Spokane’s Tyson Degenhart closing in on milestones, expanding leadership role in final season at Boise State

Earlier this fall, Tyson Degenhart was toiling through a preseason practice at Boise State, struggling to channel the effort, execution and activity level that’s made the Spokane native and Mt. Spokane High product one of the most consistent big men in the country.

Noticing Degenhart wasn’t quite himself, associate head coach Mike Burns chimed in with a lighthearted jab.

“ ‘Burny’ joked around with me, I was not having a good practice and he was like, ‘You’ve been here for half a decade and you still can’t do it right,’ ” Degenhart said.

Just four years, actually, but half decade may feel more appropriate at times for a player who’s nearing 1,500 career points with 109 college appearances under his belt.

“It feels like it sometimes,” Degenhart said.

Boise State coach Leon Rice and members of his staff don’t have to get on Degenhart much in his fourth year, but they’ve encouraged the preseason Mountain West Player of the Year to be more assertive with his own voice and develop as a leader within the Broncos’ locker room.

That hasn’t always come naturally for Degenhart, who describes himself as “more lead by example.” But for someone who’s done just about everything he can on the court, it’s one of the other ways he can help BSU, which was picked to win the Mountain West by the conference’s coaches in October.

“Definitely trying to add some more vocal side to that,” Degenhart said. “I’m not going to be the guy that’s screaming in your face, that’s never been me. But I will raise my voice if need be.”

Degenhart could have commanded significant NIL (name, image and likeness) opportunities on the open market, but the senior forward never contemplated transferring to another program and only had fleeting thoughts of entering the NBA draft after his junior season.

“There’s just so much there for me that money could try to replace, but ultimately it couldn’t,” Degenhart said. “I thought about putting my name in the draft, but it just wasn’t the right time. I knew that coming back to school was my best option.”

Averaging 17.0 points and 6.0 rebounds, Degenhart leads Boise State (6-2) into another big matchup on the nonconference schedule, with the Broncos facing Washington State (7-2) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Idaho Central in downtown Boise.

“He’s my security blanket,” Rice said of Degenhart after the forward scored 21 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field to go with six rebounds in Tuesday’s win over Utah Tech. “Even in games like this, because you want those other guys to have success, and when they’re out there on the floor with Tyson, he makes everything work.

“… Tyson, he’s one of the best in the country at figuring stuff out for us at both ends of the floor and it all works. There’s a reason he’s my security blanket that way.”

O’Mar Stanley, a second-year transfer from St. John’s who’s teamed up with Degenhart in BSU’s starting frontcourt, doesn’t always embrace daily matchups with his fellow All-Mountain West forward in practice, acknowledging that battles with Degenhart usually result in multiple nicks, cuts or bruises.

“I’m sure you’d hate to play against him,” Stanley said. “I get to play against him every day. I love getting better, but it’s not my favorite thing to do. But it’s always great whenever I see him wearing the same jersey and I have to go against other guys and other guys feel that pain.”

In Degenhart’s fourth season, there’s still plenty to refine. He was shooting at a 42% clip from the 3-point line as a freshman, but with Degenhart’s game more interior-oriented, that percentage has dropped every year. He’s only made 3 of 19 3-pointers this season.

As an undersized big man by pro standards, Degenhart will likely have to stretch his game to the perimeter and make 3-pointers with more consistency to get attention from NBA teams next spring.

“It’s definitely been a focus this summer,” he said.

Another goal is advancing past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Broncos have qualified each of Degenhart’s past three years, but winning in March has eluded the forward and BSU’s program. The Broncos have a 0-10 record at the tourney, 0-5 under Rice.

“Absolutely,” Degenhart said. “It’s something we look to down the line, but we realize there’s a lot of work to be done from now up until then.”

A three-time All-Mountain West selection who’s gone from the conference’s freshman of the year to its preseason player of the year, Degenhart is three points shy of becoming the ninth 1,500-point scorer in BSU history. He’s also on pace to finish top 10 at the school in rebounds, free throws and games played.

Degenhart’s one of the most recognizable faces on BSU’s campus, perhaps topped only by Heisman Trophy candidate running back Ashton Jeanty, who’s taken the college football world by storm this fall.

“There’s some plays that just make you stand there and say, ‘What did I just watch?’ ” Degenhart said of Jeanty. “Just some things you’ve never seen before and just incredible to have him at our school. … Sometimes when you’re watching from up top and he goes into the middle and you’re like, ‘Oh, he’s definitely going go get tackled,’ and just bounces outside and has the breakaway speed to score.

“It’s just an incredible combination of power, speed and balance.”

Degenhart won’t be around for BSU’s transition to the Pac-12, but he thinks it’ll be a positive move for the school and looks forward to the Broncos’ annual matchups with the college hoops powerhouse in his hometown of Spokane.

“It was a great football league to start, then adding Gonzaga makes it that much better of a basketball league,” Degenhart said. “I think now we’re going to see some more teams want to join just with both football and basketball. It’s going to be a great league in both.”