For a sports fan, one of the best times of year begins this week. It is one of the most fun weeks, but also some of the most unproductive days across the country. Many will take off at the end of the week to stay home and watch it. I am talking about the NCAA basketball tournament. Many will make brackets, none will be perfect, and heartbreak will follow as brackets bust game to game. Some will earn bragging rights and others will just enjoy the madness that the tournament brings. This year, Boise State is in the tournament, but how far can they go? Here are reasons why they will and won't be cutting down nets in this year's tournament.

Why They Won't: Boise Was Seeded Wrong

Credit: Todd Greene on Unsplash
Credit: Todd Greene on Unsplash
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With the resume that the Broncos have this year, and having won a conference with four teams in the tournament, they should have been higher than an eighth seed and had an easier first and potential second-round match-up. It is baffling that they are the same seed as SDSU, who was in their conference and they beat in the conference championship.

Why They Will: Boise Won The Mountain West

Mountain West Basketball Tournament - Quarterfinals Boise State v San Diego State
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The Broncos were able to win the Mountain West regular and tournament championships this year. To be able to win a league that got four teams in is no easy task. After a slow start to the season, they won 24 of their last 27 games and are one of the hottest teams in the country and well tested.

Why They Won't: Boise Has Never Won in the NCAA Tournament

Credit: Ben Hershey on Unsplash
Credit: Ben Hershey on Unsplash
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While this Boise State team feels different than past teams, there is one monkey on their back they still need to get off. The Broncos have never won a game in the NCAA tournament, having gone 0-7 in their previous trips to the dance. Until they can prove they can win on the big stage, it is hard to believe they will. 

Why They Will: Boise Is Extremely Well Coached

La Salle v Boise State
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Boise has quietly one of the best and most consistent coaches in the country. Leo Rice has been with the Broncos since 2010 and has only had two losing seasons in his time in Boise. He has had nine 20 win seasons in his twelve years and is a two-time Mountain West Coach of the year, having won it in 2015 and this season. 

Why They Won't: Their Bracket is Extremely Tough

SMU v Boise State
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The west bracket this year is loaded and makes for a tough path for anyone to get through to the Final Four. Not only is the number one overall seed, Gonzaga, in their bracket, but Memphis is no slouch easy. The Tigers have Jalen Duran, a projected top 10 pick in this year's NBA draft, and he could be a handful for the Broncos. If they manage to get out of the first round, then Gonzaga awaits, and they are the favorites to win it all. 

Why They Will: Pull Off the Major Upset and Coast

Boise State v Arizona
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If Boise can get past Memphis, and pull off the monster upset of Gonzaga, then they should have a much easier path. If they can beat the number one team in the tournament, then there is no reason that they couldn't get hot and go on an even deeper run. Most likely Connecticut or Arkansas would await the Broncos in the sweet 16, and the Broncos could beat both of them. 

Prediction for the Boise State Broncos in the NCAA Tournament

Credit: Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Credit: Markus Spiske on Unsplash
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While we would all love to see the Broncos go on a magical run, the odds are not in their favor. Gonzaga is loaded, and they are hungry to get back to the national championship again to finish what they couldn't last year. I believe the Broncos do win their first-ever NCAA Tournament game but lose in the second round to Gonzaga. 

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While I don't see Boise State getting to the second weekend, there is always a chance I am wrong. This tournament has major upsets every year and this year will be no different. If teams like George Mason, Butler, and Loyola Chicago can make runs to the final four, then there is no reason that this year Boise State can't make one of their own. This is why March Madness is one of the best sporting events there is. 

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