Boise State basketball to have summer tour out of U.S. Where do the Broncos get to go?

Rachel Roberts
·2 min read

The Boise State men’s basketball team will be getting a little extra time to bond this summer.

The Broncos will be traveling to Canada for a foreign tour, playing three exhibition games July 29 through Aug. 4. NCAA rules allow teams to take a foreign tour once every four years.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our team,” coach Leon Rice said. “With the experience we have coming back from last year’s team along with our newcomers who can make an immediate impact, it will be so beneficial for our team to hit the ground running before the fall. This is a great way for the players to acclimate to one another while gaining international experience.”

The Broncos are adding eight players this offseason: UC San Diego transfer Roddie Anderson III, Kansas transfer Cam Martin, St. John’s transfer O’Mar Stanley, walk-on Alex Martin and incoming freshmen Andrew Meadow, Emmanuel Ugbo and Chris Lockett.

“We’ve got guys coming in who we think can really contribute and we need them to contribute,” Rice said. “We have huge games in November, so we’ve gotta be up to speed and I think a thing like this helps you get up to speed.”

Among other early-season games, the Broncos will be part of the ESPN Events Invitational in Florida over the Thanksgiving holiday. Other teams in the field include Iowa State, Penn State, Texas A&M and VCU, all of whom made the NCAA tourney in 2023.

Teams participating in a foreign trip are permitted 10 practice dates in advance of the trip. Boise State is expected to begin practicing in mid-July.

Boise State, which is coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, will travel to Vancouver on July 29 for games against Trinity Western University (July 31) and Fraser Valley University (Aug. 1), before heading northwest in British Columbia to continue the tour in Kamloops for a game against Thompson Rivers College (August 3).

This will be the second foreign tour in Rice’s tenure as head coach. The Broncos traveled to Costa Rica ahead of the 2016-17 season.

“The ability to offer a foreign tour is an incredible component of the student-athlete experience we strive to create at Boise State,” Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey said. “We’re in full support of the benefits this trip can provide Coach Rice and his program, and I am grateful for the support Bronco Nation has provided over the years to create opportunities like this.”