After three straight tournament appearances, Boise State basketball has been left out in back-to-back years. Do they have what it takes to make it back in the new Pac-12?
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Boise State basketball.
The years 2022-24 were a dream for Boise State basketball fans. They finished first or second in the Mountain West all three years, and earned a tournament appearance each time. They couldn’t win once they reached the tournament, but the momentum was there. The past two years have still gone well, winning 26 and 20 games, but not good enough to make the NCAA Tournament.
Now, they exit the Mountain West after 15 years and join the new-look Pac-12. The competition will be fierce, but Leon Rice and co. are ready for the competition. They lose their top four scorers from last year, but return a lot of the bench, who are ready to take that leap up. They also add two double-digit scorers from the mid-majors in Damari Wheeler-Thomas and Dovydas Butka.
Leon Rice has won 20+ games in 14 of the 17 seasons he’s been at Boise State, including the last five years. We know the floor will be high, but we’ll have to see if the ceiling is high enough to earn the Broncos another tournament appearance.
Head coach: Leon Rice (17th season overall, all at Boise State)
2025-26 record: 20-12 (12-8)
2026 postseason finish: No Tournament
Notable departures:
- Drew Fielder (14.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.3 APG)
- Javan Buchanan (12.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.5 APG)
- Dylan Andrews (12.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.2 APG)
- Andrew Meadow (12.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.0 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Butler (Nov. 8)
Projected Rotation
PG: Damari Wheeler-Thomas (6-0, 190, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 14.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 40.6 FG%, 38.3 3P%, 76.9 FT% (North Dakota State)
SG: Aginaldo Neto (6-2, 190, So.)
2025-26 stats: 4.3 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.4 SPG, 36.6 FG%, 32.6 3P%, 71.9 FT%
SF: Pearson Carmichael (6-7, 215, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 7.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.8 APG, 41.2 FG%, 82.8 FT%
PF: Dovydas Butka (6-9, 225, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 13.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 50.3 FG% (Campbell)
C: Spencer Ahrens (6-10, 230, So.)
2025-26 stats: 4.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.7 APG, 44.1 FG%, 35.5 3P%, 71.9 FT%
6: Ty Rodgers (6-6, 205, Sr.)
Did not play in 2025-26 or 2024-25 seasons
2023-24 stats: 6.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 52.7 FG% (Illinois)
7: Jerquarius Stanback (6-8, 215, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 8.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 0.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 52.2 FG%, 67.8 FT% (Alabama State)
8: Jikany Deang (6-9, 245, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 17.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 46.3 FG%, 36.2 3P%, 81.5 FT% (North Dakota State College of Science)
9: Julian Bowie (6-3, 205, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 1.0 PPG, 0.1 RPG, 0.3 APG, 8 GP
10: Ethan Lathan (6-10, 220, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 1.8 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.0 APG, 5 GP
Boise State Basketball team MVP: Pearson Carmichel
Of the returners, Carmichel is the best and has the potential to break out like we’ve seen Boise State players do in the past. His stats stayed relatively the same as his freshman year, but when he played starter-level minutes, he played well. Against New Mexico and UNLV in early February, he played 33 and 38 minutes, and scored 16 points in both games on 50% shooting. He had a lot of ups and downs, but if he can improve his consistency, then he can be an All-Pac 12 player.
Boise State Basketball make-or-break player: Ty Rodgers
Rodgers is an interesting case to say the least. In his sophomore season at Illinois, he started all 38 games for them. Then, he decided to redshirt the following year in a surprise move. The year after, he once again missed an entire year, this time with an injury. So now, he joins Boise State basketball without playing a single professional game of basketball in over two years.
So the question is, can he be a key piece for this Boise State team, or will the gap be too much where he can’t stay on the floor? The Boise State depth is pretty thin, and they’re relying on him to be a key piece off of it. It might take until conference play to really settle in, but if he can’t play to the level they need, that throws a huge wrench in Boise State’s chances to win the conference.
Stat to know: Steals per game
If you see a Boise State player jumping in the passing lane, then you might need to get your eyes checked. This team rarely gets any steals. Last year, they averaged 4.6 a game, 14th worst in all of college basketball. Not a single player on the team averaged a steal a game, and they weren’t blocking shots either, averaging just 2.2 a game. Now, this doesn’t mean Boise State was bad defensively; they just don’t get a lot of fast-break opportunities.
Don’t expect anything different this year. Wheeler-Thomas averaged over a steal a game at North Dakota State, but the rest of the team didn’t really showcase that strength last year. Again, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but something to know when you’re scouting them and knowing what to expect when you watch or play this Boise State basketball team.
Boise State Basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 6th in Pac-12
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 64 exit/NIT appearance