BY MIKE PRATER
@KTIK.COM

RECORD: 14-3, 4-1 Mountain West (Broncos are 9-0 at home; the school record is 16-0 and there are seven home games remaining … the school record for most overall wins in a season is 25; the Broncos have at least 14 games remaining).

PREVIOUS GAME: The Broncos won at Fresno State 70-64 on Tuesday, Jan. 9, their first win in the Save Mart Center since 2013. Chandler Hutchison finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season, and Alex Hobbs added 20 points.

NEXT THREE GAMES:

• Vs. San Diego State, Taco Bell Arena, 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13 (670 AM, ESPN2)
• Vs. Utah State, Taco Bell Arena, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17 (670 AM, 93.1 FM, MW Network)
• At Nevada, Reno, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 (670 AM, 93.1 FM, ESPN2)

The rumors are true, Bronco Nation.

Let's do this thing and get Coach Rice in the Boise River! #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/IapnFse0mO

— Boise State MBB (@BroncoSportsMBB) January 10, 2018

SCOUTING REPORT: The next three games provide the toughest stretch on the Broncos’ schedule this season – the Aztecs, Aggies and Wolf Pack are a combined 36-15 (10-3 in the MW).

CHANDLER HUTCHISON UPDATE: The senior guard/wing and NBA prospect is averaging 18.3 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. He also leads the Broncos in assists with 56.

AVERAGE HOME ATTENDANCE: 5,058 (the highest average since consistent Boise State records were maintained starting with the 2001-02 season is 6,810 in the 2013-14 season).

RPI: 39

BRACKETOLOGY:

• ESPN/Joe Linardi lists Boise State as one of the “Last Four In’’ the NCAA Tournament, and puts the Broncos in the play-in game in Dayton, Ohio, as a No. 11 seed
• CBS Sports/Jerry Palm does not have Boise State in the NCAA Tournament.

OPINIONATOR: Boise State is putting together one of the best seasons in school history, and can set a school record for most wins in history and highest home average attendance since at least 2001-02. But the NCAA Tournament bid is far from a lock, because the Mountain West probably won’t get more than one or two bids. Nevada is the league’s NCAA front-runner for now, and if Boise State can finish the MW season at 15-3 or better, and reach the title game of the MW Tournament in Las Vegas, it should be able to snag that second NCAA bid. Boise State must win at least two of its next three games to keep the NCAA momentum rolling.

Mike Prater, editor of The Opinionator, co-hosts Idaho Sports Talk with Caves & Prater weekdays from 3-6 p.m. on KTIK 93.1 FM The Ticket and can be heard on Bronco GameNight after BSU football games on KBOI 670 AM and KTIK 93.1 FM. He can be reached at [email protected], and found @CavesandPrater (Facebook) and @MikeFPrater (Twitter).

MOUNTAIN WEST STANDINGS

Coach Leon Rice photo courtesy of Boise State Photo Services