Chandler Hutchison’s return makes Boise State a MW contender

Note: This is the second in a series of 10 season previews of Mountain West basketball teams.

Chandler Hutchison initially declared for the NBA draft after last season, but then decided to return to Boise State for his senior year.

Being back on the roster is a major reason the Broncos, who come off a 20-12 season that included a victory at Utah in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament, are considered Mountain West contenders.

“The biggest thing that brought me back was the jump I was able to make from my sophomore to junior year and seeing how that growth could help me to improve even more in another year’s span,” Hutchison said. “Also, we had a really good season last year. We won a postseason game on the road for the first time in school history. For me, (returning) was about winning the Mountain West championship.”

Hutchison, a 6-foot 7-inch guard, was a first-team All-Mountain West selection last season. He was chosen the preseason Player of the Year for 2017-18 by the conference media, which also picked Boise State to finish third.

Last season, Hutchison averaged 17.4 and 7.8 rebounds.

“The thing Chandler saw and we all felt, he’s not done getting better,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “The player he’s going to be at the end of this year is so much better than the player he was at the end of last year. So that was the most important thing in his decision is he knows how much he can grow, and he’s got the work ethic to do it. He’s got the discipline to do it and a serious approach.

“When your best players are also your hardest workers, you always say your team’s going to be pretty good, and that’s what we have going. We’ve got a culture of that.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.