Air Force shooters don't lack confidence
The best shooters in basketball, it has been said, always think they will make their next shot — no matter how many they’ve missed.
Air Force juniors Matt Holland and Andrew Henke share that mentality.
Holland, who has made 42 percent of his 3-point attempts, said he believes a shooter must have “no conscience.” Henke, who has converted 41.4 shots from beyond the arc, said every time he takes a shot, “I think it’s going in.”
That’s good because shooting has so much to do with confidence, and the Falcons, who play host to Colorado State at 8 tonight, rely so much on their perimeter marksmanship.
But danger lurks when confidence becomes stubbornness. Take Saturday’s 59-44 loss to New Mexico. After missing 9 of 11 3-point tries in the first half, the Falcons missed their first five of the second half.
Where do teams draw the line between continuing to shoot with confidence and abandoning the 3?
“That’s probably a hard balance,” said Steve Alford, one of the best outside shooters in the 1980s and now coach of New Mexico — the top 3-point shooting team in the Mountain West Conference.
Utah coach Jim Boylen, whose team ranks second in the league in 3-point percentage doesn’t like “first-option 3s,” but “you have to give your guys some freedom in the system, some freedom in the game.”
Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds said his coaches have “never told a player not to shoot.” But they preach what Reynolds practiced in his playing days — trying to find easy baskets or a way to the free throw line when outside shots aren’t falling.
“I always felt like if I missed a couple of shots I had to get in closer and get my rhythm,” Reynolds said. “Hey, if you’ve gone 0 for 3, maybe it’s a post-up, maybe it’s a drive and get to the free throw line, but they have to feel good about themselves before they can draw back and shoot another 3.”
That can be difficult for the Falcons, who have had such great success in recent years shooting the ball from long range. Air Force made 47.8 percent of their 3s in back-to-back victories prior to the New Mexico game.
“Our shooters always feel like we can dig ourselves out of a hole by standing on the outside and jacking them up,” Holland said. “But a lot of times it’s better off to put your head down and drive, get to the rim, get to the free throw line. Getting to the free throw line solves a lot of problems. You can’t live and die by the 3.”
Note
Colorado State coach Tim Miles said he did not expect center Stuart Creason (foot injury) to play tonight.
