Vandals in Boise for rematch
After its biggest win in memory, Idaho could very well be in for a letdown tonight. Then again, the Vandals are playing on the road against their fiercest rival, Boise State -- after letting a seven-point halftime lead slip away last time they faced the Broncos.
Read on for a preview of the key WAC game, set for 8 p.m. on ESPNU.
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The Vandals upset No. 21 Utah State on Wednesday (in case you hadn't heard) and they will be in solid position for a top-three finish in the WAC -- if not top-two -- with a road win tonight. But a loss will give them the same league record at Boise State, and BSU will have the tiebreaker with two victories over UI. So, yes, this game looms large.
This is the first leg of four-game, two-week trip around the WAC for the Vandals, with a side excursion to Montana State for an ESPN BracketBuster game. Before Thursday night's win over Fresno state, the Broncos (13-11, 6-6) had gone winless since their triumph in Moscow. They lost four in a row and six of seven games before dispatching Fresno State.
So, about the possible Idaho letdown? Here's what Vandals coach Don Verlin had to say about it.
“You like to think your confidence is up and you’re going on the road to play your rival,” Verlin told the Idaho Statesman. “You’ve got to hope your team is ready to go. You never know how they’re going to play, but you can control how well you prepare and practice.”
Based on the teams' first matchup, here are a few key questions:
- How will the Vandals handle Boise's pressure? One of the keys for BSU's rally in the second half in Moscow was extended defensive pressure that threw Idaho's offense out of whack. Idaho kept turnovers to a respectable number vs. USU, but they've been a problem for much of the season.
- What will La'Shard Anderson do? He had a monster second half in Moscow, finishing with 21, and he's Boise State's leading scorer.
- Which team wins the 3-point shooting battle? When Idaho makes 3s, its offense operates smoothly. Not very many fell against Utah State, but they came at the right time. Meanwhile, BSU's Paul Noonan went off for 5 triples against Fresno. Coming into the week, UI led the WAC in 3-point shooting percentage while Boise was eighth.