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A Historic Goodbye: Boise State Basketball Seniors Exit with Records, Respect, and 26 Wins
- Skyler Hoops
- Apr 7
- 3 min read
It wasn’t the ending they dreamed of, but it was a finale worthy of remembering.
Boise State’s 2024-25 men’s basketball season came to a close Saturday afternoon with a 79-69 loss to Nebraska in the semifinals of the College Basketball Crown. But while the scoreboard favored the Cornhuskers, the night belonged to three Broncos who laced up for the last time, and left their mark on Boise State history forever.
Tyson Degenhart. Alvaro Cardenas. O’Mar Stanley.
Three seniors. Three different journeys. One unforgettable legacy.
The loss ends a remarkable 26-11 season for Boise State, the second-most wins in program history, but the real story is what these seniors gave, built, and left behind.
Degenhart: The Record-Breaker, The Relentless Leader
From day one, Tyson Degenhart was the engine of the Broncos. On Saturday, he closed his career with a game-high 26 points, a final performance fitting for the most prolific scorer Boise State has ever seen.
With 2,037 career points, Degenhart now stands alone atop the all-time scoring list in program history. He also notched a single-season school record with 676 points this year, surpassing marks set by Bronco greats before him.
His 15 games with 20+ points this season speak to his consistency. His 32 total 20-point outings are the third-most in Boise State history. But stats only tell part of the story.
Degenhart became a symbol of the Bronco identity: tough, loyal, and unafraid of the moment.
Degenhart gave everything to the program, and the numbers only scratch the surface of his impact.
Cardenas: The Architect of the Offense
It’s rare for a transfer to feel like a cornerstone in just one season. Alvaro Cardenas did exactly that.
The senior point guard dished out nine assists in the loss to Nebraska, bringing his season total to 256, a new Boise State single-season record. That number ranks fifth nationally and is the second-best in Mountain West history.
In just one season in Boise after transferring from San Jose State, Cardenas orchestrated the offense with vision, flair, and precision. His 628 career assists, third-most in Mountain West history, are a testament to a player who made every teammate better.
Even Saturday’s final stat line told a story. Six turnovers in the first half gave way to zero in the second. He adjusted, settled in, and gave his team a chance.
That’s who he was, a problem-solver with poise.
Stanley: The Unsung Enforcer
O’Mar Stanley didn’t fill up the stat sheet in his final game. He was held scoreless and finished with three rebounds in 15 minutes. But make no mistake, his fingerprints were all over this season.
The physical senior forward brought toughness to the paint, battled on the glass, and gave Boise State a reliable interior defender throughout the year. Stanley’s impact wasn’t flashy, but it was essential.
Across two seasons at Boise State after transferring from St. John’s, Stanley gave the team size, grit, and muscle when they needed it most.
More Than a Loss — A Legacy
Boise State may have fallen short of the tournament title, but the 2024-25 season was anything but a failure.
26 wins — second-most in school history
Wins over Butler and George Washington in the postseason
A $50,000 NIL pool earned from the College Basketball Crown
A young core — including sophomore Andrew Meadow and freshman Pearson Carmichael, that looks ready to carry the torch
This team showed resilience, growth, and heart. And at the center of it all were three seniors who showed what it means to build something lasting.
As the Broncos turn the page, they do so with pride, knowing Degenhart, Cardenas, and Stanley didn’t just play at Boise State.
They helped define it.
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