Games like Air Force’s 83-53 win over Johnson & Wales, a NAIA Division II team, won’t impress many people, but they’re good for the guys who usually sit on the end of the bench and don’t get a whole lot of playing time.

Sophomore Chase Kammerer is an example. In his two Air Force seasons, he had two points in 22 minutes of action. He practices just as much as Michael Lyons or Todd Fletcher, but rarely sees the floor on game day. Against Johnson & Wales, Kammerer got 10 minutes, and hit four-of-five shots for 10 points, five times his career total. It was a payoff for his hard work.

“Feels real good,” Kammerer said. “Was a little winded – I haven’t played very much – but it feels good.”

When Air Force took a 34-3 lead to start the game, the players on the bench started getting excited, knowing they’d get most of the rest of the game. Three of Air Force’s five starters didn’t play more than 10 minutes, and none of them played more than 14.

For players like Kammerer, or Justin Hammonds (career highs in points, rebounds and steals), Max Yon (career high in points), DeLovell Earls (career high in points and rebounds), Colt Barnhill (career high in rebounds) or Shawn Hempsey (career high in assists), getting any playing time is a chance to show the coaches that they deserve some more in games that aren’t blowouts.

“It’s always exciting to get an opportunity to play and prove yourself,” Kammerer said.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.