Boise State And Colorado State Clash In High-Stakes Mountain West Showdown

The Mountain West Conference is heating up as two teams desperate for a turnaround, the Boise State Broncos and the Colorado State Rams, clash at Extra Mile Arena in Boise, Idaho. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. ET on FS1, and anticipation is high as both programs look to salvage their seasons after rocky starts in league play.

Coming into this Friday night matchup, Boise State sits at 9-8 overall and 1-5 in Mountain West action. The Broncos, led by longtime head coach Leon Rice—now in his 16th season with a 325-185 career record—have endured a rough patch, dropping four straight games and five of their last six. Their latest heartbreaker was an 89-85 overtime loss at UNLV on January 13, where Drew Fielder poured in 23 points and Andrew Meadow added 21, but it just wasn't enough.

Colorado State, meanwhile, is 11-6 overall and 2-4 in conference play under first-year head coach Ali Farokhmanesh, who was promoted after several seasons as an assistant. The Rams have also struggled, losing four of their last six, including a 79-69 defeat at Fresno State on January 16. Injuries have been a major storyline for CSU: leading scorer Kyle Jorgensen has missed the last seven games due to a knee injury, and Rashaan Mbemba, a key frontcourt presence, only recently returned after missing the first 15 games of the season.

Despite these setbacks, Colorado State has found ways to compete, leaning heavily on a trio of transfers—Brandon Rechsteiner (Virginia Tech), Josh Pascarelli (Marist), and Carey Booth (Illinois). All three average over 12 points per game, with Booth also pulling down 7.1 rebounds a night. Rechsteiner, now second on the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game, has become the Rams' top three-point shooter, hitting 42% from deep and leading the squad with 48 made threes. Pascarelli, who was the nation’s best three-point shooter in nonconference play, has cooled off in league action, hitting just 19% from distance in Mountain West games.

The Rams' offense is built around perimeter shooting—they lead the Mountain West in three-point percentage, topping 40%. But their slow pace (dead last nationally in adjusted and raw tempo) and struggles on the boards have limited their ceiling. Colorado State ranks just 10th out of 12 in the conference with 33.7 rebounds per game, a vulnerability that was exposed in their loss to Fresno State and could be a factor against Boise State.

On the other side, Boise State has its own set of challenges. Preseason expectations pegged the Broncos as a top-three team in the league, but a string of close losses and offensive inconsistencies have derailed that narrative. Boise State’s offense is powered by Drew Fielder, a 6-foot-11 Georgetown transfer averaging 13.3 points and five rebounds per game. He’s complemented by returning starters Andrew Meadow (12.8 points per game, 38% from three) and Javan Buchanan (11.9 points per game), both of whom can stretch the floor. Point guard Dylan Andrews leads the team in assists with 59, though turnovers have sometimes been an issue.

Boise State’s defense has been a mixed bag. The Broncos do a solid job keeping opponents off the glass and defending the three-point line, but since the turn of the new year, their half-court defense has shown cracks. Offensively, they rank 270th nationally in effective field goal percentage, relying on ball movement and post entries to generate quality looks or draw fouls. There aren’t many reliable shooters outside the main trio, so the Broncos often need a collective effort to keep pace with high-scoring opponents.

Both squads enter this contest with their backs against the wall. Boise State, despite the recent skid, boasts a strong 6-3 home record and is favored by 5.5 points according to BetMGM. The Over/Under has fluctuated between 138.5 and 141.5 points depending on the sportsbook, reflecting uncertainty about the game’s tempo and scoring potential. Betting trends show Boise State is 0-3 against the spread in their last three games, while Colorado State has covered in seven of their last eleven and has won and covered four straight meetings with the Broncos, including last season’s Mountain West Conference Tournament showdown.

Metrics from KenPom and Bart Torvik both favor Boise State by about five points, projecting a 72-67 or 73-68 win for the Broncos. In the NCAA’s NET rankings, Boise State sits at No. 85 and Colorado State at No. 93, underscoring just how closely matched these teams are despite their recent struggles.

The coaching storyline adds another layer of intrigue. Leon Rice has been a fixture in Boise, guiding the Broncos to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. Across the court, Ali Farokhmanesh is navigating his first season as a head coach, stepping into the spotlight after years as a trusted assistant. Both coaches are searching for answers as they try to steer their teams back into the Mountain West race.

As for the intangibles, both teams are in must-win mode. Boise State needs to capitalize on home court and leverage its rebounding advantage (fourth in the conference with 37.3 boards per game), while Colorado State must continue to shoot the lights out from distance and hope its returning big men can hold their own inside. The Rams’ methodical pace could keep things close, but the Broncos’ physicality and depth may prove decisive as the game wears on.

Fans tuning in can catch the action nationwide on FS1 or listen locally on FM 99.1, with streaming options available via Fox Sports Go and Fubo. The Extra Mile Arena, with its 12,380-seat capacity, is expected to be buzzing as both teams fight to keep their postseason hopes alive.

With both programs at a crossroads, this Mountain West showdown promises intensity, grit, and perhaps a few surprises. Whether it’s Boise State’s inside presence or Colorado State’s perimeter prowess that wins the night, one thing’s for sure: the stakes couldn’t be higher. As tip-off approaches, all eyes will be on Boise to see which team blinks first in this pivotal conference battle.