RAMSEY: Leadership a necessity for Falcons to improve

Five winters ago, the Air Force men's basketball team transformed from one of the worst in the nation to one of the best in the Mountain West Conference.

It was a stunning conversion. Clune Arena, for decades a quiet, lonely place, changed to a thrill-packed destination.

That transformation, and all the fun that came with it, is in danger. The Falcons, respectable for the past five winters, dangle on the edge of disaster.

Air Force stumbled through an ultra-weak nonconference schedule with four defeats, including beyond-belief home losses to Wofford and Stony Brook.

The breezy part of the season is over. The Falcons travel Saturday to New Mexico and the infamous Pit followed by a home clash against Utah and its center/tower Luke Nevill.

Bleak is the best word to describe the scenario.

The team's offense is in shambles. It might be impossible to effectively run a Princeton-style offense with two starters - Evan Washington and Anwar Johnson - who struggle as 3-point shooters.

Don't get me wrong. Washington and Johnson are fine players, but their shooting range ends at 15 feet. This allows defenders to crowd the lane and dare the Falcons to test the middle.

And the Falcons usually fail the test.

Last Saturday, the Falcons showed impressive resolve against brawny, gifted San Diego State. Air Force caught the Aztecs at 36 with 12 minutes left, inspiring a small crowd of Clune loyalists to roar with joy.

It was a mirage. The Falcons scored five points in the next 10 minutes.

They looked disorganized. They looked afraid to attack the basket. Their intricate offensive patterns failed, time after time, to produce quality shots.

Coach Jeff Reynolds blamed the defeat on rebounding. He pointed to the Aztecs' 13 offensive rebounds as the prime problem.

"I don't think it's the offense," Reynolds said. "If it was the offense, we wouldn't have won a game this season."

Coach, it is the offense.

The season and the offense aren't beyond hope. Last season, Reynolds pushed a limited team to eight conference victories and a 16-14 finish.

Those Falcons overachieved. These Falcons underachieve.

Reynolds must find more shots for his senior offensive stars, Matt Holland and Andrew Henke.

Against Stony Brook, Holland and Henke combined for 10 shots. Against Wofford, the duo took 12 shots. This lack of shooting is the main reason for the Falcons' ridiculous home defeats.

Of course, a coach can't do everything. Henke and Holland must be more assertive.

This is especially true for Henke, who's in danger of falling into the Tim Keller syndrome.

You might remember Keller. He was the star of the 2002-03 team and a solid player on the 2003-04 NCAA Tournament team.

But in his senior season of 2004-05, Keller became obsessed with sharing the ball. He was the team's best shooter, but he wanted to be just one of the guys.

His generosity reduced him to a shadow of what he could have been. Keller averaged nearly 15 points as a sophomore. He averaged a mere seven as a senior.

Henke shrugged when asked about his lack of production. He's scored eight points in his past two games.

"I'm trying to get other people shots," he said.

That's a noble thought, I guess, but he's carried it too far.

Holland and Henke could awaken this team, but often they've been the ones slumbering.

The Falcons desperately need a leader. Last season, guard Tim Anderson quietly demanded his teammates battle with emotion and precision.

His graduation left a massive hole in the heart of the Falcons. These Falcons excel as obedient followers, and that's the problem.

Someone must emerge as a snarling, charismatic leader in the tradition of past stars A.J. Kuhle, Antoine Hood, Jacob Burtschi and Anderson.

Someone must combine toughness with tenderness.

Someone must step forward and refuse to let a season that still has promise turn into one of those dreaded rebuilding projects.

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Contact the writer: Columnist David Ramsey can be reached at 476-4895 or david.ramsey@gazette.com  

NEXT

Air Force at New Mexico, 7:30 p.m. 
Saturday, 
The mtn., 740 AM