Boise State men’s basketball vs. Wyoming: How to watch, prediction and odds

The Wyoming men’s basketball team was picked to finish second in a preseason Mountain West poll released in mid-October.

The Cowboys have since gone 5-11 overall and have yet to win a conference game this season.

While it may look like an easy game from the outside, Boise State men’s basketball coach Leon Rice knows he must prepare his team for any number of scenarios Saturday at Wyoming (9 p.m., FS1).

The Cowboys have dealt with both injuries and illness, making their lineup unpredictable.

“(Wyoming coach Jeff) Linder is a mad scientist,” Rice said. “He’s gonna tinker with stuff all the time, and that’s what’s kept them in these games. I’m sure we’ll see some things maybe we haven’t seen yet.”

The Cowboys have played the entire season without Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year Graham Ike, who is dealing with a right foot injury. Ike will not play Saturday against the Broncos, according to the Casper Star-Tribune.

“In reality, if the best thing is for him not to play this year, that’s what it will be,” Linder told the Casper Star-Tribune. “If he’s able to feel comfortable and be able to get back in a few weeks, that’s what it’s going to be. At the end of the day, it’s going to be his decision because it’s his body and he knows how it feels.”

The Cowboys will also be without the services of junior guard Brendan Wenzel (knee), senior forward Hunter Thompson (mononucleosis) and senior guard Kenny Foster (back) against the Broncos.

“At the end of the day, it’s basketball and you go in there wanting to fight,” Boise State freshman Jace Whiting said. “Everything’s gonna go well as long as you play your heart out and play 100 percent and give it everything you’ve got. It’s always the team with more heart that wins.”

There is a possibility the Cowboys could get back leading scorer Noah Reynolds, who is under concussion protocol, and junior guard/forward Jake Kyman (back) is questionable, the Casper-Star Tribune reported.

“Losing is hard but it’s a long haul. We’ve still got two months left,” Linder said. “It would be one thing if you were getting beat by 30 or 40, but we’ve been right there in some really close games. … All you need is a spark, and we’re kind of looking for that.”

The Broncos continue to lead the Mountain West in scoring defense (60.1 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (38.8%), while the Cowboys rank last in both those categories. Boise State is also 12th in KenPom’s adjusted defense, and ranks in the top 30 in five other categories.

The Broncos have gone 9-1 in their last 10 meetings against the Cowboys, with the lone loss coming last season in Laramie.

“There’s not one chance we’re underestimating them or looking at their record or anything like that,” Rice said. “We know we’ve gotta go play an A-plus or an A game in order to be competitive.”

Broncos climb NET rankings

With three straight wins over conference opponents, the Broncos have jumped to No. 25 in the latest NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings released Wednesday.

Boise State was previously ranked No. 36 and has the third-highest rating in the Mountain West behind No. 20 San Diego State and No. 24 Utah State. The Broncos are a combined 7-3 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, which is the most wins among Mountain West teams.

The NET is one of the tools used by the selection committee to determine which teams receive at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament.

BOISE STATE AT WYOMING

When: 9 p.m. Mountain time Saturday

Where: Arena-Auditorium, Laramie, Wyoming

TV: Fox Sports 1 (Tim Neverett, Dave Miller)

Radio: KBOI 93.1 FM and 670 AM (Bob Behler, Abe Jackson)

Records: Boise State 13-4, 3-1 MW; Wyoming 5-11, 0-4

Series: The Broncos lead the all-time series 21-14.

KenPom rating: Boise State 31, Wyoming 145

KenPom & ESPN predictions

Ken Pomeroy, who created the popular college basketball statistical website KenPom.com, ranks every Division I team using an adjusted efficiency margin, which Pomeroy defines as the difference between a team’s offensive and defensive efficiency.

According to Pomeroy’s detailed statistical analysis, Boise State has a 71% chance of beating Wyoming. His score prediction is a 69-63 BSU victory.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index: Boise State has an 80.7% chance of winning with a predicted point differential of 8.7.

Women’s basketball: Broncos hit the road for two

The Broncos begin a two-game road trip with a stop in San Diego on Saturday. Tipoff against the Aztecs is 1 p.m. Mountain time at Viejas Arena.

Boise State (7-9, 2-1 MW) is coming off its first Mountain West loss of the season — a 71-50 setback against Colorado State at ExtraMile Arena.