Boise State Hoops Heartbreak Again!
To look at Boise State's 6-10 Mountain West basketball record who might thing, wow what has happened to Boise State Basketball?
This is a far cry from the six consecutive 20 or more win seasons Bronco fans have become accustomed too!
Sure Boise State lost Chandler Hutchison to the NBA but other teams lose players to the next level or just to graduation and don't slide this far down the standings.
They say the game of basketball or any sport for that matter, is as much mental as it is physical. Last year as Boise State won close game after close game their confidence built and they came into each contest figuring they'd find a way to win.
This year the close games didn't go their way early and the very young Broncos weren't so sure they could win the close ones.
In fact, they haven't! Boise State is 1-8 in game decided by one possession or in overtime, case in point Saturdays 85-81 OT loss at UNLV.
Nine games lost at the buzzer, that's enough to destroy and team confidence especially fior a your squad looking for identity.
Let's just say Boise State won four of those nine one possession games, BSU would be 10-6 and among the leagues top five teams. Had they won four they may have won more as their confidence grew.
As head coach Leon Rice said after the UNLV loss, "Their hearts have been ripped out so many times." Rice saying this is the most frustrated he's ever been through with a basketball team.
The irony is that the cupboard isn't bare. Boise State has some serious talent on this team and players waiting in the wings for next season. It's just bone of those things in sports that when the ball starts rolling a certain way, it's hard to make it change directions.
The Broncos will still try and do that when they play at New Mexico Wednesday night.