Win One in March: The Season That Could Change Everything For Boise State
October 29, 2025
Article By Nick Wade
In the 2024-25 season the Broncos built something to believe in: a 26-11 overall record, a 14-6 mark in the Mountain West Conference, and another finish near the top of the league standings. Offensively and defensively the team showed real promise — with scoring 75.8 points per game (good for 125th and allowing just 66.9 points 41st nationally. The strength of the overall numbers suggests this is a program in shape, disciplined, and climbing.
And yet, the elusive breakthrough remains. The Broncos once again flirted with greatness but came up short of the mythical next step. That step is clear and unavoidable: to not only make the NCAA Tournament, but to win a game in it. For a program with the ambition of Boise State, which is the marker that begins to make recruiting young stars more credible. That is the moment when a five-year smart goal becomes more than hopeful: it becomes believable.
Because make no mistake: Leon Rice is still under the microscope this year. He is the most successful coach in Bronco men’s basketball history, but success is measured in context — especially postseason context. Rice has delivered five of Boise State’s ten NCAA Tournament appearances. And yet the Broncos are still 0–10 all-time in NCAA Tournament games. That goose egg hangs heavily. Bronco Nation cheers the wins, but the baggage of March still looms large.
This season, the 2025-26 campaign, offers the clearest shot yet to break the spell. The foundation is in place, the talent is real, the expectation is calibrated but rising. A win in the Big Dance would shift gears for Boise State’s brand. It would send a signal: “We are more than just consistent winners; we are winners when the pressure is highest.” That kind of cred boost is invaluable when recruiting next-level talent who could see Boise State and think yes, that can be me.
With promising acquisitions, the program has set a tangible trajectory. The goal every year: to win either the Mountain West Regular Season and/or the Mountain West Tournament Championship. That’s a SMART goal. Five years, measurable, achievable but ambitious laid it out in our article “The Standard” as: win one of those by 2027. The road to that goal begins this season. The time to lean in is now.
What Carries Over
One of the benefits for Boise State this year is continuity. More than a handful of contributors are back — a crew that knows how to win 20+ games, knows how to grind through the Mountain West, and knows the internal expectations. To name some of the key returning players:
Andrew Meadow started 35 games last season and delivered 12.6 points per game along with 4.2 rebounds and a 35.2 percent mark from three. He is widely expected to be a go-to shooter and was voted to the preseason All Mountain West team. His ability to space the floor and stroke it from deep or take it to the rim gives the Broncos a valuable weapon. Pearson Carmichael, a rising star. Peanut averaged 6.9 points and 2.5 rebounds last year in a role that is expanding. He looks to be on the cusp of something bigger. Javan Buchanan a senior posted 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 53.4 percent from the field — earning MWC Sixth Man of the Year honors. That kind of efficiency and experience is something every championship team needs, and Javan is about to have a big time year for the Broncos. RJ Keene’s return supplies the oil the team needs to run smoothly. Though his 1.8 points and 2 rebounds per game with 11 starts last year don’t pop out at you, it is the intangibles and hustle he brings the team. His size and experience in the Mountain West can matter late in key games. Also back is Julian Bowie — the sophomore guard averaged 3.9 points and 1.5 assists in two starts but will now be expected to play a deeper role.
What all of this means is this: there is foundation. The program is not rebuilding; it is reloading. The players know the system. They know Rice’s expectations. They know the home floor of ExtraMile Arena, they know the Mountain West grind. What they don’t yet have is the signature postseason breakthrough. That, for this group, remains the missing chapter
What is Different / New This Season
Though the Broncos have continuity carry over they aren’t just banking on the returners. There are fresh pieces that raise the ceiling. Most notably, the addition of Dylan Andrews — a senior guard (6’3, 180 lbs) who comes from UCLA. Andrews brings experience from a high-level program and a willingness to step into the fire in a lead at point. His addition signals Boise State’s intent to compete at a higher level, not just in conference but nationally.
Equally exciting was the addition of Drew Fielder — a 6’11, 225 lbs junior forward/center from Georgetown. Fielder came in and immediately grabbed the attention of Bronco Nation with a 24-point explosion in just 13 minutes in an exhibition game against the Idaho Vandals. That kind of instant impact helps energize the fan base, sets expectations in practice, and gives the lineup a new dimension. It also brings much-needed size to a roster that, truth be told, lacks a true center. The Broncos are still without a classic “five” in the traditional sense, but what they do have is length, mobility, and athleticism at the four spot — which in today’s game might well be an advantage rather than a hindrance.
The emerging freshmen add further dimension. Guards like Aginaldo Neto (6’3, 180 lbs, from Luanda, Angola; product of the NBA Academy Africa) and forwards like Spencer Ahrens (6’10, 230 lbs from Oakville, Ontario) bring international flavor, length, and youthful upside. These young pieces — while probably not ready to carry the load immediately — add energy, depth, and the kind of untapped upside that makes a season interesting.
The fact that the Broncos already won an exhibition game this preseason against the Washington State Cougars gives early credence to the idea that this is not just talk. The exhibition wins against Idaho and WSU show this roster is buying in, the shooters are confident, the bigs are getting involved, and the chemistry is forming.
The Narrative That Matters
Here is where the stakes become real. For Boise State, this is not simply “another 20-win season with a good Mountain West record.” Instead, it’s time to flip the script. The narrative of being perennial contenders without the marquee win is a heavy one. When a program enters each March knowing that the banner they genuinely want begins with a win in the NCAA Tournament, pressure accumulates. And the man in the hot-seat — ultimately, Leon Rice — knows that success at this level demands not just incremental improvement (though there has been plenty of that) but a meaningful breakthrough. He has delivered long-term stability and winning habits; what he hasn’t delivered is the March magic that validates everything else.
Leon Rice is under the microscope, yes, but more so is the program’s trajectory. How many more seasons can you sustain excellence without truly capitalizing on it? If you recruit players and they pick Boise State instead of a traditional blue blood, you need to show them there is a path not just to the Mountain West title, but past it — to the kind of tournament success that resonates on major media networks, that generates buzz in the locker room, that builds legends.
Because Boise State hasn’t yet won in the NCAA Tournament, every subsequent appearance is viewed through a little bit of skepticism: “Will this be the one?” Others in the league look at the Broncos and think, “They are good, but can they deliver when it counts?” That perception affects everything: recruiting, scheduling, national respect, even the confidence of the players.
That is why this season feels different. This season feels like it is one of those where the internal voice shifts from “we hope we win one” to “we expect to win one.” Because the pieces are there. The goal is explicit: win the Mountain West. To make that happen, you must set the benchmark earlier and raise the floor. Winning the conference or the tournament in the next couple of years becomes more than desirable — it becomes essential. The pre-season win over WSU, the exhibition performance of Fielder, the veteran returners, the transfers arriving all suggests Boise State is not just planning to compete but planning to win.
What Fans Should Watch For
Bronco Nation, there are quite a few storylines worth following — not because they guarantee success, but because they are the differentiators. One: how does the backcourt gel? Andrews, Bowie plus Neto means there are multiple ball-handlers, shooters, defenders — but will they play cohesively? Two: how the front court is managed, given that the team is without a prototypical center. Fielder brings near-7-foot size, but how will he be utilized? Does he complement Meadow, Carmichael, Buchanan, Parolin and Ahrens? Three: how will the team perform late in the season — when conference play heats up, when tournament seeding matters, when March introspectively becomes “make or break”? Four: how will coach Rice manage expectations, pressure, media narrative? He has earned the right to be here, but the larger story is whether he can take this team over the hump — and that means March. Five: how will recruiting be impacted by this season’s outcome? A win in the NCAA Tournament would brighten the whole horizon for the next class of Bronco recruits.
Don’t overlook the intangible: the “Bronco Nation” factor. Boise State has a passionate, regional fan base that thrives when the team has momentum. But momentum demands a trigger — and this season looks like that trigger year. If the Broncos start fast, win big non-conference games, assert themselves early in the Mountain West, the buzz builds. If they stall, then the silent pressure grows.
Opening Night and Beyond
Mark your calendar: the Broncos open their 2025-26 season Monday, November 3rd at 7 pm Mountain Time at ExtraMile Arena. The round ball tips and the expectations are high. It’s not just another season opener; it’s the first chapter of a season that could define the next era of Boise State basketball. The fans will be there. The returning players will be there. The new pieces will be there. The question is: will the breakthrough moment come this year?
If the Broncos not only make the NCAA Tournament but win a game in it — everything changes. Recruiting would get easier, the narrative shifts from “we’re chasing” to “we’re winning,” and Bronco Nation gets a long-overdue signature moment. If they do not, the window remains open — but the urgency grows.
In short: this season is about more than the scoreboard (though the scoreboard matters). It’s about legacy, reputation, aspirations, and the next step. The pieces are assembled. Coach Rice has the foundation. The returning players know what winning looks like. The newcomers carry promise and new energy. Bronco Nation has reason to believe. Now it’s time to deliver.