BY MIKE PRATER
@KTIK.COM

The Boise State basketball team, with the Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year and two Division I senior transfers on the roster, opens its 2017-18 season with five games in 10 days. The roster’s marquee attraction is 6-foot-7 senior guard Chandler Hutchison, who declared for the NBA Draft after last season, only to decide to return to Boise State for his final college season. He is joined by senior transfers Lexus Williams (Valparaiso) and Christian Sengfelder (Fordham). The Broncos also return seven of the top 10 scorers from last season.

BOISE STATE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Nov. 10: vs. Eastern Oregon, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 12: vs. Southern Utah, 2 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 16: Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Myrtle Beach (S.C), UTEP, Noon (ESPNU)
Friday, Nov. 17: Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Myrtle Beach (S.C), TBD (ESPN Networks)
Sunday, Nov. 19: Puerto Rico Tip-Off at Myrtle Beach (S.C), TBD (ESPN Networks)
Saturday, Nov. 25: vs. Loyola Marymount, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 28: vs. Loyola (Chicago), 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 1: at Oregon, TBD
Sunday, Dec. 3: vs. Portland, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 9: vs. Sacramento State, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 13: vs. Grand Canyon, 7 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 18: at SMU, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
Wednesday, Dec. 27: vs. Colorado State, 7:30 p.m. (CBSSN)
Saturday, Dec. 30: at UNLV, 9 p.m. (AT&T Sports Network)
Wednesday, Jan. 3: vs. New Mexico, 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
Saturday, Jan. 6: at Wyoming, 6 p.m. (AT&T Sports Network)
Tuesday, Jan. 9: at Fresno State, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday, Jan. 13: vs. San Diego State, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Wednesday, Jan. 17: vs. Utah State, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 20: at Nevada, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Wednesday, Jan. 24: vs. San Jose State, 8 p.m. (AT&T Sports Network)
Saturday, Jan. 27: at Air Force, 8 p.m. ESPNU/ESPN3
Saturday, Feb. 3: vs. UNLV, 6 p.m. (CBSSN)
Tuesday, Feb. 6: at New Mexico, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday, Feb. 10: at Utah State, 7 p.m. (AT&T Sports Network)
Wednesday, Feb. 14: vs. Nevada, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday, Feb. 17: vs. Air Force, noon (AT&T Sports Network)
Wednesday, Feb. 21: at Colorado State, 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
Tuesday, Feb. 27: at San Diego State, 9 p.m. (CBSSN)
Saturday, March 3: vs. Wyoming, 5 p.m. (AT&T Sports Network)
March 7-10: Mountain West Tournament, Las Vegas (CBSSN & CBS)
March 13-14: NCAA games in Dayton, Ohio
March 15-17: NCAA Tournament, first/second round, Taco Bell Arena, Boise

*All home games in bold (Taco Bell Arena)
* All times Mountain
*All games are broadcast on the Bronco Radio Network (flagship is KBOI 670 AM)

BOISE STATE ROSTER

0 Marcus Dickinson, So., G, 6-foot-2 177 pounds, Norman, Okla. (North Norman HS)
1 Cam Christon, Fr., G, 6-6, 188, Allen, Texas (Allen HS)
2 Lexus Williams, Sr., G, 6-0, 167, Chicago (Valparaiso)
3 Justinian Jessup, So., G, 6-6, 200, Longmont, Colo. (Longmont HS)
4 Matt Serven, Fr., G, 6-4, 166, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Edison HS)
5 Malek Harwell, So., G, 6-4, 188, Pocatello (Century HS)
10 Robin Jorch, Jr., C, 6-11, 245, Berlin, Germany (International Berlin Basketball Academy)
11 Zach Haney, Jr., F, 6-11, 239, Humble, Texas (Atascocita HS)
15 Chandler Hutchison, Sr., G, 6-7, 197, Mission Viejo, Calif. (Mission Viejo HS)
20 Daniel Holst, Fr., G, 6-7, 190, Ventura, Calif. (Foothill Technology HS)
21 Derrick Alston, Fr., G, 6-8, 170, Houston (Strake Jesuit HS)
22 Casdon Jardine. So., G/F, 6-7, 218, Twin Falls (College of Southern Idaho)
33 David Wacker, Jr., F, 6-10, 236, Converse, Texas (Judson HS)
34 Alex Hobbs, So., G, 6-4, 191, La Porte, Texas (La Porte HS)
43 Christian Sengfelder, Sr., F, 6-9, 246, Leverkusen, Germany (Fordham)

NEVADA FAVORED TO WIN THE MOUNTAIN WEST

Nevada won the MW regular season and postseason tournament last season, and is projected to repeat this season, based on a vote of league media. Here is the MW preseason poll:

1. Nevada (19 first-place votes): 257 points
2. San Diego State (2): 229
3. Boise State (2): 211
4. Fresno State: 188
5. Colorado State: 154
6. UNLV (1): 138
7. Wyoming: 133
8. Utah State: 102
9. New Mexico: 93
10. San José State: 41
11. Air Force: 38

HUTCHISON IS PRESEASON POY

Hutchison is the Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year, based on a vote of league media. Here is the preseason All-Mountain West Team:

Chandler Hutchison, Sr., G, Boise State
Jordan Caroline, Jr., G/F, Nevada
Trey Kell, Sr., G, San Diego State
Koby McEwen, Soph., G, Utah State
Justin James, Jr., G, Wyoming

Preseason Player of the Year: Hutchison
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Brandon McCoy, F, UNLV
Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Caleb Martin, Jr., F, Nevada

BOISE STATE SIGNS FIVE NEW PLAYERS

The Broncos announced their new recruiting class Nov. 8, including four incoming freshmen and one junior college transfer. The players will join the BSU roster for the 2018-19 season. “We’re extremely excited about this recruiting class,” coach Leon Rice said. “My staff did an amazing job of identifying five players that will be a tremendous fit for the Boise State basketball program. They all have great character, a love for the game and a work ethic that will make them successful both on and off the court. These five players provide us with a versatile group that complement each other’s skills and talents, which lays a strong foundation for the future of Bronco basketball.”

BOISE STATE’S NEW MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS

Riley Abercrombie, 6-8, 205, Houston, via Australia (Clear Lake HS)
Jaycson Bereal, 6-7, 190, Tulsa, Okla. (Booker T. Washington HS)
Pat Dembley, 6-1, 175, Council Bluffs, Iowa (Iowa Western CC / Minneapolis North HS)
Mikey Frazier, 6-10, 240, Salt Lake City (East HS)
Max Rice, 6-4, 180, Boise (Bishop Kelly HS)

BOTTOM LINE FOR BOISE STATE THIS SEASON

Coach Rice is starting his eighth season at Boise State, and has a 142-87 record, with postseason trips in 2011 (CBI), 2013 (NCAA), 2015 (NCAA) and 2017 (NIT). The Broncos have produced 20-plus win seasons for five straight years, including exactly 20 wins the past two years. That’s all good, but here are three primary issues:

• Boise State, to take the next step after seven seasons under Rice, needs to hover around the 25-win mark to make the NCAA Tournament more attainable.
• Boise State won a Mountain West regular season title in 2015, but has never won the conference tournament.
• The program has never won an NCAA Tournament game.

With Hutchison as the centerpiece of a loaded roster, all the above seems realistic this season. Hutchison blew off the NBA, in part, because another year of growth will be good for his game. That’s a bonus for Boise State, which must take advantage of its offseason gift to turn a better-than-average program into an elite contender in the Mountain West. This is a critical year for Rice’s program, and anything less than an NCAA appearance, and potentially even a victory in the tournament, would be disappointing.

DON’T FORGET: NCAAs HEADED TO BOISE STATE

Boise State and Taco Bell Arena will host first- and second-round games for the ninth time (first time since 2009). The event is Thursday, March 15, and Saturday, March 17, featuring eight teams and six games over the two days. Other first- and second-round sites are Pittsburgh, Wichita, Dallas, Charlotte, Detroit, Nashville and San Diego.

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 GameNights 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).