What happened?
Broncos win 71-62 at UNLV. Tyson leads the Broncos with 16 points. Dedan Thomas for UNLV led all scorers with 20 points. Alvaro led the charge with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. The Broncos had 4 players in double digits, with Andrew Meadow scoring 14 and Javan scoring 13.
With this win, national bracketologists have started including the Broncos again in the bubble conversation. There is hope in the air for an at-large bid!
Grab Your Hard Hat and Lunch Pail
We know how hard it is to win on the road. The Broncos came into this game 2-4 on the road, but looked determined to get out of Vegas with a win. The first half was rough for both teams. At the end of the first half, the Broncos only shot 36% from the field, but were 35% from behind the arc.
The defense for the Broncos really stepped up their game. You can tell Leon and the staff have really focused on defense these past couple of weeks. They held UNLV to only 1 made 3pt shot on 16 attempts, their lowest percentage all year. The Broncos also cleaned up on the glass, with RJ Keane getting my Windex Player of the Game™ with 10 rebounds. It looks like the new lineup and rotation is starting to pay off big time for Leon and company.
First Test Passed
The Broncos have been missing that key road win to help build their resume, and they hit it on the head. This game also showed they could win ugly games if not everything went their way. That was a hallmark of past Broncos teams. It’s nice to see that come around finally. When the Broncos opened up on a 9-0 run, there was a thought that they would run away with the game, but a barrage of turnovers kept it somewhat close.
Ultimately, a 9-point win on the road is a sign of more good things to come with this team. This team looks like it is finally coming together. We know what Leon’s starting lineup is going to be. We know Ugbo will be subbed 3 minutes into the game for Javan. We know Tyson and Alvaro will finish the game in double digits. It looks like we can also count on double digits from Andrew and Javan. If this team gets confident, watch out.
What’s Next?
The Broncos return home to play San Jose State on Friday. Another chance to build confidence and momentum. This SJSU team is another classic trap game. That team has taken SDSU, USU to the brink and has upset New Mexico earlier this season. The Broncos have the best home defense in the league, so I like our chances, but we need to keep this momentum going in the right direction.
What if the PAC doesn’t find an 8th football school?
I don’t know, but I think it might take an executive order to fix Division 1 football.
They already found the schools. It won’t just be 1. That would lead to 7 conference games & 5 non conference games. They’ll add 2 minimum & 5 max. I think it’ll be 3.
Waiting for the MWC lawsuit to be sorted out regarding the poaching fees. UNLV could still be a possibility, but it’s between Sac State, Texas State, Memphis, Tulane & UTSA.
We’ll probably have the “big news” in April / May
Hey FKWG, no Signing Days news or final breakdown on the our final recruits & transfers or what Spring Ball will look like. ☹️
Ard was a good get.