MBB: Boise State (5-2) at Texas A&M (5-2) 2K22 Battleground
Boise State University at Texas A&M University
Date: Saturday December 3,2022
Time:5:00pm MT
Stadium: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX (13,550)
TV: ESPNU
Radio: KBOI 670 AM
Commentators: Adam Frenier and Abe Jackson
Know Thy Enemy
“The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas” such is the case as Boise State travels to Fort Worth to take on the fighting Aggies of Texas A&M in the Battleground 2K22 invitational.
Boise State will head to the lone star state riding a hot hand, winners of four straight. Their current win streak has been powered by their defense, as they have yet to give up more than 69 points this season. The Aggies are on a win streak of their own, as they have won their past three games. Both teams were in the field at the Myrtle Beach Invitational, but the Aggies were not as pleased with their time in South Carolina as the team was dealt an “embarrassing” loss to Colorado 103-75. Since that Loss the Aggies have turned things around. During their current win streak the Aggies have asserted their dominance, winning each game by an average of 17 points.
The Aggies this season are led by a trio of players, guards, Taylor Wade IV and Tyrece Radford as well as big man Henry Coleman III. All three players are averaging close to 25 minutes per game and all three are in the double figures in scoring. Coach Williams is still trying to find the right mix as nine different players have cracked the starting 5 this season. The Aggies seem to let their defense turn into offense. Texas A&M is averaging close to 10 steals per game and 22 points off of turnovers.
The Aggies are coached by Buzz Williams. Williams is in his fourth season as head coach with a record of 53-38 at A&M. Before his current gig in College Station, Williams was head coach of Virginia Tech for five seasons and six. He has lead his teams to eight NCAA appearances, but he might be most well known for his Game Day attire and his dapper suits on the sidelines.
The Broncos and the Aggies will face each other for the first time on Saturday.
What Happened Last Time
History will be made this weekend as these two programs will go head-to-head for the first time.
Player to Watch
TEXAS A&M
JR., HENRY COLEMAN III, F #15
Henry Coleman might not be leading the team in scoring, but when he is on the team is right. In the five wins this season, Collmean has been in double figures, averaging 15 points. In the two losses He has scored a TOTAL of four points. The Broncos will have to deal with the 6’8” forward and if they can limit his production it could be a long night for the Aggies.
BOISE STATE
Rs.SR., MAX RICE, G #12
Max Rice is looking to continue his bounce-back season from last year. The 6’4” guard from Boise, ID started the season off hot scoring 21 points and going 4-8 from deep in the team’s first game. Since then he’s cooled down a little, but is still averaging over 10 points per game. Saturday the Broncos will face an Aggies team who are not allowing teams to score in the painted area. Boise State might have to rely on their three ball to stay in this one. Max Rice loves to shoot the three, as he has already shot 30 in seven games this season.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Boise State
TEXAS A&m
Rev's Route to a Bronco Win
ROCK FIGHT
This year Boise State has held 5 of their 7 opponents to either their lowest or second lowest point total of the season thus far. Aggies Coach Buzz Williams said, “Nobody in the world wants to play Boise. They’re as good as anybody.” Now I don’t know if the second part of that is true, but the first certainly is. Coach Rice’s teams are known for their scrappy, suffocating defense. They will frustrate you to pieces. If Boise State is going to win they will need to continue the trend of keeping the scoring low with their stifulling defense.
22’ 13/4”
The NCAA Men’s three-point line is 22 feet 1 and ¾ inches from the hoop. Boise State likes to shoot three pointers, averaging over 20 per game this season, but have had a hard time making them, shooting just a touch over 30% from behind the arc. That shooting percentage is 10th out of 11 in the Mountain West. Saturday they will face an Aggies team that is allowing opponents to shoot 20.5 three a game. If Boise State wants to win they will have to shoot 40% from deep to compete.
Editor Note:
GOOD ENOUGH TO WIN
Leon Rice after the last game against CSUN was asked if there were going to be nights that arent perfect and you just need to survive. He had this to say, “First of all, that's college basketball. You have to be good enough to win those when maybe you don’t shoot the ball great or the ball doesn’t bounce your way. Weird things happen because that's what happens. If you can accomplish the mission on those nights that's great. In a month or two you’re not going to remember if you won by 9 or 20.”
It seems like the nights where the Broncos don’t have it on the offensive side, they turn up the heat on the defensive side. To me that sure is a sign of a good basketball team. Shooting will come and go, but defense truly does win and travel. With that said, I think the slow starts catch up with the Broncos in this one…
Boise State 65, Texas A&M 72
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