Tonight the Broncos play one big basketball game at home against New Mexico. The Lobos are ranked 19th in the AP and

21st in the coaches poll and are ranked 11th in the RPI. Boise State is 13-2, getting votes, and 28th in RPI. A win

tonight solidifies the Broncos in the upper echelon of the Mountain West and will just add to the resume for the NCAA

Tournament.

The Lobos shared the regular season championship last year and won the tournament. They lost Drew Gordon, who averaged

14 and 11, but they have a lot back and got even bigger with the return of 7-foot center Alex Kirk, who sat out last

year with a back injury. Size will be a huge advantage for UNM tonight. They will be bigger at each position. To win

tonight, the Broncos will have to hold their own on the boards and shoot a good percentage.

Boise State is almost unbeatable when they are hot. They are 10-0 when they make at least eight threes. They've won

seven in a row, the longest streak since Coach Rice's first year when they won eight straight. They are playing with a

lot of confidence having gone to unbeaten Wyoming and knocked off the Cowboys with a depleted roster. Tonight, they get

three of the four missing players back.

I thought this Bronco team would be improved, but they have exceeded what I thought they would be. Jeff Elorriaga has

developed in to a scorer. Every one in the lineup is a threat. Ryan Watkins is playing well inside and I think has

really grown in to his body. Both Derrick Marks and Anthony Drmic are improved and Igor Hadziomerovic is healthy.

Playing a four guard allignment has really given bigger opponents fits.

The guys and the coaching staff have worked really hard. They are much better team as a group than they are

individually. They work extremely well together and in the big games seem to make the right halftime adjustments.

Looking forward to the first of many big games this weekend. Coach Rice and his team have something special going on.

They are off to the team's best start since '87-'88. So glad to be staying in the Mountain West. In hoops it would

have been like going from the Major Leagues to AA.