Falcons staying hot — not bothered

Andrew Henke can't extinguish the competitive fire that blazes in his basketball soul.

But Air Force's talented senior guard/forward is managing to keep it to a controlled burn.

"He's still a fiery individual, but he's more mature about it now," said coach Jeff Reynolds, whose Falcons open the season Friday by hosting Division II Western State at 7 p.m. "I don't think he gets out of control as much."

That hasn't always been the case.

"It definitely used to boil over," Henke said. "I don't know if it's my sheer competitiveness that I was born with or whatnot.

"Since I was little, I had problems even with my dad when he coached me when I was like 6 years old. Us losing a game and me flipping out and being all mad."

Frustration over a foul or a poor play could take Henke out of his game early in his Air Force career. And even last season, Henke's emotions at times got the best of him. He recalled shouting at Reynolds at halftime of a nonconference game outside the locker room.

But Henke has matured "leaps and bounds," he said, while at the academy. And now he's able to thrive off his positive energy and emotion while eliminating the emotion that can be a detriment.

"I've definitely worked on - even in practice - being more level-headed and being more stable so those younger guys can see it," Henke said. "If I'm out of control, and I'm losing my composure, then it leads to everyone losing their composure."

Henke's not only keeping his composure but helping others keep theirs, according to senior forward Matt Holland.

"In our scrimmage last weekend, one of the younger guys kind of had an emotional explosion like maybe (Henke) would have had freshman year," Holland said. "And instead of him being the guy freaking out, he was the level-headed guy consoling the younger guy."

Henke became a leader last year by providing a classic example of putting team before self. Prior to the season, with Reynolds struggling with whether to start Henke or Holland, Henke volunteered to come off the bench. He still led the Falcons in scoring (11.3 points per game) and rebounding (4.5).

This season Henke will have to take on a larger leadership role as one of three seniors on a roster that includes nine freshmen and sophomores. He'll also be counted on to lead the team on the floor.

Reynolds, who praised Henke's work ethic, said Henke became stronger and a better on-the-ball defender in the offseason. This season he'll need to rebound like he did a year ago and - if the Falcons are to be successful - consistently score like he did in the latter half of the 2007-08 campaign.

One of the more touted recruits in academy history, Henke always has been a gifted shooter with range that stretches to beyond the NBA 3-point stripe. But last season he began to evolve into a more complete scorer. While shooting 42 percent from 3-point range - best on the team among players who attempted 10 or more - Henke began to drive to the basket, post up and pull up for mid-range jumpers.

Henke's improvement gave the Falcons a second scoring option to complement Tim Anderson. But this year, Henke will step into Anderson's shoes. And likely get every junk defense and double-team that Anderson faced last season.

"I'm sure teams are going to do all kinds of stuff to prevent me from getting open looks," Henke said.

But it seems clear, no matter how frustrating that will be, that Henke won't let it bother him.

-

Contact the Writer: 636-0365 or jake.schaller@gazette.com. Check out our Air Force blog at gazetteafasports.freedomblogging.com