Ramsey: Schafer a diamond in rough season for AFA hoops

Sammy Schafer is the laughing, battling symbol of hope for Air Force's future.

Hope, as we all know, is in pitifully short supply for the Falcons, who lost yet again Saturday afternoon at Clune Arena.

UNLV shrugged its way to a 59-38 victory. The Rebels never even took a deep breath. It was easy, much too easy.

And so the sad times roll on. The Falcons have lost eight straight, including five in a row at Clune Arena.

For five seasons, Clune was a frightening place for opponents. Now, it's one of the kinder destinations in college basketball.

Down on your luck? Need an easy win?

Come to Colorado Springs, brother.

The sad times don't have to last forever.

Schafer, a 6-foot-10 center, and other youngsters in the lineup could bring life to a team on life support. Don't get too excited. I'm not talking about this season.

But he offers glimpses of what could be better days. Schafer understands the Princeton offense, which is allegedly being run by this edition of the Falcons.

Most of his teammates want to stand around and launch 3-pointers. This is the curse of modern basketball. Everyone wants to fire from long range, but hardly anyone is accurate.

The Falcons missed 15-of-20 3-point attempts, one of many reasons the Rebels enjoyed such a breezy afternoon.

The game is won - and lost - in the lane. Schafer, in the tradition of Nick Welch and Jake Burtschi, wants to attack the rim.

He can pass with either hand, and he looks, often in vain, for teammates slicing to the basket. He's deceptively quick, and he enjoys little more than blocking shots. He's insulted when opponents invade his lane.

Best of all, Schafer is having fun on the court, in stark contrast with his gloomy teammates and even more depressed coaches.

The Falcons look miserable, which is understandable. After a solid five-season run, they've tumbled to the Mountain West's basement.

But that doesn't mean the bench has to be sad.

Schafer is a happy warrior. He shakes his fists and talks on defense and laughs after good plays and slaps his teammates on the back.

"Basketball to me is first of all a game, and I'm going out there to have fun," he said. "I'm out there to learn about life and to enjoy it. And everything - winning, everything - falls in with that."

This season is a lost cause. The Falcons will head into their final nine conference games as prohibitive underdogs. Every night will be a sad struggle.

The near future could be different. Schafer currently weighs 201 pounds. He resembles a famine victim.

Keep this in mind. Ray, Sammy's big brother, plays professional basketball in Japan, and he's a hulk. Ray weighs 250 pounds. Ray weighed 205 pounds when he was Sammy's age.

These are bleak days for Air Force basketball.

Tomorrow?

Imagine a tall, wide, mighty and always jubilant young man named Sammy leading the Falcons to victory.