Jason Haskins's Blog, page 9

Boise State Broncos men's basketball: First Four bound in 2024

 

A celebration for the Boise State Broncos men's basketball team in making their third-straight NCAA tournament appearance drew a muted response Sunday afternoon in Boise.

The selection was indeed made but it was the corresponding slot as a no. 10 seed to head to Dayton, Ohio for a First Four game that was the shocker.

Perhaps this was due to overconfidence in a high NET ranking and strength of schedule leading into the Selection Sunday. Or maybe it was many bracketologists and prognosticators who had the Broncos slotted as a seven or eight seed. No matter the disappointment, the Broncos are headed back to the NCAA tournament, with a chance to finally pick up their first tourney victory in 10 tries.

Boise State (22-10) will be appearing in the First Four for the third time. In 2013, the Broncos lost to the LaSalle Explorers, 80-71. This was a LaSalle team who went on to the Sweet 16, losing to Wichita State.

Then, two years later, Boise State had the misfortune of playing Dayton in Dayton. The Broncos lost a close one to the Flyers, falling 56-55. Dayton ended up losing in the round of 32 to Oklahoma.

The last two seasons Boise State bowed in the round of 64, losing as a no. 8 seed to Memphis and as the tenth seed last season to Northwestern. 

Boise State will finally look to get off the schneid in 2024, where they take the court against a Colorado Buffaloes team riding a hot hand entering tournament play.

Boise State Broncos

Boise State enters this meeting having won six of their last eight games, falling to eventual champion New Mexico in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament. It was a forgettable game, with the Broncos having one of their worst efforts on offense in recent weeks.

The Broncos average 75.8 points per game, allowing 67.5. Boise State shoots 45.2 percent from the field (34.5 percent from deep) and holds opponents to 43.8 and 31.1, respectively.

Turnovers are pretty even between the Broncos and their opponents (11.2 to 11.4), while Boise State pulls down 37.2 rebounds per game.

Four of Boise State's five starters average double figures in the scoring column. Topping that list is first-team all-conference forward Tyson Degenhart. Degenhart tops the team in scoring (17 ppg), is second in rebounding (6.2), and shoots 50.9 percent from the field. The junior scored 20+ points in 8 of the team's last 11 games, averaging 20.7 in this span. He is coming off three straight double-doubles, where he averaged 11.7 rebounds.

Chibuzo Agbo is second on the team, scoring 13.6 points. Agbo shoots 41.7 from three-point range but in his last four games is only 8-25. He also pulls down 5.1 rebounds per game.

O'Mar Stanley and Max Rice round out the top scorers. Stanley averages 13 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. There has been some struggle with Stanley as of late, with teams pulling more focus towards him. Still, he had 12 rebounds in the quarterfinal loss and only a few games earlier against New Mexico scored 24 points and snagged 13 rebounds.

Rice averages 12.5 points and shoots 35.7 percent from deep. Rice had a nice stretch of shooting during the middle of conference play but his only 9-30 in his last four games. However, his scoring has bumped up in this stretch at 13.5

The bench for Boise State, and how well they perform and given minutes, will ultimately be the deciding factor for this team. Anywhere from three to five players see action. This combination, plus starting point guard Roddie Anderson III, needs to be at their (very capable) best.

Anderson leads the team in assists with 78, while big man Cam Martin is second with 77.

Boist State and Colorado share some common opponents. The Broncos went 1-1 against the Colorado State Rams this season, while the Buffs lost by five. Colorado, however, took two of three from Washington State while Boise State lost to the Cougars. 

Colorado Buffaloes

The Colorado Buffaloes (24-10) were in dire straits weeks ago, having lost four of five. However, the Buffs rattled off eight straight wins before falling 65-58 to the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 title game.

Colorado averages 79.3 points and allows 71.2. They are a good shooting squad, hitting 49.3 percent from the field and 39.4 on three-point attempts. Rebounding is solid, too, at 37.6 per game. Though they commit 12.7 turnovers, the Buffaloes share the wealth, averaging nearly 16 assists per contest.

Five players average in double figures for Colorado, with their top seven scorers averaging 6.5 or more. Topping the list is guard KJ Simpson, who fills up the box score. Simpson averages 19.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. He is efficient, shooting 45.3 percent from long range, and has nine straight games of scoring 10+.

Simpsons had a four-game stretch at the start of the winning streak where he averaged 26.8 points per game, also dishing out 23 assists.

Tristan da Silva (15.8 points/5.2 rebounds) and Cody Williams are up next. Freshman Williams is especially one to keep an eye on. He's been in and out of the lineup, playing in only 21 games. Williams is a potential lottery pick who started off the season in style and averages 12.6 points per game, though in his last four games has scored only23 points.

J'Vonne Hadley averages 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds. Hadley is another marksman, shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 42.9 on three-point attempts.

Eddie Lampkin Jr. hangs out on the post, scoring 10.2 points and pulling down 7.1 boards.

Colorado will be making their 16th tournament appearance and first since 2021, where they defeated Georgetown and lost to Florida State. This will be the first time appearing in a First Four game.

Boise State and Colorado have met only once in their history, just last season. In November of 2022, the Broncos defeated the Buffaloes 68-55 at the Myrtle Beach Invitational. Of the players returning, Degenhart had 14 points and seven rebounds in that victory. Agbo and Rice combined for 12, shooting 5-18 from the field.

Simpson had 14 for Colorado and da Silva scored nine. In that game, Boise State had one more rebound and three less turnovers than the Buffs. The Broncos also held Colorado to 4-20 from three-point range.

This First Four meeting between Boise State and Colorado takes places on March 20 at 9:10 p.m. (ET) on TruTv. The winner advances in the South Region to face the Florida Gators on March 22 at 4:30 p.m. (ET). 

photo credit: Jason Haskins

NCAA men's March Madness 2024: Setting the table for UConn repeat?

 

Chaos in March on the men's college basketball side of things started during conference tournament play. Over the course of roughly two weeks, 21 of the 32 teams with the top seed fell at some point during their conference tourney, allowing bid thieves to gain the moniker of automatic qualifier.

While seeing top seeds fall happens in the bigger conferences, mid-majors for the most part follow the script and top teams advance.

Teams blew up that notion in 2024, causing movement among bubble teams and sending teams thought to be safe barely making the tournament. (Or staying at home altogether.)

It's March. It's madness. And time for another season of the .

In the end, play-in games were handed to teams with NET rankings better than 30. Blueblood schools from power conferences were given shots of the undeserved variety. And a Big East conference considered by many metrics to be the second-best conference in the nation is sending only three schools to the Big Dance

These schools are the cream crop, with a one, two, and three seed spread across the regions. The Big 12 and SEC top the list of conferences with multiple bids, walking away with 8 bids each. They were followed by the Big Ten and Mountain West with six each and the ACC with five. The Pac-12 secured four, while the American, the Atlantic 10, and WCC all have two.

Per usual, arguments about which teams should be in, which shouldn't, and bad seedings by the committee will dominate the news cycle for the next 24 hours. About the only consensus among most is that the Connecticut Huskies are most deserving the tournament's overall no. 1 seed.

Top seeds

The defending champion Connecticut Huskies (31-3) might be the only ones not surprised to be back in this position. Many figured they'd be good this season but had a lot to replace from last season's championship team.

UConn proved the prognosticators wrong and earned the top overall seed heading into this year's tournament.

The Huskies were the only team of the four top seeds to , extending their winning streak to seven. Two of their losses came in conference play, to Seton Hall by 15 and Creighton by 19 (concerning in both losses were by double digits but both were on the road). The third loss was in non-conference play, where the Huskies lost to Kansas by four.

Intriguing in the East Region for UConn is a possible second round matchup with one of last season's tournament darlings, the Florida Atlantic Owls (who enter as a no. 8 seed).

Over in the South Region, the Houston Cougars (30-4) hold the top seed. Houston has made deep runs in recent years, so the seeding is not unfamiliar. In their first year in the Big 12, I wondered how they'd fare and the Cougars responded with an outstanding regular season, holding the top spot in the nation off-and-on throughout.

The Cougars began the season 14-0 and all four losses were to conference teams. Houston lost to Iowa State twice (by four points, then in the conference tourney by 28). Other losses were to NCAA tourney teams TCU (by 1) and Kansas (by 13).

A possible road to the title for Houston could include playing Big Ten teams in back-to-back rounds (Nebraska in second round, Wisconsin in Sweet 16).

Out of the Big Ten, the Purdue Boilermakers (29-4) could have the most to prove. Star Zach Edey came back exactly for this reason. In the last two tournaments, Purdue has seen their season end early by upstart Cinderella teams. In 2022, it was a loss in the Sweet 16 to no. 15 seed Saint Peters. And last season, it was an even bigger shocker, losing to no. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson.

Three of Purdue's losses were to tournament teams and all were to conference opponents. Purdue lost by four to Ohio State and Northwestern. There was also a 16-point loss to Nebraska and one-point loss to Wisconsin in the conference tournament.

Not that Purdue wants to look ahead but a Sweet 16 matchup with former foe for Edey in Hunter Dickinson (who could be ) and Kansas.

The fourth no. 1 seed belongs to the North Carolina Tar Heels (27-7). UNC has played some up-and-down ball over the course of the season despite their record. The ACC had a bit of a down year but the Tar Heels only lost three times in the conference regular season. They fell to Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Syracuse, plus NC State in the ACC tourney title game. UNC also lost to UConn and Kentucky in non-conference play.

UNC does have an experienced group, with players still on the team who helped UNC get to the championship game in 2022. 

Hallowed 5 vs 12 matchups

Number five seeds probably want to avoid this slot while no. 12 seeds embrace it. That's the psychological effect this tournament has delivered but also backed up by the fact teams in the underdog slot emerge victorious from this position. 

It's one of those years in which I can see all four no. 12 seeds advancing but my guess is two actually will. Which two? Tough to say.

In the East Region, the San Diego State Aztecs begin their run to return to the title game as the fifth seed. It's the exact seed they had a season ago, and begin with no. 12 seed UAB Blazers. UAB won the AAC tournament as the fourth seed 

The Wisconsin Badgers are fresh off a run to the Big Ten championship game and hold the fifth seed in the South Region. Wisconsin is 4-4 in their last eight games and faces the no. 12 seed James Madison Dukes. The Dukes have won 13 straight, including a , and own a win over Maryland in non-conference play.

Both of the final two no. 5 seeds come from the WCC. Saint Mary's won the regular season and the conference tournament and enjoyed quite the season with 26 wins. In the West Region, they face the Grand Canyon Lopes, who went 29-4 and won the WAC. Three losses occurred in conference play for the Lopes, falling to tournament team South Carolina in non-conference play.

Grand Canyon owns a win over San Diego State while the Gaels only lost once in conference play, falling to Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs had somewhat of a down year, by their standards, but managed to secure a no. 5 seed in the Midwest Region. They take on McNeese Cowboys, who are 30-3 and enter the Big Dance with an 11-game winning streak.

Potential upsets and deep runs

Momentum is a good asset to have for making noise in the NCAA tournament. So, too, is a fire being lit by a worse seeding than expected.

For at least two Mountain West teams, forced into a play-in game could very well be that spark. 

Many projections had the Boise State Broncos in the seventh or eighth slot, while some projections did have the Colorado State Rams as one of the final four teams in. The Broncos own a win over Saint Mary's and the Rams began the season 13-1. 

Both will be the tenth seed, playing in the First Four, and could use the idea of disrespect to propel themselves to a couple of tournament wins. The Mountain West tournament champ New Mexico Lobos find themselves a no. 11 seed. Their experienced guard play could be a factor in them making a run to at least the Sweet 16. (And if the Mountain West really wants to make a statement, placing 2-3 teams in the Sweet 16 would be outstanding.)

The Drake Bulldogs (no. 10 in the East) can play spoiler as well another Bulldogs team, Samford (no. 13 in the Midwest). Among the higher seeded teams not on the top line, I can see Creighton, Illinois, and Marquette making deep tourney runs. 

Play-in games

Over the years, these First Four matchups have started the tournament off in thrilling fashion, with some teams even making noise on the opening weekend.

Eight teams will be looking to do the same in 2024, beginning Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio. (Times at 6:40 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. Eastern both nights.

Midwest Region March 19: (16) Howard Bison vs (16) Wagner SeahawksWest Region - March 19: (10) Virginia Cavaliers vs (10) Colorado State RamsSouth Region - March 20: (16) Montana State Bobcats vs (16) Grambling TigersMidwest Region - March 20: (10) Boise State Broncos vs (10) Colorado Buffaloes

photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Tough going for Boise State Broncos in MW quarterfinal loss

 

It is often stated, in basketball and between conference play and a conference tournament, difficulty lies in defeating a team three times in a season.

The Boise State Broncos (22-10) found that out Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament.

Playing against a New Mexico Lobos (24-9) squad fighting for their postseason lives, the Broncos picked the wrong night to slack on offense. Untimely turnovers, a 29.4 percent effort from the field, and a spirited and physical Lobo attack led to a 76-66 victory by New Mexico.

Boise State was not at their finest but credit to New Mexico. They forced the Broncos away from the interior and Boise State obliged by tossing up 34 three-point field attempts. To believe the world of bracketology, the Lobos needed this win much more than the Broncos did. While a tournament championship for Boise State would have been nice, it looks almost like a done deal the Mountain West will get six teams in the NCAA tournament. (I say "almost" because, well, you never know this time of year.)

Tyson Degenhart led the Broncos with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Degenhart was 7-20 on field goal attempts, including a frigid 2-10 from deep.

Boise State had trouble with New Mexico's backcourt. Donovan Dent again saved a spectacular game for Boise State, scoring 22 points on 8-9 shooting. Dent also had four assists and five steals.

Jaelen House, partially due to a simple volume approach, shook off two previous bad games against the Broncos by scoring 29 points on 21 field goal attempts.

Boise State wasn't exactly bad in this game. They just weren't up to par and let's hope the inside/outside game on offense returns next week for the Big Dance, or it will be another quick exit.

First half woes

Three quick turnovers by Boise State (two by O'Mar Stanley) led to seven New Mexico points, building a 7-2 lead. The Broncos started 0-6 from the field but settled in for a 7-0 run, gaining the lead on a three-pointer by Degenhart.

This was the last time Boise State had the lead for the remainder of the game.

The Lobos rattled off an 8-1 run, slowly building out the lead. While the Broncos were again able to close within two, cold shooting kept them at bay. Nearly 50 percent of their shot attempts were from beyond in the arc in the game's first 13 minutes.

Jemarl Baker Jr. hit his third three-pointer of the first half for New Mexico and a dunk by Dent grew the Lobo lead to nine. Seven turnovers by the Broncos in the first half did not help, with New Mexico converting most of those into easy buckets.

Boise State went into the locker room trailing 35-26. Degenhart and Max Rice had 19 of the Broncos 26 points. While they were 6-15 from the field, the rest of the team was 1-13.

Second half comeback stalls

Jamal Mashburn Jr. put New Mexico up by 11 right off the bat but Boise State finally began to heat up. A stretch where Rice hit two three-pointers and Chibuzo Agbo nailed one saw the Broncos claw to within four points at the 15:30 mark. 

Boise State seemed poised to overtake New Mexico but the Lobos found the will to straighten up and extend the lead back to 12 with an 8-0 run. The Broncos seesawed from there, getting the margin down to six, back to ten, and everywhere in-between.

Some missed free throws by New Mexico allowed Boise State to hang around, with a three by Roddie Anderson III closing the gap to four with 54.4 seconds left. But the Lobos mostly hit their free throws to secure the victory.

Rice finished with 13 points and Agbo added 11. Anderson had 10 points with some bright spots but equally was frustrating at times. He had four turnovers and some tough mental lapses but part of that game will change with experience.

Stanley finished with 12 rebounds but had four turnovers and was 1-7 from the field.

The Broncos did a good job of containing Mashburn, who scored only four points in 21 minutes. JT Toppin only scored two points but had 13 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.

Boise State's bench scored only three points. They contributed in other ways but will definitely need to do more in the NCAA tournament, where the Broncos should land anywhere between a no. 7 and no. 9 seed.

Semifinal action

Boise State was one of three seeds in the top-4 to lose in quarterfinal action. Earlier in the day, no. 4 UNLV fell in overtime to San Diego State, losing by three. And no. 2 , 85-76. 

Top seed Utah State needed overtime to knock off Fresno State, 87-75.

Schedule for 3/15 (all times Pacific):

#1 Utah State vs #5 San Diego State (6:30 p.m.)#6 New Mexico vs #7 Colorado State (9 p.m.)

Full bracket

Boise State Broncos women's team comes up short in MW semis

 

A similar blueprint for the Boise State Broncos women's basketball team was followed in Tuesday night's Mountain West tournament semifinal.

Early lead. Hand it over and spend the game playing catchup. Finally find a fourth quarter lead. The steps were all there for the Broncos. The only difference than the Boise State quarterfinal victory was the San Diego Aztecs had different ideas in mind.

Boise State (21-13) was held without a field goal for the final 3:58 and the Aztecs (22-12) used late free throws to pick up a 72-69 victory. 

The Broncos battled all the way back from being down by as many as 13, taking a 67-65 lead with 2:35 left on two Mya Hansen free throws. Turnovers, iffy foul calls, and bad shots doomed Boise State down the stretch. Despite this, they stayed in it by holding the Aztecs to no field goals the last 2:09.

San Diego State hit their free throws  down the stretch and did just enough to reach the Mountain West Conference tournament final. There, they will face the top seed UNLV Lady Rebels, who defeated Colorado State earlier in the day.

Turnovers again were a main story for the Broncos, committing 20. The Aztecs had a good game plan of jumping Boise State ball handlers, forcing too many mistakes. This in a game where the Broncos shot the ball decently at 46.3 percent, collecting assists on 22 of their 25 made field goal attempts.

Hansen continued her strong tournament play, finishing with a team-high 19 points, adding two assists and only one turnover.

The Broncos didn't have much of an answer for Adryana Quezada, who finished with a game-high 26 points on 8-11 shooting (and 10-12 from the charity stripe).

While Boise State was turning the ball over, San Diego State finished with only nine, including just one in building a first half lead.

First half

Boise State started out strong, racing out to a 4-0 lead. The Broncos hit five of their first seven shots and led by four with just over four minutes left in the first quarter.

San Diego State picked things up, going on a 10-3 run that wrapped into the second quarter. A Hansen three-pointer tied the game at 18 but the Aztecs went on an 8-0 run to provide breathing room.

Both Abby Muse and Hansen picked up their second fouls within 30 seconds of one another, helping San Diego State with the run. Boise State was able to close within two at the 1:55 mark but went scoreless the rest of the half and trailed by seven heading into the break.

Elodie Lalotte had a nice first half, finishing with eight points. Quezada had nine for the Aztecs, with Kim Villalobos chipping in eight.

Second half

The Broncos arrived in quick fashion to start the third, with a Hansen jumper and a three-pointer from Mary Kay Naro. A quick timeout by San Diego State calmed things for the Aztecs, and they responded with an 8-0 run.

San Diego State stretched their lead to 55-42 on a Jada Lewis three-pointer with 2:26 left in the third quarter.

Boise State was not done yet, amping up the intensity on both ends of the court. The result was a 9-1 run to close the quarter, buoyed by the play of Trista Hull.

The run continued into the fourth quarter, with the Broncos using a 7-1 run to jumpstart the quarter. Tatum Thompson hit a bucket, followed by a Natalie Pasco three and Hull free throw line jumper to tie the score at 58.

Lalotte picked up her fourth and fifth fouls in a span of 21 seconds (the latter on one of many iffy foul calls all night), fouling out with 6:28 left.

The teams locked in defensively, with the two free throws by Hansen giving the Broncos their first lead since the first quarter.

From there, San Diego State managed to get to the line more, outlasting a gritty Boise State effort.

Dani Bayes finished with nine points and Hull was among four Broncos who scored eight (plus eight rebounds and two blocked shots). Lalotte, Muse, and Pasco all finished with eight, while Naro had six points, seven assists, and five turnovers.

Lewis finished with 12 points and Villalobos 11 for the Aztecs. Abby Prohaska finished with nine points, eight rebounds, three steals, and three assists. 

Boise State, while the loss is a disappointing one, has a lot to be proud of this season. The ultimate goal wasn't achieved but this team has a lot of players who should be coming back in 2024-25. And, with any luck, they can once again find themselves on top of the Mountain West.

photo credit: Jason Haskins

Teams go all in for men's Mountain West conference tournament

 

The men's Mountain West Conference tournament is set for an 11-team basketball scramble March 13-16 in Las Vegas.

A free-for-all with big implications, after a gauntlet of a regular season and in which all 11 teams have a chance to be crowned tournament champs.

Okay. Perhaps the chances for some require great Vegas odds. In all honesty, it wouldn't surprise me if a lower seed makes a deep run. In the regular season, no. 11 seed Air Force picked up their only conference wins against New Mexico and UNLV. 

As the no. 10 seed, San Jose State defeated Air Force twice and played close games with top teams. And in the nine spot, Fresno State, too, had close meetings with top teams, but picked up their four conference wins by sweeping Air Force and San Jose State.

Wyoming is lingering right there as the no. 8 seed, with victories over Colorado State and New Mexico among their regular season wins.

In a conference vying for possibly six teams in the NCAA tournament (with a longshot opportunity to place seven, if UNLV wins the title), the heat is on. Ranked teams, excellent non-conference wins, and beating each other for Quad 1 wins defined the Mountain West season. Slugfests and close games, plus improved play in recent years, should make this an exciting four days of basketball.

Favorites with first-round byes

Most bracketologists agree on at least five teams from the Mountain West making the NCAA tournament. Four of those earned first-round byes in the conference tourney. While it's never a good idea to count your chickens before they hatch, especially come March in college basketball, these four should be safely in. Ultimately, another win or two could improve seeding, while one team needs a title to earn a chance at the Dance.

Ranked 18th in the nation, the Utah State Aggies (26-5, 14-4) went and won a regular season title behind a revamped lineup. The Aggies have continued to astound, even as I pictured them faltering once conference play began.

Utah State enters this tournament having one seven of eight. Their only loss in this span was by 20 to the Colorado State Rams. The Aggies average 79.9 points per game and are powered by conference Great Osobor. Osobor averages 17.6 points and 9 rebounds per game and is coming off a 21 and 12 performance against New Mexico, also with three each in assists, blocks, and steals.

Four players average double figures, with Darius Brown II averaging 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.

Powered by a dynamic backcourt, the 23rd-ranked Nevada Wolf Pack (26-6, 13-5) snatched the second seed the last day of the regular season. Nevada has won seven straight, winning by an average of 10.5 points, and own a win over Utah State this season.

Jarod Lucas and Kenan Blackshear combine for 32.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, with Blackshear dishing out 4.8 assists. A not-so-deep bench will be without sixth man Hunter McIntosh. McIntosh, prior to the UNLV game last Saturday, scored 70 points in his last four games but will with a sore knee. 

The Boise State Broncos (22-9, 13-5) enter as the third seed, having won six of seven. While the Broncos swept San Diego State and New Mexico this season, they lost to UNLV and lost both games to Utah State.

Four starters for Boise State score in double figures, led by junior Tyson Degenhart, who averages 16.8 points and six rebounds per game. Point guard Roddie Anderson III is the only starter below 10 points per game. Anderson came on during the back half of conference play and scored 16 points and had six rebounds and three assists last Friday night against San Diego State.

Boise State's bench has also come on as of late, providing valuable minutes as Boise State looks to enter their third straight NCAA tournament.

A team that needs to be at its best is the UNLV Rebels (19-11, 12-6). The Rebels enter the tournament with a 10-2 record in their last 12 games. Both losses in this stretch were to Nevada but UNLV does have a bad loss to its name, falling by 32 to Air Force.

The Rebels broke 70 points only twice in their last six games so scoring can dry up for UNLV. Freshman point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. scores 13.6 points and 5.2 assists per game. Thomas has picked up the efficiency in the last two games, averaging 19.2 points. 

UNLV's opponent in the quarterfinals on Thursday will be the San Diego State Aztecs (22-9, 11-7). National runners-up a season ago, the Aztecs have experienced a bevy of highs and lows this season and have lost three of their last five games. They closed the season with a rare home loss, falling to Boise State in overtime. 

Jaedon LeDee averages 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. LeDee had a double-double (20 points, 11 boards) in San Diego State's win over UNLV earlier this. But struggled last week when the Rebels won 62-58, in which LeDee was only 2-12 from the field.

One of these five teams will reach the finals but my gut tells me one of the teams playing in the opening round will get there as well.

Opening round matchups

Relegated to the opening round and needing to win four games in four days for a title is a monumental task for any team. Colorado State and New Mexico can be considered a contender, especially since both are in the NCAA tournament or on the bubble, depending on who is asked. The Rams are likely safe, thanks to solid non-conference success. New Mexico could need to reach at least the semifinals if they want to feel safer in reaching the Big Dance.

The Colorado State Rams (22-9, 1-8) enter as the no. 7 seed, where they will take on the no. 10 seed San Jose State Spartans (9-22, 2-16). The two teams met only once in the regular season, with the Rams winning 66-47.

In that game, Isaiah Stevens had nine points and 11 assists for Colorado State. Stevens averages 16.8 points and seven assists per game.

Rashaan Mbemba led the Rams with 13 points that game, with Joel Scott adding 12 and Nique Clifford added 11 (with 11 rebounds). Scott and Clifford combine for 25 points and 13.2 rebounds per game.

The Rams started off the season 13-1 and have lost three of their last five, all losses by a combined 11 points. Six of their conference losses were by single digits.

San Jose State enters on a six-game losing streak. Myron Amey Jr. averages 15.7 points per game, with Alvaro Cardenas chipping in 13.1 Cardenas had 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists in the first meeting and Amey scored 13.

The no. 6 New Mexico Lobos (22-9, 10-8) will look to avenge a regular season loss to the no. 11 Air Force Falcons (9-21, 2-16). New Mexico won the first meeting by 19 but lost to Air Force by one.

The Lobos have lost four of six but do own wins over Utah State, Nevada, San Diego State, and a sweep of Colorado State. They boast a fantastic inside/outside game but the bench is thin. New Mexico averages 82.3 points per game, with Jamal Mashburn Jr. leading the way at 15.1 points per game.

Inside, JT Topping and Nelly Junior Joseph combine for 21.8 points and 16.9 rebounds per game.

On the other side, the Falcons have lost four straight. Rytis Petraitis is a triple threat, averaging 15.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Beau Becker shoots 40.2 percent on three-point attempts and scored 42 points against the Lobos this season. 

In the eight vs nine game, both teams enter the tournament struggling. The Wyoming Cowboys (15-16, 8-10) have lost four of six, while the Fresno State Bulldogs (11-20, 4-14) have lost seven in a row.

Wyoming defeated Fresno State 86-47 in the regular season finale and defeated the Bulldogs by one earlier this year.

The Cowboys own wins over Nevada and Colorado State this season. Fresno State had some close games, losing by two to UNLV and four to Utah State.

Sam Griffin powers Wyoming, scoring 16.8 points per game. Isaiah Hill powers a depleted Fresno State team, with 12.1 points and 6.1 assists per game.

Opening round schedule for March 13 (All times Pacific)

# 8 Wyoming vs #9 Fresno State 11:00 a.m.#7 Colorado State vs #10 San Jose State 1:30 p.m.#6 New Mexico vs #11 Air Force 4:00 p.m.

Full bracket

photo credit: Flickr

Late surge propels Boise State Broncos to quarterfinal victory

The Boise State Broncos women's basketball team found the right time to find a little luck behind the three-point line.

A night after an easy go of things in a 85-49 opening round victory over Utah State in the Mountain West tournament, the no. 6 Broncos found themselves in a fight with the no. 3 seed Wyoming Cowgirls.

Spearheaded by a gritty effort from Mya Hansen, the Broncos knocked down 8-17 from deep and used a late 14-0 run to defeat Wyoming 62-54 in quarterfinal action.

Hansen went to work on both ends of the floor. She knocked down huge shots. Found herself in the middle of loose balls. And was able to draw two offensive fouls on Wyoming players, all while managing to score a game-high 20 points. 

Hansen was 3-5 on three-point attempts, tossing in four assists and one rebound, block, and steal. 

Defense was a big reason the Broncos advanced to the semifinals, though Boise State did start out slow in that department. But the second unit clamped down at the end of the second quarter and, in the fourth, Boise State held the Cowgirls (16-14) to 10 points on 3-17 shooting. 

Wyoming scored only one field goal in the game's last six minutes.

Natalie Pasco added 10 points for the Broncos and Tatum Thompson scored nine.

Allyson Fertig, who the Broncos held to two points in the last meeting between the teams, was much better this time around. Fertig finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, and made things difficult for Boise State by blocking seven shots.

Boise State will face the seventh seed San Diego State Aztecs, who picked up a 67-56 victory over New Mexico earlier Tuesday. The Broncos and Aztecs split their two meetings in the regular season, with each winning on their home floors.

First half

Abby Muse, fresh off her triple-double Monday night against the Aggies, got the scoring going for the Broncos. This began a stretch of the teams trading spurts in the game's first five minutes and a Hansen three gave Boise State a 10-8 lead. 

Wyoming rattled off an 11-1 run and built a lead to eight. Boise State did have some trouble on defense in that first quarter, giving up too many easy layups.

Hansen scored 10 of Boise State's 12 points in the quarter, thankfully keeping the Broncos within seven.

The second quarter initially gave off the same results but efforts by members of the bench amped up the intensity for Boise State. Trista Hull provided a spark (finishing with nine rebounds) and combined with the likes of Linsey Lovrovich, Dani Bayes, and Thompson to keep Wyoming off balance.

Pasco warmed up, too, with her three tying the game at 25. A Hansen basket at 1:43 gave the Broncos the lead as Wyoming went over four minutes without a point.

Wyoming found some offense in the closing minute and took a 29-27 lead to the locker room.

Hull had five first-half rebounds. Despite cold shooting (11-31), Boise State was able to keep things close because of Wyoming turnovers (nine) while committing only three of their own.

Second half

A slow start again threatened to doom Boise State, falling behind 39-31 in the first five minutes of the third quarter. A three-pointer by Bayes jumpstarted a 7-0 run. But Wyoming kept the Broncos at arm's length, holding a four-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

A quick 7-2 run, capped by Hansen three with 6:34 left, gave Boise State their first lead since the second quarter. Wyoming responded, going up 50-47. When Elodie Lalotte found Pasco on a perfect backdoor cut at the 4:39 mark, Pasco's layup gave the Broncos a 51-50 lead they would never relinquish.

Boise State was 5-8 on three-point attempts in the second half. 

Muse finished with eight points and Mary Kay Naro added seven.

Lalotte, despite only scoring three points, had five rebounds and dished out four assists. Naro and Hull notched three apiece.

Along with the offensive output, the Broncos finished with only nine turnovers.

Wyoming finished with 15 turnovers and connected on only 4-17 from three-point range. Malene Pedersen scored 13, connecting on 6-10 from the field.

Pedersen and Fertig were a combined 12-19, with rest of the team shooting 10-33.

Boise State has ratcheted up their defense and seen better ball movement the last two games. With a chance to play in the tournament final on the line tomorrow, the Broncos will need both to get back for the first time since 2020.

Schedule for semifinals (3/12). All times Pacific

#1 UNLV Lady Rebels vs #5 Colorado State Rams - 5 p.m.#6 Boise State Broncos vs #7 San Diego State Aztecs - 7:30 p.m.

Full bracket

photo credit: Jason Haskins

Mountain West Conference women's tourney: Can UNLV be dethroned?

 

The battle for the throne in the Mountain West Conference women's tournament, and automatic bid to the NCAA tourney, will once again run through the UNLV Lady Rebels. Ranked 23rd in the nation, UNLV won their third straight regular season title and will look to do the same as an entrant in the Big Dance.

Is any other program going to step up and dethrone the champs?

UNLV (27-2, 17-1) after running the conference table in 2022-23, did lose a conference game this season, falling to the New Mexico Lobos. And while the Lady Rebels can score in bunches, there are teams who can use their defense to pull off the upset. Wyoming lost two games to UNLV by a combined 10 points and Colorado State did the same by eight. Boise State nearly had an upset, losing by six, and the Lobos lost by six in their second meeting.

In March basketball, anything is possible. But plenty of signs point to UNLV claiming the title yet again.

UNLV enters the tournament on a 12-game winning streak, scoring 90+ points in four of their last six games. To close out the regular season and wrapping up the title, the Lady Rebels won their last two games by an average of 59.5 points.

On the season, UNLV averages 80.1 points per game and pulls down 41.5 rebounds. Their defense is just as efficient, with 16 straight games of holding opponents under 70 points.

Eight players average five points or more per game, led by likely conference MVP Desi-Rae Young. Young averages 18.6 points and nine rebounds per game, shooting 56.7 percent from the field.

Point guard Kiara Jackson is effective across the board, averaging 11.1., 4.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. And freshman Amarachi Kimpson (8.4 ppg) closed strong, with 26 points, 12 assists, and five steals in the last two games.

The Lady Rebels have the makings of winning the title and perhaps even snaking a victory in the NCAA tournament. But if there is a hiccup, a handful of teams are ready to pounce.

MW tourney contenders

Teams that finished second through seventh spent the season beating up on each other, with the final order in this group not decided until the final night of regular season play. While seeds eight through 11 did manage victories against this group, the six seeds here are best positioned to knock off UNLV.

The Boise State Broncos (19-12, 10-8) closed the season on a three-game losing streak, dropping them to the sixth-seed. Facing now an extra day of play in achieving title hopes, the Broncos hope they can keep their solid defense and find consistent play on offense to win their first title since 2019-20.

Boise State averages 63.2 points per game and shoots 39.6 percent from the field. The Broncos often find good looks, so in many cases it's just a matter of converting those chances at a higher clip. Their defense is impressive on most nights, paced by strong interior play and the shot blocking skills of Abby Muse (2.8 per game).

Scoring leader Natalie Pasco (13.4 ppg) has struggled during the losing streak. Pasco has scored only 13 points on 5-28 shooting in this span, with opponents have placed more focus on her.

The Broncos are deep, with eight players scoring at least four points per game. Mya Hansen averages 9.3 and has 46 points, 8 assists, and four steals the last three games.

Boise State swept the season series over the New Mexico Lobos (21-10, 12-6), who hold the second seed. New Mexico enters the tournament having won five of seven, with those two losses coming by a combined four points. All of New Mexico's conference losses have come by less than 10 points. 

The Lobos are paced by Nyah Wilson, who averages 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Wilson is coming off a 33-point, six-rebound, and six-assist game against Fresno State and scored in double figures in all but one conference game.

Sliding into the third spot, the Wyoming Cowgirls (16-13, 11-7) enter the conference tournament having lost five of seven, with all losses against teams seeded two through seven. On the season, Wyoming scores 63.2 points and shoots 45.3 percent from the field (though only 30 percent from deep). 

Six players average at least five points per game for the Cowgirls, led by Allyson Fertig. Fertig averages 13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocked shots per game. She is coming off three straight double-doubles, averaging 18.7 points and 10 rebounds.

The next three teams all finished with a conference record of 10-8. The team with the hottest play as of late is the no. 5 seed Colorado State Rams. Colorado State has won four of five, including an emphatic win over Boise State on Senior Night. Their lone loss in this span, however, was to San Jose State (7-23, 2-16).

The Rams score 69.3 points per game and shoot 36.3 percent from three-point range. Seven players average five or more points per game, led by senior guard . Hofschild averages 22.6 points, 4 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game and is one player who I can see winning MW Player of the Year over Young.

Ahead of the Rams in the fourth spot is the Nevada Wolf Pack. Nevada enters the tournament losers of three of five. Five of their conference wins have come by three points or loss, and one of their losses was to Utah State (5-24, 2-16).

The Wolf Pack averages 64.6 points and shoots 38.2 percent from the field. Nevada's leading scorer is Audrey Roden, who scores 11.3 per game (but only shoots 25.3 percent on three-point attempts). Roden has struggled in her last three games, scoring only seven points on 1-14 shooting.

Rounding out this group of contenders, the San Diego Aztecs hold the seventh seed and have lost two of their last three games. One was a three-point loss to New Mexico, while the Aztecs also fell to UNLV by 59.

San Diego State can score with the best of them, averaging 66.5 points per game (shooting 41.1 percent from the field. Four players average 10+ points for the Aztecs, with the efforts of Adryana Quezada and Kim Villalobos combining to average 24.9 points and 12.7 rebounds per game.

These six teams stand the best chance at dethroning UNLV but there is one team who, if all the chips fall right, could make a run at the title.

Dark horse

With the eighth seed, not a lot of stock is being placed in the Air Force Falcons (15-16, 8-10). The Falcons may not look like a formidable opponent, but they enter the conference tourney on a three-game winning streak. 

Air Force swept four games from the Aggies and Spartans, with their other four conference wins coming against the list of contenders above. Their latest achievement was a road win over the Broncos.

The Falcons score 63.9 points per game. They do have trouble with depth and rebounding (32.2 per game). Shooting can be a struggle at times, where Air Force shoots 38.5 percent from the field.

But they can warm up quickly, and use that to their advantage. Guard Milahnie Perry averages 16.8 points and 2.7 assists per game. Perry, in her last two games, scored 43 points on 16-29 of shooting.

Perry, too, can find herself in a cold streak. The two games prior, Perry scored 24 points on 9-39 shooting. But the good outweighs the bad, where Perry has 17 straight games scoring in double figures, scoring 20+ in eight conference games.

Guard Madison Smith is also a big contributor, scoring 11.5 points and pulling down 5.3 rebounds.

It might be a stretch for Air Force to win four games in four days. But if they are underestimated and can get locked in, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

Upcoming schedule

Opening round games get started on Sunday March 10, with the championship game set for Wednesday March 13 (7:30 PT)

*All times below Pacific Time

#8 Air Force Falcons vs #9 Fresno State Bulldogs - 2 p.m.#7 San Diego State Aztecs vs #10 San Jose State Spartans - 4:30 p.m.#6 Boise State Broncos vs #11 Utah State Aggies - 7 p.m.

Byes: UNLV, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado State

Full bracket

photo credit: Flickr

Boise State Broncos women's basketball tumble into postseason

 

Safe to say this is not the way the Boise State Broncos women's basketball team wanted to close out the regular season.

Likely only needing to win once in their final three games to secure a first-round bye in the Mountain West Conference tournament, the Broncos placed a goose egg in the win column. Three games with three different situations, all with the same outcome.

Boise State (19-12, 10-8) put up a deflating effort on offense in closing out the regular season, falling to the Colorado State Rams on the road in a 64-50 loss.

This after a week in which they nearly upset the UNLV Lady Rebels, leading heading into the fourth before falling by six. Then, a game against Air Force in which the Broncos trailed by 16, found a way to take the lead in the closing moments, only to lose 67-66.

The ramifications provided the worst possible scenario. Their loss, coupled with a win by Nevada, gave the 4th seed to the Wolf Pack. The Rams take the fifth seed, and the Broncos dropped all the way to the sixth seed for the upcoming Mountain West tournament.

Meaning the road to a title just got that much harder.

On four separate occasions, one stretch in each quarter, Boise State went nearly five minutes (or more) without scoring a point. The Rams did ramp up the defensive intensity, but Boise State failed to get into a rhythm most of the game.

Boise State was 20-59 on field goal attempts, connecting on 4-16 from three-point range. The Broncos also committed 15 turnovers, often forcing the ball inside when the option simply wasn't there.

Of the 11 players who played for Boise State, 10 found the scoring column. However, none reached double figures. Trista Hull led the way with nine points and Mya Hansen, after scoring 26 in the loss to Air Force, scored eight.

Leading scorer Natalie Pasco was held to five points on 2-8 shooting.

It was a game where Boise State was cold from the get-go, missing shots and often doing so in wild fashion.

First half

Colorado State (19-10, 10-8) started out fast, building an early nine-point lead. Boise State battled back, taking a 10-9 lead off a Hansen old fashioned three-point play. Dani Bayes capped an 8-0 run with a bucket, giving the Broncos a 12-9 lead.

This would be the last Boise State lead of the game.

A scoreless stretch of 5:29 hampered the Broncos but their defense kept the Rams contained. A three-point play by Hull, off a nice pass from Linsey Lovrovich, brought Boise State to within one at 16-15.

And from there, it was all Colorado State. The Broncos went nearly five more minutes without points and headed into the locker room trailing 32-24.

Hull had five points in the first half, with Tatum Thompson adding four.

Second half

Boise State did a better job of rebounding in the second half. And, after a jumpy start, had only six turnovers. But the lid never really opened up and an early 9-0 run by the Rams put Colorado State up 45-28.

A quick 7-0 run by the Broncos provided a little light, with a Lovrovich basket, Hansen three-pointer, and Hull free throws. But Colorado State responded, taking their lead back to 13 after three quarters.

Colorado State eventually stretched their lead to 20 with Boise State unable to string together much of anything. 

Three players did most of the damage for the Rams. Marta Leimane had 21 points on 10-14 shooting with six rebounds. Senior star McKenna Hofschild added 19 points and six assists, with Cailyn Crocker scoring 10 on a perfect 4-4 from the field. 

The Rams committed only 10 turnovers and shot 43.1 percent.

Thompson scored six for the Broncos but was only 2-11 from the field. Lovrovich had a nice game on both ends of the court, finishing with four points, four rebounds, and two assists.

Hull and Thompson each had six rebounds, with Abby Muse adding five. Hansen led the Broncos with four assists.

A disappointing way to end the regular season, where the Broncos ran a gamut of emotions in all three losses. Boise State will open Mountain West tournament play on Sunday, facing Utah State at 8 p.m. MT. 

photo credit: rawpixel

Regular season finish line in sight for Boise State Broncos

 

March is the perfect month to be peaking (or on the verge of) in college basketball. Winners of five straight, the Boise State Broncos men's basketball team is doing exactly that.

All five victories have been by double figures, scoring 86.4 points per game and winning by an average margin of 23.4. With an offense flowing with precision, 10 players seeing playing time, and a defense going strong, recent weeks have seen a peak performance from the Broncos.

The Broncos are coming off a 89-79 win over New Mexico last Saturday. O'Mar Stanley and Chibuzo Agbo each had double-doubles, combining for 41 points and 25 rebounds. Max Rice added 16.

Tyson Degenhart again chose his moments to shine, finishing with 23 points. The junior is averaging 22 points in his last eight games.

The bench did score only four points and none of those five played for more than 10 minutes. But they found ways to contribute (and buy the starters rest) as Boise State had only seven rebounds and a plus eight advantage on the boards.

Boise State (21-8, 12-4) is playing some of their best basketball. The Broncos are climbing up the rankings (all the ones with fancy abbreviations) and are receiving votes in both the Associated Press (26, good for no. 28) and Coaches (16, good for no. 29) polls. And with their latest victory, Boise State guaranteed themselves a first-round bye in the Mountain West Conference tournament.

Heading into the final week of the regular season, there is plenty left to play for, with the Mountain West regular season title still in play. The Broncos are currently tied with the Utah State Aggies (24-5, 12-4) for first. And since the Mountain West doesn't do tiebreakers (except for tourney seeding), Boise State and Utah State could ultimately share the title despite two wins by the Aggies over the Broncos.

Utah State travels to San Jose State on 3/6 and hosts New Mexico on 3/9.

San Diego State, Nevada, and UNLV all sit at 11-5, with the Aztecs playing at UNLV on Tuesday. Meaning with a victory Tuesday, Boise State will guarantee themselves a top-3 seed for the conference tournament.

Boise State vs Nevada

Tuesday night (3/5, 9 p.m. MT) at ExtraMile Arena in Boise, the Broncos close out the home portion of the season, hosting the Nevada Wolf Pack (24-6, 11-5).

The first meeting of the season between the teams, Boise State picked up a 64-56 victory in Reno. 

Degenhart controlled that game with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. Point guard Roddie Anderson III had 12 points, four assists, and two steals for the Broncos.

Anderson has nine steals in his last four games.

Boise State struggled shooting that game, hitting 41.2 percent from the field but only 5-22 from deep. The Broncos also committed 18 turnovers, overcoming these obstacles by collecting 19 more rebounds than the Wolf Pack.

Nevada committed only 11 turnovers and shot 36 percent from the field. Nevada standouts Jarrod Lucas and Kenan Blackshear combined for 29 points but were only 10-30 on field goal attempts. 

Lucas leads the team at 17.5 points per game, shooting 40.8 percent on three-point attempts. Lucas has been dialed in as of late. In his last three games, he's averaging 21.3 points per game and shooting a shade under 50 percent.

Blackshear averages 15.2 points, five rebounds, and 4.9 assists but has been out the last few games with an ankle injury. 

Nick Davidson adds 12.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest.

Nevada has won five straight and eight of their last nine. During this nine-game stretch, the Wolf Pack failed to score over 70 points just once.

Nevada closes out their regular season on Saturday, hosting UNLV, while Boise State hits the road for conference game no. 18.

Aztecs vs Broncos

Entering the week, the San Diego State Aztecs (22-7, 11-5) have won four of five and are ranked no. 21 in the latest AP poll.

And the Aztecs will be looking to avenge a 67-66 loss to Boise State earlier this season when they host the Broncos on 3/8 (8 p.m. MT).

In that game, the Broncos had their struggles in shooting 39.3 percent. However, defense was in rare form and Boise State did enough to win.

Stanley had 17 points and 7 rebounds, while Anderson had one of his best games on offense, finishing with 14 points. Degenhart and Agbo each scored 11.

Rice was only 1-8 from the field and scored four points.

San Diego State shot 43.1 percent but connected on only 6-24 from deep. The Aztecs did get 24 points from the bench that game, something to keep an eye on in this meeting.

Boise State managed to hold Aztec standout Jaedon LeDee to 13 points and 8 rebounds, forcing Lee into four turnovers. LeDee averages 20.8 points and 8.4 rebounds, shooting 56.9 percent on field goal attempts. LeDee's last six games have been on par with Degenhart's, averaging 23.7 points and shooting 63.9 percent.

Reese Waters is the only other Aztec to average in double figures, scoring 11 points per clip. He had 10 in the first meeting with the Broncos, when he was a starter. Recent weeks have seen Waters moved to the bench, with Darrion Trammell earning starts in Waters' place.

Friday night promises to be another knockdown, physical game between the two teams. There could be some jockeying for seeding, only adding fuel to what has become quite the rivalry in recent years.

photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Jayson Tatum: Under the radar MVP candidate

 

Out east in the NBA, with the Boston Celtics operating on the court with ultimate precision, Jayson Tatum is quietly putting together the best season of his career.

This is saying a lot for the seventh-year pro who has seen tons of NBA success and turns only 26 on March 3.

Exemplar play has been evident up-and-down the Celtics lineup. Boston (47-12) has been so successful as a unit that Tatum isn't being discussed nearly enough as an MVP candidate. 

Tatum was once again a driving force in Boston's 10th-straight victory, a 138-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Tatum, even with Luka Doncic on the opposite side dropping a triple-double, was the star of the game. The Boston star finished with 32 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, providing solid defense to boot.

All five Celtic starters scored in double figures. Jaylen Brown had 25 and Kristaps Porzingis 24. Boston finished 21-43 from deep and dished out 33 assists.

Having four fellow starters all capable of scoring 20+ points has relieved some of the burden Tatum has been given in recent seasons. Brown is averaging 22.3 points per game. He is on a recent hot streak the last three games, averaging averaged 28.6 points while shooting 35-58 (60.3 percent) from the field.

The help is nice and it can't be said enough the importance Tatum holds to this franchise.

Boston Celtics MVP

Usually, it goes without mentioning that the best player on the league's best team should be under consideration for regular season MVP. Not only is Tatum rarely mentioned for this honor, but he is not often spoken of as a top-five player in the league.

With so much individual talent in the NBA, it's understandable some players get lost in the shuffle. Arguments for many players can be made regarding who is among the elite, especially when it comes to MVP.

Joel Embiid seemed like a runaway favorite prior to being sidelined with a knee injury. His importance is clearly evident because the Philadelphia 76ers are completely different beast without Embiid.

Nikola Jokic averages nearly a triple-double for the Denver Nuggets and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is powering a surprise Oklahoma City Thunder to the second-best record in the West. Throw in names like Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the aforementioned Doncic and the field is quite crowded.

And perhaps alone the reasoning Tatum isn't higher because if all the players mentioned above are out, their teams suffer mightily. Whereas with Tatum gone, the Celtics still have a championship worthy lineup.

Tatum, though, elevates the Celtics to greatness, helping the franchise to a fantastic first half of the season. He's done so with better play while often deferring (and engaging) teammates to do their thing.

Tatum is averaging 27.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Scoring is down by an average of three points from a season ago but the trade-off is that the Celtics are winning more. Tatum is shooting 47.6 percent from the field, best since his rookie season. And his three-point shooting is slightly better at 36.4 percent than a season ago, attempting nearly one less three-pointer per game.

The numbers for Tatum in February were slightly above his season average, all while finding key moments to take over games as needed. In the month, Tatum averaged 27.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, with four double-doubles to his credit. 

A great sign, too, is seeing that Tatum's turnovers are down and assists up.

It's hard to think where the Celtics would be without Tatum taking this step in his game. Scoring was never going to be a problem with this star. Tatum doing the little things across the board makes the Celtics better. With a tough schedule ahead, facing some of the league's best, Tatum has a prime chance to show off his growth. And, with a solid week, prove to be a prime candidate for MVP consideration.

Upcoming week

Boston looks to extend their winning streak and widen their lead(s) in the standings this upcoming week. 

The Celtics hold a 5.5 game lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves for the NBA's best record. In the Eastern Conference, Boston has an eight-game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks. The lead is even bigger in the Atlantic Division, where the Celtics stand firm with a 12.5 lead over the New York Knicks.

Boston starts the week at home on Tatum's birthday, hosting the Golden State Warriors. Without Porzingis in December, the Celtics fell in overtime to the Warriors. Boston blew an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, with Tatum scoring only 15 points on 5-17 shooting in that meeting. 

Derrick White scored 30 points and pulled down 7 rebounds to go with three blocked shots. Brown was close to a triple-double with 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Then, it's the first games of a five-game road trip and a slate of teams with winning records, starting with the Cavs on March 5. Boston is 2-0 against Cleveland this season. However, the Cavs are about the hottest ticket around, going 21-5 since a loss on New Year's Day.

Tatum is averaging 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists in those two games.

On March 7, Boston heads to Denver for a rematch with the Nuggets, who defeated the Celtics 102-100 in January. Boston had their opportunities to win that game but struggled in the second half, scoring only 39 points.

Closing out the week, the Celtics head to Phoenix for the first meeting between the teams in 2023-24.

This upcoming stretch is a good measuring stick of how far this Boston team has come. Even better, the hope is (barring injury/other health issues) there won't be any load management issues because there is (at least) a day off between games. A full complement of starters is a plus, with the MVP antics of Tatum icing on the cake.

photo credit: Wikimedia Commons