When you think of Boise State athletics, it's likely that the blue football field is your first image. After all, the Broncos have captured the football-watching world's imagination for more than 10 years with their consistency and high-profile upsets. But Boise also is home to a burgeoning basketball program, one that may not have the brand recognition of its gridiron counterparts, but that's been a solid force for even longer.

The Broncos basketball team has been a potential NCAA tournament crasher since its first appearance back in 1976. Their status in the Mountain West Conference gives them a shot every year to grab the conference's automatic bids.

Currently led by Leon Rice in his ninth season as head coach, the Broncos have been in a bit of a lull since their last tournament appearance in 2015. However, with players like Roderick Williams and Justinian Jessup, the current Broncos have enough talent to make some noise this season and into the MWC conference tournament.

Perhaps the most famous of Boise's NBA players is Chris Childs, who parlayed a successful post-college stint in the Continental Basketball Association into a solid career with the New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, and Toronto Raptors. His time with the Knicks is likely the most memorable, as he was part of the famous Knicks-Miami Heat rivalry of the late 1990s. While at Boise State, he was the team's best player, winning the Big Sky Player of the Year award in 1989.