After a disappointing end to the previous season, the Broncos Men’s Basketball team is looking to bounce back for the new season. The Broncos have been eliminated in round one in back to back to back seasons in the NCAA Tournament, as they hold the record for most tournament appearances without a win, as they are 0-10 in their appearances. The Broncos are looking to get over that hump and to finally make an NCAA tournament run, and their non-conference schedule will prepare them to do so.
The Broncos start their season off by hosting Oakland University, while the Grizzlies are coming off of their round of 32 loss in the NCAA Tournament. Oakland may be a small school, but they are known to be a factor on the basketball court, after last year they proved this by beating three seeded Kentucky in their opening tournament game.
The Broncos will travel to the University of San Francisco next where they will take on the Don’s of the West Coast Conference. Despite just missing out on the NCAA tournament last season, the Don’s are still a tough squad to beat, putting up a 23-9 record in the previous season.
ExtraMile Arena will then host back-to-back games as the Broncos take on the NAIA Corban University Warriors (Nov. 12) and previously ranked #14 teams in the country, the Clemson Tigers (Nov. 17).
After their two game home stretch, the Broncos will find themselves outside of the country, with their invitation to the 2024 Cayman Islands Classic. The Broncos will be competing with three teams in the classic, as they will be put in a bracket with Boston College, South Dakota State University, Duquesne University, Hampton University, High Point University, Old Dominion University and Missouri State University.
The Division II Utah Tech Trail Blazers will then travel to Boise to take on the Broncos after their disappointing 11-20 season.
The Broncos then find themselves playing two of the top teams in the Western Conference, playing the previously #23 ranked Washington State University and #21 Saint Mary’s University. These games will be played in neutral spots in Idaho.
On Dec. 17, the Broncos hope to seal off their non-conference season against the Texas Southern Tigers.
The Broncos are set to play three previously ranked teams, at least five NCAA tournament teams, and other competitive teams that are looking to take them down. This schedule is set to mark one of the most difficult seasons in Boise State Basketball history, as they are trying to best prepare themselves for the upcoming NCAA tournament.
Conference schedules are still TBD, however they will still play their normal Mountain West teams after their match with Texas Southern.
A new season for the Broncos means another season that they can prove themselves, while they look to break their unfortunate March Madness losing streak. The season will be full of tests against challenging opponents which will prepare the Broncos for their conference season and potentially their NCAA tournament appearance.
