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For the first time since 2018, Boise State mens basketball head coach Leon Rice will have a new, experienced voice in his ear on the bench and it could be a cause of excitement for fans.
While assistant coaches have come and gone in the past decade, two voices played a major role in helping Rice shape the direction of the Broncos: Current associate head coach Mike Burns, known as the Broncos fiery defensive coordinator since 2016, and former assistant Tim Duryea, who was the teams lead offensive coordinator from 2018 until his retirement in May.
Boise State enjoyed plenty of high periods with Duryea in charge of the offense, including three straight NCAA Tournament berths from 2022 to 2024.
But its been mixed success the past two seasons, and the offense ranked fourth in the Mountain West last season, with inconsistency plaguing the Broncos.
Those wanting change have gotten it: New associate head coach Will Voigt is reshaping the attack on that end of the floor after taking over for Duryea.
Voigt arrives with a different approach than the pro-style, guard-heavy system that utilized pick-and-rolls and forwards post play, which fans have become accustomed to.
Pace and space would be the best way to describe it, Voigt said Thursday about his offensive style.
Fans should think about BYU, which ranked among the top 50 in the nation for shortest possession length in Voigts two seasons as an assistant and then associate head coach with the Cougars the past two seasons.
Really try to get up and down, try to create threes as best as possible, Voigt continued.
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Can we run teams out of this gym? Kind of taking on that mentality.
Voigt arrives at Boise State with over 20 years of experience coaching in the NBA G League and abroad.
Hes had stints at the club level in Norway, Germany and Egypt, as well as serving as head coach of the international teams for Nigeria and Angola.
He says those experiences have exposed him to a wide variety of strategies, and that many of the playing styles seen at the college level often originate abroad.
That knowledge and coaching background have allowed him to start sketching up a game plan for a Boise State team thats become a lot more athletic and big in the transfer portal.
Last year, it was more a lot of post action, sophomore forward Spencer Ahrens said this week.
Not that there wont be any post action, but there is more focus on kickaheads, getting the ball up the floor, playing fast, moving the ball really well, and I feel like that will play to the strengths of our players.
Voigt said he also wants to meld the defensive-first strategy that Rice is leaning on this coming season with a more aggressive front-footed approach, forcing more pressure, traps and ultimately turnovers out of opponents.
Boise State ranked 315th out of 365 teams for opponent turnovers per game last season.
Illinois transfer guard Ty Rodgers was set to play a big part in Voigts offense.
However, following Rodgers long-term significant knee injury, Voigt expects redshirt senior guard Damari Wheeler-Thomas and sophomore guard Aginaldo Neto to both impress in his absence.
Voigt said hes additionally excited to see 6-foot-8 sophomore forward Bham Buom grow into more of a playmaker role in the offense the Broncos are running.
I think this years group here will be a real democratic approach, Voigt said.
I can see a lot of different guys being able to step up on different nights and contribute.