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Hoops Notes
July 1st, 2009, 10:00 am · 5 Comments · posted by Jake Schaller
I spoke Tuesday with men’s basketball coach Jeff Reynolds about several subjects, including a possible game against CU (not happening). That and some other notes are covered in this story that appeared in today’s edition of The Gazette.
A few things that didn’t quite fit in the story:
–Reynolds’ overall thoughts on the spring: “I thought we had a good spring. Guys worked really hard. Very focused. Energy level was good. I thought we got bigger and stronger in the weight room, and I thought our skill set improved.”
–I asked if Reynolds looked for anything in particular from his players – attitude, for instance:
“Our attitude’s always been good,” he said. “Our guys have always worked hard. Unlike what the rumor mills are, our kids aren’t disenchanted, our kids aren’t upset with the state of the program. They know the program is going through a stage that no one could prevent because we can’t take transfers, we can’t take junior college players, we have to take true freshmen and consequently they’ve worked really hard and the program’s making progress.
“I look across the country and look at our league and inevitably we can’t change the process that we’re going through right now. We just can’t do it because I can’t go get a transfer from Minnesota or a transfer from Ole Miss or a junior college All-American. I can’t do it. The best I can hope for is bringing freshmen from the prep school. And if I can get those guys to come up here, in reality they’ve had a year to get bigger and stronger and older, and that’s sort of the life blood of the program, and it’s how the program got good years ago. We have six guys coming up from the prep school this year.”
–I asked Reynolds if this season’s nonconference schedule would be more competitive. He said, “I don’t know what you mean by competitive.” So I said, “Better teams.” (Air Force’s Ratings Percentage Index – a mathematical equation that determines strength of schedule – was ranked 252nd in the country shortly before the start of conference play last season. The other eight MWC teams had rankings between 39 and 158 at that time).
Reynolds then said, “I don’t know what you mean by better teams.” So I said, “Teams with better records.”
“I don’t know how good they’ll be this year,” he said. “For example, we scheduled two teams last year that had a much better record (in 2007-08) than they ended up having (in 2008-09).”
Reynolds said Norfolk State was one of those teams (16-15 in 2007-08, 13-18 last season).
“Your question is a very difficult one because it’s hard to project” how good teams will be, Reynolds said. He mentioned DePaul, for instance, which went winless in the Big East last year to the surprise of many.
I submit there will be surprises every year. Though I’m not sure about “very difficult.”
Anyhow, I asked if the Falcons would have some bigger-name teams come to Clune this season (last year’s home nonconference schedule was brutal, containing, among others, Northern Illinois, Wofford, Texas-Pan American and Texas Southern).
“We’re never going to have big-name teams come in here,” Reynolds said. “The years we were good, we had maybe one.”
However, Reynolds said if the teams from which he has firm commitments come through with contracts, then the Falcons would face three teams that would rank in the top 50 of current RPI rankings. That’s the most the Falcons have had, he said, in the last two years.
–Reynolds said he encouraged guard Saj El-Amin to play football. (El-Amin will attempt to play receiver for the Falcons in the fall.)
“There was a lot of speculation out there that we kicked him off the team,” Reynolds said. “I told Saj, ‘Don’t worry about that stuff.’ Because 99 percent of the people don’t know what’s going on in our program. Saj wanted to try it, and our whole staff was behind it.”
–Finally, columnist David Ramsey reacted to the news about Air Force not facing CU on his blog. You can find that post here.
I also feel this is a good time to apologize to our award-winning columnist for calling him “a lunatic” in a comment on his blog because of his NBA thoughts. As Ramsey pointed out in his post today, I should have learned to be more kind during my time as a student at Notre Dame. So I’d like to rescind that comment. Let’s go with “mildly insane.”
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About this blog …
I'm Frank Schwab, Air Force beat reporter for The Gazette. I've been at the paper since 2003, and covered the Broncos for seven seasons. I covered the University of Wisconsin in the late 1990s, so I'm well versed in running football teams (Ron Dayne) and defensive basketball teams (Dick Bennett). I love to chat on www.twitter.com/GazetteAirForce, and will respond to comments and emails at frank.schwab@gazette.com.
For more coverage, visit The Gazette's Air Force Academy Sports page
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Jake,
Reynolds’ iditotic replies to your simple, fair questions are a perfect example of why I can’t stand the guy as the AF coach. He pretends not to know what “competitive” and “better teams” mean?? What a fool! AJ Kuhle can’t get back to the Academy soon enough, as far as I’m concerned.
Former STH,
Thanks for reading the blog and for the comment. I thought the questions were pretty straightforward too (especially if you look back at last season’s nonconference schedule). I just think sometimes people I interview come in on the defensive, ready to interpret every question as combative or insulting. That leads to combative answers to questions that really had no ill intent.
Like I said in the post, there are always going to be teams that surprise each season (in good and bad ways). But for the most part, I would think coaches should be able to tell prior to a season if a schedule is relatively tougher, easier or about the same as the previous season. Heck, I bet I’ll be able to muster a guess if the 09-10 schedule is tougher, easier or about the same as last season’s with nothing more than a quick glance. And I’m just an idiot sports writer.
Thanks Jeff for validating to we the fans that you are a mental midget and can’t hold a conversation with anyone over the age of 7. We “get it” that you can’t take in transfers from other programs but what kid with any talent in their right mind would want to TRANSFER IN to your program?!?!? You’ve lost THREE players who have transferred OUT. We also “get it” that you can’t recruit foreign players to this “university”. You didn’t win a conference game last year and the over-under on you winning one this year is one. NOTHING and I mean NOTHING excites be about the upcoming Air Force Basketball season. PUHLEEEASE prove me wrong!
This program’s biggest problem is you and your ineffective staff. These comments by you are just more of the same lame “excuses” which have become a persistent theme of your head coaching tenure. None of the program’s failures are your fault but instead they are the fault of the environment and restrictions placed upon you at this “university”. You are paranoid of the program’s “saboteurs” and it is very reflective in your defensive statements and your AD’s re: this program. BTW…..almost every AFA sport has published an article on the http://www.goairforcefalcons.com website (even baseball) highlighting their incoming recruits. Men’s basketball is noticeably absent. Who is coming in to save this program from another horrific season of wins and losses and a snoozer of a non-conference home schedule?
Do the honorable thing and resign and move up to be with your mentor in Boulder.
It’s amazing what some people will say when they are anonymous. Two seasons ago the team exceeded expectations. I think the problem is that JR just hasn’t been kissing up to some people enough, like the poster above. He will right the ship in time, or he will be gone, like the quitters that resigned from the Academy referenced by the “Curse of Jeff Bz.”. Cadet athletes who quit are nothing new. They’ve been doing it since the Academy was founded because it’s a tough program and some just aren’t up for it.
Falcon,
What I find equally amazing is the lengths to which those on this blog will attempt to shamelessly defend the indefensible!
Two years ago the only reason AFA exceeded expectations was for one reason and two words….Tim Anderson. That senior single-handedly carried a team on his back and won 3-4 conference games on his own!! No Tim Anderson this past year but solid seniors who the head coach threw under the bus in starting 3 freshmen to “send a message”. Nice experiment, but horrific results. Team imploded, ignored coach and staff, and the results speak for themselves. Problem with JR is he will not right the ship, is so far in over his head as a head coach it isn’t even funny, and as long as his AD keeps rolling his contract to a pertpetual 5-year deal because he’s doing such a great job, somebody else of sound mind is going to have to come in here and convince the “commander” he screwed up big time hiring this guy in the first place with his henchman Saks the Idiot and then extending his contract twice!! BTW that “quitter” you referred to (Jeff Bzdelik) was the one who recommended Reynolds to the “commander”. The ultimate irony. Wanna call somebody a quitter….look no further than your beloved athletic director.
Air Force has proven it can win in this conference in D-1 basketball. Unfortunately,it has proven it can also fall flat on it’s face and revert to the dismal failings of the past too.