UW-Boise State Q&A

Nick Jezierny covers Boise State men’s basketball for the Idaho Statesman newspaper in Boise. He answered five questions on Saturday’s game with Wyoming.

As always, I welcome your thoughs and opinions.

Do you think the 77-72 overtime loss Wednesday to No. 12 UNLV will boost the Broncos’ confidence heading into Saturday’s game with Wyoming? More than anything, do you think the team will be tired coming off that overtime game? I would think that taking the No. 12 team in the country to overtime would be a confidence boost. Fatigue is going to be a factor. With only 10 healthy players, and only seven saw extensive minutes against UNLV, there could be some issue there. But this is a team that is well conditioned. What hurts is Wyoming had an extra day to recover from its past game.

Talk about all the injuries and other factors that have forced numerous players to miss games so far this season, and how close to full strength will Boise State be Saturday? Igor Hadziomerovic: broken foot during practice the week of Dec. 12-17. He’s been out since and could return in the next few weeks. Won’t play Saturday. Jeff Elorriaga: Fractured thumb on shooting hand trying to make a steal at TCU. He’s out for the season. He was team’s best perimeter defender and smartest player in terms of basketball IQ. Andrew Drmic: high ankle sprain suffered Dec. 19. Missed a game at Iowa and still isn’t at 100 percent, though its hard to tell when you see how hard he plays. Kenny Buckner: MW, NCAA conducted an academic review of his eligibility, forcing him to miss the Colorado State game. He’s been cleared and has been a beast on the boards of late (12 against UNLV). Derrick Marks: Hurt his ankle late in the UNLV game. Said he’ll be fine after the game. When Igor went down, full strength was decimated. He’s the one guy on the floor who makes everyone better.

Appears like Boise State has some promising young players, such as freshmen guards Anthony Drmic and Derrick Marks. Who have been surprises among the slew of newcomers and youngsters coach Leon Rice has brought in this season?Drmic started the year on fire, but has struggled with his shot of late (1-8 vs. UNLV, no 2nd half points against TCU). He’s the team’s most complete player and a serious competitor. Marks has come along since he first arrived. He’s the best athlete on the team. Just watch the explosion on the dunk he had against UNLV. Fearless, too. Buckner has been a viable post man and a strong rebounder. Great attitude, too. Thomas Bropleh played sparingly last season as a reserve, and this year, he’s elevated his game. Shooting the ball well, playing with confidence and providing much-needed rebounding.

What have been your impressions of Wyoming, and what do you think Boise State needs to do to have a chance to win? I haven’t seen much of the Cowboys, though I did catch the SDSU game on TV. My initial thought is Wyoming feasted on a soft schedule early to build confidence and become a better team. It reminds me of what Boise State did in its first year under Leon Rice and even earlier this season. But once the schedule picked up, the Broncos have struggled. I expect Wyoming to finish around .500 in the conference. Boise State needs to rebound, shoot better from 3-point range and make more hustle plays to have a shot.

Your prediction for the game? Boise State 71, Wyoming 67. Nothing would surprise me, though. I just think Broncos won’t lose three in a row at home.