Air Force still together after being taken apart
The Air Force men's basketball team will attempt to get its season back on track this week with a pair of home games at Clune Arena.
It won't be easy.
The Falcons (9-6, 0-2 in the Mountain West Conference) play host to Utah and center Luke Nevill on Wednesday, then take on much-improved TCU on Saturday.
Air Force has opened league play with two straight losses for the first time since the 2002-03 season, and the combined 42-point margin in the two losses is the largest in back-to-back losses since the Falcons lost games to BYU and New Mexico by a combined 46 points in 2002-03. But coach Jeff Reynolds said his team is "continuing to battle."
"The thing that's been most heartening is no one has quit," he said. "No one has pointed fingers."
Air Force's toughest task Wednesday will be containing Nevill, who is averaging 17.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks and, according to Reynolds, is "playing probably the best he's played since I've seen him in the league."
Utah coach Jim Boylen attributed Nevill's standout play to "pure heart at the defensive end of the floor."
"It's never been disputed that Luke can score the ball, he has great hands, he can run, he can pass, he's very skilled," Boylen said. "What I've asked him to do is take more ownership on the defensive end of the floor and rebounding. And I think when you do that, everything else comes around for you. He's scoring the ball better, he's rebounding the ball better, he's shooting a higher percentage. ... He's challenging so many more plays at the rim, he's so much more active in the paint, he's not fouling out, he's better with foul trouble."
Horned Frogs' Buljan honored
TCU junior Zvonko Buljan was named the MWC's player of the week Monday.
The 6-9 forward, who hails from Split, Croatia, averaged 16 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals in leading the Horned Frogs to victories over Texas Tech and UNLV.
Etc.
Reynolds said he did not anticipate making any changes in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game.
NEXT
Utah at Air Force 8 p.m. Wednesday, The mtn., 740 AM
