AIR FORCE AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS, 
7 p.m. today, 740 AM

1 CAN AIR FORCE AVOID TURNOVERS?

After committing just 27 turnovers in their first three games, the Falcons made 50 in their past three, including at least 14 in each game. Air Force will have to do a much better job of taking care of the ball against an athletic Northern Illinois team that plays pressure defense. The Huskies have forced an average of 16.7 turnovers in their first seven games, and they rely on their defense to create easy baskets in transition.

2 NORTHERN ILLINOIS' BACKCOURT

The Huskies have a pair of young, talented guards out of Chicago who average 32.3 of the team's 69.1 points per game. Darion Anderson, a 6-foot-2, 201-pound sophomore, was the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year last season and is averaging a team-high 17.3 points. He also leads the team with 13 steals and 18 assists and is tied for the team lead in rebounds with 39. Mike DiNunno, a 5-11, 177-pound freshman, is second on the team in scoring (15.0) and assists (17).

3 BEARING DOWN ON THE BOARDS

Air Force was outrebounded by Western State, 37-32. Particularly galling to coach Jeff Reynolds was that his Falcons gave up 16 offensive rebounds, leading to 15 second-chance points by the Mountaineers. "We've got to rebound the ball better," Reynolds said.

QUOTE TO NOTE

"They're probably the best team we'll have played other than Stanford thus far. They're very athletic and extend their defenses, and if they shoot the ball well they can be very hard to beat."

-Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds on Northern Illinois

NOTE TO QUOTE

Northern Illinois is in its second season under former Colorado coach Ricardo Patton. The Huskies' big man, 6-foot-11, 240-pound sophomore center Sean Kowal, came to Northern Illinois with Patton from Colorado but had to sit out last season because of NCAA transfer rules. He is averaging 10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds.