Boise State adds backcourt reinforcement in form of a former Mountain West rival

The Boise State men’s basketball team filled a need on its roster Wednesday with the addition of a former Mountain West rival.

Former San Jose State point guard Alvaro Cardenas announced he was transferring to Boise State. He started 30 games this season, and the junior was a team captain for the Spartans. He has played in 96 games since 2021.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound native of Spain ended the season ranked No. 2 at San Jose State with 13.2 points a game and No. 4 in the Mountain West with 171 assists. He also averaged 3.3 rebounds a game and shot 38.5% from 3-point range. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

The addition of Cardenas fills a hole in the roster left by backup point guard Jace Whiting’s decision to transfer. It’s the second year in a row that Boise State has turned to the transfer portal to find a point guard.

The Broncos added Roddie Anderson III from UC San Diego for the 2023-24 season. His scoring numbers improved as the season went on, but he struggled to run the offense, which is a point guard’s primary job. He posted more than four assists in just two games, and he didn’t record a single assist in 38 minutes of playing time in a 60-53 loss to Colorado in an NCAA Tournament First Four game in Dayton, Ohio.

Cardenas posted 10 assists in a game four times this season, including a loss to New Mexico at The Pit in late January and a loss to Utah State in the regular-season finale. The Aggies won the Mountain West’s regular-season title and earned the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. San Jose State (9-23, 2-16 MW) finished in last place in the conference.

Boise State (22-11, 13-5) earned the No. 3 seed in the Mountain West Tournament and made the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season.