Winning Ain't Pretty

Air Force won a basketball game Wednesday night, beating Nevada 75-70. It was an ugly game for both teams, filled with fouls, 65 combined free throws, turnovers, and sometimes sloppy play. One team had to win, and it was the Falcons. As this 2014-15 season winds down Air Force has learned some things about itself, and maybe the biggest is, Winning Ain't Pretty. Sure, sometimes you shoot 60%, play unbelievable defense and roll to an easy win. But those victories are reserved for match-ups against teams like Colorado Christian and Western State. In conference play its different. Sometimes you don't have your "A" game. Some nights the shots won't fall. On many an evening you have to throw the scouting report out the window. But you still gotta play. The Falcons have started to figure this out. Sophomore forward Hayden Graham had 12 points and 10 rebounds in that win over the Wolfpack. He said two interesting things on the post-game radio show. The first revelation was Air Force would not have won this kind of game a year ago. The second was teams have to find different ways to win. He was spot on with both observations. I have a new saying that I stole from Ohio State Football Coach Urban Meyer-"Embrace The Grind." That's what the Falcons did Wednesday night. They hung around, they screwed up, they fought back, they got dirty, but found a way to win. As the season comes down to a precious few games nobody wants to see it end. Teams that understand you have to get down and dirty to find wins, usually end up on top. In a season of lessons for the Air Force Mens Basketball team they're starting to understand winning ain't pretty. And, to have survived so many injuries and tough losses and find themselves just 1 game under 500 this late in the year is a testament to growing, learning, and doing what it takes to win.

MoonSwag

Saturdays Air Force-CSU Basketball game in Fort Collins at 4pm on KVOR should be fascinating for a number of reasons. Its an in-state rivalry. Colorado State needs every win to improve its RPI rating for a possible at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament if they don't win the MWC Tournament. Air Force is playing better and hopes to be the team nobody wants to face in the Mountain West Tournament. And then there is the little skirmish back in January in Colorado Springs when the Falcons Matt Mooney punched JJ Avila after Avila put the Falcons Zach Kocur in a headlock. Mooney was properly tossed from the game. Avila was not but was suspended for his actions the next day. Mooney has played well the last 6 weeks. He is smarter and wiser on the floor, and he has a little swagger to his game. Take for example the waning moments of the Air Force-UNLV matchup when Mooney, after getting fouled late, gestured to the crowd to quiet down, ala Peyton Manning, before shooting free throws. He missed both. However he came back with 4 seconds left and calmly buried 2 free throws as the Falcons held on to win. I expect he will get hounded and booed every time he touches the ball Saturday. How will he react to that? He's a freshman, but at times has shown the calmness of a senior. I can see him hitting some shots Saturday, then running down the floor with his finger to his mouth telling the CSU crowd to be quiet. I don't think he'll do that, but if he does, that's okay. The Falcons need a little cockiness. Many times the opposition looks at Air Force as that nice team in Colorado Springs with amazing young men who are going to serve their country. That they are. But it doesn't hurt to be feisty and show some attitude and spunk. That's what Mooney did when he came to the aid of a teammate back in January when Avila was mugging Kocur. Channeled properly, that's a good thing. Mooney's nickname is Moonswag. Air Force could use some swagger Saturday in Fort Collins. It can't hurt.

Fruits of Their Labor

Air Force Mens Basketball Coach Dave Pilipovich has been saying for the last 5 weeks his team is getting better. Average followers of the Falcons probably disagreed. Yes there were close games against New Mexico, Boise State, UNLV, Utah State, San Diego State (The first time around) but the losses continued to pile up. And then a breakthrough. The Falcons, who had been 1-6 in games decided by 9 points or less, knocked off New Mexico in their second match-up, in Colorado Springs 53-49. They did so by shutting out the Lobos over the last 6:40 seconds of the game. That was followed by a beat down of Wyoming(minus Larry Nance Jr) this past Saturday 73-50. Two games does not a season make. But the signs are apparent that the Falcons are better, and are playing with more poise and confidence. But this week brings two more tests. Air Force plays red hot Boise State Wednesday night at 7 in Boise on 740 KVOR, then return home against UNLV Saturday at noon. Clearly the next proving ground is winning on the road against a team you are not supposed to beat. Its late enough in the season that the freshman are now sophomores. They have seen every team once, and they now understand the thin line between winning and losing. The upperclassman realize its the time of year when the games start to run out, and for the seniors that also means an end to their college careers. They all know enough about this Air Force team to understand they can compete with anyone. Competing is one thing...Winning is another. Air Force is better. But only by winning, will the Falcons prove it.

Yon and Upwards?

Max Yon is back with the Air Force Mens Basketball team. He took a leave of absence several weeks ago for personal reasons while remaining at the school, and a cadet in good standing. That left a young basketball team even younger. While Yon was gone the Falcons did beat San Jose State on the road, the school with the worst team in the conference. They offered spirited efforts against Utah State, New Mexico and UNLV but lost those 3 games. Do they win those contests with Yon on the team? I'm not smart enough to answer that. I do think the Falcons did find out more about themselves while Yon was gone. And I think that's important. With, or without Yon Air Force has discovered they can't take minutes off during a game. Its been the one consistent in an inconsistent campaign. Zach Kocur started to emerge as a reliable scorer until teams saw more of him on tape and shut him down. Hayden Graham and Matt Mooney stepped up their games while Yon was away. But can it all come together, with Max back, in the final 6 weeks of the season? Having Yon will help, but the Falcons were inconsistent even with him in the lineup. The season waits for no one, so Yon is catching a moving train, and the Falcons, on the fly, have to eliminate scoreless streaks during games. Max will help, but maybe the only way it shows up, is in the win column.