Greetings from Washington, DC.
I didn’t get a links post up yesterday because of internet troubles/traveling. So here’s my story on the Air Force men’s basketball team’s 75-69 loss to New Mexico on Thursday in the Mountain West Conference Tournament quarterfinals. The Falcons played well – especially a pair of freshmen guards, Michael Lyons and Todd Fletcher. Both really came of age in the MWC Tournament.
I wrote for today’s edition of The Gazette about the momentum and positive feelings the Air Force men’s basketball team should carry into the offseason. And, how, unfortunately, the Falcons carried a bunch of momentum and optimism into last season’s offseason (and, obviously, didn’t carry it through to 2009-10).
But could things be different next year? I explore.
One thing I didn’t fit in the article was an interesting comment from junior guard Evan Washington. He was asked what Air Force had to do to return to the winning ways of 2003-07.
“You know, I think it’s just gonna be a mindset,” Washington said. “When I was a freshman, when I was at the prep school, you know, everybody here had a mindset that you don’t lose, especially at home,” he said. “That’s going to be something that we have to get back. We started to develop towards the end of the year. When times got tough, we would persevere through it. We wanted to win. We had the mindset we were in the game to win, not to lose. I think we’re just going to have to get that back for the future.”
Switching to the ice, Air Force defeated Army, 3-0, at Cadet Ice Arena last night in the first game of their best-of-three Atlantic hockey Association quarterfinal series. As Brian Gomez points out in the linked article, the Falcons know how to win in the postseason. That and a hot goalie (Andrew Volkening) could make for another run deep into the postseason.
Jake-
I think an important part of transferring these feelings to next year is a strong(er) non-conference schedule. We’ve had our fill the last two seasons of schools with hyphens and directions. Hopefully the staff is inclined to seek more challenges in November and December to help set the foundation for conference play.
Sorry–mindset adjustment means nothing without the coaching to take advantage of it. The team’s dramatic inconsistency over the last few years is only one indication of how badly this group needs better coaching. Reynolds may be able to give it to them, but any system must account for the strengths of this team–disciplined play and experience (the Birds don’t lose kids to the NBA). They can never count on having better athletes than the other guys, and so they have to operate accordingly. Relying on hot shooting streaks or having all your top guys on the floor all the time isn’t going to cut it. They need strategies that take advantage of what they can do–defense should be an easy and immediate priority–against more athletic and frequently more talented programs.
Mooney got Richmond to the NCAA’s.
Jake-
any word from the Chemist as to why we are canceling another big game (FSU) on the football front for another chump program?
many beginning to question TC’s personal motives as to why we redo the scheduling. if OU hadnt pushed away last season, we would have lost that one too.
next time you talk to Calhoun tell him that “fans are pissed off that you pissed away the schedule”
someone needs to put the screws to him.
thanks Jake.
afa fan -
See post above. Apparently AF wanted to keep the game at FSU but cancel the home game (so it could play its usual opener against a D-1AA team).
I’m heading to football practice today and will ask Calhoun about it then.