Second year Coach Bobby Dye does not have the horses to keep up with the tougher than advertised teams from the wide open places.  This defense minded Coach came up from Fullerton where he developed a nice little program that like the Broncos football team shocked the world a few years back with their run through the tough Big West and an upset in the first round at the Big Dance.  Of course, Dye had a little more talent to choose from down in the Greater Los Angeles region.  Dye has some connections in Cali and will recruit there emphasizing the incredible Juco programs that state has.  This coach does not need an extreme amount of talent to get the job done in Boise but you can’t win with slow footed six footers who can’t jump over a broom even in the Big Sky.  Dye knows what he is doing and will have his boys ready to play defense from the get go. A late season upset of powerhouse Montana in the Big Sky Conference tourney was an out of the blue shot in the arm for this program moving forward.  That just might give this team from the Northwest much hope for the upcoming season.  The talent may not be Southern Californian style but there is some and as long as you play defense Dye will find you and he will play you.  Now if he can find some offensive talent to score just a few baskets the Broncos might just shock the world.  Or at least the Big Sky! 

Sophomore point guard Chris Childs is the catalyst of this team.  He sets the tone with his gritty man to man defense on the other team’s best guard.  He is a good distributor of the ball and is a solid floor general.  He can also score a little but his weakness is under pressure.  He had the ball in his hands on three different occasions with the Broncos trailing by one or two points and less than 15 seconds left in the game and he failed on every occasion.  Whether dribbling it off his foot as he did in a classic December matchup with Wyoming (the only sellout of the year at Taco Bell Arena in a game you had to witness to believe) or missing a game tying shot, Childs never came through.  Dye brought this kid with him from Southern California (he found him on the Streets of Bakersfield chasing a tiger by the tail) because he likes his toughness and his ability to drive other teams crazy with his superior mentality.  He walks the court like he is the chosen one and in some ways he is.  Bobby chose this Child to lead his program from obscurity and if he can get a little better offensively (especially shooting the ball) then he just may be that guy.  You got to admit that chip he has on his shoulder is pretty contagious! 

Junior Steve Connor is the best offensive backcourt player for the Broncos. A carryover from the Old Bronco style of teams before Dye got here Connor is actually the son of the previous coach, Bus, who led the team in their transition up to Division One.  This Coaches kid is a gifted scorer who can fill it up from long range.  Connor came through in the clutch as well.  The lefty with the ultra-smooth stroke hit a big twenty footer in overtime to win that huge game over Montana and came through time and time again under pressure.  I bet Dye is glad he kept Bus’s kid around when he came to the City of Trees.  Though Connor is a good offensive player (he is a better passer than Childs at least right now) but unlike his sidekick in the back court his weakness is defense, He is not big enough for wings or quick enough for point guards but with the ice in his veins Dye had to keep him around (or witness a revolt as he is arguably the most popular player on the team).  If you could combine these two six foot three point guards you would have one heck of a complete player.  But you can’t.  Well you can but not somebody going to BSU.  Maybe in Arizona or USC and yes Dye had that guy in Fullerton but not in a place that is about as inviting to basketball players as it is to Foreigners.   Senior Wendy Hart and Junior Terry Miller are the primary backups right now in the back court and both can play.  Neither is pushing Connor or Childs for a starting berth and if a couple of Dye’s recruits turn out to be the kind of defenders he desires then this duo might be on the long end of the bench.  Speaking of recruits Dye has already brought in one guard, Booker Brown, a 6’2 185 stud from St. Louis to compete for minutes.  More are sure to come but Dye has made it clear he loves his terrific tandem of 6’3 guards playing together for the foreseeable future.  They do complement each other extremely well!

Junior Ron Austin can flat score but was overmatched on the wing defensively and that could be a problem.   If anyone was vulnerable losing his job with the new regime it could be Austin.  Austin is a legend in Boise, however, as he was the connective tissue (GNR anyone) to the days of BJC. As a freshman Austin was an important part of a terrific team that earned a trip to the national tournament.  He was the man then (Austin 3:50 is a pretty popular shirt in Taco Bell Arena) and it is a transition to becoming a secondary player as 6’2 power players do not grow on trees even in Boise.  Still, for now, Austin will be starting at the three for the Broncos and this Jersey kid brings experience and athleticism to the wing.  Nobody on this roster (and that includes a bunch of big men) maneuvers as well in the paint as Austin and his work on the boards is other worldly. 

Speaking of being replaced, Dye knows he will have to find some big men in Boise if the Broncos were to compete in the Big Sky.  Alliteration aside Dye auditioned everyone and their dog to find some men to man the post.  He did not find many last year and does not fell all that comfortable with the post players he has coming back.  These Bronco big men are inconsistent and undersized.   Dye knows he has a long way to go to (and many household visits) finally match up in both size and skill with the elite teams of the Large Sky (meaning Montana, ISU and Reno).  The upperclassmen coming back are seniors Bill Otey and Keith Burke, juniors Danny Jones, Trent Johnson, Sean McKenna, Dave Richardson, Steve Wallace and Pat Hoke.  Sophomores Bruce Bolden (a huge fan favorite) and Jeff Kelley were next in line but neither of them stuck for more than a few games though they proved to be ample JV players.  Both of these cats can flat throw it down but have a ways to go to being real offensive options.  They are much better athletes than their competition and there is both time and opportunity for both of them to prove they are the guy here is Les Bois.  Otey is the only one assured of starting as this 6’5 stud from Washington DC is a beast on the boards.  Otey can leap to the moon and though he is a bit undersized playing the four he is so good at cleaning the glass that Dye has to keep him around. Otey needs to get better offensively but he definitely fits Dye’s need for defense first and should finish off a terrific career in Boise extending his already school record for rebounds.  Burke is a 6’7 center who can hit a jump shot but got bludgeoned underneath against much bigger and more physical players in the Big Sky.  He is listed as the starter on most rosters but he barely played the last ten games last year and the writing is on the wall.  Richardson is a 6’9 shot blocker who fits the Dye mold and does have a good chance of playing often this year.  He has absolutely no offensive skills, however, and if Dye finds someone who can defend like he can and at least score on anything but a putback then Richardson might be on the bench as well.  Steve Wallace is a solid 6’6 score and board guy but is not good enough defensively for Dye and the 6’7 McKenna is similar.  Johnson is only 6’5 210 but was a big time recruit from Seattle and brings an immense amount of smarts and toughness to the court.  He has a good chance of playing often as he is a complete all-around player but the lack of height for a 4 is an issue.  Jones was also a huge recruit from LA but that was in track not basketball.  At 6’7 210 Jones is the best athlete on the team as he is compete in the national collegiate track completion in Eugene in the long jump.  Jones is also a great 100 yard guy and might be the quickest 6’7 guy you have ever seen.  Sometimes he is too quick as he outruns his dribbling or passes but man can he get out on the break and finish.  He will push Austin for the starting 3 role and if he spent more time on the court than the track he might have a chance of being a next level talent.  Hoke will play.  And often!  At 6’8 he is solid in the paint with a variety of moves and can hit a 15 footer.  He is not great defensively but he will bang down low and the Broncos need his offense down low unless Dye has found something better in the JC ranks. 

The Boise State Broncos should be commended for realizing they can turn this program into winners.  Quickly!  The template is there from their marvelous success on the gridiron.  They have been proactive and went and got a proven coach who knows how to turn a mid-major into a winner.  And we are talking winning in the Big Dance, something the Broncos have not even got close to accomplishing.  Coach Bobby Dye’s first year was an up and down affair but BSU did get the reputation as a team that will defend all day and won a few big games down the stretch.  The year of the Bronco is fast approaching if this team can keep it together and keep improving.  The Broncos are built on defense and some of the new kids better learn how to play Dye’s ferocious style or will lose minutes.  The Broncos have only been in Division One for a short time but if there football program is any idea how quick a program can compete at a national level then the sky is the limit for the Broncos.  It might not hurt to paint the floor blue to help expedite the process.