RAMSEY: Air Force must add brawn, toughness
When the buzzer sounded, the crowd at Clune Arena fell into stunned silence. Air Force had lost to TCU, even though the Falcons did everything required to win their third straight Mountain West game.
Everything, that is, except rebound.
Interim coach Dave Pilipovich came rolling into this game with considerable momentum toward dropping the interim in front of his title. After coming achingly close to another victory, he was understandably troubled.
He explained the game in one sentence.
“Every time they came down and missed a shot,” Pilipovich said of the Horned Frogs, “they got the offensive rebound.”
Excuse Pilipovich for exaggerating. His analysis of the game was only slightly off.
TCU seized 22 offensive rebounds, and the Falcons grabbed only 22 defensive rebounds. When the Horned Frogs launched a shot, it was even money one of their own would claim the miss.
The pieces are there for a strong Air Force team next season. With a returning nucleus of Michael Lyons, Taylor Broekhuis, Mike Fitzgerald and Justin Hammonds, the Falcons could climb near the top of conference standings.
But only if coaches can find a couple of tough guys to patrol the middle.
Broekhuis, a 6-foot-10 junior from Colorado Springs Christian, played a magnificent game, collecting 15 points, six blocks and four assists. Trouble is, he only added one rebound to his collection. TCU guard Hank Thorns, who stands 5-foot-8, grabbed three rebounds.
I’m not blaming the Falcons’ rebounding generosity entirely on Broekhuis. His game is more finesse than fierce. He needs help.
Broekhuis resembles former Air Force star Nick Welch. Both can pass and shoot and run the floor. Both struggled in the battle for rebounds.
In Welch’s best season, 2003-2004, the Falcons won the Mountain West despite placing a skinny man in the middle. The scheme worked because Welch was blessed with marauding sidekicks. Forwards Jacob Burtschi and A.J. Kuhle employed the aggressive tactics of NFL linebackers, allowing the Falcons to travel all the way to the NCAA Tournament.
In 2007-2008, the Falcons' last winning season, most of the credit went to guard Tim Anderson, and he deserved it. But center Keith Maren served as the unsung hero of the team. Maren would never be described as smooth, but he expertly employed his 240-pound frame to terrify opponents. He made sure the lane was a painful destination for opponents.
The Falcons' roster is filled with swift, fit, skillful players. The Falcons must add a couple of shady characters to perform unsightly work under the basket.
The Falcons nearly won despite their rebounding woes. With just under 8 minutes left, Broekhuis dropped a sweet left-handed hook shot, giving the Falcons a 55-47 lead, and inspiring TCU coach Jim Christian to call a timeout.
The Horned Frogs returned to the court with a simple strategy. They attacked the rim with relentless intensity. TCU won this game by grabbing 15 offensive rebounds in the second half. Air Force grabbed 13 rebounds, offensive and defensive, during the final 20 minutes.
This Falcons roster is jammed with potential. Next season, the nucleus will be older and wiser and almost certainly better.
But there’s a lesson to be learned from Wednesday’s defeat. Basketball isn’t football, filled with blood and violence, but it’s not completely a finesse sport, either.
The lane must become a less-inviting destination.
Twitter: @davidramz
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