BOISE, Idaho — Monday Special…March 18, 2024.
So I was talking to Tyson Degenhart before Boise State’s watch party yesterday, and I brought up how nice it is not to have to worry about Dayton. Degenhart agreed and was excited to see where the Broncos would go. He had all the possibilities figured out. We even talked about wearing white jerseys this week. But Degenhart—and most who have watched this team and the Mountain West in general—could not have predicted a No. 10 seed and a trip to Dayton in the First Four to face Colorado. When the slot was unveiled, the room sounded like the crowd when a three-pointer rims out. “Ohhhhhhhhh…” I saw Degenhart afterward and said, “Chip on the shoulder time, eh?” He just smiled and said, “We had a great practice today!” This team is nothing if not resolute. Now they have a chance to go out and earn it.
NET, SCHMET
The Mountain West did get six teams in, but outside of San Diego State at No. 5, the league’s teams were seriously under-seeded, starting with Boise State and its trip to Dayton. There’s Utah State at No. 8 and Nevada at No. 10 along with Colorado State, which is also First Four-bound and, in fact, barely got into the tournament. And New Mexico, coming off a spectacular four-day run in Las Vegas, only merited a No. 11 seed with its automatic bid.
On the Mountain West issue, selection committee vice chair Bubba McClelland said, “We didn’t have that many data points outside their conference.” Two wins over No. 3 seed Creighton, two wins over No. 5 seed Saint Mary’s, one over No. 5 seed Gonzaga…oh well. After the Broncos’ watch party, coach Leon Rice said, “The disrespect has been consistent.” He was talking about both his team and the Mountain West. Sure, Boise State could have used a couple of wins in Las Vegas. Maybe that would have boosted the Broncos from a No. 10…all the way up to No.9? I don’t know if we’ll ever believe the NET rankings again.
THE BUFFS WILL BE A TOUGH OUT
A LOOK BACK AT THURSDAY
Conventional wisdom said New Mexico, in a rhythm from its first-round rout of Air Force, would get off to a fast start against Boise State in the Mountain West quarterfinals. That’s how it shook out, as the potentially rusty Broncos turned the ball over three times in the first two minutes. They took a brief lead at the 15-minute mark, but it’s hard to play a team with its back to the wall on the NCAA Tournament bubble. By halftime, the Lobos were up by nine and Boise State was shooting just 25 percent. Things improved in the second half, as the Broncos got it down to four a couple times. But then you’d blink, and it would be 10 again. The bottom line: it was an anemic shooting night, and defensively, the Broncos were punctured in the paint.
THE YOTES’ HOME AWAY FROM HOME
College of Idaho ventures into familiar territory this week. It’s on to Kansas City, where the Coyotes will defend their NAIA national championship. The Yotes earned a spot in the round of 16 for the seventh straight year by sweeping the NAIA first and second rounds over the weekend in Caldwell, routing Jessup 104-73 Friday night and getting past Cornerstone 74-62 Saturday night. The victories upped C of I’s record to 30-3, making this the sixth straight full season of 30 or more wins. The Yotes are the only team in the nation at any level to accomplish that. They’ll next face Madonna of Michigan this Friday afternoon in K.C.
LVE’S LIFETIME DECISION
Leighton Vander Esch’s chronic neck problems have left his NFL career in limbo after his release from the Dallas Cowboys on Friday. The former Boise State star was tabbed with a “failed physical designation” and is now pondering his future. Vander Esch, one of five first-round draft picks in Boise State history, burst on the scene with a Cowboys rookie record for tackles in 2019 with 178. But injuries to his neck in particular have plagued him since. LVE posted a strong comeback season in 2022 with 126 tackles, but his 2023 campaign lasted only five games after he jammed his neck into teammate Micah Parson’s neck in a road game against San Francisco.
RYPIEN’S NEXT STOP: CHI-TOWN
Former Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien is on his fifth NFL team—and fourth in a little over a year—after signing with the Chicago Bears last Thursday. The Bears, of course, are expected to draft USC’s Caleb Williams No. 1 overall next month. But maybe Rypien won’t be just a “camp arm.” He was on Seattle’s practice squad for 3½ weeks last season when Shane Waldron was the Seahawks offensive coordinator, and Waldon is now the new O.C. in Chicago, so he knows Rypien. If he’s able to catch on with the Bears this year, that would make it his sixth NFL season. Rypien has four career starts in the league.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS…March 18, 2018:
Nevada stages the second-biggest comeback in NCAA Tournament history to beat Cincinnati 75-73 in the second round and advance to the Sweet 16. The Wolf Pack trailed by 22 points with less than 11 minutes remaining before ending the game on a 32-8 run. Josh Hall scored the winning basket on a rebound and putback with nine seconds left. It was the only lead of the game for the Wolf Pack, who had rallied from 14 points down two days earlier in an 87-83 overtime win in the first round against Texas. (The Pack would fall to Loyola Chicago in the Sweet 16.)
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
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