeps the percentage up despite taking nearly five long balls per game. He hits 49.4 percent of his long range attempts and 52.9 percent overall. At 6-7, Tiedeman even does his part on the glass despite hanging around the perimeter most of the time.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Boise State’s zone defense invites the opponent to shoot the jump shot. Sometimes that works if the opponent’s shot is not falling, but the other team will certainly get their looks from outside. The Broncos opponents shoot 43.7 percent from the floor, which is just about in the middle of the national rankings. Something that usually happens with a team that likes to operate in the zone is a lack of rebounding. However, thanks to Larry and Nelson, BSU will usually out-rebound the competition. The other large concern is the overall free-throw shooting. Larry and Nelson get to the charity stripe a lot more than anybody else on the team and they both shoot under 65 percent.

Who To Watch:

Anthony Thomas and Matt Bauscher do a great job handling the ball and keeping the turnovers under control. Thomas is the better shooter and scorer of the two, but it is Thomas who usually has the ball in his hands when the game is on the line and averages a team high 4.2 assists per game. As long as those two can keep the game under control and Basucher can join Tiedeman as a long range threat, Boise State will put up a lot of points.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 81.0 (12^th in nation, 1^st in conference)

Scoring Defense: 74.5 (287, 9)

Field-Goal Percentage: 51.0 (2, 2)

Field-Goal Defense: 43.7 (166, 4)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.9 (58, 2)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 39.0 (25, 2)

Free-Throw Percentage: 65.9 (269, 7)

Rebound Margin: 2.3 (102, 5)

Assists Per Game: 17.8 (10, 2)

Turnovers Per Game: 15.6 (248, 7)

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