MWC SEMIFINAL THOUGHTS

Well, that was an interesting game to watch.

A total of 41 foul calls were made.

41

Both teams felt the impact of inconsistent officiating and curious calls.

Along with multiple lengthy reviews, the rhythm of the game, or lack thereof, took a hit as momentum was stymied in both directions.

With only a seven-man rotation, the ripple effect of playing back-to-back days was too much to overcome in the second half for the Broncos.

Credit to Utah State, they kept clawing and fighting back and before we knew it, the Aggies held their first lead of the game with 7:53 to go in the second half. Max Shulga and RJ Eytle-Rock came up clutch in the final minutes with multiple threes that iced the game.

Boise State suffered from a poor second-half offensive once again due to limited depth, a concern that continues to be a focus as we approach the NCAA tournament. Jace Whiting and Lukas Milner played quite well, but foul trouble forced Leon Rice to sacrifice the bench to rest and protect the starters.

SELECTION SUNDAY

Everything starts anew today, and as there were no true “bid stealers” over the course of the last week, it is appearing more difficult to predict who the committee will put in and leave out.

The bubble, compared to previous years, is certainly watered down and teams that normally wouldn’t have a pulse do in 2023. Nevada, the Mountain West’s lone shot at a 4th bid, lost its last three games to Wyoming, UNLV and San Jose State. Despite that, they are still projected in the field according to 32 of 110 brackets via Bracket Matrix.

Not a good shot, but still a shot nonetheless.

Utah State’s win against Boise State and a competitive showing versus San Diego State has them in according to all 110 brackets posted as of today.

In terms of seeding, San Diego State is projected as a five seed (5.05 average), Boise State a ten seed (9.53 average) and Utah State as a ten seed (10.18 average).

For Boise State, they are hosting a watch party at ExtraMile Arena at 3 p.m. MT with the selection show starting 4 p.m. MT.

Admission is free.

Enjoy today and the fact that the Broncos will be dancing in back-to-back years for only the second time in program history (1993-1994 in the Big Sky).