Presented by VETERANS PLUMBING.
Wednesday Weekly…March 19, 2025.
The new College Basketball Crown isn’t quite what we hoped it would be, due to opt-outs. But all things considered, it’s still the best place for Boise State. The CBC has five teams with sub-.500 records: USC, Arizona State, DePaul, Butler and Colorado. The Broncos are the only team among the NCAA Tournament’s First Four Out in the CBC, with West Virginia, Indiana and Ohio State all passing on the postseason. Also declining possible at-large invitations were Rutgers, Kansas State, Penn State, Wake Forest and TCU.
But the fact that it runs March 31-April 6 means it won’t be up against any NIT or NCAA Tournament game. The tournament starts the day after the Elite Eight, and its semifinal and championship game are sandwiched around the Final Four. It’ll be aired on FS1 and Fox. The Broncos open against George Washington and—should they win—will face the winner of the Utah-Butler game in the quarterfinals. Keep an eye on this: the transfer portal window opens next Monday, and there could be additional opt-outs by teams that are gutted by departures.
THE COUNT AND THE AMOUNT
There is incentive for teams to go all-out in the College Basketball Crown. If Boise State wins its first two games in the tournament and makes the semifinals, the program receives $50,000 in NIL money to divvy up to the roster. If the Broncos win the semis, another $50,000 is added to the pot, and a championship would boost the total by $200,000. Every game should be intense. The hope is that it’s enough to keep those leaning toward the transfer portal from making the jump. The portal window will be open from March 24-April 22.
THE ELEPHANT AT THE ARC
After 34 games, a basketball team is what it is. And what Boise State hasn’t been this season is a good three-point shooting squad. What can be done to remedy that between now and Monday, March 31, when the Broncos open against George Washington in the College Basketball Crown, is anybody’s guess. The Mountain West Tournament was a microcosm of the whole season. In three games, the Broncos went 26-for-94 from three-point range. True, Boise State made a calculated risk by launching 40 threes against San Diego State—and it worked out, as it was a win. But the Broncos made only 11 of them. Their shooting percentage from beyond the arc for the season now stands at exactly 31 percent. That’s 317th in the country. Gotta get through the CBC—then hit a big ol’ reset button.
NOT THE WAY THE MW DREW IT UP
On Tuesday morning’s “Maggie & Perloff” show on KTIK, John Fanta of FOX Sports said, “Let’s say North Carolina goes out tonight and beats San Diego State. That would not validate one team being named to the tournament over another.” Well, now what? The much-vilified Tar Heels embarrassed the Aztecs 95-68 at the First Four in Dayton. UNC kind of looked like it belonged. It was the most points allowed by SDSU in regulation in 19 years. But before we trash the Mountain West for this travesty, let’s remember that on the same court in Dayton a year ago, the MW’s Colorado State dismantled ACC opponent Virginia 67-42.
C OF I IN K.C.
College of Idaho is in its March home-away-from-home, as it’s settled in at Kansas City for the round of 16 at the NAIA Tournament. The Coyotes will face Langston University of Oklahoma Thursday afternoon. There’s a couple of sidebars here. Langston was the team that knocked the Yotes out of the tournament a year ago with a 58-52 win in the Final Four. And in the round of 8 last season, the Lions beat Indiana Wesleyan—and current Boise State Bronco Javan Buchanan—61-48. (Buchanan scored 12 points in that game.) Should C of I avenge that loss to Langston, it’ll face the winner between Northwestern of Iowa and Georgetown of Kentucky.
WIDEOUTS WE DON’T KNOW YET
It’s spring break at Boise State, which means a pause in spring football after just a few practices. The coaching staff got its first look at the new makeup of the wide receivers room, which is now led by sixth-year Broncos Latrell Caples and Austin Bolt. The group is missing two very important pieces: Cam Camper, who decided not to use his extra year of eligibility, and Prince Strachan, who transferred to USC. Camper and Strachan combined for 83 catches and 1,207 yards last year. Chase Penry, Cam Bates, Ben Ford and Chris Marshall are also back in 2025, but this might be the year for a true freshman to get a legit shot at wideout. None of the December signees are in school yet—all three will arrive this summer. Will we be talking about any of these names? Quinton Brown. AJ Jones. Gavin Packer.
STEELIES CHURN CONTINUES
The Idaho Steelheads have worked the transaction wire relentlessly this season, and another deal came down on Tuesday when forward Hank Crone was traded to the Norfolk Admirals for future considerations. Crone was productive, scoring 54 points on 15 goals and 29 assists in 48 games this campaign, but he has already signed a contract to play in Switzerland next season. It’s crucial for the Steelies’ playoff hopes that they make hay this week, as the last-place Allen Americans will be in Idaho Central Arena for a three-game series starting tonight. After that, Idaho plays seven straight games on the road.
JORGENSON REACHES NEW CYCLING HEIGHTS
The Idaho Statesman’s Rachel Roberts ran a cool update Monday on Boise cyclist Matteo Jorgenson. After finishing eighth in the Tour de France last summer, the highest finish by an American in the iconic stage race in 10 years, Jorgenson became the first U.S. athlete to win back-to-back Paris-Nice races on Sunday. The next step for the Boise High grad is a first shot at the Grand Tour, a series that combines the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana. “I can’t say that I’m capable of winning a Grand Tour,”Jorgenson told CyclingWeekly.com. “But at least I want to try. I want to work towards that.”
A SECOND BLUE ON BROADWAY?
Don Day of BoiseDev has uncovered a fun Boise State sports nugget. The school needs to lay down new blue turf at Albertsons Stadium in the summer of 2026, and in conjunction with that, the Broncos may see some blue on the softball field at Dona Larsen Park. According to Day, Boise State has received a quote from Field Turf to replace the natural grass outfield with the same hue of blue turf as is laid down in Albertsons Stadium. The infield would remain dirt. Apparently, no final decision has been made on softball yet. But I sure don’t have a problem with another blue field along Broadway.
This Day In Sports…brought to you by BACON BOISE…fresh breakfast and brunch every day!
March 19, 1995, 30 years ago today: The most memorable of all moments in Boise’s NCAA Tournament history (until Hampton’s upset of Iowa State in 2001) occurs in the second round game between UCLA and Missouri. With 4.9 seconds left, Mizzou held a 74-73 lead when Bruins guard Tyus Edney took the inbound pass, drove the length of the floor and sank a high floater at the buzzer to win the game 75-74. UCLA would go on to win its 11th national championship two weeks later with an 89-78 win over Arkansas. There have been none since.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
VISIT OUR SCOTT SLANT SPONSOR SITES:
Bacon Boise
Zamzows
The James
AlphaGraphics
Commercial Tire
Veterans Plumbing
