Boise State Aims For The Tournament’s Auto Bid As The No. 2 Seed
Chandler Hutchison and the Broncos could be a tough out in this week’s tournament
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Boise State will take on the winner of Utah State/Colorado State in the quarterfinals
[jwplayer fb1swk9j-Esf0Ippc]The Mountain West Tournament begins Wednesday with three first round matchups. Utah State and Colorado State duke it out in the 7-10 matchup, with the winner facing Boise State on Thursday. Here are three reasons why Boise State could not only win Thursday’s game, but the entire Mountain West Tournament.
Boise State Doesn’t Allow Extra Possessions
The Broncos are one of the nation’s best teams in preventing opponents from having extra possessions. Boise State allows opponents to grab just 18.6% of potential offensive rebounds, which is tops in the country. Other teams in BSU’s side of the bracket have struggled on the offensive boards, as likely advancers Utah State, Wyoming and New Mexico rank 252nd, 345th and 262nd nationally in offensive rebounding percentage. Boise State should dominate the boards.
Chandler Hutchison Can Take Over In The Clutch
Hutchison has missed his fair share of late-game attempts this year, but so has every player that has a usage rate greater than 30%. The Mountain West Wire Player of the Year already has game-winners over Colorado State and UTEP in the past two seasons, and will likely get his chances late in games this week. No player in the league is better at creating his shot, whether it be off the dribble or attacking the lane, in a game’s final moments.
Broncos Have A Favorable Tournament Path
You could say that any team that is opposite of Nevada and San Diego State has a favorable path to the tournament final, but it is certainly the case for Boise State. Boise State is 7-2 against teams in the bottom half of the bracket and 6-3 against teams in the top half. The two defeats that the Broncos suffered against its side of the bracket were a 79-78 overtime loss at Wyoming and a six-point loss at Utah State. Boise State had a late lead in both losses.
