Boise State’s men’s basketball season opens Wednesday night with a fresh look, a new league backdrop and plenty of questions waiting to be answered.
The Broncos host West Coast Baptist at 7 p.m. Mountain time at ExtraMile Arena to kick off a year that feels very different from last season’s 20-12 finish. Boise State lost all five starters from that team, forcing Leon Rice to rebuild almost from scratch as the program enters Year 1 of the new Pac-12.
One of the biggest reasons for optimism is Butka, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound presence who should change the way Boise State can play. He arrives with a track record of production after averaging 13.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season at Campbell while shooting 50.3 percent from the field.
His outside shot was a struggle - he hit just 5 of 30 from 3-point range - but he was dependable around the basket and could wind up leading the Broncos in both scoring and rebounding. He also gives Boise State a possible point-forward option.
The schedule does not offer much of a soft landing once conference play begins. Boise State’s Pac-12 opener comes on the road in Logan against Utah State at Smith Spectrum, a place that has been tough on the Broncos. Utah State has won seven of the last eight meetings, including two lopsided wins last season, and even with first-year coach Ben Jacobson, the Aggies are still expected to be in the mix for the league title behind point guard Mason Falslev and several impact transfers.
That early stretch could give Boise State a chance to make noise right away. The Broncos will then have nearly a week to get ready for their first home game against Gonzaga since 2000.
The Bulldogs will be coming off a trip to San Diego State on Saturday, Feb. 6, and could also have one eye on a major home matchup with Utah State on Saturday, Feb. 13.
Mark Few’s team may not lose many games in Pac-12 play, but the calendar does set up a possible opening for Boise State to catch Gonzaga at the right time in Boise.
The preseason outlook on the Broncos is split. KenPom has them at No. 62 nationally and third in the Pac-12, while Bart Torvik slots them at No. 86 and fifth, and Evan Maya has them at No. 90 and sixth. Boise State was picked sixth in the preseason Pac-12 media poll.
There is still a path to a better-than-expected season if the roster breaks right. If Ty Rodgers returns for the stretch run and Lamar Washington gains eligibility, the Broncos could climb as high as third in the league behind Gonzaga and Utah State. Without that kind of help, though, it is hard to see Boise State finishing in the top half of the conference.
The talent is there to hover around the NCAA Tournament conversation, especially with the expanded field. Still, the biggest concern is clear: the Broncos do not appear to have enough shooting from deep or enough rim protection to look like a true March threat. That leaves them looking more like an NIT team than a tournament lock.
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Boise State Just Sent A Message Before Its First Real Test
Boise State wasted no time making a statement to open the 2026-27 season, rolling past West Coast Baptist in a game that looked lopsided from the start and wound up rewriting the program record book. Leon Rice had plenty to like afterward, pointing to the way Dovydas Butka, Damari Wheeler-Thomas, Jerquarius Stanback and Aginaldo Neto all contributed in a performance that reflected the kind of depth and pace the Broncos want to show this year.
The bigger question now is how much of that opener carries over when the competition level rises sharply. Boise States next chance to prove the early surge was more than a warm-up comes against Butler, a Big East opponent, in a nationally televised game that should tell a lot more about where this team really stands. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Heads Into Key Road Test With A Huge Offensive Question
Boise State heads into a tricky road matchup at Colorado State with its offense carrying more uncertainty than usual. The Broncos are already dealing with a shuffling lineup, and the availability of starting quarterback Maddux Madsen is now one of the biggest questions hanging over the trip after he was listed as questionable.
If Madsen cannot go, backup Max Cutforth is expected to make the start, adding another layer to a game that already comes with personnel issues up front and in the backfield. Running back Sire Gaines and left guard Carson Rasmussen are both ruled out, leaving Boise State to piece together answers at multiple spots as it tries to stay on track away from home. [Read more 🡒]
Boise States Playoff Push Now Comes Down To A Brutal November
Boise States path to the playoff is suddenly clear enough to map, and brutal enough to make every week count. The Broncos landed at No. 25 in the College Football Playoff committees initial rankings, putting them atop the Group of Six picture and giving them a place in the conversation as November begins to tighten around the regular season.
What comes next is a demanding closing run that starts with Colorado State and rolls through Oregon State and San Diego State, a stretch that leaves little margin for error. Colorado State brings quarterback Hauss Hejny, while Oregon State offers a tougher test with Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree, and the stakes only grow from there with Pac-12 Championship Game hosting implications tied to that matchup and a possible playoff berth still in play if Boise State can keep winning. [Read more 🡒]