AFA basketball: Player capsules
A player-by-player look at the Air Force men's basketball team:
THE STARTERS
G Evan Washington (No. 35)
Class: Junior
Height: 6-4
Weight: 190
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Scouting report: Strong, athletic player who can score on drives to the basket and in the lane, he’ll take over as the primary ball-handler this season. Has played in all 61 of Air Force’s games the past two seasons and started 49 of them. Falcons’ top returning scorer from last season (6.8 points per game). Must improve 3-point and free-throw shooting (25.8 and 60 percent, respectively, last season).
G Avery Merriex (No. 22)
Class: Senior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185
Hometown: Denver
Scouting report: Started the final two games of last season (victory over Colorado State and loss to BYU in the Mountain West Conference Tournament). Steady player should see significantly more time than he did during the 2008-09 campaign, when he averaged 8.9 minutes in 26 appearances. Has scored just 46 career points, including 37 last season.
F Mike McLain (No. 33)
Class: Senior
Height: 6-8
Weight: 220
Hometown: Portland, Ore.
Scouting report: The most pleasant surprise of Air Force’s preseason, according to coach Jeff Reynolds. Started the first 16 games last season at center but was used sparingly in conference play (5.2 minutes per game). Reinvented his body in the offseason, cutting fat and reporting to camp at 218 pounds (he was 243 at the start of the 2008-09 preseason). He will move from the post to the wing but still will be counted on to provide rebounding and energy.
F Grant Parker (No. 50)
Class: Senior
Height: 6-8
Weight: 220
Hometown: Aurora
Scouting report: Fundamentally sound player who can play both power forward and center. Will be counted on to be a leader. Played in all 31 games last season and averaged 6.0 points and 2.7 rebounds. Has shown flashes of scoring and outside shooting ability — including last season at Utah when he scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, with 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range — but will have to score more consistently. Shot the ball well in the preseason.
C Sammy Schafer (No. 3)
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-11
Weight: 220
Hometown: Oregon City, Ore.
Scouting report: High-octane player who injects Falcons with enthusiasm and positive energy. Improved his strength in the offseason and added about 15 pounds to his skinny frame. Must improve stamina. Showed flashes of becoming a defensive presence last season. Played in 23 games last season, starting the final 11, and averaged 2.8 points and 1.7 rebounds. A program building block.
KEY RESERVES
G/F Taylor Stewart (No. 15)
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-5
Weight: 190
Hometown: Lexington, Ky.
Scouting report: Made early splash last season, scoring in double figures his first three games, but faded (he averaged 1.9 points the rest of the season). Smart, savvy and versatile player with good length. Must become a more consistent scorer and shooter (he shot 40.2 percent from the field and 57.7 percent from the line in 2008-09). Played in all 31 games last season, starting 10.
G Michael Lyons (No. 14)
Class: Freshman
Height: 6-6
Weight: 195
Hometown: Newport News, Va.
Scouting report: Long, athletic player has the potential to have the biggest impact of the large group of freshmen. Led the academy prep school team in scoring with 17.5 points per game last season and was tied for second with 72 assists. Shot a team-high 52.6 percent from the floor, including 33.3 from 3-point range. Had 13 points in 19 minutes during a preseason scrimmage.
G Shawn Hempsey (No. 32)
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
Hometown: Encinitas, Calif.
Scouting report: True point guard with good ball-handling skills and court vision. Has the ability to get the Falcons into their offense. Played in 16 games last season and started six. Cut down body fat in the offseason and “can move better,” according to Reynolds. Shot more consistently in the preseason.
F/C Taylor Broekhuis (No. 34)
Class: Freshman
Height: 6-10
Weight: 200
Hometown: Colorado Springs
Scouting report: Colorado Springs Christian grad and Gazette 2007-08 Small Schools Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year led the Air Force prep school last season in rebounding (7.8 per game) and blocks (96). Skilled player with good passing skills who can shoot from the perimeter. Must improve strength.
G Todd Fletcher (No. 10)
Class: Freshman
Height: 6-2
Weight: 180
Hometown: Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Scouting report: Direct-entry player was a four-year letter-winner at Lee’s Summit West High. A “heady” point guard, according to Reynolds, he also is a good shooter. Averaged 15 points and had a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio as a senior in high school. Must improve his grasp of system.
Mike Fitzgerald (No. 5)
Class: Freshman
Height: 6-6
Weight: 190
Hometown: Centerville, Minn.
Scouting report: Direct-entry player averaged 19.6 points last year as a senior at St. Thomas Academy. Long-range shooter also was a standout soccer player in high school, “so he can really move his feet,” Reynolds said. Brother, Dan, played at Tulane (he was recruited by a staff that included Reynolds) and then Marquette.
THE REST OF THE BENCH
Saj El-Amin (No. 4)
Class: Senior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 205
Hometown: Clearwater, Fla.
Scouting report: Defensive stopper is playing receiver for the football team and will join the basketball team after the bowl game.
F Zach Bohannon (No. 13)
Class: Freshman
Height: 6-7
Weight: 205
Hometown: Marion, Iowa
Scouting report: Direct-entry player was a three-year letter-winner at Linn-Mar High, which won the 4A state title in his sophomore year and was the state runner-up in his senior season. Good passer who can score with either hand. His brother, Jason, is a 6-2 senior guard at Wisconsin.
F Tom Fow (No. 20)
Class: Junior
Height: 6-6
Weight: 200
Hometown: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Scouting report: Sharpshooter, especially from 3-point range. Was limited to just two games last season while struggling to recover from offseason knee surgery. Finally healthy, he has been impressive shooting the ball in the preseason.
Derek Brooks (No. 24)
Class: Junior
Height: 6-5
Weight: 195
Hometown: Nathalie, Va.
Scouting report: Was expected to be a key reserve last season after emerging late in the 2007-08 season. But he tore a tendon in a toe on his left foot in December and missed the remainder of the season. Will not dress for games until end of semester so he can concentrate on academics.
