What head coach Leon Rice said after Boise State’s Mountain West victory over Nevada

‘I was really proud of our defense,’ Rice said
Boise State Broncos head coach Leon Rice.
Boise State Broncos head coach Leon Rice. / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Boise State men’s basketball team bounced back from consecutive losses Wednesday night with a 66-56 Mountain West Conference home win over Nevada. 

Javan Buchanan came off the bench to lead the Broncos (14-7, 6-4) with 19 points and four rebounds while Alvaro Cardenas (18 points, five assists) and Tyson Degenhart (17 points, three rebounds) also shined. RJ Keene II didn’t score but had 10 rebounds and three steals. 

Using a new starting lineup of Cardenas, Degenhart, Keene II, Andrew Meadow and Emmanuel Ugbo, Boise State held Nevada (11-10, 3-7) to 40.5 percent shooting. The Wolf Pack finished 17 of 42 from the field and 6 of 18 from 3-point range with 15 turnovers. 

“I was really proud of our defense,” Boise State head coach Leon Rice said after the game.

Here are the highlights from Rice’s postgame radio interview. 

On new starting lineup, dropping Dylan Anderson and Chris Lockett Jr. from rotation  

“There were some guys that didn’t get the run tonight, some guys that didn’t get a lot of minutes tonight. They can earn more. (The lineup) might change night to night depending on matchups. It might change, but they have to make it change. They have to guard and they have to rebound and they have to understand what we’re trying to do, understand personnel and understand when they leave the huddle, they are accountable for knowing what we’re in. There’s a minimum standard to be out there.

“These are great guys. Some of the best guys I’ve ever coached. But they can’t fight us on any of that. They’ve got to do it all … and then they’ll get out there.” 

On Buchanan’s progression defensively 

“He’s so versatile that he can guard anybody out there if his technique is good. And tonight, it was great, and that’s why he got to play. Everybody wants to play more minutes. For him, the key is guarding. And if he guards without fouling, there’s nobody he can’t guard. Then I can keep him out there more, and he helps us offensively.”

On Keene II’s defensive specialist role 

“I keep telling him that ‘I recruited you as a shooter, and you can score.’ I mean, he can! So he doesn’t have to change, because he’s really helping us. I mean he didn’t take a shot, but he can make free throws. And he’s got three steals and he made all those hustle plays.”

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Bob Lundeberg
BOB LUNDEBERG

Bob Lundeberg is a reporter for Boise State Broncos On SI. An Oregon State graduate, Bob has lived in Idaho since 2019 and is an avid hiker and golfer.