BOISE, Idaho — The Boise State men's basketball team landed its first high-impact transfer portal player of 2024 on Wednesday with the addition of former San Jose State guard Alvaro Cardenas.
Cardenas entered the portal on March 20, just days after the Spartans wrapped up a 9-23 season, which included an opening round exit at the Mountain West Tournament.
"I want to thank coach (Tim) Miles for giving me an opportunity to play at the Division I level when no one else would and helping me develop into the player I am today," Cardenas wrote in a post on X. "With that being said, I will be embarking on new challenges and have entered the transfer portal with a year left of eligibility."
On a team that struggled, Cardenas stood out. In the Mountain West, he ranked third in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.67), fourth in assists per game (5.52) and fifth in minutes per game (35.52). He also led San Jose State in three-point field goal percentage (38.5%) and ranked second on the team in scoring (13.2 points per game).
Cardenas joins a roster that returns four starters off a team that went to the NCAA Tournament. It also gives the Broncos four players heading into the 2024-25 season that averaged over 12.0 points per game last season, something no other Mountain West team can claim (at least at this moment).
Broncos that averaged 12.0+ PPG during 2023-24 season:
- Tyson Degenhart: 16.7
- Chibuzo Agbo: 13.7
- Alvaro Cardenas: 13.2*
- O'Mar Stanley: 12.7
*at SJSU
#TuSTATS: How big of an addition is Cardenas?
• Only five players in the NCAA averaged 13.0+ points, 5.0+ assists and shot 38.0%+ from three this past season. That group included Northwestern guard Boo Buie, Marquette guard Tyler Kolek, Colorado State guard Isaiah Stevens, Utah guard Deivon Smith, and... Cardenas.
• Only four players in the NCAA dished out 170+ assists while shooting 45.0%+ from the field, 38.0%+ from three, and 80.0%+ from the free-throw line. Kolek, Stevens, and Colorado guard KJ Simpson are all on that list with Cardenas.
• There are only two players in Mountain West history with 170+ assists and less than 65 turnovers in a single-season. Stevens, who did it during the 2022-23 season, and Cardenas, who did it last season.
• Cardenas scored at least 11 points in 14 of 18 games against Mountain West competition last season. Two of the four games he was limited to single-digits came against Boise State.
• Cardenas was the only player in the NCAA to log over 1,100 minutes and turn the ball over less than 65 times while also picking up at least 170 assists during the 2023-24 season.
• Cardenas had 171 assists during the 2023-24 season at San Jose State. La'Shard Anderson is the single-season record holder at Boise State, with 165 during the 2010-11 season.
Most Assists by a Bronco during the Leon Rice Era:
- La'Shard Anderson - 165 (2010-11)
- Derrick Marks - 122 (2012-13)
- Mikey Thompson - 121 (2015-16)
- Marcus Shaver, Jr. - 110 (2022-23)
- Chandler Hutchison - 107 (2017-18)
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