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LOCATION: Boise, ID
CONFERENCE: Big West (Eastern Division)
LAST SEASON: 21-8 (.724)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 12-4 (1st)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 2/3
NICKNAME: Broncos
COLORS: Blue & Orange
HOMECOURT: BSU Pavilion (12,380)
COACH: Rod Jensen (Redlands '75)
record at school 67-47 (4 years)
career record 67-47 (4 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Ed Boyce (Pacific Lutheran '84)
LaVaughn Williams (Quincy '94)
Mark Folsom (Pacific Lutheran '96)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 17-15-14-17-21
RPI (last 5 years) 88-124-153-148-105
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference final.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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This season's Boise State squad is a tea bag. The coaches like the young talent. They think they know the flavor of this season's team. But, in all honesty, even they admit that they don't know exactly what's going to happen when this inexperienced group gets thrown into the hot water. A year after taking a significant step forward behind the play of Roberto Bergersen and Gerry Washington, the Broncos return three starters and several experienced reserves who suddenly are being asked to take on bigger, brighter roles. Can Boise State's offense survive without Bergersen, last year's league MVP who scored 22.0 points a game and was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round? He didn't just help the team with his points. He also took the focus of every opponent's defense, opening up the post for easy baskets for everyone else. Can the defense thrive without Washington, a four-year starter at point guard who consistently set the tone with his aggressive, physical play on the ball? It didn't hurt that Washington could also score, averaging 12.2 points per game and setting the school record for three-pointers made. The answers to those questions won't come immediately. The Broncos have talent and they have holes. They have experience, yet must also rely on a lot of underclassmen to step up and get the job done. "Last year's team depended almost entirely on Roberto and Gerry," Jensen said. "This year's team is going to have to learn to come at you in a variety of ways on any given night, and it needs to be one that doesn't necessarily rely on one or two guys night in and night out."
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C BENCH/DEPTH C+
FRONTCOURT B- INTANGIBLES B
One thing is for certain: The Broncos will play hard. Unfortunately everything else is completely up in the air. The team has some talent and a bit of experience, but there are some major holes to fill, too. Is there a shooting guard to depend upon? Will C.J. Williams be able to play consistently? Is Kejuan Woods ready to step up and be a leader? Last year was magical. The attendance was pushed forward 1,000 per game. The team won 21 games. Roberto Bergersen was drafted. About the only negative was a puzzling snub by the NIT after the Broncos lost to New Mexico State in the league final. This season the Broncos come back to earth. They'll struggle to grab a winning record and instead plan on the future. And then, in the 2000-2001 season, Boise State will rise again. |
The expected leader is 6-6 junior forward Kejuan Woods (9.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg), a highly touted, highly recruited athlete who has yet to live up to the hype. Woods did a nice job doing all the dirty work last season, setting picks, crashing the boards and guarding the opponent's best post player. The big question is whether he has the maturity and mental stamina to step up and be a consistent performer every night. There's no question Woods has the talent to become an all-Big West performer if he sets his mind to it; the Broncos are 32-11 the last two seasons when Woods starts. Woods' frontcourt mate is 6-7 sophomore Abe Jackson (7.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg), a local high school product who didn't play the first nine games of last season. The Broncos wanted to redshirt Jackson, but he was so impressive in practice they couldn't help but play him. It was a good move, because Jackson has some serious skills. He has nice touch from outside, is savvy around the basket and plays hard. Unfortunately, those are the only two spots that are truly solid in the Broncos' rotation. Consider, for instance, the rest of the frontcourt players. First there is Michael Gely, a hulking 7-foot, 260-pound sophomore who had to sit out last season after it was discovered that he played five games as a professional while living in his hometown in France. The man is simply huge, especially when you consider that the 12-team Big West is essentially a dozen donuts: A lot of fun stuff on the outside but nothing but holes in the middle. He's also adjusting to American basketball, however, so relying on Gely to be too big a force this first season is a bit scary. Another option is 6-7 senior forward Justin Lyons, who has essentially missed the last two seasons with various knee injuries. Lyons is known for his passion on the court and his 35-inch vertical leap, but his jump shot is suspect. And, finally, there is 6-8 sophomore Richard Morgan (6.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg), a player with soft hands, nice touch and a good feel for the game. The problem is that he doesn't realize his own skill and is prone to long mental funks that negate his ability. Morgan can be a weapon if he regains his confidence. There is one other center on the roster: 6-11 junior Trever Tillman (2.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg). But he is expected to redshirt because of sore knees and shaky confidence. The good news: Tillman has an 85-inch wingspan. The bad news: He couldn't get fired up with a blowtorch and a gallon of gasoline. The backcourt is just as unsettled. Manning the point is 6-0 sophomore C.J. Williams (2.4 ppg, 2.4 apg), a pass-first player who started 12 games as a freshman. Williams is a true quarterback, but he also has his limitations. He doesn't have much of a jumper and he's had trouble with perennially painful knees. The Broncos think he'll be able to play this season, but it's hard to believe that he'll be good for 30 minutes a game. At shooting guard, the Broncos turn to 6-5 sophomore Dustin Van Weerdhuizen (1.2 ppg), the team's best practice player. Van Weerdhuizen can shoot the lights out, hitting 326 three-pointers as a high school player, and he's shown some impressive passing ability. He has yet to show that in a game, however, as he looked intimidated as a freshman. The backups are Clint Hordemann, Delvin Armstrong, Tim Hays, Scott Fraser-Dauphinee and Joe Skiffer. Hordemann (5.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg) is a 6-3 junior who hustles like crazy but is prone to free-lancing and Jensen doesn't tolerate that very well. A basketball junkie, Hordemann plays hard, can shoot when needed and has surprising athletic ability. He could step up this season. Armstrong (2.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg) is a similar athlete. The 6-4 junior doesn't have much of a perimeter game, which admittedly is a big weakness when your primary position is shooting guard. But he's also one of the best offensive rebounders on the team, and he's renowned for his hustle. Armstrong is never going to be a starter, but his versatility makes him a nice option on the bench. Hays, Fraser-Dauphinee and Skiffer are all freshman who may or may not play this winter. Hays, a 6-4 guard, walked on last year and might play a bit this season. Fraser-Dauphinee is a 6-7 swingman who excites the coaching staff. He's a wiry athlete with a big-time outside shot and has already drawn comparisons to Bergersen. Skiffer, meanwhile, is a 6-2 pure point who will redshirt if Williams and Van Weerdhuizen pan out, or play a lot if they don't. The other players on the roster are walk-on 6-3 guard Booker Nabors (Borah High/Boise, Idaho) and 6-3 senior swingman Quincy Wilder, a transfer from Southern Cal who will sit out this season. "We're probably not as athletic as we have been in the past," Jensen said. "That might initiate a few changes, but if our guys buy into the system and believe in that we should be fine."
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