Boise State men's basketball has been on a roll this season and their success has been undeniable. So often, fans have been spoiled by the football team that they forget Head Coach Leon Rice is working inside of ExtraMile Arena to make this basketball program just as big.

This year, with a regular season Mountain West title, it was Rice and the basketball team that accomplished what Bronco fans are used to seeing happen on The Blue.

Boise State's Most Underappreciated Star

Boise State seems to mean "football" for most, right? On a national stage, after all, it's the blue turf and the success that the Broncos have had on it that made the university a household name. What happens on the hardwood, however, is far from appreciated at the level that it should be. Leon Rice came to Boise State as a blessing from one of the most powerful basketball programs in the nation: Gonzaga University. Now, the winningest basketball coach in the history of the school seems to take immediate heat if the Broncos aren't in the Final Four. Spoiled by wins on the football field, fans seem to expect the same of the basketball program but when the investment in basketball is so much less than football--can you really have these types of expectations!?
The accolades don't stop at the regular season title, however. 
A massive award was handed off to Leon Rice, who as you know, we have all of the faith in the world in. Leon was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year. This year was the first year that Rice has taken the Broncos to a a piece of the conference title--it's also the first time that the team has won it outright since 1987! Leon Rice was also named Coach of the Year in the Mountain West Conference in the 2014-2015 season. Just this afternoon, star Forward Abu Kigab had plenty to say about Rice's leadership:  

On the players front, all-star Freshman Tyson Degenhart was named the Mountain West Conference 'Freshman of the Year'. Rightly so, it seemed that the flow improved the moment he became a starter for the Broncos and was Freshman of the Week a total of nine times throughout the entire season. 

Just this afternoon, Boise State defeated Nevada to advance in the Mountain West Conference Championships and continue to be slated for a March Madness run!

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