I know this is hard for many fans and even harder for the players, and certainly I’m all for them feeling this, because in life it’s our short comings and failures that lead us to success. Was this the best game this team played all year? No but it’s the longest the school has played meaningful games in a long long time and that in and of its self is part of growing.
Tonight age overcame our youth and shooting at such a high rate was a huge help for La Salle and certainly we cannot claim they we undefended shots. That’s the game of basketball some teams only need a player to get hot but when a whole team gets hot and hits just about everything well it’s going to be a long night for a young and talented Boise State team.
Anthony Drmic was lights out and like we have seen this season Marks showed up in the second half.
At the half I posted “Ok here we go Does Marks go to the hole, will Drmic get open shoots, does Watkins continue to dominate around the rim?” I would say we got 2 of the 3 and on this night that was not good enough to overcome La Salles hot shooting. Marks did drive the lane with success and Drmic was off the hook but again La Salle shooting 73% in the second half following a 63% first half was just to much to over come.
The good news is this is a young team that sprang on to the scene with a result of their first loss a 4 point loss at East Lansing which made everyone in the basketball world take notice. When they went in to Omaha and beat down a Creighton team on their home court the word was received; then came the beat down in Boise of LSU. As conference play came on many in Bronco Nation wonder allowed is this team for real or will they collapse in conference play. Well they didn’t they held home court in all but 1 game against a top ranked and seeded New Mexico only losing in overtime. They picked up a couple road wins to go with that to earn their spot in what the RPI ranks as the top conference in college basketball.
With everyone but Buckner back next year and who knows who may come off the bench to add to the team which has already shown depth with its youth next year no doubt may be the most anticipated basketball season in Boise State’s history. Coach Rice has done what many maybe thought could never happen and that is to get Bronco Nation excited and hopeful for the future of Boise State basketball. While not putting the team just yet on the level of the Football program which would be hard to do for all but say the very cream of college football the Alabama’s of the world. He has gotten his team mentioned with the prestigious Boise State football program and with that these young men have brought honor to the team that plays on the Blue Turf.
As this season comes to an end it’s clear to this member of Bronco Nation we need this basketball team and we want them as well. Now if only I can take all this basketball film I possess and do these young men honor in a season highlight reel, as they learn I must now learn to do something I have never done before take the work of our young basketball hero’s and do them justice with a video worthy of their efforts.
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