Bronco Basketball
Broncos hoping to rebound from OT loss
Rice: "[We] could have 14 more games like that"
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Broncos hoping to learn from loss Video by IdahoOnYourSide.com
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"Losing says something about who you are... Do you blame others? Do you own the loss? Do you analyze your failure, or just complain about bad luck?"
Can you guess the author of that quote?
It's Lance Armstrong, a guy who has recently become an expert on the subject of losing.
How the Boise State basketball team will respond to Wednesday's overtime loss to New Mexico remains to be seen. The Broncos fell 5 points short to the 19th-ranked squad in the country, causing Head Coach Leon Rice to question a few of his in-game decisions, including not playing guard Joe Hanstad and perhaps overplaying Derrick Marks and Anthony Drmic.
However, Rice said the most important thing to take out of the loss to the Lobos is that there are plenty more close contests on the horizon.
"In this league, that's the way it's going to be, and you could have 14 more games like that," said Rice.
"The team that's ready to compete that night, at that spot, and does the best job of it, is going to get that win."
Rice isn't over-estimating how tough his schedule is. The Mountain West has the 3rd highest RPI in the country, behind only the Big Ten and Big East.
"It stands the look test," noted Rice. "I watch all these other games around the country, and there's some times when I think 'That's not even close to what we're playing in.'"
9 of the 10 Mountain West basketball teams are above .500, including Air Force, Boise State's next opponent. Last year, the Broncos split with the Falcons, with each school winning in the others' home barn.
Air Force enters Saturday's matinee matchup 9-6, with losses to three top-25 teams, including an overtime defeat at the hands of UNLV last week. The Falcons responded to that loss by laying an egg against Colorado State. Air Force lost by 39, perhaps due to some fatigue, an issue similarly affecting the Broncos. Injuries and a suspension-shortened bench have forced Rice to give his starters a ton of minutes, something he'll have to keep an eye on as conference play continues.
"They are competitors, and they want to be out there on the floor... So when I sub them out, they look at me like I lost my mind," laughed Rice.
"As a coach, you just have to find ways."
Hopefully not the same 'ways' that Lance Armstrong did.
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