Falcons face test in WAC opener against UNLV

In Reggie Minton's world, everything is relative.

His Air Force Falcons are sporting a 7-4 record. At the Academy, 7-4 is considered gaudy, given this isn't your run-of-the-mill Division I basketball program.

This is the only program in the Western Athletic Conference with a junior varsity team. This is the only WAC team that doesn't redshirt its players. And nobody else faces 6:30 a.m. wake-up calls, goes through hardcore academics and intensive military instruction.

Here, basketball is third on the list of priorities.

So you take success where you can get it. Even if it means playing the likes of Regis, Doane, Wofford and Texas-Arlington. The WAC schedule tends to be tough enough for Air Force, so if the Falcons played UNLV's schedule against the likes of Kansas, UCLA, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State, they'd be hard-pressed to ever get a W.

Saturday figures to be one of those hard-pressed situations for the Falcons as they have a date with 7-6 UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center, the WAC opener for both teams.

But Minton is not looking for sympathy, just five guys who can play as a unit, shoot the ball accurately and work hard.

The Falcons are a little deeper talent-wise than they've been, and that has more to do with their success than playing Colorado-Colorado Springs.

"We've got more players," Minton said. "Last year, we had Jarmica (Reese, the former Las Vegas prep star) and Mike Freeman and if you stopped them, you basically shut us down.

"This year, we've got more people who can shoot it. We've spread it out a little more and as we kick it, we look to shoot it."

Yes, the Falcons do look to shoot. Minton's team is more athletic than in previous years and the up-tempo game you wouldn't normally associate with Air Force is prevalent.

The team has taken 306 3-point shots after Wednesday night's 103-85 loss to Denver and is averaging 28 treys per game while shooting 33 percent from long distance. And the main scoring threats are a couple of former JV players -- Tyron Wright, who averages a team-leading 16.4 points, and sophomore guard Jarvis Croff, who averages just under 14.

They've made the transition to the varsity with little problem, and Minton said his patience with them has paid off.

"They could've been up with us last year," he said. "But they got to play regular minutes with the JV and I think that helped them."

Add the contributions from returnees Louis Stewart, Dylan Pope, Billy Humphrey, Miguel Garcia and David Schuck, and it's the kind of team Minton can have some fun with.

"We were going to run with this team," he said. "It's the makeup of our team to push the ball and open things up."

While the Falcons are not bashful to put it up (they actually attempted 106 shots in an exhibition game in November), they're also looking to get to the basket. In its first 10 games, Air Force averaged 31 free throw attempts. The team is shooting just under 70 percent from the foul line.

"We'll put it on the floor and try and get it all the way (to the rim)," Minton said. "Just because we're shooting more from the perimeter doesn't mean we're an impatient team. We want to get the best shot we can. If it's an open look from three, fine. If it's a layup, that's good too.

"We know what reality is here. If we go to Vegas and run everything perfect and we don't shoot it, it don't matter."

Hoop du jour

Two UNLV players are among this week's NCAA statistical leaders -- center Kaspars Kambala is fourth in the nation in field goal percentage, hitting 67 percent from the floor, and point guard Mark Dickel is seventh in assists with a 7.2 average. ... Air Force is averaging 80 points a game, fifth-highest in the WAC. The Falcons are fourth in turnover margin at plus 4.2. ... Saturday marks the eighth meeting between the schools with UNLV holding a 6-1 edge. The Falcons have never won here, going 0-4.

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