The (10-2) Boise State Broncos and (11-3) Santa Clara Broncos will ride into Leavey Center on Thursday for a non-conference hoops matchup. BSU is 1-0 in road games this season and has won nine consecutive games. SCU is 8-1 at home and has won three straight. Boise State defeated Santa Clara 72-60 last season.
Tip-off from Santa Clara, CA, is at 5:00 p.m. ET. Boise State is a three-point spread favorite, and the game total is 137.
Boise State is one of the hottest teams in the country and a serious contender in the Mountain West. The Broncos have defeated Power-Five programs Washington State, Colorado, and Texas A&M, as well as a solid Saint Louis team. Thursday's matchup versus Santa Clara will wrap up BSU's non-conference slate.
In its latest victory, Boise State beat Oakland 77-57, scoring 46 second-half points to pull away. The Broncos held their opponent to 35.9 percent shooting, including 18.5 percent from long range. Forward Tyson Degenhart (17 points) and guard Chibuzo Agbo (16 points) paced BSU.
Keep it rolling ???#BleedBlue #WhatsNext pic.twitter.com/xtp6kjDG0F
— Boise State MBB (@BroncoSportsMBB) December 20, 2022
The Broncos have won by double digits in seven games during their nine-game win streak, beating four teams by 20-plus points. They're scoring 75.6 points per game during that stretch and surrendering 55.7 points.
This season, Boise is ranked 149th in offensive efficiency, adjusted for schedule, per KenPom. Its leading scorer, Marcus Shaver Jr. (14.8 PPG), has not played since Dec. 10 and is questionable for Thursday's game. The Broncos shoot 44.3 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three. Their assist-to-turnover ratio is 0.93, ranked 197th in D-1.
The BSU defense is elite, ranking 11th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency. They're giving up 57.1 points on 36.7 percent shooting, including 26.0 percent from distance. The Broncos average 35.9 rebounds, and their opponents average 28.0 boards.