COMING UP: Tonight at New Mexico State, 6; Saturday at Denver, 3 p.m.

OUTLOOK: Idaho has road games against the WAC’s two second-place teams this week, both of which are playing their best basketball of the season. New Mexico State (15-8, 9-2) has won nine straight, and Denver (13-8, 9-2) has won nine of its last 10 – with the one loss coming to the Aggies. The Vandals lost by a point to NMSU in Moscow, two days after losing a lead in the last 90 seconds to the Pioneers. “We can make up a lot of ground here if we can go on the road and battle like crazy and find a way to scrape out a few,” UI coach Don Verlin said.

@SR_JoshWright