Boise State Basketball: 3 keys to beat Memphis in 2022 NCAA Tournament

The Keys to a Boise State Victory

Handle Early Pressure

Both teams will come in with nerves on Thursday. It’s inevitable for two teams that have not reached the NCAA tournament in nearly a decade. With this being said, the first ten minutes of the opening round’s 10:45 AM Local time tipoff will be crucial in setting the tone for the entire game for the Broncos. In last year’s NIT matchup, the stout Memphis defensive pressure forced Boise State into 13 first-half turnovers.

Despite jumping out to an early lead in that game, the Tigers used their defense to create offense and after a 22-6 run, the Broncos’ 15-5 lead was gone in a hurry. Halftime adjustments helped limit turnovers in the 2nd frame as Leon Rice’s Broncos finished with just 15 total, but this Memphis team is better, and a sloppy start could spell trouble.

The early start time is a storyline to watch as well, but when asked about it in a media session Sunday evening, Rice avoided any excuse and went so far as commenting that it was, “a terrific time.” The Broncos will head to Portland Tuesday after winning the Mountain West Championship last Saturday night while Memphis played the most recent game possible, finishing less than an hour before the Selection Show began in the process of falling in the AAC Championship, played in Fort Worth, Texas.

The taxing travel on both squads could be extra motivation in the Tigers’ attempt to speed up the Broncos early, trying to perhaps bounce on a sluggish start, but if Boise State slows things down and breaks the initial threat, Memphis frustration could build.

Houston handled early Memphis pressure on Sunday jumping out to a 12 point halftime lead, a deficit that the Tigers were never able to overcome. Memphis got as close as four points with under seven minutes left, but never could climb any closer. If Boise State can handle the in-your-face style that Penny Hardaway’s team will play early, they could dampen Tiger spirits while in the process of getting their fans engaged.

Boise State’s Extra Mile Arena is 431 miles away from the Moda Center and Bronco Nation will be out in full force come Thursday afternoon, something they have a clear advantage over Memphis, which will be tasked with approximately 2,254 miles of travel before Thursday’s game.

Clutch Shooting

One way to stifle Memphis’ fast-faced defensive attack to be decisive on offense, which could mean taking and making tough shots late in the shot clock. All year the Broncos have used clutch shooting to close out games, highlighted by a stretch in which Marcus Shaver Jr. nailed game-tying or game-winning shots three times in the span of four games. Shaver Jr’s late-game daggers show that he is clutch, but he shares the gene with his fellow teammates.

Tyson Degenhart’s played like he’s older than his freshman self all season. Look no further than his 13 points and leading scorer performance in the Mountain West title game to recognize that. And you cannot forget about Abu Kigab and Emmanuel Akot, each willing the Broncos to victories, most recently with Akot’s 22 point Mountain West quarterfinal performance in a win over Nevada and Kigab’s 22 point explosion himself in a semifinal win over Wyoming last week or his 23-point spree to help seal the outright MW title.

In any case, Kigab and Akot showed the ability to score the ball late in the shot clock, often shooting tough fade-aways over the outstretched arms of defenders. The Broncos have so many options to turn to in pressing situations, not just when the shot clock is dwindling, but also when the game is on the line.

These types of winning plays can be back-breaking for defenses. But clutch shooting extends to the free throw shooting department. In order for the Broncos to win this game, who as previously mentioned, rank dead last in free throw shooting percentage of any team in the field of 68 on Ken Pom, they must be better than the 12-21 showing that they had in the Mountain West title game.

Avoiding Foul Trouble

Limiting fouls will be crucial to the Broncos’ success on Thursday afternoon. Boise State does not have a deep bench, and if starting center Mladen Armus picks up a pair of first-half fouls, the Broncos rotation will get even thinner. Leon Rice cannot afford to play small-ball defense against the length that Memphis’ Jalen Duren and DeAndre Williams possess, and their athleticism could give the Broncos fits.

Staying away from any ticky-tack fouls is imperative to the Broncos’ success as the Memphis pressure could force Boise State’s lesser experienced players into tough situations. One bench player that will play a significant role in the Broncos’ success is none other than the coach’s son: Max Rice

X-Factor: Max Rice

Rice is the X-Factor for a couple of reasons, them being that he can get hot from deep and that he must be able to be a steady ball-handler against whatever defense that the Tigers throw his way. After a cold start shooting the ball, Rice has heated up a tad, making 7-15 in a two-game stretch in early February and another 5-11 spell a week before.

Look no further than Rices’ 4-8 start from beyond the arc in the month of March before not making a three-pointer in both the semifinals and finals of the Mountain West. Rice must be able to aid Marcus Shaver Jr. in the handling the ball in the backcourt and needs to stay in front of a likely faster guard.

Rice may be tasked with guarding a much smaller guard with Alex Lomax and Tyler Harris standing at 6 foot and 5’9” respectively. He could also be paired with Lester Quinones who stands at the same height as the Boise State guard at 6’5”, but has faster foot speed, which might make it a difficult matchup. Max missed the opportunity to play against Memphis in the NIT last season due to injury, but you have to imagine that game was playing in the Rice household all off-season.

Bonus X-Factor

Will Memphis wear their Memphis State uniforms? Last season, the Tigers rode the wave with the throwbacks, not wearing them until postseason play. The Tigers went on to lose just once following that decision, but the majority of success took place in their home whites. Memphis State will be the road team on Thursday and though the retro blues are still an incredibly slick uniform, the Tigers have had less success donning them as opposed to the whites. March Madness is all about fun, and that is certainly an entertaining novelty to follow.

So there you have it. If Boise State jumps out to an early lead, handles pressure, and Max Rice and fellow Broncos can knock down jump shots late in the shot clock, Boise State could frustrate Penny Hardaway’s team that wants to push the pace.

Hardaway had interesting comments following Sunday’s loss to Houston citing, “It’s tough to be excited after a loss, especially a game we felt like we could have won.” The Tigers are still hot, and it is difficult to say that any game in the NCAA Tournament could be a letdown, but Hardaway must re-focus the troops before heading out West. Otherwise, it will not be an extended stay.