Penny Hardaway's Memphis Holds Off Boise State to Advance to March Madness 2nd Round
Mar 17, 2022
Memphis center Jalen Duren (2) drives past Boise State forward Tyson Degenhart, left, during the first half of a first round NCAA college basketball tournament game, Thursday, March 17, 2022, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
The ninth-seeded Memphis Tigers defeated No. 8 seed Boise State Broncos 64-53 in the first round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Thursday at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
DeAndre Williams' 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting led the Tigers. Jalen Duren added a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Memphis led 38-19 at halftime and held Boise State to 31.5 percent shooting for the game.
However, the Tigers went cold in the second half. Boise State's Abu Kigab, who didn't score before halftime, took advantage and dropped 20 second-half points.
The Broncos sliced the Memphis lead to 58-53 and had a chance to cut the deficit to one possession after Boise State big man Tyson Degenhart grabbed a defensive rebound off a Duren miss with 55 seconds left.
However, Memphis guard Alex Lomax swiped at the ball, and Duren grabbed possession before making a layup for a 60-53 advantage.
Memphis took control from there en route to the 11-point win.
This marked the first time that Memphis head coach and Orlando Magic legend Penny Hardaway led the Tigers in the NCAA tournament. He's guided Memphis to four straight 20-win seasons during his tenure, which began in 2018.
Boise State made its return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015.
Notable Performances
Memphis F DeAndre Williams: 14 points, 5 rebounds
Memphis C Jalen Duren: 10 points, 11 rebounds
Memphis G Alex Lomax: 9 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
Boise State F Abu Kigab: 20 points, 2 steals
Boise State F Mladen Armus: 3 points, 11 rebounds
Boise State F Tyson Degenhart: 8 points, 4 rebounds
Memphis' Strong First Half Provides Enough Cushion for Win
It was all Memphis in the first half, as the Tigers doubled the Broncos' point total and held on late for the win.
Early on, Lomax found Williams in transition for an easy bucket and 8-4 edge:
Boise State fought back to tie this one at 12, but Memphis then rolled off an 8-0 run.
Undeterred, Boise State kept clawing away, and it appeared to change the momentum with this Max Rice steal and three-pointer to slash the lead to 22-17:
However, he gutted it out in the second half, notably coming up with the defensive play of the game leading to Duren's aforementioned layup to go up 60-53.
Lomax, whose history with Hardaway stems from well before their time at Memphis, spoke with Andy Katz postgame:
Memphis native Alex Lomax has been playing for Penny Hardaway since he was in the 6th grade.
Today, he led Memphis to its first NCAA Tournament win since 2014. He dedicated the win to his former coach Desmond Merriweather, and his grandmother. @iamalo02https://t.co/s3PPsze3Kw
Now the Tigers are moving on after securing Hardaway's first NCAA tournament win.
Boise State Fights Hard, Falls Short in 2nd Half
To the Broncos' credit, they didn't wilt in the second half when Memphis started the final 20 minutes up 19. Rather, the Broncos' team defense shined as Kigab put on an absolute show.
Emmanuel Akot got Boise State off on the right foot with a little trickery:
Landers Nolley II made a jumper to put the Tigers up 40-21 with 18:29 left in the second half.
Memphis didn't make a field goal for the next 9:09 of game time, with a pair of free throws its only points during that stretch.
Boise State slowly but surely chipped away at the lead, with the team's leading scorer in Kigab hitting a tough layup to make the score 42-35 in Memphis' favor.
The Tigers offense woke up from that point, but Kigab kept the Broncos in the game. He scored 16 more points after that layup as he and the Tigers kept fighting back and forth. Lomax continued to be a thorn in the Broncos' side in the second half, finding Williams for two and a 51-43 lead.
Boise State cut the Memphis lead to five points on two different occasions, but the 19-point halftime edge proved too difficult to overcome. Still, it was a great second-half effort for the Broncos, who finish the season with a 27-8 overall record.
What's Next?
Memphis will face the winner of the first-round matchup between No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs and No. 16 seed Georgia State Panthers.
That second-round game will go down Saturday in Portland at a to-be-determined time.
Boise State Wins with Buzzer-Beater, Snaps Oregon's 46-Game Home Win Streak
After Oregon guard Payton Pritchard scored to tie the game at 70 Friday, Boise State guard Lexus Williams dribbled toward half court and swished a long shot for the win.
In the process, the Broncos snapped the Ducks' 46-game win streak at Matthew Knight Arena.
Williams spent three seasons with Valparaiso before transferring to Boise State. Now he's known as the guy who ended the longest home winning streak in the nation.
With the victory, the Broncos improved to 7-1 for the season. The Ducks fell to 5-3 and have dropped three of their past four games.
Paris Austin Reportedly to Transfer from Boise State's Basketball Team
May 11, 2017
Boise State's Paris Austin moves the ball past Fresno State's Jaron Hopkins (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Boise, Idaho, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. Fresno State won 74-67. (AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger)
Boise State reportedly granted the request of guard Paris Austin to release him from his scholarship Thursday, which will allow him to transfer to another Division I program.Â
Austin was the team's second-leading scorer at 12.3 points per game and led the Broncos with 2.8 assists per game. He will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out a year under NCAA rules governing transfer student-athletes.
The reasoning behind Austin's decision to transfer is unclear. Boise State has gone 20-12 each of the last two seasons under Leon Rice but failed to make the NCAA tournament. The Broncos were eliminated in the second round of the 2017 NIT.
If Austin is looking for a Power Five program to increase his national profile, odds are he will not have trouble finding one. He made massive improvements from his freshman to sophomore season and will be allowed to work out on his new campus despite being ineligible to play.
Listed at 6'0" and 175 pounds, Austin gets by more on quickness off the dribble than anything. His three-point shot remains a big-time work in progressâhe hit 21.2 percent on just 33 attempts all season in 2016-17âbut he's a good scorer who should continue to develop as a distributor.
If he's looking somewhere closer to his Oakland hometown, Pac-12 schools could wind up being in the mix.Â
James Webb III Declares for 2016 NBA Draft: Latest Comments and Reaction
Mar 27, 2016
Boise State's James Webb III (23) looks to the basket past Nevada's Lindsey Drew during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday, March 2, 2016. Boise State won 76-57. (AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger)
Boise State Broncos junior forward James Webb III has decided to enter the 2016 NBA draft, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
B.J. Rains of the Idaho Press-Tribune later received confirmation through a spokesperson within the program that Webb will attempt to go pro.
On April 6, Charania reported Webb hired an agent, Charles Briscoe of Briscoe Sports Management, and will not return to school.Â
A first-team All-Mountain West selection this year, Webb averaged 15.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest and shot 49.4 percent from the floor. He was the leading scorer on a Boise State team that finished 20-12 but opted not to participate in the postseason after being eliminated from its conference tournament.
Webb was the 2014-15 Mountain West Newcomer of the Year after spending his freshman season at North Idaho College. Despite averaging 11.2 points per game, Webb was arguably Boise State's best player in his redshirt-sophomore year, shooting 55.2 percent from the floor and nearly 41 percent from three-point range.
His three-point percentage took a drop this past seasonâhe shot nearly 25 percent while averaging less than one make per gameâbut he still shot 49.4 percent from the floor to lead a balanced Boise State scoring attack.
Webb scored 20 points or more 10 times while at Boise State and scored a career-high 31 points on Dec. 20 against Bradley.
Season
PPG
RPG
FG%
3P%
2014-15
11.2
8.0
55.2
40.9
2015-16
15.8
9.1
49.4
24.8
"I talked to family, friends and the people who have been close to me through this whole process and decided this was the best step for me," Webb said in a statement, per Michael Katz of the Times-News in Idaho.
Webb will have 10 days after the completion of the NBA Draft Combine (concluding on May 15) to decide whether he wants to go pro this summer.Â
"This new rule is meant for people like me to test the waters," Webb said in his statement. "I feel good about myself, where I stand and how much I can still progress."
Webb is currently the No. 83 DraftExpress prospect, so he wouldn't be drafted if the draft were today, according to that projection. However, there's a lot to like about him. He's a tenacious rebounder and athletic for his size (6'9", 202 lbs) and his position. He scores well around the basket and makes a high percentage of his shots.
If he can develop a consistent three-point shot this summer and at the combine, it wouldn't be a shock to see Webb rise up draft boards to a mid-second-round pick or higher.
Dezmyn Trent Arrested: Latest Details, More on Boise State Guard
Aug 20, 2015
Boise State's Dezmyn Trent (0) controls the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against San Jose State in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015. Boise State won 86-36. (AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger)
Boise State guard Dezmyn Trent was arrested and charged for his connection to a drive-by shooting in Tacoma, Washington. Â Â
Dave Southorn of the Idaho Statesman provided a copy of Trent's booking information:
According to Pierce County (Wash.) records, Dezmyn Trent was arrested for a drive-by shooting. pic.twitter.com/9WSvQfouaA
Trent was charged Friday with four counts of assault and a count of drive-by shooting, according Pierce County prosecutor documents (via Sean Robinson of The NewsTribune). His bail has been set at $500,000.
The Idaho Press-Tribune's B.J. Rains reported the Broncos have dismissed Trent from the team.
"This program believes strongly in offering young men an opportunity to succeed," said Boise State head coach Leon Rice, per Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal. "Unfortunately, it appears as if Dezmyn still has some obstacles that he needs to overcome." Â Â
In his two years with the Broncos, Trent averaged 2.9 points and 1.8 rebounds a night in 31 games. He earned academic All-Mountain West honors in his freshman season.
Boise State Player Slips 3 Times in a Row on Slick Hardwood
Jan 10, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTPfZwlM9dQ
They put so much lacquer on the thing, it was an accident waiting to happen.
Derrick Marks had the handles and the touch, but he struggled to find his grip during Wednesday night's game against San Diego State.
After nailing a beautiful floater in the lane over two defenders, the Boise State guard ended up sliding on the ground out of bounds. Naturally, he attempted to hop up and head back on defense, but he couldnât find his footing.Â
What followed was an endlessly entertaining exhibition of slippery shoes, which was spotted by Lost Lettermen. Poor Marks tried to stand up three times, with each attempt ending in utter failure.
After his third strike, Marks flipped over and grabbed at his shoes, which had seemingly betrayed him in his time of need.Â
In all fairness to Marks' footwear, no indoor basketball kicks maintain their grip on slick hardwoodâleast of all ones that had received the kind of abuse Marks had put on them over the course of this game.Â
The Boise State guard was everywhere on the floor and finished the contest with 21 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Hopefully, the SportsCenter anchors doing the "Not Top 10" will at least grant him that recognition when they do their rundown of this slippery nightmare.Â
Marks should be proud. Not of this moment, per se, but of how he and the Broncos went into the Viejas Arena and pushed the 13-1 Aztecs to the edge on their home court.Â
Boise State will be looking to rebound Saturday night against Wyoming, and one could expect Marks to spend a few minutes in pregame coaching up the mop boys on proper technique.
Boise State Basketball: Broncos Dominate South Carolina in Diamond Head Classic
Dec 24, 2013
The Boise State men's basketball team improved its record to 10-2 overall Monday night after dismantling the South Carolina Gamecocks 80-54 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The game was a semifinal matchup in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, and the Broncos now advance to the championship game against No. 14 Iowa State on Christmas Day. Game time is set for 8:30 p.m. EST, and it will be televised on ESPN2.
FINAL: Boise State 80 South Carolina 54. Broncos advance to the championship game Christmas Day against No. 14/13 Iowa State.
The Cyclones dominated Akron 83-60 in the other semifinal earlier in the day. They improved to a perfect 10-0 on the season. However, if Boise State plays like it did against South Carolina, the undefeated Cyclones will have their hands full.
Against the Gamecocks, the Broncos took an early 3-0 lead and would never look back. By halftime, they were up 43-28.
Anthony Drmic led all scorers with 30 on the night, and it was his performance that drove this dominating win.
#BoiseState is 20-4 all-time when Anthony Drmic shoots 50.0% or better from the floor. (Tonight: 10-17 - 58.8%)
Drmic also had six rebounds, but fellow Australian and junior Igor Hadziomerovic led the Broncos with eight.
Sophomore guard Mikey Thompson came off the bench for Boise State and had an impressive performance. He was second on the team in scoring with 10 points.
Boise State started this season off 8-0, before falling Dec. 10 to then No. 11 Kentucky, 70-55. The Broncos then lost at home just four days later to Saint Mary's, 82-74.
However, after regrouping and some much needed rest, head coach Leon Rice had his team ready to go in Hawaii. The Broncos started the tournament off by defeating the home team Hawaii 62-61 in a very physical and scrappy game late Sunday night.
Ironically, South Carolina advanced to the semifinal after beating Saint Mary's, 78-71.
In 2012-13, Boise State received the school's first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Broncos are looking to prove that last season was no fluke.
With a win on Christmas Day, they could take another big step forward.
It won't be an easy task, but if they play with the same kind of energy, efficient offense and stingy defense they did against South Carolina, they have more than a decent chance.
Boise State Basketball: 2013 Broncos' Historic Run Continues
Mar 19, 2013
Early in the 2012-13 basketball season, Boise State fans started to get excited.
It wasn't necessarily the first three wins that raised a few eyebrows, but instead, a four-point loss to then No. 15 Michigan State on the road that made some think the Broncos might be better than expected.
In the Mountain West men's basketball preseason poll, the Broncos were picked to finish eighth. With 43 points, Boise State was only ahead of Air Force and six points behind Fresno State in that poll.
After the Michigan State loss the Broncos rebounded with a convincing win over UCSB but then shocked many in the basketball world with a huge upset win over then No. 11 Creighton by an impressive 83-70 margin.
What made the win even bigger was that it was on the road in front of 16,364 hostile fans in CenturyLink Center. In hindsight, it is probably this win that gave the Broncos the ability to ride the bubble into the 2013 NCAA tournament.
Injuries hindered the Broncos
Fighting injuries along the way, the Broncos had some impressive victories and some heart-breaking defeats. A 79-74 overtime loss to MWC champion New Mexico was one Boise State could have and probably should have won.
Losses to Air Force and Nevada were head-scratching, but the Broncos were shorthanded for those, and as soon as they were healthy they began to rebound.
A big win over UNLV, 77-72, was a very important and impressive win. Other key victories would come over Colorado State and San Diego State in the last game of the regular season.
When the Broncos lost to those same Aztecs just five days later in the MWC tournament, some fans wondered if that loss would keep their beloved team out of the NCAA tournamentâbut, it didn't.
History was made
For the first time in school history, the Boise State Broncos men's basketball team was an at-large bid to the Big Dance.
On selection day, the team huddled together as did fans all over the Treasure Valley. As the brackets began to fill up, the hope began to dwindle.
It wasn't until the very last bracket that the name Boise State popped up on the screen. The team celebrated and so did the fans. It was a play-in game, but no one was complaining.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 7:10 MST, the Boise State men's basketball team will step onto a court in Dayton, Ohio to face the Explorers of La Salle.
In a way, it is appropriate for the Broncos to be facing a team called the Explorers. This is uncharted territory for Boise State, and no doubt, it does not want its journey to end just yet.
Head coach Leon Rice deserves a lot of credit.
In 2010, when Leon Rice was announced as the new Boise State head basketball coach, many were excited. Rice had spent 11 years as an assistant at Gonzaga, and the hope was that he could bring some of that success to Boise.
Well, so far he has.Â
In just his third season at the helm, Rice finds himself exceeding expectations and making Bronco fans pay close attention to something other than football.Â
The amazing thing is that Rice has just one senior on his squad. Many fans thought that the 2013-14 season would be the break-out season.
However, none of those same fans seem to be complaining that Rice is one-year ahead of schedule.
Boise State Basketball: Shorthanded Broncos Still Deliver in Win over Wyoming
Jan 10, 2013
Boise State (13-2, 1-0 MWC) delivered Wyoming (13-1, 0-1 MWC) their first loss of the season on Wednesday night in Laramie, Wyo.
The Cowboys were ranked No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll coming into the game, but will certainly fall from the rankings after the loss. Meanwhile the Broncos are now second behind the No. 25-ranked team in the AP poll, New Mexico in the Mountain West Conference. The Lobos beat UNLV on Wednesday to move to 14-2 overall and 1-0 in the MWC.
The Broncos Were Shorthanded
There are a couple of things that make this win so impressive for head coach Leon Rice and his young team. First, it was in Wyoming, which is a tough place to play. But, secondly, and probably most impressive, Boise State had four players not with the team due to unspecified team rules violations, according to The Associated Press (via ESPN).
Among those players were backups Michael Thompson, Kenny Buckner and Darrious Hamilton. However, among the list of missing talent was also one of the Broncos best players, Derrick Marks. Still, shorthanded or not, Boise State came away with the victory.
The win was a great one for Boise, and it was one that ended in grand fashion. Junior guard Jeff Elorriaga nailed a three-pointer as time expired to lift the Broncos over the Cowboys.
On the season, Boise State has now defeated No. 25 Wyoming, an unbeaten at the time LSU team and No. 11 Creighton on their home court. Up next for the Broncos will be the No. 25 New Mexico Lobos in Boise on Wednesday, January 16.
