Programs throughout the country are in their final stages of preparation for the 2025-26 basketball season.
Depth charts are getting finalized, playbooks are being drawn up and teams are defining their identities and goals. For the Boise State Broncos, associate head coach Mike Burns describes this year’s squad with two words: “Competitive. Selfless.”
The Broncos finished last year with a 26-11 overall record and were 14-6 in Mountain West play, finishing sixth in the final conference standings and falling short to Colorado State in the conference tournament championship game.
After missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021, Boise State was selected to play in the inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas. They were eliminated after losing to the eventual tournament champion Nebraska Cornhuskers, in the semifinals.
As the Broncos inch closer to their season opener against Hawaii Pacific on Nov. 3, coach Burns said the team’s goals are clear.
“The mindset is what it always is around here. They want to get back to the NCAA Tournament,” Burns said. “We want to sustain what we’ve been. Bronco basketball has an identity. There’s a standard here that we’re trying to live up to every day.”
To help reach these goals, this year’s Broncos boast a deep and talented roster. The mix of experienced returners and new faces puts the team in a position for success, with strength and talent at every position.
Burns noted forwards Javan Buchanan, Pearson Carmichael and Andrew Meadow, as well as guard Julian Bowie as the returning players most likely to make the biggest impacts on the team.
Buchanan won Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year for the 2024-25 season. Despite not being a starter, he was hugely impactful. Carmichael and Meadow, Burns added, are arguably two of the best shooters in the Mountain West. Carmichael shot 42% from the field last season, and Meadow averaged 12.6 points per game. Burns calls Bowie a “deadly shooter,” whose ball handling has improved tremendously since last season. For Andrew Meadow, leadership and leading by example were focal points during his offseason work.
“Something I was trying to make an emphasis on going into the offseason was being that leader,” Meadow said. “Whether that’s vocally, or just showing guys how I work to get them to learn those little things.”
Another Bronco who is set to be a powerful presence on the floor and in the locker room is UCLA transfer Dylan Andrews. The senior point guard signed with Boise this April.
“He’s got high-level NCAA Tournament experience. He’s played in those Sweet 16 games,” Burns said. “He’s been a starter for a really significant program at UCLA. We were extraordinarily fortunate to get Dylan.”
Burns believes Andrews’ big-game experience will be an asset not only to Andrews himself, but to the rest of the team, who can look to Andrews for leadership and guidance.
RJ Keene II is another player Burns expects to make a difference. Keene’s defensive prowess and rebounding ability were extremely effective for the Broncos last season, and Burns referred to much of his play last year as selfless. To further complement the Texas native, head coach Leon Rice added that Keene, “would run through a wall to bleed blue and orange”, citing his loyalty to the program as a testament to his character.
Additionally, guards Aginaldo Neto, Spencer Ahrens and Bhan Buom are all freshmen to look out for.
“Bhan Buom has been a surprise,” Burns said. “He’s long, he’s athletic and he’s another guy you start looking at when you look at all these options you have to put on the floor.”
In the front court, Ethan Lathan and Dominic Parolin are two versatile forwards who will be contributors for the Broncos this year as well.
Parolin, who did not play last year during his first season in Boise as he redshirted due to injury, previously played for Lehigh University. As a senior at Lehigh in 2024, Parolin averaged a career-high 11.5 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. Lathan, a redshirt freshman, saw little action last year. Lathan was a three-star recruit and was ranked as one of the top high school center prospects in the class of 2024.
When asked about the mesh between returning players and freshmen, head Coach ceon Rice had high praise for his team.
“We feel like a team. We act like a winning gym, and we’re starting to get our culture,” Rice said. “I’ve been really pleased with how these guys are connected as a group.”
Fans got a chance to witness the connection Rice referred to on Oct. 17 when the Broncos took on the Idaho Vandals in an exhibition game at Idaho Central Arena. The Broncos won by a score of 89-83, with Drew Fielder, Andrew Meadow and Javan Buchanan each finishing with double-digit points. The game served as a revival of the historic Gem State rivalry, something that both schools’ athletic directors have sought to do in the past.
The regular season will begin on Nov. 3 when the Broncos take on Hawaii Pacific at home.
As the team puts the finishing touches on their promising squad, Boise State basketball seeks to make a return to March Madness and bring the national basketball spotlight to the Treasure Valley.
