Air Force assistant head football coach Brian Knorr is leaving the academy to take a job at Wake Forest, according to a source with knowledge of the move, who asked to remain anonymous.
Knorr, a 1986 academy graduate, also coached the Falcons’ inside linebackers this year and played a key role in recruiting. The 2007 season was his sixth overall at Air Force and his third since returning to the academy from Ohio University, where he coached from 1995 to 2004, the last four years as the Bobcats’ head coach.
Knorr, who lettered three years at the academy as a quarterback, will join Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, who coached at the academy from 1984 to 1994. Grobe and Knorr coached together at Ohio, and Knorr succeeded Grobe as head coach there.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
UNLV Review
By far the most intense and entertaining game the Falcons have played since the start of the conference schedule – and maybe the whole season.
Said Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds: “It was a heavyweight bout. We took their shots and punched right back and just missed some execution down the stretch. “
Air Force should be proud of the performance it gave Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Facing a team that has been extremely difficult to beat on its home court, the Falcons embraced the hostile environment and gave UNLV everything it could handle. Air Force played as well as it has all year, given the opponent and the circumstances, and trailed by just four until a desperation 3-pointer doomed them with less than a minute to play.
But this is – to channel Colorado football coach Dan Hawkins – Division I basketball. It ain’t intramurals. So no matter how well Air Force played or how hard it tried, the score doesn’t change: UNLV 58, Air Force 51.
That’s the harsh reality for this team. Anyone who watched Air Force bumble through a loss to Northern Illinois in late November or get blown out at Utah in early January knows the team has improved dramatically.
But they need something to show for it. They need a marquee victory - as opposed to the moral ones they’ve stockpiled in recent weeks – to give them positive reinforcement.
This next stretch, which includes winnable games at home against Wyoming (Saturday) and New Mexico (next week) before a road game at Colorado State, could provide the opportunity for that reinforcement.
Other thoughts
-Air Force slipped into seventh place in the conference with Tuesday night’s loss. If the regular season ended today, that would put the Falcons in a Mountain West Conference quarterfinal game against UNLV.
The Falcons are 1-1 against UNLV and they seem to give the Rebels fits. But I think Air Force would have a better chance to post its first Mountain West Conference Tournament victory if it faced San Diego State, Utah or New Mexico in the first round and the court truly was neutral. That probably means Air Force will have to creep back into fifth or sixth place by the end of the regular season.
-Reynolds told me at the morning shootaround Tuesday that Derek Brooks had been playing well in practice and had earned playing time. Sure enough, with 16:29 left in the first half, Brooks entered the game. He scored only two points but played 11 minutes and, given the opponent and the environment, acquitted himself very well. It will be interesting to see what kind of impact he makes the rest of the year.
-Andrew Henke began the season hot, scoring in double figures in seven of the Falcons’ first eight games. He was up and down from there and had scored in double figures only once in conference play before last Saturday’s game against Utah, when he posted 11.
Tuesday against the Rebels, however, he played as good a game as he’s played all year – a team-high 15 points, including four 3-pointers, six boards and three assists with no turnovers.
Those numbers – specifically the points and 3s – were even more impressive if you saw the kind of defense that UNLV was playing on Henke. The Rebels’ Curtis Terry was in Henke’s face trying to deny him the ball even when Henke was several feet behind the 3-point line. And Terry wouldn’t leave Henke to help out teammates.
Henke has gotten that kind of treatment for most of the conference season and that likely won’t change. But he’s done a good job of late of taking advantage of his limited opportunities and also not forcing too many shots.
-Tim Anderson also had no turnovers despite the amount of ball-handling he did in the face of aggressive, hands-on pressure from the Rebels, specifically Wink Adams.
Anderson has emerged as a scorer this year, and he always has been known as a good defender. But don’t overlook his court vision and passing. He has a knack for the backdoor pass, and that was never more evident than early in the second half when he threaded a bounce pass through traffic to Eric Kenzik for a layin.
-Not sure how it looked on TV, but if you thought you saw a cloud of smoke in the arena in the first half, it wasn’t your television playing tricks on you. The cloud was the remnants of the fireworks display in the UNLV pre-game introductions.
Only Vegas.
Said Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds: “It was a heavyweight bout. We took their shots and punched right back and just missed some execution down the stretch. “
Air Force should be proud of the performance it gave Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Facing a team that has been extremely difficult to beat on its home court, the Falcons embraced the hostile environment and gave UNLV everything it could handle. Air Force played as well as it has all year, given the opponent and the circumstances, and trailed by just four until a desperation 3-pointer doomed them with less than a minute to play.
But this is – to channel Colorado football coach Dan Hawkins – Division I basketball. It ain’t intramurals. So no matter how well Air Force played or how hard it tried, the score doesn’t change: UNLV 58, Air Force 51.
That’s the harsh reality for this team. Anyone who watched Air Force bumble through a loss to Northern Illinois in late November or get blown out at Utah in early January knows the team has improved dramatically.
But they need something to show for it. They need a marquee victory - as opposed to the moral ones they’ve stockpiled in recent weeks – to give them positive reinforcement.
This next stretch, which includes winnable games at home against Wyoming (Saturday) and New Mexico (next week) before a road game at Colorado State, could provide the opportunity for that reinforcement.
Other thoughts
-Air Force slipped into seventh place in the conference with Tuesday night’s loss. If the regular season ended today, that would put the Falcons in a Mountain West Conference quarterfinal game against UNLV.
The Falcons are 1-1 against UNLV and they seem to give the Rebels fits. But I think Air Force would have a better chance to post its first Mountain West Conference Tournament victory if it faced San Diego State, Utah or New Mexico in the first round and the court truly was neutral. That probably means Air Force will have to creep back into fifth or sixth place by the end of the regular season.
-Reynolds told me at the morning shootaround Tuesday that Derek Brooks had been playing well in practice and had earned playing time. Sure enough, with 16:29 left in the first half, Brooks entered the game. He scored only two points but played 11 minutes and, given the opponent and the environment, acquitted himself very well. It will be interesting to see what kind of impact he makes the rest of the year.
-Andrew Henke began the season hot, scoring in double figures in seven of the Falcons’ first eight games. He was up and down from there and had scored in double figures only once in conference play before last Saturday’s game against Utah, when he posted 11.
Tuesday against the Rebels, however, he played as good a game as he’s played all year – a team-high 15 points, including four 3-pointers, six boards and three assists with no turnovers.
Those numbers – specifically the points and 3s – were even more impressive if you saw the kind of defense that UNLV was playing on Henke. The Rebels’ Curtis Terry was in Henke’s face trying to deny him the ball even when Henke was several feet behind the 3-point line. And Terry wouldn’t leave Henke to help out teammates.
Henke has gotten that kind of treatment for most of the conference season and that likely won’t change. But he’s done a good job of late of taking advantage of his limited opportunities and also not forcing too many shots.
-Tim Anderson also had no turnovers despite the amount of ball-handling he did in the face of aggressive, hands-on pressure from the Rebels, specifically Wink Adams.
Anderson has emerged as a scorer this year, and he always has been known as a good defender. But don’t overlook his court vision and passing. He has a knack for the backdoor pass, and that was never more evident than early in the second half when he threaded a bounce pass through traffic to Eric Kenzik for a layin.
-Not sure how it looked on TV, but if you thought you saw a cloud of smoke in the arena in the first half, it wasn’t your television playing tricks on you. The cloud was the remnants of the fireworks display in the UNLV pre-game introductions.
Only Vegas.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Utah Review
I’ve gotten a bunch of e-mails from fans regarding Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds’ post-game comments to Jim Arthur on the radio. I didn’t hear them, but I gather they were very similar to what he said to the print and television folks in the media room.
Here are some excerpts of what he said to us.
“Utah was tougher than we were today. They were mentally tougher, they got to the loose balls and the rebounds and they were better prepared and better coached.”
“I felt our team played hard. That’s all I can ask them to do, they did that for me. … I felt like we played hard. I’ve got to go back to the drawing board.”
“I thought we distributed the ball very well. I thought we attacked the rim very well. As a coach I just was calling the wrong plays. "
“As a coach you wonder if you’re running the wrong system for the guys because we got good shots, and they just didn’t go in. As a coach you’ve got to make an adjustment. I didn’t make an adjustment. I can’t blame it on the kids, I did a bad job. Simple as that. They were better prepared, they out-toughed us. That’s my fault. Hard to swallow. "
I don’t pretend to know if Reynolds was trying to take the blame off his inexperienced players to protect them and try to preserve their confidence or if he really believed it was his fault or if it was some combination of the two.
I do know that Reynolds is as emotional and passionate a coach as I ever have covered – and that he’s wound tighter than just about any coach I’ve ever covered. I think that comes out at times in his post-game dealings with the media. I think he is extremely hard on himself and takes every loss like it was a loss in the national championship game.
His team was picked to finish next-to-last in the league, but I think he still feels the pressure of expectations created by the Falcons’ success the last few years. Especially because this is his first season.
Other Thoughts
- Back in football season, I remember some of the players saying after a loss that they couldn’t let it “beat us twice.”
That’s part of the task that faces the Air Force men’s basketball team this week.
Facing UNLV Tuesday on its home court, where the Rebels have been outstanding, will be difficult enough. So Air Force must make sure there’s no hangover from the loss to the Utes.
And that will be tough. Air Force seemed in control in the first half, but they squandered a 10-point lead quickly in the second half. It marked the first time the Falcons have been unable to follow a loss with a victory. And it came at home, where Air Force’s dominance seems to be fading.
I don’t necessarily think Air Force is headed for a downward spiral if it loses on Tuesday. But the Falcons at least need to play well to keep some semblance of confidence heading into a stretch in which they should be favored to win some games. They’ll face Mountain West Conference bottom-feeders Wyoming (at home) and Colorado State (on the road) as well as New Mexico (at home).
-Thought Andrew Henke played as well as he’s played all year in the first half against Utah. In the second he took just one shot before his ill-fated 3-pointer with about 25 seconds left. That was a shot that probably shouldn’t have been taken. But, again, that’s probably inexperience.
Here are some excerpts of what he said to us.
“Utah was tougher than we were today. They were mentally tougher, they got to the loose balls and the rebounds and they were better prepared and better coached.”
“I felt our team played hard. That’s all I can ask them to do, they did that for me. … I felt like we played hard. I’ve got to go back to the drawing board.”
“I thought we distributed the ball very well. I thought we attacked the rim very well. As a coach I just was calling the wrong plays. "
“As a coach you wonder if you’re running the wrong system for the guys because we got good shots, and they just didn’t go in. As a coach you’ve got to make an adjustment. I didn’t make an adjustment. I can’t blame it on the kids, I did a bad job. Simple as that. They were better prepared, they out-toughed us. That’s my fault. Hard to swallow. "
I don’t pretend to know if Reynolds was trying to take the blame off his inexperienced players to protect them and try to preserve their confidence or if he really believed it was his fault or if it was some combination of the two.
I do know that Reynolds is as emotional and passionate a coach as I ever have covered – and that he’s wound tighter than just about any coach I’ve ever covered. I think that comes out at times in his post-game dealings with the media. I think he is extremely hard on himself and takes every loss like it was a loss in the national championship game.
His team was picked to finish next-to-last in the league, but I think he still feels the pressure of expectations created by the Falcons’ success the last few years. Especially because this is his first season.
Other Thoughts
- Back in football season, I remember some of the players saying after a loss that they couldn’t let it “beat us twice.”
That’s part of the task that faces the Air Force men’s basketball team this week.
Facing UNLV Tuesday on its home court, where the Rebels have been outstanding, will be difficult enough. So Air Force must make sure there’s no hangover from the loss to the Utes.
And that will be tough. Air Force seemed in control in the first half, but they squandered a 10-point lead quickly in the second half. It marked the first time the Falcons have been unable to follow a loss with a victory. And it came at home, where Air Force’s dominance seems to be fading.
I don’t necessarily think Air Force is headed for a downward spiral if it loses on Tuesday. But the Falcons at least need to play well to keep some semblance of confidence heading into a stretch in which they should be favored to win some games. They’ll face Mountain West Conference bottom-feeders Wyoming (at home) and Colorado State (on the road) as well as New Mexico (at home).
-Thought Andrew Henke played as well as he’s played all year in the first half against Utah. In the second he took just one shot before his ill-fated 3-pointer with about 25 seconds left. That was a shot that probably shouldn’t have been taken. But, again, that’s probably inexperience.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
San Diego State Review
Air Force men's basketball coach Jeff Reynolds hates when his team is compared to the academy’s record-breaking 2006-07 squad.
For good reason. That team featured six experienced seniors, four of whom were starters who had played together for years and were the common thread in the academy’s resurgence.
But in the spirit of keeping things in perspective, consider this: Last year’s team, with all its talent and experience, was blown out at San Diego State by 21 points.
This year’s team lost by 11. But more importantly, the Falcons played with the most heart and tenacity I’ve seen this year. The defense was intense and in-your-face and made the Aztecs work hard. And I liked the team’s demeanor from the morning shootaround to warm-ups to the game. Focused, confident and all business.
Of course none of the above matters without some buckets.
Air Force struggled mightily to score Wednesday night against the Aztecs, making just 13 of 42 shots from the floor and just 4 of 18 3-pointers for 38 points – its second-lowest total of the year. So in four conference losses, the Falcons have managed 36, 44, 53 and 38 points on a combined 51-of-158 shooting (32.3 percent) from the floor, including 21-of-75 shooting (28 percent) from 3-point range.
That’s not going to get it done. Reynolds knows it.
“At this stage of the game, I think we’ve got to become better offensively if we’re going to make a push in the league,” he said. “We’ve got to do that. I think we’re sound and solid defensively, but when you score 38 points and you shoot 31 percent from the field (as the Falcons did against San Diego State), you’re not going to win a lot of games in this league.”
Reynolds also was disappointed Air Force didn’t get to the free-throw line more. The Falcons attempted 13, but “we never got into the bonus until almost the game was over,” he said.
It’s been said before, but junior guard Anwar Johnson has to find a way to finish around the rim. He is so gifted athletically and has made some incredible moves to scoot past defenders and contort himself to the rim. But then – almost as if he doesn’t know what to do once he gets there – he misses the layup or the dunk. He and freshman Evan Washington, who went scoreless for the second straight game after scoring in each of the Falcons’ first 19, combined to shoot 0-for-9.
So offense is a problem, but if you had told me earlier this year that Air Force would be 4-4 at the midway point of league play, I wouldn’t have believed you – especially after the debacle at Utah.
Air Force has a favorable schedule the rest of the way, playing five of its eight remaining games at Clune Arena. If the Falcons can hold serve at home and steal a game on the road, they likely won’t win the league, but they’ll have succeeded in shocking it – their goal all along.
For good reason. That team featured six experienced seniors, four of whom were starters who had played together for years and were the common thread in the academy’s resurgence.
But in the spirit of keeping things in perspective, consider this: Last year’s team, with all its talent and experience, was blown out at San Diego State by 21 points.
This year’s team lost by 11. But more importantly, the Falcons played with the most heart and tenacity I’ve seen this year. The defense was intense and in-your-face and made the Aztecs work hard. And I liked the team’s demeanor from the morning shootaround to warm-ups to the game. Focused, confident and all business.
Of course none of the above matters without some buckets.
Air Force struggled mightily to score Wednesday night against the Aztecs, making just 13 of 42 shots from the floor and just 4 of 18 3-pointers for 38 points – its second-lowest total of the year. So in four conference losses, the Falcons have managed 36, 44, 53 and 38 points on a combined 51-of-158 shooting (32.3 percent) from the floor, including 21-of-75 shooting (28 percent) from 3-point range.
That’s not going to get it done. Reynolds knows it.
“At this stage of the game, I think we’ve got to become better offensively if we’re going to make a push in the league,” he said. “We’ve got to do that. I think we’re sound and solid defensively, but when you score 38 points and you shoot 31 percent from the field (as the Falcons did against San Diego State), you’re not going to win a lot of games in this league.”
Reynolds also was disappointed Air Force didn’t get to the free-throw line more. The Falcons attempted 13, but “we never got into the bonus until almost the game was over,” he said.
It’s been said before, but junior guard Anwar Johnson has to find a way to finish around the rim. He is so gifted athletically and has made some incredible moves to scoot past defenders and contort himself to the rim. But then – almost as if he doesn’t know what to do once he gets there – he misses the layup or the dunk. He and freshman Evan Washington, who went scoreless for the second straight game after scoring in each of the Falcons’ first 19, combined to shoot 0-for-9.
So offense is a problem, but if you had told me earlier this year that Air Force would be 4-4 at the midway point of league play, I wouldn’t have believed you – especially after the debacle at Utah.
Air Force has a favorable schedule the rest of the way, playing five of its eight remaining games at Clune Arena. If the Falcons can hold serve at home and steal a game on the road, they likely won’t win the league, but they’ll have succeeded in shocking it – their goal all along.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Spring Practice Dates
In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, some Falcon Football news – Air Force’s spring practice dates.
The Falcons will hold their first practice on March 4 and hold seven more sessions before spring break. Air Force will reconvene on April 1 for the first of eight more sessions – the last the Spring Game on April 12.
Here’s the full list of practices. Air Force built in gaps between practices to allow for inclement weather.
March 4
March 5
March 7
March 8
March 11
March 12
March 18
March 19
April 1
April 2
April 4
April 5
April 8
April 9
April 11
April 12 (Spring Game)
In addition, the Air Force football banquet will be held Feb. 22 at the Broadmoor.
The Falcons will hold their first practice on March 4 and hold seven more sessions before spring break. Air Force will reconvene on April 1 for the first of eight more sessions – the last the Spring Game on April 12.
Here’s the full list of practices. Air Force built in gaps between practices to allow for inclement weather.
March 4
March 5
March 7
March 8
March 11
March 12
March 18
March 19
April 1
April 2
April 4
April 5
April 8
April 9
April 11
April 12 (Spring Game)
In addition, the Air Force football banquet will be held Feb. 22 at the Broadmoor.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
TCU Review
I think it’s safe to say at this point that nobody should read too much into any one game the Air Force men’s basketball team plays this year.
The Falcons were blown out at Utah by 21 in their Mountain West Conference opener and boy, oh, boy did it look like it’d be a long league season. Until the next game when they knocked off UNLV – the team picked to finish second in the league in the preseason.
They were rocked by New Mexico at The Pit and the offense looked anemic. Until the next game when the Falcons scored 75 – tied for the second-most they’ve put up all season – in a victory over Colorado State.
They suffered their worst home loss since 2001 to BYU, and it looked like the beginning of the end with a tough stretch ahead. Until today when Air Force defeated TCU, 56-46.
It’s going to be that kind of year – up and down, up and down. That’s what we should expect, especially with an inexperienced team.
TCU Quick Thoughts:
-Not a great performance by the TCU student section. When your top cheer is "Air Force [rhymes with tux]," that's pretty lame.
-Anwar Johnson’s late-game dunk hopefully gives him some confidence around the rim – especially after being rejected on a dunk attempt earlier in the game and blowing the dunk late in the BYU game.
It was a pretty impressive dunk, though, as jams go. And just as impressive was Andrew Henke’s first-half dunk when he drove the baseline and threw it down with two hands.
The Falcons were blown out at Utah by 21 in their Mountain West Conference opener and boy, oh, boy did it look like it’d be a long league season. Until the next game when they knocked off UNLV – the team picked to finish second in the league in the preseason.
They were rocked by New Mexico at The Pit and the offense looked anemic. Until the next game when the Falcons scored 75 – tied for the second-most they’ve put up all season – in a victory over Colorado State.
They suffered their worst home loss since 2001 to BYU, and it looked like the beginning of the end with a tough stretch ahead. Until today when Air Force defeated TCU, 56-46.
It’s going to be that kind of year – up and down, up and down. That’s what we should expect, especially with an inexperienced team.
TCU Quick Thoughts:
-Overall, just a huge victory considering what’s up next. Even if the Falcons lose at San Diego State on Wednesday – and the Aztecs are very tough to beat at home – they’d be 4-4 halfway through the league season. Not bad, considering this team was picked to finish eighth in a nine-team league.
-I wrote below in my BYU Review/TCU Preview about Tim Anderson’s stellar defense. It was on display again today as he made two steals and, according to stats the Falcons keep, seven deflections.
Anderson again played like a MWC Player of the Year candidate today, lifting his game when it mattered most. After TCU went on a 10-2 run to close within a point late in the game, Anderson calmly drained a 3-pointer. Two possessions later, he drained another, and the lead was back up to seven.
And check out this three-possession sequence early in the second half:
TCU Ball: Anderson blocks shot
AF Ball: Anderson makes no-look touch pass to Keith Maren for a layin.
TCU Ball: Anderson makes steal
BYU’s Lee Cummard might end up taking the POY award, but Anderson’s got to be in the discussion.
-Air Force is very fortunate TCU's Henry Salter did not play.
-Not a great performance by the TCU student section. When your top cheer is "Air Force [rhymes with tux]," that's pretty lame.
-Anwar Johnson’s late-game dunk hopefully gives him some confidence around the rim – especially after being rejected on a dunk attempt earlier in the game and blowing the dunk late in the BYU game.
It was a pretty impressive dunk, though, as jams go. And just as impressive was Andrew Henke’s first-half dunk when he drove the baseline and threw it down with two hands.
Friday, February 1, 2008
BYU Review/Pre-TCU
It’s been an embarrassingly long time since I posted something on this blog.
My bad.
Anyway, I’ll be providing game reviews from here on out, so here’s a mini-BYU Review along with some additional thoughts going into a pivotal stretch for the Falcons.
As David Ramsey pointed out in his column after the BYU game, everything was set up for the Falcons Wednesday night – home crowd, star player of the opposing team under the weather and a week off to prepare.
And Air Force still lost. Disappointing for fans, for sure, but maybe that’s about what should have been expected.
The thing about this Air Force team is that when it’s shooting the lights out – which it’s capable of doing – and playing good defense, it can look very, very good. The problem is shooting is a big-time variable. And you can’t really rely on it to carry you all the time. Last year’s team is a perfect example. Look at the UNLV game in Vegas when the Falcons desperately hoisted 39 3s and lost by 10.
So here’s the point – those top-notch shooting nights that lead to quality wins probably raise expectations to unrealistic levels. No matter how good this team has looked on certain nights, there also have been dismal losses to Northern Illinois and Colorado and the escape (helped by a generous no-call and then call) against Radford.
An 8-8 season still would be a big-time triumph.
Some other quick thoughts:
-Tim Anderson has been scoring in bunches lately, so it’s easy to overlook the best part of his game: His defense.
Anderson’s hands always seem to be in the way or poking a ball out of an opponent’s hands. His feet are deceptively quick. And he has uncanny anticipation that allows him to flash into passing lanes and make steals. A case in point was his theft with just less than 7 minutes to play in the first half of the BYU game. He made an aggressive break, swiped an inbounds pass and went for a layin.
One conference coach told me last year that he voted for Anderson as the defensive player of the year in the league. He might get some more votes this year.
-Anwar Johnson is wonderfully athletic. He has made some jaw-dropping moves to get to the hole this year.
But.
Once he gets there …
Perhaps the ability to finish is an innate gift like having a nose for the ball (like Anderson has on defense). But maybe he can learn it. If he can, Air Force will have an important piece to its offensive puzzle.
-Tomorrow’s game is huge if Air Force wants to have any prayer of staying in the conference race.
Look what’s up after the Falcons face TCU, one of the only teams in the league that’s better this year than it was last year:
at San Diego State (where the Aztecs are tough to beat and last year clobbered Air Force by 21 points)
v. Utah (a team that blew out the Falcons earlier this year)
at UNLV (another team that’s tough to beat at home.
Is tomorrow’s game a must-win? Only if Air Force wants any part of the race for the league title.
My bad.
Anyway, I’ll be providing game reviews from here on out, so here’s a mini-BYU Review along with some additional thoughts going into a pivotal stretch for the Falcons.
As David Ramsey pointed out in his column after the BYU game, everything was set up for the Falcons Wednesday night – home crowd, star player of the opposing team under the weather and a week off to prepare.
And Air Force still lost. Disappointing for fans, for sure, but maybe that’s about what should have been expected.
The thing about this Air Force team is that when it’s shooting the lights out – which it’s capable of doing – and playing good defense, it can look very, very good. The problem is shooting is a big-time variable. And you can’t really rely on it to carry you all the time. Last year’s team is a perfect example. Look at the UNLV game in Vegas when the Falcons desperately hoisted 39 3s and lost by 10.
So here’s the point – those top-notch shooting nights that lead to quality wins probably raise expectations to unrealistic levels. No matter how good this team has looked on certain nights, there also have been dismal losses to Northern Illinois and Colorado and the escape (helped by a generous no-call and then call) against Radford.
An 8-8 season still would be a big-time triumph.
Some other quick thoughts:
-Tim Anderson has been scoring in bunches lately, so it’s easy to overlook the best part of his game: His defense.
Anderson’s hands always seem to be in the way or poking a ball out of an opponent’s hands. His feet are deceptively quick. And he has uncanny anticipation that allows him to flash into passing lanes and make steals. A case in point was his theft with just less than 7 minutes to play in the first half of the BYU game. He made an aggressive break, swiped an inbounds pass and went for a layin.
One conference coach told me last year that he voted for Anderson as the defensive player of the year in the league. He might get some more votes this year.
-Anwar Johnson is wonderfully athletic. He has made some jaw-dropping moves to get to the hole this year.
But.
Once he gets there …
Perhaps the ability to finish is an innate gift like having a nose for the ball (like Anderson has on defense). But maybe he can learn it. If he can, Air Force will have an important piece to its offensive puzzle.
-Tomorrow’s game is huge if Air Force wants to have any prayer of staying in the conference race.
Look what’s up after the Falcons face TCU, one of the only teams in the league that’s better this year than it was last year:
at San Diego State (where the Aztecs are tough to beat and last year clobbered Air Force by 21 points)
v. Utah (a team that blew out the Falcons earlier this year)
at UNLV (another team that’s tough to beat at home.
Is tomorrow’s game a must-win? Only if Air Force wants any part of the race for the league title.
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