Better Than Nothing

   So Air Force loses in the MWC Tournament to UNLV last week in the opening round, and at the same time loses star Mike Lyons to a torn meniscus. Many of us thought despite the loss the Falcons were still heading to the NIT Tournament. Someone forgot to tell the committee. Air Force was bypassed and instead winds up in the College Insider.Com Tournament, and opens play Wednesday night in Hawaii against the Warriors. The committee chair CM Newton, said Lyons' injury was a factor. The other problem was, the NIT guarantees regular season conference champions a spot in their tourney. When those same champions lose in their end of the season conference tournament, and do not get selected in the NCAA tournament, they wind up in the NIT and this year there were more of those types of teams, leaving less room for at large squads like Air Force.
    Yes, there is disappointment the Falcons are not going back to the NIT. However, if you are Todd Fletcher, Taylor Broekhuis, Mike Fitzgerald and Kyle Green, you are still playing. Because in a month its all over for those seniors.  No more college basketball. Boys who grow up to be young men who play college basketball have two clocks. The first one is set according to the time of year when basketball begins. For many its all they have known for 15 years. The second and more disquieting clock becomes noticeable the summer before their senior year in college when they realize college ball doesn't last forever. And as your final year winds down you want to keep stiff arming the second clock, hoping to squeeze in as many games as you can. So while Air Force isn't in the "Four Letter Tournament" and missed out on the NIT, its still nice to be invited to someones party.