23rd-Ranked Falcons Host Texas-Pan American
12/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2006
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Site
Clune Arena (5,834), USAFA, Colo.
Radio
The Air Force Basketball Network. Locally on NewsRadio 740 KVOR in Colorado Springs and KYOL 1510 AM in Denver. KVOR's Jim Arthur handles the play-by-play.
TV
None
Live Stats
www.goairforcefalcons.com (Gametracker)
Recent Results
Air Force defeated IPFW, 78-66, Saturday afternoon at Clune Arena. Texas-Pan American lost to LaSalle, 64-63, in the consolation game of the Iowa Tournament on Saturday.
Coaches
Air Force is coached by Jeff Bzdelik (Illinois-Chicago, 1976), who is in his second season as head coach. Bzdelik returned to the college game last year after 15 seasons as a coach and scout in the NBA, most recently as head coach of the Denver Nuggets. Bzdelik has a collegiate career record of 57-39, including a 32-8 mark at Air Force. Texas-Pan American is coached by Tom Schuberth (Mississippi State, 1980), who is in his first season as a collegiate head coach. Prior to joining the Broncs' program, he was an assistant coach at Central Florida.
Series
Air Force leads the series, 8-7. The Falcons have won the last two meetings, including an 81-68 victory last season at Clune Arena.
8-1 Ties Best Start Ever
Air Force's 8-1 record ties the best start ever in program history after nine games, equalling the team's record from last season.
Highest Ranking Ever
The Falcons achieved their highest ranking in program history Monday when they were ranked No. 23 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll. Air Force's previous high was 25th in both the coaches' and Associated Press polls on March 8, 2004. That marked the first and only time the Falcons were ranked in either poll before Monday. Air Force received 40 votes in this week's AP poll, good for 31st place. This week's polls can be found on page 4 of this release.
Seven Games in 12 Days!!
Air Force started the season playing seven games in 12 days, including four games in five days, culminating with its 83-59 victory over Radford on Nov. 22. Air Force was just one of three Division I teams (Winston-Salem College and Fairfield Univ.) to play seven games before Thanksgiving this season.
Up Next
The Falcons host Division III team Colorado College on Saturday, Dec. 9 at Clune Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Burtschi Named Preseason All-MWC
Senior forward Jacob Burtschi was selected to the preseason All-Mountain West Conference team at the league's media day in Las Vegas, Nev. The Chickasha, Okla. product earned second-team honors by the conference following the 2005-06 season after finishing second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game, and leading the MWC with a school-record 71 steals. He needs eight steals to become AFA's career leader. Burtschi led the Falcons in rebounding at 6.1 rebounds per game, which placed him ninth in the league. This is the fourth consecutive year an Air Force player has been selected to the team. Senior Nick Welch was picked each of the past two years and Tim Keller was selected prior to the 2003-04 season. The only other MWC school to have a player on the team each of the last four years is Colorado State.
2006-07 Preseason All-MWC
Jacob Burtschi, Sr., F, Air Force
Trent Plaisted, So., F/C, BYU
Jason Smith, Jr., F, Colorado State
Mohamed Abukar, Sr., F, San Diego State
Brandon Heath, Sr., G, San Diego State
Top Returning Player
Brandon Heath, Sr., G, San Diego State
Top Freshman
Stephen Weigh, G/F, Utah
Last Time Out
Air Force 78, IPFW 66
Dec. 2, 2006, USAFA, Colo.
USAFA, Colo. (AP) -- Air Force rode a near-perfect shooting performance by Dan Nwaelele to a 78-66 win over IPFW Saturday at Clune Arena.
The 6-foot-5 senior forward from Bothell, Wash. hit six of seven field goals, all three of his 3-point attempts and went 11-for-11 from the free throw line en route to a career-high 26 points and game-high scoring honors. His only miss was on a desperation drive to the hoop a split second before the shot clock expired.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Nwaelele midway through the second half gave Air Force a 63-52 lead, and may have put the game outside the Mastadons' reach.
Air Force (8-1) had taken an early lead, and led 34-29 at the half, but IPFW used strong outside shooting to keep the game close.
Jakari Johnson sank five of nine 3-point attempts in leading IPFW scorers with 19 points. Forward Scott DeWitt added another three of four 3-pointers, to finish with 15 points for IPFW (3-5).
Nwaelele's effort is the highest individual point total for Air Force this season. His previous high was 23.
Guard Tim Anderson, the only junior among Air Force starters, finished with 18 points and had a career-high four steals. Jacob Burtschi added 14 points.
Notes from the IPFW Game
Team
-- Air Force is 8-1 for the second consecutive year and second time in program history
-- Air Force's 29 FTs made are the most since 41 vs. Navy on Nov. 28, 1998
-- Air Force's 35 FT attempts are the most since 37 at Navy on Nov. 28, 2003
-- Air Force has won 20 consecutive home games, the third-longest streak in the country
-- Air Force has won 28 consecutive home games vs. non-conference opponents
-- Air Force has made a three-pointer in 424 consecutive games
-- Air Force had a more turnovers (14) than assists (10) for just the second time this season
-- Air Force tied its season-low with five three-pointers made
Individual
-- Dan Nwaelele scored a career-high 26 points, the most by a Falcon this season
-- Nwaelele's 11 FTs made are the most since Tim Keller made 11 vs. Wyoming on Feb. 7, 2004
-- Nwaelele's 11 FT attempts are the most since Nick Welch had 11 at Lamar on Dec. 13, 2004
-- Tim Anderson tied his career-high with four steals
Second Time With 30-Point Wins
Air Force's 36-point victory at Stanford and 38-point win at Colorado marked just the second time in school history that the Falcons have won consecutive games by 30 points or more. The first time was in the program's inaugural season of 1956-57, when AFA defeated Colorado College, 104-53, and Eastern New Mexico, 102-69. Both of those games were at home.
Falcons Picked Third in MWC Poll
Air Force was picked third in the 2006-07 preseason media poll released at the Mountain West Conference media day in Las Vegas, Nev., on Oct. 26. The Falcons received three first-place votes, the second-most in the conference.
School (First Place Votes), Pts
1. San Diego State (17), 192
2. BYU (1), 156
3. Air Force (3), 147
4. Utah, 114
5. New Mexico, 101
6. UNLV, 99
7. Colorado State, 68
8. Wyoming, 51
9. TCU, 27
Third Place at CBE Classic
Air Force finished third at the 16-team College Basketball Experience Classic with a 67-53 victory over Texas Tech on Nov. 21 in the third-place game in Kansas City, Mo. Duke defeated the Falcons, 71-56, in the semifinals.
McCraw Named to All-Tourney Team
Senior Matt McCraw was named to the CBE Classic all-tournament team after scoring a season-high 18 points and grabbing a team-high six rebounds against Texas Tech in the third-place game. McCraw scored nine points in the semis vs. Duke.
CBE Classic Regional Champs
With its 79-45 victory over Stanford on Nov. 15, Air Force captured the Stanford Region of the CBE Classic and was the only non-home team to advance to the CBE Classic semifinals in Kansas City. Duke, Texas Tech and Marquette were the other teams at the tournament.
Burtschi Named Region MVP
Senior Jacob Burtschi was named the most valuable player for the Stanford Region of the CBE Classic. Burtschi averaged 23 points and 8.5 rebounds in the two games, including a 24-point, 12-rebound performance against Stanford on Wednesday, the third double-double of his career.
Burtschi Sets Career Steals Mark
With his two steals against Radford on Nov. 22, senior Jacob Burtschi became the all-time steals leader at Air Force. He currently has 153, five more than Raymond Dudley, who played from `86-90.
Nwaelele is All-Time 3-Pt% Leader
Seniors Dan Nwaelele and Matt McCraw are in a heated battle for the No. 1 spot on Air Force's career list for three-point percentage. Following his 3-for-3 performance against IPFW, Nwaelele took over the lead by .002. He is shooting 46.245 percent (117-253) from behind the arc, while McCraw is at 46.243 percent (160-346). Third place on the list is Raymond Dudley, the school's career scoring leader, at 39.6 percent (285-720).
Home Win Streak at 20
The Falcons have a 20-game winning streak at Clune Arena. The team's current home-court winning streak is tied for the third-longest in the nation with Iowa.
Non-Conference Home Streak at 28
With its 78-66 victory over IPFW last Saturday, Air Force has a 28-game winning streak at home against non-conference opponents. The last loss at home to a non-Mountain West team at Clune Arena was to Tennessee Tech on Dec. 29, 2001 (64-44).
Nearly Unbeatable at Clune
The Falcons have been close to unbeatable at Clune Arena the last three seasons. Including the final home game of the 2002-03 season (a 68-60 victory over New Mexico), Air Force has won 44 of its last 45 home games. The team was 13-0 in `03-04, 12-1 in `04-05 (lost to Utah, 65-56) and 15-0 last season. AFA's 43-1 home record since the beginning of the 2003-04 season is the second-best in the country for winning percentage.
Falcons vs. the ACC
Air Force is now 3-8 overall against teams in the ACC, with all three victories coming in the last two seasons. The Falcons' defeated Miami and Georgia Tech last year, giving them a 2-0 mark last season against one of the top conferences in the country. The Falcons were 0-7 against ACC teams entering the `05-06 season. In the past, AFA posted two wins against teams that are currently in the ACC (Georgia Tech in 1972 and Florida State in 1965), but those teams were not in the ACC at the time of the game.
Nwaelele Shares MWC Award
Senior Dan Nwaelele and Colorado State junior Jason Smith were named the Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Co-Players of the Week. A 6-5 forward from Bothell, Wash., Nwaelele averaged 18.5 points and four rebounds per game as the Falcons pushed their win streak to four games. Nwaelele contributed 11 points and five boards in a 94-58 rout of Wake Forest on Wednesday, then pumped in a career-high 26 points in a 78-66 win over IPFW on Saturday. Nwaelele was almost perfect against IPFW, making 6-of-7 from the field, including all three of his 3-point attempts, and was 11-of-11 from the free-throw line. Smith, a 7-0 center from Kersey, Colo., averaged 19.5 points and seven rebounds per game to help the Rams extend their win streak to four games. Smith narrowly missed a double-double with 24 points and nine rebounds in an 81-73 win over Denver on Wednesday, going 9-of-10 from the field. On Saturday, the junior center added 15 points and five rebounds in an 84-83 thriller over Kansas State.
All Five Starters in Double Figures
All five of Air Force's starters are averaging in double figures this season. Jacob Burtschi leads the way at 14.9 ppg, followed by Dan Nwaelele (13.8), Tim Anderson (11.9). Nick Welch (11.3) and Matt McCraw (11.2).
Three-Point Streak
Air Force has made a three-point shot in 423 consecutive games. The last time the Falcons failed to make a three-pointer was Dec. 4, 1991 in a 57-51 victory over Adams State College.
AFA in the Computer Rankings
The Falcons posted their highest ratings ever in the Sagarin ratings and CollegeRPI earlier this season. The Falcons were No. 13 in the Sagarin on Nov. 30 following the victory over Wake Forest, and No. 14 in CollegeRPI on Nov. 20. The Falcons are currently No. 25 in Sagarin and No. 16 in CollegeRPI.
First Top Ten Opponent Since `98
Duke was the Falcons' first opponent ranked in the Top Ten since AFA played fifth-ranked Utah on Feb. 21, 1998. The Falcons have never beaten a Top Ten team.
Fourth NCAA Appearance in History
Air Force made its fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, falling to Illinois, 78-69, in the first round. The Falcons lost to North Carolina in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament, 63-52, which was their first time in the "Big Dance" since 1962, when the Falcons lost in the first round, 68-66, to Texas Tech. Air Force's other appearance in the NCAA tournament was in 1960, losing in the first round to DePaul, 69-63.
24 Wins Set New School Record
Air Force finished the 2005-06 campaign with a 24-7 record. The 24 victories are the most wins in one season in the history of the program. The previous mark was 22 set by the 2003-04 team.
Last Year vs. Texas-Pan American
Air Force 81, Texas-Pan American 68
Dec. 3, 2005, Edinburg, Texas
(AP) -- Antoine Hood led four players in double figures with 22 points, and Air Force shot 67 percent from the field to beat Texas-Pan American 81-68 Saturday night.
Hood was followed by Jacob Burtschi with 19 points, Dan Nwaelele with 17 and Matt McCraw with 15. Those four players scored 73 of 81 points for the Falcons, who made 10 of 22 3-pointers.
Dexter Shankle led Texas-Pan American (2-5) with 21 points, and he made 11 of 14 free throws.
Air Force raced to a 36-18 halftime lead by shooting 64 percent while holding Texas-Pan American to 29 percent from the field. Texas-Pan American improved to 48 percent during a 50-point second half, but Air Force, which had a lead of 31 at one point, didn't allow the Broncs to get within 12 points during the stanza.
Air Force shot 70 percent in the second half and a season-high 66.7 percent (28-42) for the game.
