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COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Who Are These Falcons?

Air Force basketball is an extension of a way of life, which could make the cadets dangerous come March Madness time

Feb. 21, 2007

By Jason Brough
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer

The United States Air Force Academy has something it calls The Little Blue Book. Given to all new recruits at the Colorado Springs institution, it's the basic guide to the Air Force's three core values, which are as follows:

* Integrity first.
* Service before self.
* Excellence in all we do.

The Little Blue Book might well explain the success of the Air Force basketball team, ranked No. 14 in the country by the Associated Press. The Falcons are 23-5 overall and 10-4 in the Mountain West Conference, second to BYU (20-6, 10-2) and tied with UNLV (23-6, 10-4). Air Force is 10-12 against the spread in games with a betting line.

Despite Tuesday's 60-50 loss to the Rebels, for Air Force, the 2006-07 season is on pace to be the best in its history. Last year, it finished 24-7 with a first-round loss to Illinois in the NCAA Tournament. Thanks to a creampuff regular-season schedule, critics had considered the Falcons a dubious pick by the tournament's selection committee.

This year, the Falcons ratcheted it up a notch. Early-season games against the likes of Stanford (W, 79-45), Duke (L, 71-56), and Texas Tech (W, 76-53) proved the cadets belonged with the big boys.

Oddsmakers, however, are still disinclined to give Air Force its due. A 65/1 longshot to win March Madness, big-name teams ranked lower than the Falcons are getting far shorter odds. No. 18 Duke is at 28/1. No. 19 Texas is at 12/1. Even the smaller schools are getting more respect, evidenced by No. 15 Butler at 25/1.

Back to The Little Blue Book for a rebuttal.

Integrity first - So far as we know, none of the Falcons have been accused of stealing laptops.

Service before self - Nor been accused of selfish play.

Excellence in all we do - Take a look at that record again.

A quote by Sheila E. Widnall, United States Secretary of the Air Force from 1993-97, reads, "Core values make the military what it is; without them, we cannot succeed. They are the values that instill confidence, earn lasting respect, and create willing followers. They are the values that anchor resolve in the most difficult situations. They are the values that buttress mental and physical courage when we enter combat."

This isn't lip service stuff. This is a way of life, basketball included. And with cadets being forced to spend far more time in the classroom than is required at most other programs, it has to be. Air Force is not in the business of training NBA prospects. That is, unless those players want to serve their country for a few years before turning pro. Uh-huh. Exactly.

Coach Jeff Bzdelik is making do with recruits he refers to as "low Division 1 suspects". And the Air Force is helping him mold them.

"A coach wants players who are disciplined, players who are willing to sacrifice individually for a greater cause, players who are unselfish," Bzdelik told the Rocky Mountain News. "Well, all that is a way of life here. It's taught 24/7. So it's easy for me as a coach to have them buy into it because it's who they are. You don't find that at very many other schools."

Also helping the Falcon cause is experience. Bzdelik's top four scorers are seniors - Dan Nwaelele, Jacob Burtschi, Matt McCraw, and Nick Welch. Junior Tim Anderson rounds out the go-to group. Each of the five averages over 27 minutes per game.

Appropriately for a military team, Air Force excels on defense. The Falcons rank second in Division 1 with opponents scoring just 54.9 points per game. Only Princeton (52.6) is better.

While the Falcons have only once broken the 90-point barrier on offense (94-58 over Wake Forest on Nov. 20) that's mostly to do with their strategy. They like to shorten the game, a frustrating prospect for any run-and-gun side.

When Air Force does decide to shoot, however, it's extremely accurate. It ranks seventh in field goal percentage (49.7) and fifth in three-point shooting (42.4 percent).

Of course, the Falcons won't be the biggest team on the court come tourney time - senior John Frye is the tallest regular at 6-10. Burtschi is the heaviest at 225 pounds. And they might not match up talent-wise, either. But that's only on paper. The Little Blue Book, as far as the Falcons are concerned, is set in stone.

TOP PHOTO: Air Force coach Jeff Bzdelik and guard Matt McCraw strategize courtside. (AP Photo)

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