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

It worked last season, so why not try it again?

Following a 3-4 start in 2021-22, Boise State men’s basketball coach Leon Rice wrote out the Broncos’ remaining schedule on the whiteboard in the locker room, making it look like a ladder. Once the team got a good look at the journey ahead, Rice erased all but the next team on the schedule, adding one team at a time, until the climb was complete.

That journey ended with Mountain West regular season and tournament titles, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

So after Boise State’s 74-72 loss to Nevada to open Mountain West play, Rice remade the ladder for this year’s squad as a way to reset and stay in the moment.

“Coming off that first loss to Nevada, I felt like we were all kind of living in the future of what game’s next,” Boise State redshirt freshman Kobe Young said. “But he really sat us down after that game and we just built that ladder up again of one game at a time, live in the present.”

Up next for the Broncos is a trip to UNLV. Tipoff is 9 p.m. Mountain time at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

“If you live in the past, you worry about your mistakes and depression sets in,” Rice said. “Anxiety sets in if you start worrying about the future too much, so you’re helping those guys learn how to do that. I think that’s a great skill for any of us to have. Be here in the present and you end up getting a lot more enjoyment out of the ride.”

The Rebels lost their first two Mountain West games to San Jose State and San Diego State, but they are coming off an 84-77 upset of then-No. 21 New Mexico last Saturday. It was UNLV’s second victory this season over a ranked team. The Rebels defeated then-No. 21 Dayton on Nov. 15.

“In the Mountain West, every game is going to be a crusade,” Rice said. “(UNLV) had a great bounce-back against New Mexico. Man, they looked great, and they’re a really good basketball team, as you can see with their record. ... You gotta play a really good game to compete in this league, and that’s what we’re gonna have to take on the road.”

The Rebels lost All-Mountain West first teamer Bryce Hamilton — the Mountain West’s leading scorer in 2021-22 — to graduation, but they have welcomed nine newcomers, including six transfers from the Division I level. Oklahoma transfer EJ Harkless has taken over as UNLV’s leading scorer at 16.6 points per game, which ranks third in the Mountain West.

“They’re good because of not just one guy. They’re good because they’re playing good as a team,” Rice said. “They’re tough and they guard and all those things.”

BOISE STATE AT UNLV

When: 9 p.m. Mountain time Wednesday

Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas

TV: CBS Sports Network (Chris Lewis, Bob Wenzel)

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

Records: Boise State 12-4, 2-1 MW; UNLV 12-3, 1-2

Series: Boise State leads the all-time series 15-10, including five straight victories

Vegas line: UNLV by 1.5

KenPom rating: Boise State 49, UNLV 71

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 47% chance of beating UNLV. His score prediction is a 66-65 UNLV victory.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index: UNLV has a 66.2% chance of winning with a predicted point differential of 4.4.

Women’s basketball: Broncos host Rams

Winners of their first two Mountain West games, the Boise State women’s basketball team returns home to host Colorado State at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at ExtraMile Arena.

The Broncos (7-8, 2-0 MW) have wins over San Jose State and Utah State, and sit second in the conference standings behind UNLV.

Colorado State has conference victories against Fresno State, Utah State and New Mexico and lost in overtime to first-place UNLV.

Note: The Mountain West announced the rescheduling of the Dec. 29, 2022, women’s basketball game between Boise State and San Diego State that was postponed due to national travel issues. The Broncos will now host the Aztecs at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at ExtraMile Arena.