Omari Moore (Photo by Max Bechtoldt)
By Matt Weiner (@MattWeiner20) – MBB Beat Reporter
The Boise State Broncos (17-5, MW 8-1) got bucked off their 14-game win streak on Thursday and are looking to begin a new one as they’re set to face the San Jose Spartans (7-14, MW 0-9).
The Spartans are seeking their first win in Mountain West play and hoping to get a nine-game losing streak off their back.
Know Your Foe
Boise is a real eye buster and could be on television sets around the world come March Madness. Their school record 14-game winning streak was shot down by the Wyoming Cowboys on Thursday night 72-65.
Watching a student section full of neon green balloon animals, mustard overalls and “Texas Walker Ranger” cowboy hats is plenty of bulletin board material for the Broncos to get back on track ASAP.
The Broncos ascension from contender to appointment television was due to an insane team chemistry. During the streak, each win was a concoction of team chemistry and each player pitching into the pot. Ironically enough, in the Broncos loss before the win streak began, Abu Kigab had 26 points, and in the loss to Wyoming he had 27 points. Not alluding to him being a ball hog, rather they are better when each player scores in the low double digits.
The videos below of guard Marcus Shaver Jr. is the zeitgeist of this team.
It’s like basketball Whac-O-Mole. As you’ve convinced yourself you figured out all the patterns, the game throws something new at you.
When Kigab or Shaver aren’t burying buckets, Boise has been relying upon Tyson Degenhart to fire away from beyond the arc.
He’s hitting at a solid 41% clip this year and is the go-to-guy for icing games or bringing the Broncos back.
Mladen Armus is the ambassador of the paint, leading the team with 8.5 boards per game and had 19 against Utah State on Jan. 20. The Spartans have gotten outrebounded in each contest during the nine game losing streak and Armus might help make it 10.
Spartans Route to Victory
“It’s a procedure. Like rebuilding a carburetor has a procedure.”
This quote is from Vinny Gambini in “My Cousin Vinny”. Joe Pesci was like the “Rudy” of Italian lawyers: underdog, undersized (Pesci being 5 foot 3 doesn’t get brought up enough) and their most triumphant moments came in the south.
Now back to basketball.
First year SJSU head coach Tim Miles took the gig knowing that he would have to go through procedures to rebuild the program. Part of it is knowing how to cook up rotations when players get injured, and that’s where he currently finds himself.
Shooting forward Trey Anderson took a blow to the face right out the gate against Utah State on Thursday that took him out of the game and placed him in concussion protocol.
With Anderson out, it creates problems and opportunities. It exposes how undersized the Spartans are downlow while giving whippersnappers Myron Amery Jr. and Josh O’Garro a chance to get more shots up.
Amey Jr. 11 points was second best for the Spartans against Utah State and has shown flashes all year of being a menace with the ball in his hands, scoring 32 against Bethesda and 23 against UNLV.
Senior Trey Smith is coming off of his best game in Mountain West play, scoring 14 against Utah State, going 4 of 7 from three.
The hope is that his performance against Utah State will erase his 23% clip from beyond the arc in conference play and rekindle his early success.
Each game is an opportunity for Miles and co. to find the best procedure for a certain situation and use it to build on future success.
