Boise State in an extremely premature take

Not exactly long-awaited -- so we'll settle for long promised -- here's the opening edition of our very, very, very early 2008-2009 WAC preview. This one features the Broncos of Boise State, last season's WAC tourney champs.

Greg Graham now has his new contract (three years with the opportunity to add more) and in a sense a brand new team. After losing Coby Karl a year ago, Graham will miss Matt Nelson and Reggie Larry even more. Nelson provided inside scoring and a top shooting percentage while Larry contributed all over the court. Lest anyone forget, it was Larry who proved indispensable in the WAC tourney championship game against New Mexico State when Nelson was out with foul trouble. He was the most difficult Bronco matchup because of his inside-outside scoring ability. The heady and steady duo of Tyler Tiedeman and Matt Bauscher have also departed, two solid if unspectacular performers.

Here's the current BSU team breakdown:

BY POSITION

Center

Kurt Cunningham
Zack Moritz

Strong Forward

Ike Okoye
Mark Sanchez
Sean Imadiyi

Wing

Paul Noonan
Shawn Rouse
Robert Arnold
Tyler Young

Shooting Guard

Aaron Garner
Jamar Greene

Point

Anthony Thomas
La'Shard Anderson


BY ELIGIBILITY

Seniors

Aaron Garner, 6-4, 175, guard
Jamar Greene, 6-0, 200, guard
Mark Sanchez, 6-7, 235, forward

The question each of these guys face is are any of them ready to play and contribute commensurate to starting minutes?

Garner enjoyed a few moments in the spotlight last season but proved inconsistent in his 7 or so minutes a game. Shooting .327% from the floor and .242% from long range won't cut it.

Greene was on the court for 15 minutes a game but his shooting was poor --.313% overall, .250% on three-pointers.

The openings are there. Graham needs a backcourter and also a third guard who can team up with Anthony Thomas -- who made strides but still isn't himself quite yet there as a 'count-on-his-nightly-contribution player. BSU requires two guards to step up and become solid, consistent contributors and outside shooters to maintain first division status. Have Garner and Greene peaked or will now produce as needed after an adjustment year since transferring from junior college?

Sanchez played just over nine minutes each time out and like his fellow junior college transfers, must produce point and rebound totals Graham can count on receiving as a frontcourter.

Juniors

Robert Arnold, 6-6, 170, forward
Kurt Cunningham, 6-9, 260, center
Ike Okoye, 6-8, 230, center
Anthony Thomas, 6-0, 205, guard
Sean Imadiyi, 6-7, 200 forward

Arnold is known as a shooter but his numbers last season were 42% from the floor and 31% from three-point land last year at Antelope Valley College in southern California. Also, his slightness could hinder him in the transition to D-1. He possesses the best potential as a scorer among the newcomers.

Cunningham had moments last season and certainly is the player expected to take over for Matt Nelson. He can score well from inside and also has surprising passing ability for someone his size. Being in shape will be key for him as the opportunity for major minutes await.

Okoye is a transfer from Wyoming who also shoots well inside. Depending on how some of his teammates perform, he'll either be the starting center or the opener at power forward. Okoye could very well be Boise's top overall producer next season.

Thomas is a combo guard -- shooter/scorer -- who will probably be looked upon to add five or so points to his 8.5 ppg. total of last season. Better shooting than his .437% from the floor and .330% from long range will be necessary.

Imadiyi looks to be a versatile player. Confoundedly, he shot better from the floor than the foul line in the junior college ranks last season, 710% overall and 690% from the foul line. We're not sure if he has the strength to play the four in D-1 as Graham has mentioned but he's a fine athlete.

Sophomores

La'Shard Anderson, 6-1, 160, guard
Zack Moritz, 6-10, center
Paul Noonan, 6-7, 200, forward
Shawn Rouse, 6-5, 180, forward

Anderson is a quick ballhandler who was a qualifier out of high school. If so and how quickly will he adjust are the foremost questionmarks facing him. It's unlikely he will beat out Anthony Thomas at the point so a bigtime contribution isn't needed right away from him.

Moritz redshirted his first year and played in but three games this just concluded season due to injury. He's backup material.

Noonan is a shooter deluxe. He also redshirted his initial year in Boise but did contribute in 2007-2008. In just below eleven minutes a contest, Noonan shot 44% overall, 40% on treys and nailed 45 of 52 free throws. But he's more of a catch-and-shoot type at this point and performs best paired with a teammate or two who can dribble, penetrate and kick the ball out to him.

Yet another redshirt as a frosh, Rouse totaled 59 minutes of play on the season -- a situation not likely to change all that much.

Freshman

Tyler Young, 6-8, 200, forward

Young signed with the Broncos in 2005 and is now returning from his church mission. He may be redshirted in order to become more acclimated to Division 1 basketball. He was known most as a shooter as a prep.


OVERALL

The Broncos shot .508% overall as a team from the floor in 2007-2008 but its top four shooters have departed. BSU also shot .393% as a team from long range and neither of these numbers are likely to be replicated.

Nelson, Larry, Tiedeman and Bauscher provided skills, production and maybe most importantly, experience, something Graham simply cannot replicate with his 2008-2009 roster. Right now, it looks like there are too many holes to fill and that almost everyone returning -- along with the newcomers -- will have to produce and quickly for BSU to be in the battle for the top. Basketball history says that such a harmonic convergence is an unlikely occurrence as typically some players rise and some stay the same, with time usually needed for individual adjustment and team meshing..

Right now, we see BSU at best as a middle-of-the-pack team next season in the WAC.