Fletcher taking control of Falcons

When Air Force men’s basketball coaches recruited Todd Fletcher, they thought he had the size and savvy to contribute as a freshman.

But not this much.

Fletcher, who will make his ninth straight start Tuesday when the Falcons play at San Diego State, averaged 31.7 minutes in the Falcons’ first seven Mountain West Conference games. Only junior guard Evan Washington (34.6) has played more. And in the Falcons’ last two games, Fletcher has been on the court for all but three minutes.

“You can just see him more and more take control of our team,” Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds said of the 6-foot-2 freshman guard from Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Indeed, Fletcher has taken on the role as Air Force’s primary playmaker – removing that burden from Washington, a natural shooting guard. And in the last two games Fletcher has compiled nine assists and made just two turnovers. Though he admits he’s still learning the Falcons’ “extremely tough” offense, he’s shown a knack for getting the ball in the right spots for teammates, whether with a bounce pass through traffic or a lob on a fast break.

Fletcher also has a natural feel for being in the right place on defense, part of why Reynolds has compared him to “a young Tim Anderson,” referring to the 2008 graduate who ranks second all-time at the academy in steals.

One area where Fletcher has struggled is shooting, but there are signs that might be changing. After missing 15 of his first 17 3-pointers in MWC play, he drilled 3s on back-to-back possessions in the second half against Wyoming.

“I just don’t think I was confident about shooting the ball,” he said. “I was always trying to figure out if it was good shot or not. … It’s rare for me to be shooting like I have been this season.”