NCAA Tournament looms, but Boise State remains focused on chasing Mountain West crown

Leon Rice isn’t ready to talk about the NCAA Tournament. The 18-game regular season is not over, and there is still a league title to be pursued.

Just like last season — when it won regular season and Mountain West Tournament championships — the Boise State men’s basketball team is trying to focus only on what’s directly ahead. In this case, it’s struggling Colorado State at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Much of the college basketball world is already focused on March Madness, particularly who’s likely in and who’s likely out, and who has work to do.

Based on the Broncos’ body of work this season, bracketology experts believe they will make the field. But Rice said he’s more worried about what happens over the course of the Broncos’ six remaining regular-season games. He’d like to see Boise State hoist another championship trophy.

“There’s something to doing it over three months in the course of a year and the grinding. That’s hard to do,” Rice said. “But yet you can get hot for three days and boom, everyone’s like: ‘Oh, what a great year.’ Really? Or was it three great games, you know, caught lightning in a bottle, and that happens.

“The grind of the season matters. ... But maybe that’s antiquated thinking in some people’s eyes. People see it differently now because so much is put on the tournament.”

The Broncos (19-6, 9-3 MW) are third in the Mountain West standings, 1.5-games back of first-place San Diego State (20-5, 11-2) and a half-game behind second-place Nevada (20-6, 10-3). Their schedule after Wednesday’s game includes UNLV (Feb. 19), New Mexico (Feb. 22), at San Jose State (Feb. 25), San Diego State (Feb. 28) and at Utah State (March 4).

If Boise State takes care of business against the teams behind it in the standings, the Broncos’ hopes of repeating as regular-season champions could come down to the final day of the regular season.

“Our guys know, but you don’t want to become immune to it just because we say it every game, and it’s real every game,” Rice said. “Anybody can beat anybody. It’s true and we’ve seen it up close. What you do with that information is you have to be ready to somehow play at your best or close to your best to be able to go on the road and get this done.”

Colorado State is coming off a victory over Air Force — a win that snapped a five-game losing streak. The Broncos beat the Rams by 21 points in Boise two weeks ago.

Losses against San Diego State or even Utah State in the final week likely would not alter their postseason chances much, but a loss to Colorado State could. San Diego State checks in at No. 17 in the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings, while Utah State is ranked No. 42. Those would be considered Quad 1 — or “good” — losses in the eyes of the selection committee.

The Rams are No. 120 in the NET.

Still, don’t expect the Broncos to take their foot off the gas as they approach postseason play. Not when a Mountain West repeat is still possible.

“We want to be able to be consistent and keep playing good through the whole year,” Rice said.

BOISE STATE AT COLORADO STATE

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Moby Arena, Fort Collins, Colorado

TV: Fox Sports 1

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

Records: Boise State 19-6, 9-3 MW; Colorado State 11-14, 3-9 MW

Series: Boise State leads the all-time series 16-14

KenPom rating: Boise State 29, Colorado State 111

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 67% chance of beating Colorado State. His score prediction is a 71-67 BSU victory.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index: Boise State has a 69.6% chance of winning with a predicted point differential of 5.1.