Thursday night was a tough one for Boise State men's basketball, as the team--ranked 3rd in the Mountain West Conference Tournament fell hard to the 6th ranked San Diego State Aztecs.

I'm a graduate of Gonzaga University-- a HUGE basketball school. I mean, we're ranked 4th in the country after all with only one loss on the season (Go Zags!).  Being from Boise, I always follow Boise State basketball and watching them turn a season that was expected to end towards the bottom of the standings into a top ranked team in the conference has been a real thrill.  Perhaps I'm biased, too, as head coach Leon Rice came to Boise State from the program I know and love at Gonzaga University.

The game on Thursday wasn't pretty. Boise State trailed at halftime and lost in the end by a significant point margin, final score 87-68.  For a complete recap of the game, you can click HERE.

This loss was significant for the Broncos and not in a good way.  In order for Boise State mens basketball to make it to the big dance--March Madness, they would have needed to seal up the Mountain West Conference Championship to punch a guaranteed ticket into the dance. Since the MWC is a mid-major conference, only one team is guaranteed to make it.

All is not lost for the Broncos, as they are still very much on the bubble with a 19-11 record.  There's also the possibility of making the NIT tournament which typically scoops up the best of the teams that don't make the National Championship bracket.

Leon Rice and his team exceeded all expectation this season. The Idaho Statesman covered that recently and you can read about what the team overcame to be one of the best in the conference, HERE.

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