Broncos in mid-season form: Dominate in season opener

Opponent: University of Oakland Grizzlies.

Record 2023: 24-12 with two NCAA Tournament wins.

Boise State Starting lineup:

Alvaro Cardenas

Andrew Meadows

Tyson Degenhart

O'Mar Stanley

Dylan Anderson

Summary of the game

Even against the smallest opponent, the first game of the season is usually ugly. Practice can build chemistry between teammates, but the pressure of a live game creates a whole different beast. With three new starters and four new faces off the bench, the Broncos had the cohesion of a team that had been playing together for years.

Perhaps the biggest addition of the offseason was point guard Alvaro Cardenas, who immediately demonstrated his leadership and skill. The first basket of the season was a clever pass from Alvaro under the basket to O'Mar Stanley, who shot the ball into the goal. Just 1:30 minutes into the basketball season, Cardenas already had three assists. He then knocked down a big 3-pointer. The Broncos took an early 13-2 lead.

Coming into the game I wasn't 100% sure what the starting lineup would be. Dylan Anderson, a 7-foot center who transferred from the University of ArizonaHe certainly looked like a starter from a distance, but I wasn't sure he had done enough in the offseason to earn the starting spot. I was excited when he was announced as the starter and quickly understood why he is the head coach Leon Rice would make the decision to begin the touted high school program. On the second possession of the season, Anderson showed the smooth shooting stroke I had only heard about, knocking down a three-pointer down the baseline. Just a few minutes later, he hit another jumper, this time just a 2-pointer, and then blocked a shot on the next defensive possession. Anderson finished the game 6-7 from the field and 1-1 from behind the arc. He ended up scoring 13 points with 4 rebounds and an assist, giving Bronco Nation a glimpse of the young man's sky-high potential.

According to some reports, Andrew Meadow had a disappointing season as a true freshman. There was a lot of pressure put on him early on and while he had good moments here and there, he didn't show the consistent strike rate that most fans expected us to see. After clearly working hard in the offseason, Andrew was named the starter and came into the game red hot. Meadow scored 15 points on 6-10 shooting, including 3-6 shooting from three. He was tied for the team lead, but also led the team in steals and showed defensive prowess we didn't see last season.

445 words into the article, we haven't even mentioned the two most dominant players on the roster. Tyson Degenhart and O'Mar Stanley also left their mark and combined for 28 points. A strikeout player last season, O'Mar started this season as a 2-2 three-point shooter and led the team with 8 rebounds. Degenhart, the Mountain West Player of the Year in the preseason, had a quiet 13 points to his name.

Before the game I really had no idea what the bench would look like. The team has a wealth of unproven talent. Players like Chris Lockett Jr., Javan Buchanan And Emmanuel Ugbo were ready to make their Bronco debut. RJ Keene also had a lot of time on the bench. With all the extra talent, I was pretty surprised Julian Bowiea true freshman from Pocatello, Idaho as one of the first to get involved with the game. I thought it was pretty likely that Bowie would redshirt, but hey, it wasn't the first or last time I was wrong. Bowie played 17 minutes and although he didn't score, he grabbed three rebounds and, perhaps most importantly, got the initial nerves out of his system.

It wasn't long after Bowie checked in that the remaining substitutes also got their chance. Emmanuel Ugbo, the team's most physically impressive player, grabbed 7 rebounds and scored 4 points. He's a big man who will see a lot of minutes where Stanley, Anderson or Degenhart need a breather.

Javan Buchanan came from the NAIA level. NAIA moving to Division 1 is like going from Single-A baseball to the major leagues (pardon the baseball reference). It's a huge competitive leap. While Buchanan was an all-rounder American At this level, I was excited to see how it would translate to the higher level of competition. Javan made a great first impression. He scored 9 points and also grabbed 4 rebounds in 17 minutes of playing time. He has a very smooth shot that will make him a capable player off the bench.

RJ Keene is a name that most Bronco fans will be familiar with. He played inconsistently last season, but is also known for his antics and big personality off the field. He's a goofy guy who I've seen interacting with fans in the middle of a game several times. He laughed and joked, but obviously kept his focus. Keene tied for the team lead with 6 assists and added another 6 points and 7 rebounds. It was an impressive overall performance for the player who looks to be making a more consistent contribution this season.

The team seemed surprisingly in a good mood at this home opener. Teams led by Leon Rice were not always known for starting the season “hot.” But perhaps that's partly because I'm not sure Leon ever had the experience and leadership that is evident on this team.

For the first time in program history, the Broncos were picked in the preseason poll and won the Mountain West Conference. The expectations for this team are as high as most Bronco fans, and for good reason. This team may be the most talented and diverse group to ever take the floor at Extra Mile Arena.

Next:

The Broncos travel to the University of San Francisco for a Saturday night matchup. Tipoff is at 8:30 p.m. and the game can be viewed on ESPN+