Boise State hoops misses out on NCAA Tournament for first time since 2021

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — For the first time since 2021, Boise State basketball will not be dancing in March.

The 68-team NCAA basketball tournament field was released on Sunday afternoon. The Broncos narrowly missed the tournament and were included among the “First Four Out,” or the four best teams that didn’t receive an invite.

Boise State entered Sunday sitting on a knife’s edge. The Broncos have been on the bubble for the better part of the last month, winning nine of their last 11 regular-season games after a slow start.

Two wins in the Mountain West Tournament over San Diego State and New Mexico had bracket experts, such as ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, predicting the Broncos would be among the “Last Four In” teams. However, a 69-56 loss to Colorado State in the conference championship on Saturday caused Lunardi to drop the Broncos, making them the first team to miss the tournament.

Colorado State automatically qualified for March Madness and was awarded the 12 seed in the West Region. The Mountain West’s New Mexico is the 10 seed in the South Region, Utah State is the 10 seed in the Midwest Region, and San Diego State will play North Carolina in a Last Four In game for the 11 seed in the South Region.

Other bracketologists, such as CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm, were more bullish about the Broncos. Palm incorrectly included the Broncos among the “First Four In,” which would have seen the Broncos feature in a play-in game in Dayton, Ohio.

The Broncos featured in last year’s Dayton play-in games, losing 60-53 to Colorado. The loss extended Boise State’s NCAA Tournament record to an unwanted 0-10.

“Now it’s we kind of just hope and pray,” Boise State senior guard Tyson Degenhart said on Saturday. “I feel like we are a tournament team.”

The Broncos still have two postseason options on the table. An invite to the NIT, the postseason tournament a step below the NCAA Tournament, is likely. The NIT announces its bracket shortly after the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal.

However, the Broncos could also receive an invite to the College Basketball Crown, a 16-team tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, that runs from March 31 to April 6.

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