Air Force notes: Hammonds impresses with his defense

BOISE, Idaho – Many of Air Force’s freshmen have had good moments, and lately, coach Jeff Reynolds has been raving about Justin Hammonds.

Hammonds, a 6-foot-7 forward, didn’t fill up the stat sheet against Boise State, with just six points, but Reynolds singled out his defense. Boise State hit just 38.8 percent of its shots from the field as Air Force got a 15-point win.

“He’s smart, and his length and ability to recognize shooters gave us a lift,” Reynolds said. “Defensively, he was really good.”

Broekhuis comes up big

Center Taylor Broekhuis hit a big 3-pointer with a little less than 4 minutes remaining, but that wasn’t his only contribution. He had 15 points and 10 rebounds. All of his rebounds were defensive rebounds. Air Force has had a huge emphasis on keeping opponents from getting second-chance points, and Boise State got just seven offensive rebounds and eight second-chance points.

“You just have to go get the ball,” Broekhuis said. “Someone has to get it.”

Lyons getting closer

Although Michael Lyons dressed out for Air Force and looked good in warmups, he was never close to playing. The training staff ruled him out, which meant the coaches couldn’t entertain the possibility of him playing after Lyons looked pretty spry during pregame. His progress does, however, give Air Force hope he’ll be ready soon, perhaps Wednesday against Wyoming.

“I think he’s a little over 50-50 now,” Reynolds said. “Hopefully we’ll get the green light soon.”