Jan. 15, 2007
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#13/11 Air Force Falcons (17-1, 4-0 MWC) vs. Utah Utes (5-12, 0-4 MWC)
Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2007, 8:05 p.m.
Site
Huntsman Center (15,000), Salt Lake City, Utah
Radio
The Air Force Basketball Network. Locally on NewsRadio 740 KVOR in Colorado Springs and KYOL 1510 AM in Denver. KVOR's Jim Arthur handles the play-by-play.
TV
The mtn. Bill Doleman (play-by-play) and Joe Cravens (analyst) call the action.
Live Stats
www.goairforcefalcons.com (Gametracker)
Recent Results
Air Force defeated Wyoming, 58-56, Saturday in Laramie, Wyo., on Jacob Burtschi's buzzer-beater. Utah fell to New Mexico, 86-82 in overtime, Saturday in Albuquerque.
Coaches
Air Force is coached by Jeff Bzdelik (Illinois-Chicago, 1976), who is in his second season as head coach. Bzdelik returned to the college game last year after 15 seasons as a coach and scout in the NBA, most recently as head coach of the Denver Nuggets. Bzdelik has a collegiate career record of 66-39, including a 41-8 mark at Air Force. Bzdelik was the head coach at UMBC for two years from 1986-88.
Utah is coached by Ray Giacoletti (Minot State, 1985), who is in his third season with the Utes. He is 48-33 at the school and 165-116 in his career, spanning 10 years.
Series
Utah leads the all-time series, 42-11. Air Force swept the Utes last season, winning 66-44 at Clune Arena and 52-51 in Salt Lake City. The Falcons have won four of the last six meetings.
4-0 in Conference Play
Air Force improved to 4-0 in Mountain West Conference action with a last-second 58-56 victory over Wyoming Saturday in Laramie, Wyo. The Falcons are 4-0 in conference play for just the second time in school history (2003-04, started 5-0).
17-1 Best Start Ever
Air Force's 17-1 record is the best start ever in program history after 18 games, bettering the team's record of 16-2 from last season.
Still Moving Up in Both Polls
For the fifth straight week, the Falcons achieved their highest ranking ever in the national polls. AFA moved up four spots to No. 11 in this week's USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll and five spots to No. 13 in the Associated Press poll.
Nearly Unbeatable at Clune
The Falcons have been close to unbeatable at Clune Arena the last four seasons. Including the final home game of the 2002-03 season (a 68-60 victory over New Mexico), Air Force has won 49 of its last 50 home games. The team was 13-0 in `03-04, 12-1 in `04-05 (lost to Utah, 65-56, on Feb. 19), 15-0 last season and is 8-0 this year.
AFA's 47-1 home record since the beginning of the 2003-04 season is the second-best in the country for winning percentage, behind Gonzaga (47-0).
In addition, the Falcons have won 24 of their last 25 MWC games at Clune Arena.
Air Force Tops MWC Last 3+ Years
Air Force has posted the best regular season MWC record since the beginning of the 2003-04 MWC schedule. AFA's conference regular season record is 37-11, nine games better than Utah's 28-20 mark.
Home Win Streak at 25
The Falcons have a 25-game winning streak at Clune Arena. The team's current home-court winning streak is tied with BYU for the second-longest in the nation behind Gonzaga.
Up Next
The Falcons continue play in the Mountain West Conference on Saturday, Jan. 20 when they host San Diego State at Clune Arena. Tip-off is at 3 p.m.
Last Time Out
Air Force 58, Wyoming 56
Jan. 13, 2007, USAFA, Colo.
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) - Game tied, inbounds play with 1.2 seconds left - and Wyoming switching on every screen. It was the perfect opportunity to run a bit of misdirection.
And it worked to perfection.
Jacob Burtschi had 18 points, including the winning basket at the buzzer, and No. 18 Air Force beat Wyoming 58-56 on Saturday.
With Dan Nwaelele making the inbounds pass, Burtschi set a screen for Matt McCraw, who curled out to the 3-point line. When Wyoming's Ryan Dermody switched on the screen, Burtschi had a wide-open path to the basket.
"Wyoming was switching on us all night," Burtschi said. "We set the play so if they didn't switch, we had Matt on the outside. But when No. 5 went with the switch, I just cut back in."
Burtschi dribbled once and easily laid it in. The ball fell through the hoop at the buzzer, sending the Falcons - 17-1 for the first time in school history and 4-0 in the Mountain West - streaming onto the court in celebration. It was the 13th consecutive win for the Falcons, tying a school record.
"It worked earlier in the game and we were able to get a layup, so we thought we'd try it again," Air Force coach Jeff Bzdelik said.
"We knew everything that they were going to do," Wyoming coach Steve McClain said, "but that doesn't mean you're going to stop it."
If they'd hit their free throws, Air Force could have sealed it earlier. Leading 56-55, the Falcons twice missed the front end of a 1-and-1, and when John Frye fouled Daaron Brown with 21 seconds left he gave Wyoming (11-6, 2-1) a chance to take the lead.
But Brown missed the first of his free throws, too, hitting the second to tie the game at 56. The Cowboys, who'd hit 72 percent of their free throws coming in, hit 13 of 20 (65 percent) on Saturday.
"We had a chance to win the game, ... but they just didn't go in for us tonight," Brandon Ewing said.
Air Force tried to set up a play, but lost the ball; it went out of bounds off a Wyoming player, setting up the inbounds play and Burtschi's game-winning layup.
Nwaelele scored 13 points for the Falcons, and Tim Anderson had 10.
Notes from the Wyoming Game
Team
-- Air Force is 17-1 for the first time in program history
-- Air Force's 17-1 record ties the best in the country (Clemson and Wisconsin)
-- Air Force's 13-game winning streak ties the longest in school history and is tied for the longest current streak in the country (Wisconsin)
-- Air Force's 41.5 FG% is the lowest this season
-- Air Force's 19 points in the first half is the lowest total in any half this season
-- Air Force's 26.7% from the field in the first half is the lowest for any half this season
Individual
-- Matt McCraw played all 40 minutes for the fourth straight game
-- Tim Anderson tied his career-high with six rebounds
-- Dan Nwaelele posted the 200th rebound of his career
Burtschi Named Preseason All-MWC
Senior forward Jacob Burtschi was selected to the preseason All-Mountain West Conference team at the league's media day in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Chickasha, Okla. product earned second-team honors by the conference following the 2005-06 season after finishing second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game, and leading the MWC with a school-record 71 steals.
Burtschi led the Falcons in rebounding at 6.1 rebounds per game, which placed him ninth in the league.
This is the fourth consecutive year an Air Force player has been selected to the team. Senior Nick Welch was picked each of the past two years and Tim Keller was selected prior to the 2003-04 season. The only other MWC school to have a player on the team each of the last four years is Colorado State.
2006-07 Preseason All-MWC
Jacob Burtschi, Sr., F, Air Force
Trent Plaisted, So., F/C, BYU
Jason Smith, Jr., F, Colorado State
Mohamed Abukar, Sr., F, San Diego State
Brandon Heath, Sr., G, San Diego State
Top Returning Player
Brandon Heath, Sr., G, San Diego State
Top Freshman
Stephen Weigh, G/F, Utah
Burtschi Sets Career Steals Mark
With his two steals against Radford on Nov. 22, senior Jacob Burtschi became the all-time steals leader at Air Force. He currently has 168, 17 more than Raymond Dudley, who played from `86-90.
McCraw Takes Over 3-Pt% Lead
Seniors Dan Nwaelele and Matt McCraw are in a heated battle for the No. 1 spot on Air Force's career list for three-point percentage. Following his 18-for-28 (64.3%) performance the last six games, McCraw regained the lead. He is shooting 47.5 percent (181-381) from behind the arc, while Nwaelele is at 46.8 percent (140-299). Third place on the list is Raymond Dudley, the school's career scoring leader, at 39.6 percent (285-720).
Winning Handily
12 of Air Force's 17 victories this season have been by 10 points or more. The only single-digit wins were the 69-68 victory over Long Beach State at the CBE Classic and the four MWC wins.
Eight of the team's wins have been by more than 20 points and six of those have been by 30+ points.
Non-Conference Home Streak at 31
With its 70-47 victory over Norfolk State on Wednesday, Dec. 13, Air Force has a 31-game winning streak at home against non-conference opponents.
The last loss at home to a non-Mountain West team at Clune Arena was against Tennessee Tech on Dec. 29, 2001 (64-44).
13 Ties Longest Winning Streak
Air Force's 13-game winning streak ties the longest in school history. The Falcons rattled off 13 straight victories in 2003-04 before falling at UNLV on Feb. 2, 2004.
NCAA Record vs. Colorado College
Air Force held Division III Colorado College to an NCAA-record six points in the first half in the Falcons' 82-31 victory on Dec. 9.
The previous low for a half since the shot clock was introduced for the 1985-86 season was the seven scored by Central Michigan in trailing Ohio University by 28 points on Jan. 14, 2006.
Starters Shooting Lights Out
Four of Air Force's five starters are shooting at least 50 percent from the field this season. Forward Dan Nwaelele leads the team at 58.4 (90-154). Tim Anderson is second at 53.8% (56-104), followed by Jacob Burtschi at 52.6% (90-171) and Nick Welch at 51.1% (68-133). Matt McCraw is the only starter below 50 percent, but is slowly climbing the ladder and is currently at 49.2% (58-118). The five starters as a group are shooting 54 percent (362-670).
In fact, of the 15 players on the roster that have attempted at least five field-goal attempts this season, only five (including McCraw) are shooting below 50 percent.
Largest Crowd in Clune History
The largest crowd in the history of Clune Arena witnessed Air Force's dramatic 65-57 come-from-behind victory over New Mexico last Tuesday. The official attendance of 6,511 surpassed the previous top crowd of 6,359 on Jan. 24, 2004 against BYU.
AFA in the Computer Rankings
The Falcons posted their highest rating ever in the Sagarin ratings on Jan. 8 at No. 5 and CollegeRPI on Jan. 14 at No. 6. Air Force is currently No. 13 in the Sagarin.
Welch Joins the 200-100 Club
With his steal on Dec. 13 against Norfolk State, Nick Welch became the ninth player in school history to record 200 assists and 100 steals in his career. Welch currently has 220 assists and 105 steals in his career.
Tied for Best Record in the Country
The Falcons are tied for the best record in the country at 17-1. Clemson and Wisconsin are also currently 17-1.
Tied for Lead with 13-Game Streak
The Falcons are tied for the longest winning streak in the country with 13 consecutive wins. New Mexico State and Wisconsin have also won 13 straight games.
First to 17 in MWC
With their victory over Wyoming on Saturday, the Falcons became the first Mountain West Conference teams to win 17 games this season. Air Force tops the league standings with its 17-1 overall record and 4-0 mark in the MWC. Wyoming, TCU and BYU are in second place with a 2-1 MWC record.
Tied For #2 for 30-Point Wins
Air Force is tied for second in the nation with six victories of 30 points or more this season. Texas A&M has seven, while the Falcons are tied with Notre Dame with six.
Seven Games in 12 Days!!
Air Force started the season playing seven games in 12 days, including four games in five days, culminating with its 83-59 victory over Radford on Nov. 22. Air Force was just one of three Division I teams (Winston-Salem College and Fairfield Univ.) to play seven games before Thanksgiving this season.
Three-Point Streak
Air Force has made a three-point shot in 433 consecutive games. The last time the Falcons failed to make a three-pointer was Dec. 4, 1991 in a 57-51 victory over Adams State College.
Three Starters in Double Figures
Three of Air Force's five starters are averaging in double figures this season. Dan Nwaelele leads the way at 15.1 points per game, followed by Jacob Burtschi (13.9) and Matt McCraw (12.3). Nick Welch (9.9) and Tim Anderson (9.8) are just below the mark.
Second Time With 30-Point Wins
Air Force's 36-point victory at Stanford and 38-point win at Colorado marked just the second time in school history that the Falcons have won consecutive games by 30 points or more.
The first time was in the program's inaugural season of 1956-57, when AFA defeated Colorado College, 104-53, and Eastern New Mexico, 102-69. Both of those games were at home.
Falcons in National Stats
Senior Matt McCraw is ranked seventh in the country for three-point percentage (50.7 percent) in the latest NCAA Division I statistics (Jan. 12). Nwaelele, who is also No. 2 in the Mountain West Conference in 3-point shooting (40-for-78), is shooting 49.2 percent (58-118) from the field this season. McCraw is also ninth in the country, shooting 91.1 percent (41-45), from the free-throw line.
Junior Tim Anderson is 33rd in the country in free-throw shooting at 88.5 percent, while teammate Dan Nwaelele is 26th in field-goal percentage at 60.3 percent.
Burtschi 20th on Career Scoring List
With his 18 points against Wyoming last Saturday, senior Jacob Burtschi moved into 20th place on the school's career scoring list. He has 983 points and needs 17 points become the 19th player in school history to score 1,000 career points.
Henke vs. Henke
Sophomore Andrew Henke faced his brother, Mitch, a junior at Santa Clara, in the championship game of the Cable Car Classic. Andrew scored a career-high 13 points in 27 minutes of action and was named the tournament's top sixth man. Mitch, meanwhile, did not score against the Falcons and played just four minutes after spraining his ankle on Dec. 23 against Utah State.
UNC Game Postponed
Due to extreme winter weather and travel complications, Air Force's game against Northern Colorado scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 23, was postponed. No make up date has been set.
Nwaelele Shares MWC Award
Senior Dan Nwaelele and Colorado State junior Jason Smith were named Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Co-Players of the Week on Dec. 4.
A 6-5 forward from Bothell, Wash., Nwaelele averaged 18.5 points and four rebounds per game as the Falcons pushed their win streak to four games. Nwaelele contributed 11 points and five boards in a 94-58 rout of Wake Forest on Wednesday, then pumped in a career-high 26 points in a 78-66 win over IPFW on Saturday. Nwaelele was almost perfect against IPFW, making 6-of-7 from the field, including all three of his 3-point attempts, and was 11-of-11 from the free-throw line.
Third Place at CBE Classic
Air Force finished third at the 16-team College Basketball Experience Classic with a 67-53 victory over Texas Tech on Nov. 21 in the third-place game in Kansas City, Mo. Duke defeated the Falcons, 71-56, in the semifinals.
McCraw Named to All-Tourney Team
Senior Matt McCraw was named to the CBE Classic all-tournament team after scoring a season-high 18 points and grabbing a team-high six rebounds against Texas Tech in the third-place game. McCraw scored nine points in the semis vs. Duke.
CBE Classic Regional Champs
With its 79-45 victory over Stanford on Nov. 15, Air Force captured the Stanford Region of the CBE Classic and was the only non-home team to advance to the CBE Classic semifinals in Kansas City. Duke, Texas Tech and Marquette were the other teams at the tournament.
Burtschi Named Region MVP
Senior Jacob Burtschi was named the most valuable player for the Stanford Region of the CBE Classic. Burtschi averaged 23 points and 8.5 rebounds in the two games, including a 24-point, 12-rebound performance against Stanford on Nov. 15, the third double-double of his career.
Cable Car Classic Champions
With Air Force's 78-48 victory over Santa Clara on Dec. 29, the Falcons claimed the title at the Cable Car Classic. The Falcons defeated George Washington, 66-52, in the first round on Thursday.
The tournament title was Air Force's third in program history. The Falcons captured the Evansville Invitational in 1972 and the Golden Bear Classic in 2003.
Air Force is 5-1 in tournament games this season after going 3-1 in the CBE Classic in November.
Burtschi Named Cable Car MVP
Senior Jacob Burtschi earned the most valubale player award at the Cable Car Classic after averaging 18.5 points and five rebounds in the two games. Seniors Dan Nwaelele and Matt McCraw were named to the all-tournament team and sophomore Andrew Henke was named the Classic's top sixth man.
